Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-11

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 letter to bring your attention related to unmanage the garbage collection system in Keel area.

As per schedule, the bins should be emptied every Tuesday, but the truck comes alternative week. Sometimes, the collection team do not take all types waste that leave attended for several days.

Due to the mismanagement of it, this affects me and my neighborhood. Firstly, the older people have difficulty to move heavy bins and one of them has back injury. Furthermore, kitchen waste odor is strong and harmful for children. Lastly, this litter attracts many animals which tear the begs and spread it on walkways or driveways.

To address this issue, I will request you to kindly hold a meeting to review the terms and conditions, particularly regarding the following the collection timetable. Could I also request you to re-inform staff about this topic?

I hope you will consider these problems and suggestions.

Yours faithfully,

Raj Patel

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points of the prompt: describing the issue, explaining the impact, and suggesting a solution. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a local council. However, some ideas could be developed further to reach a higher band. For instance, while you mention the impact on older people and children, the explanation of the solution is somewhat brief. To improve, ensure that your suggestions are more specific or elaborate on how the council should implement the changes to resolve the situation effectively. Overall, the task is fulfilled clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. You have used some cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Furthermore', and 'Lastly', which help guide the reader through your points. However, the transition between the problem description and the impact could be smoother. Additionally, some sentences are slightly disjointed due to grammatical errors, which occasionally interrupts the flow of ideas. Using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that referencing is precise would help improve the overall cohesion of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message, such as 'mismanagement', 'timetable', and 'terms and conditions'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'unmanage the garbage' (should be 'mismanaged' or 'poorly managed') and 'alternative week' (should be 'every other week'). Some phrasing is slightly unnatural, such as 'leave attended' (likely meant 'left unattended'). Improving your control over collocations and word forms will help you achieve a higher score in this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'bring your attention related to' (should be 'bring to your attention'), 'the collection team do not take' (subject-verb agreement: 'does not'), and 'tear the begs' (spelling: 'bags'). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning, they are frequent enough to impact the overall accuracy. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage will significantly improve your writing.

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

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