Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-16

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 ,

My name is Jaskaran Singh . I am writing this letter to put your attention onwards the inefficient system of the garbage collection in my local area which create a numerous problems for me and my neighbours.

Firstly , In our local area the service of garbage collection is not working properly and they always late in picking up the rubbish of household dustbins from the streets . Secondly , while taking garbage workers left over some portion of rubbish in bins and throw the dustbin anywhere on the roads instead of placing it in just one side .

Furthermore , that inconvenient service is a cause of number of problems for residents of particular street such as a bad smell from dustbins due to leftover garbage . Moreover , different types of insects are also coming on the rubbish spread by animals and birds which become a reason of many diseases in people . For example allergy , flu and many more . At last , I think you should put some attention on that case and also hire more staff for that service because there are only few workers in the cleaning company who cover a large part of the city . I hope that suggestion helpful for you to solve that problem and I am also looking forward to hear a favourable and prompt response from you soon .

Thank you ,

Yours Sincerely

Jaskaran Singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You described the inefficiency of the collection system, explained the negative impact on residents (smell, health risks), and provided a clear suggestion for improvement. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a council. To reach a higher band, ensure your ideas are slightly more developed; for instance, instead of listing diseases like 'flu', you could elaborate on how the current situation specifically prevents you from using your outdoor space or impacts your daily routine. Overall, the task is fully covered.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with clear paragraphing. You use transition signals such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'Furthermore', and 'Moreover' to guide the reader through your points. However, some of these cohesive devices are used in a slightly mechanical way. The referencing is generally clear, though some sentence structures are a bit repetitive. To improve, try to vary your linking phrases and ensure that the transition between the problem description and the proposed solution flows more naturally. The overall progression of ideas is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have an adequate range of vocabulary to communicate your message clearly. You use relevant terms like 'inefficient', 'residents', and 'favourable'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'put your attention onwards' (should be 'draw your attention to') and 'coming on the rubbish' (should be 'attracted to the rubbish'). There are also minor errors in phrasing, such as 'create a numerous problems' (should be 'creates numerous problems'). Expanding your range of 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 frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the service of garbage collection'), subject-verb agreement ('system... which create'), and preposition usage ('on the roads instead of placing it in just one side'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are unnecessary spaces before commas. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and article usage, as these errors occur frequently throughout the text.

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

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