Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
Dear Sir/Mam,
I hope everything is going good. I just want to talk about that in our area the garbage collection team not working properly. There are main three days to collcet garbage from our area but they do not work properly. They missed the some days to collect garbage. Our neighbours are facing so many difficulties due to not taking responsibility to collect garbage. It causes many diseases with this rubbish. It releases the poor smell in our area as well as for us, its very difficult to live in the area. By happening of this our area's children facing problem with diseases like fever, malaria. Our relatives are keeping difference from us due to this rubbish. No one is agree to enter in our area. It also reduces the beauty of our area. So, its my humble request to you please resolve this problem as soon as possible.
With regards
Tajinder
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
You have addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt: describing the issue, explaining the impact, and suggesting a solution. Your tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a council. However, the development of your ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, while you mention that the collection team is not working properly, you could have provided more specific details about the nature of the failure (e.g., missed scheduled pickups for two weeks). Similarly, your suggestions for improvement are quite general. To reach a higher band, try to expand on your ideas with more specific details or examples to demonstrate a more thorough engagement with the task.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter is generally easy to follow, and the progression of ideas is logical. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'also' and 'so' to link your sentences. However, the paragraphing is non-existent; the entire letter is written as one block of text. For a formal letter, you should use clear paragraph breaks to separate the introduction, the body paragraphs (covering the problem and impact), and the conclusion/suggestion. Additionally, some transitions between sentences feel a bit mechanical or repetitive, which limits the flow of the writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate your message, but it is somewhat repetitive and basic. You rely on simple phrases like 'not working properly' and 'facing so many difficulties'. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'By happening of this' and 'keeping difference from us', which sound unnatural. To improve, focus on using more precise vocabulary related to municipal services and public health. Expanding your range of descriptive adjectives and using more sophisticated linking phrases will help you move into a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
You use a mix of simple sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'the garbage collection team not working properly' (missing auxiliary verb), 'It releases the poor smell' (incorrect article usage), and 'No one is agree' (incorrect verb form). These errors are noticeable and occasionally distract the reader, although they do not fully impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and ensuring that your sentences contain a clear main verb. Practicing complex sentence structures, such as using relative clauses, would also help increase your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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