Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-17

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 5.5)

Dear Sir,

I am writing this letter regarding collection of rubbish.

Since, last two months the rubbish collection is not working correctly. most of the time they leave the full of garbage bag behind it also, the number of times it does not come to collect the rubbish. It causing us certain way such as invite mosquito, tiny insect and germs it spread disease like malaria , dengue etc.. in my neighbors elderly people and their small children affected badly.

I am writing a few solution. firstly, It need to clean soon as possible specially remove all the garbage afterwards clean the all rubbish of the floor and spread the chemical it, in addition, please provide free medical camp to check the local people it will help to stop spreading these diseases.

I hope my solution on these issue will help you and I hoping I will listen further.

Warm Regards,

Shraddha.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task: describing the problem, explaining the impact, and suggesting solutions. However, the development of these points is somewhat limited. For example, the description of the impact on your neighbors is brief and could be expanded to provide a more vivid picture of the situation. While the letter is functional and clearly communicates the issue, the tone is occasionally informal and lacks the professional polish expected in a formal letter to a council. To improve, ensure that your suggestions are more detailed and that the overall structure follows a more conventional formal letter format.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use some basic cohesive devices like 'firstly' and 'in addition' to link your ideas. However, the transitions between sentences are sometimes abrupt, and the flow is hindered by grammatical errors. The use of referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'It causing us certain way', where the subject is missing. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate the main points effectively. You use some topic-specific vocabulary such as 'rubbish', 'garbage', 'mosquito', and 'diseases'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'full of garbage bag' instead of 'bags full of garbage' and 'spread the chemical it' instead of 'apply chemicals'. To reach a higher band, focus on learning common collocations and using more precise terminology to describe the situation, rather than relying on basic descriptive language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There is a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. You frequently omit articles (e.g., 'in my neighbors elderly people') and struggle with verb tense and subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'It causing us' instead of 'It is causing us'). Punctuation is also problematic, with several run-on sentences and incorrect comma usage. While your meaning is generally clear, these frequent errors require the reader to work harder to understand your message. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement will significantly improve your score.

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

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