Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-08

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The system used for rubbish/garbage collection in your local area is not working properly. This is causing problems for you and your neighbours. Write a letter to the local council. In your letter

• describe how the rubbish collection system is not working properly
• explain how this is affecting you and your neighbours
• suggest what should be done about the problem

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 6.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing you to bring attention to a major issue, our locality is facing in the current time. As the garbage collection system is not functioning properly there are many unhandled garbage bins around the street.

As we all know about the risks of leaving those garbage around, I would really like to discuss the issue. Firstly, the garbage trucks which visits to collect the garbage bins are not equipped with proper tools to pick up the bins. Which makes it difficult for them to collect all the waste in the bin, leaving unattended waste products even after regular garbage collection.

Moreover, authorities which are responsible for sweeping the roads, are very irregular in their work. Which makes the locality dirty, by which many types of diseases spread and also increases bugs in the neighbourhood. Making it unsafe to live around.

I would appreciate if prompt action is being taken on this issue as it makes a huge impact on health and safety in the locality we are living in. I suggest regular cleaning as well as new equipment, using which garbage collection is handled properly.

Yours Faithfully,

Max Pine

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You described the mechanical failure of the collection trucks, explained the negative impact on the neighborhood regarding hygiene and pests, and provided concrete suggestions for improvement. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a council. To reach a higher band, ensure that your ideas are slightly more developed; for instance, you could provide a specific example of how long the waste has been left uncollected to add more weight to your complaint.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use transition signals such as 'Firstly' and 'Moreover' to guide the reader. However, some sentences are fragmented, such as 'Which makes it difficult...' and 'Which makes the locality dirty...', which disrupts the flow. These should be joined to the preceding independent clauses to improve cohesion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different points of your argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'locality', 'unattended', and 'prompt action'. There are some minor inaccuracies in collocation, such as 'unhandled garbage bins' (which sounds unnatural) and 'increases bugs' (a more precise term would be 'infestation'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. Focusing on more natural collocations will improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For example, 'I am writing you to bring attention' should be 'I am writing to you to bring to your attention'. Additionally, there are issues with subject-verb agreement, such as 'garbage trucks which visits' (should be 'visit'). The use of sentence fragments starting with 'Which' is a recurring issue that affects the overall grammatical control.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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