Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-10

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 or Madam,

I am writing this to complaint that garbage collection in our area is not going well from as it supposed to be. I and my neighbours are getting trouble to clear the area.

Firstly, I would like to share with you what is going wrong here. Usually, we leave our rubbish out by Monday morning so the collection team can collect it. Additionally, to make it convenient for them we do leave cardboard stuff separate. However, from last few weeks, we have seen that they are leaving cardboards behind.

Due to this kind of activity, nowadays we have lots of cardboard garbage at our place. Some people through that in with non-recyclable rubbish which is not appropriate. Furthermore, uncollected boxes are every where due to wind which seems messy.

I would like to share some suggestions which may help you to resolve this problem. If collection team want we can gather it in particular manner, either we can tie that with some particular rode.

I look forward to hear from you.

Your faithfully,

Gautam

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt. You described the issue with the collection of cardboard, explained the negative impact on the neighborhood, and provided a suggestion for improvement. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a council. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly on the impact, for example, by mentioning potential health or safety concerns caused by the mess, which would demonstrate a more thorough development of your ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Additionally', and 'Furthermore' to link your ideas. However, the flow is occasionally interrupted by awkward phrasing, such as 'from last few weeks' and 'I am writing this to complaint'. While the paragraphing is sufficient, the transition between ideas could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring they are used naturally would help elevate your score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to communicate your message clearly. You use relevant terms like 'rubbish', 'recyclable', and 'collection team'. However, there are some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'cardboard stuff' (should be 'cardboard items' or 'cardboard waste') and 'particular rode' (likely meaning 'rope' or 'cord'). Additionally, 'complaint' is used as a verb instead of the noun 'complain'. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise, formal alternatives would improve your performance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, such as 'I am writing this to complaint' (should be 'to complain'), 'from as it supposed to be' (should be 'as it is supposed to be'), and 'I and my neighbours' (should be 'My neighbours and I'). You also have issues with article usage and prepositions, such as 'every where' (everywhere) and 'look forward to hear' (should be 'look forward to hearing'). These errors are frequent but do not prevent the reader from understanding your main points.

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

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