Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I hope you are doing well.

I am writing this letter to complain that the garbage collection system in my vicinity is not working appropriately, which causes issues for me and my neighbours.

To begin with, the garbage collection team has not collected our trash for the last few weeks, and they are very imperfect on their schedule. In fact, the trash has not been taken away for the last few weeks.

Due to this issue, the surrounding are become very dirty, and the air has started getting smelly. This causes various health problems like plague, malaria, and many harmful diseases. In addition, become difficult to get outside through doors.

I kindly request that you, on behalf of my community, please look into this matter and take immediate action to remove this trash as soon as possible.

Thank you for understanding our situation.

Kind regards,

Harshil Trivedi

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points of the prompt: describing the issue, explaining the impact, and suggesting a solution. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the suggestion to 'remove this trash' is quite brief. While the purpose of the letter is clear, the tone is slightly inconsistent, and the ideas could be expanded with more specific detail to fully satisfy the requirements for a higher band. The response is just over the minimum length, which restricts the depth of the argument.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter follows a logical structure with a clear opening and closing. Paragraphing is present, though the paragraphs are quite short. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To begin with', 'Due to this issue', and 'In addition', which help guide the reader. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes a bit mechanical, and the repetition of 'for the last few weeks' in the second paragraph indicates a lack of variety in linking ideas. Overall, the message is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the range and precision required for a higher score. Phrases like 'very imperfect on their schedule' and 'surrounding are become very dirty' are unnatural and contain grammatical errors. The use of 'plague' is likely an exaggeration in this context, suggesting a lack of precision in word choice. To improve, you should focus on using more natural collocations and avoiding repetitive or overly simplistic descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There is a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. There are several noticeable errors, such as 'the surrounding are become very dirty' (should be 'the surroundings have become') and 'become difficult to get outside' (missing subject). These errors occasionally distract the reader, though they do not fully impede communication. The use of articles and verb tenses needs more attention to ensure the writing is more professional and error-free.

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

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