Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-19

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 madam,

I am writing this email to bring a contentious issue to your attention that the garbage collection in my colony is not working fine. Due to this me as well as other people in the building are struggling to get rid of the waste materials. As we have the common garbage compactor in our area where we throw all of our trash and when it gets full we turn the switch on for squeezing the garbage inside but recently we had a problem with it. whenever we try to turn the switch on it says the garbage compactor is already full and we cannot run it anymore which makes it difficult for us to put more trash in it as it is not getting squeezed and all the space is occupied already. Moreover, we don't have any other option so we have to keep extra garbage either in our homes or nearby the compactor which is getting bad day by day. I want to request a quick action as soon as possible because it cannot only cause disorganization but also a lot of diseases too.

Thank you.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points of the prompt: describing the faulty system, explaining the impact on residents, and suggesting a solution. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a council. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the suggestion for improvement is quite brief ('request a quick action'). To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific details about what you expect the council to do, such as sending a technician or scheduling a regular maintenance check. The content is relevant and clear, fulfilling the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is generally easy to follow, and the ideas are logically sequenced. You use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover' and 'Due to this' to link your thoughts. However, the paragraphing is insufficient; the entire body of the letter is written as one single block of text. To improve, you should divide your letter into distinct paragraphs for each bullet point (e.g., one for the problem, one for the impact, and one for the solution). This would significantly improve the overall structure and readability of your response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have an adequate range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly, such as 'contentious issue', 'struggling', and 'disorganization'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'garbage collection in my colony' (usually 'neighborhood' or 'area' is more natural in this context) and 'getting bad day by day' (a more idiomatic expression would be 'deteriorating daily'). While the vocabulary is sufficient for the task, it lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. Expanding your use of collocations and more formal synonyms would enhance your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors. For example, 'I am writing this email to bring a contentious issue to your attention that the garbage collection...' is slightly awkward; it would be better as '...attention to the fact that...'. Additionally, there are minor punctuation issues, such as missing commas in complex sentences. You have good control over basic grammar, but more consistent accuracy and a wider variety of complex structures are needed to move into the 7.0+ range.

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

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