Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-18

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 Anamika Sharma residence of Saddle lake Area Calgary, NE writing to inform you about the problem we all are facing since last week. It is a problem of garbage collection system which is not working and we are sending regular mails to Council management, but we are not getting any response from them. The rubbish collection system is nit collecting the garbage properly and it left the garbage in the bins and sometimes the garbage is left on the floor.

Moving Further, It is causing a lot of trouble between me and my neighbours because renovation is going on at our place and we face difficulty to throw our garbage and they think that we are doing it intentionally because it is blocking their way as well.

However, I would like to give my suggestion to you to please come and visit our place one day and examine what is happening with the system, Moreover, I can also show you my CCTV footage which will be a proof of our problem. I hope this letter finds you well.

Thanks and Regards

Anamika

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task. You described the failure of the collection system, explained the impact on your neighbors, and provided a suggestion for resolution. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation regarding the conflict with your neighbors is a bit confusing; it is not entirely clear why your renovation work is being blamed for the garbage collection failure. To reach a higher band, ensure that your explanations are logically connected and fully developed so the reader understands the cause-and-effect relationship clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally misused. For example, 'Moving Further' is not a standard transition for starting a new paragraph in a formal letter, and 'However' is used incorrectly at the start of the third paragraph, as you are not introducing a contrast. While the overall progression of ideas is logical, the links between sentences could be smoother and more varied to improve the flow of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate the main points effectively. You use some relevant topic-specific vocabulary such as 'garbage collection', 'bins', and 'CCTV footage'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'residence of' instead of 'a resident of' and 'sending regular mails' instead of 'sending regular emails' or 'correspondence'. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and ensure that your word choices are appropriate for a formal letter to a council.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Issues include missing articles ('the problem of garbage collection'), incorrect verb forms ('it left the garbage' instead of 'it leaves' or 'it has left'), and punctuation errors, such as the comma splice in the first paragraph. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall fluency. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

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