Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-15

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 to complain about garbage collection system, which has negatively impacted me and my neighbourhood.

I live in colony Cedar houses. From the last two weeks, garbage pickup trucks are not coming in my area, which led to remain all the junk inside the homes or on driveways. My whole neighbourhood is worried about when the garbage will be collected. All of the waste management bins are full of rubbish and the garbage is coming out of the bins.

It severely affects me and my neighbours as loads of rubbish on the driways are unhygenic and it creates awful smell. Additionally, it is dangerous for small children and pets. Children in my community play outside and it is highly difficult to keep an eye on small children, all the time for their safety. Sometimes dogs and cats feed on the rubbish, which is extremely dangerous for their lives.

I request you to investigate and immediately find a solution to address this matter.

I promptly look forward for your response.

Yours sincerely,

Sham

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points of the prompt effectively. You clearly describe the failure of the collection system, explain the negative impacts on hygiene and safety, and provide a clear request for action. 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 specify the exact type of waste or the duration of the problem more precisely to add depth to your argument.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the task. You use some cohesive devices like 'Additionally' and 'sometimes' to link ideas. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally slightly mechanical. To improve, try to use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that referencing (e.g., 'this', 'these') is used more consistently to connect your points more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Phrases like 'negatively impacted', 'waste management bins', and 'unhygienic' are appropriate for the context. There are some minor errors in word choice, such as 'colony Cedar houses' (which sounds unnatural) and 'remain all the junk' (which should be 'leaving all the junk'). Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise collocations would help elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'From the last two weeks' (should be 'For the last two weeks'), 'on the driways' (spelling error), and 'I promptly look forward for your response' (should be 'I look forward to your response'). These errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and preposition usage.

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

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