Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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,

I am writing this letter regards to complaint about garbage collection of our area which is not fulfilling the criteria.

Actually, from last couple of weeks, Vancouver garbage collection is not meeting the schedule of picking up garbage by missing duties. As a result, our street faces some trouble such as bad smell and no space to keep more garbage.

Sometimes, dump truck comes but they do not took whole garbage especially recycle bins and garbage can seen on roads which enables druggy people to create a huge mess in the area.

Furthermore, we contacted customer service many times but no actions was taken so we decided to write it to you. We want to request you to solve this issue with some strict measures as people park’s their cars in that area as well which causes problems.

Hope to see the changes soon.

Yours sincerely,

Robanpreet Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the failure of the collection system, the impact on the neighborhood, and a suggestion for improvement. However, the development of these points is somewhat limited. For example, the description of the impact is brief, and the suggestion for improvement is slightly vague. While the tone is appropriate for a formal letter, the content could be expanded to provide more specific details about the 'strict measures' requested. The response meets the minimum length requirement, but the ideas remain at a surface level, preventing a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the argument. There is a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and limited. Phrases like 'Actually' and 'Furthermore' are used to transition, but the flow between sentences within paragraphs could be smoother. The referencing is generally clear, though some sentences feel slightly disjointed due to grammatical errors that affect the logical connection between ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and incorrect word choices, such as 'druggy people' (which is informal and imprecise) and 'missing duties' (which does not collocate well in this context). The student relies on basic vocabulary to convey their message. To improve, the student should focus on using more formal, topic-specific collocations related to municipal services and community issues.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'I am writing this letter regards to complaint' (missing preposition/article), 'they do not took' (incorrect verb tense), and 'no actions was taken' (subject-verb agreement error). Punctuation is also inconsistent, such as the unnecessary apostrophe in 'park’s their cars'. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band.

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