Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-09

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 6.5)

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to complain about the garbage collection system, which is not functioning properly in my area.

I am living on the Dundas street. The rubbish collection truck is not collecting the trash on the scheduled day of the week, which is usually on every Monday. Additionally, when the truck come, it is not taking our recycle waste from the blue bin.

This is a significant problem, which is affecting me and my neighbor too. As the garbage collection van is not coming, the trash in our home is pilling up. Unfortunately, we do not have additional space or other facility to store the trash. The bad odor is spreading from the waste, which is not good for our health.

I kindly request you to arrange proper collection of garbage and recycle waste on its scheduled day.

Thank you for you time and assistance.

Yours sincerely,

Mayur Rabari

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly describe the failure of the collection system, explain the negative impact on your household and neighbors, and provide a suggestion for resolution. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a local council. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly on the impact, perhaps by mentioning how long this has been occurring or the specific health risks involved, which would demonstrate a more fully developed response. Overall, the task is addressed effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a formal closing. Each paragraph focuses on a single aspect of the task, which aids readability. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Additionally' and 'Unfortunately' to link ideas. However, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that transitions between sentences are smoother. For instance, the transition between the description of the problem and its impact is functional but could be more sophisticated to improve the overall progression of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'functioning properly,' 'scheduled day,' and 'bad odor.' However, there are some minor inaccuracies and repetitive phrasing. For example, 'pilling up' should be 'piling up' (spelling), and 'recycle waste' would be more naturally expressed as 'recyclable waste.' To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and less common vocabulary related to municipal services. The current range is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, but it lacks the flexibility and precision required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I am living on the Dundas street' (should be 'Dundas Street'), 'when the truck come' (subject-verb agreement error: 'comes'), and 'Thank you for you time' (should be 'your'). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles. Increasing the variety of complex sentence structures while maintaining accuracy will also help elevate your score in this criterion.

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

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