Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction towards the service provided for rubbish or garbage collection in our area. The locality name is Westfield Avenue, Eh12, where the waste has not been collected since last week.

As per the given timetable, the garbage collector vehicle is not appearing which leaves a lot of waste in front of houses. While passing by, this waste spreads bad smell in our locality which creates problem for all the neighbourhood. Additionally, people staying at the ground floors are getting cold and fever and missed few of their shifts at work because it ia difficult to breathe.

I would like to provide some suggestions that might be helpful to keep the surrounding neat and clean.

Firstly, the waste has been collecting only once a week which overflows the bins usually. To avoid this problem, it must be collected few times a week to solve this problem. Secondly, there must be advanced bin available in the locality which lock the lid automatically and sent the notification to council when its locked and filled fully.

I hope you will look into this matter promptly with the feedbacks and solve this issue as soon aa possible to avoid the inconvenience.

I will look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully

Preet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly describe the failure of the collection service, explain the negative health and environmental impacts on the neighborhood, and provide logical suggestions for improvement. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a local council. To reach a higher band, ensure that the development of ideas is more nuanced; for instance, while mentioning health issues like 'cold and fever' is relevant, ensure the link between the rubbish and these specific illnesses is logically sound. Overall, the task is fully addressed with a clear purpose maintained throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each serving a distinct purpose. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'Firstly', and 'Secondly' to guide the reader through your arguments. However, the flow between some sentences is slightly mechanical. To improve, try to vary your linking words and ensure that referencing (e.g., 'this problem', 'this matter') is always precise. The paragraphing is effective, and there is a clear progression from the problem description to the proposed solutions, which makes the letter easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'dissatisfaction', 'inconvenience', and 'promptly'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'garbage collector vehicle' (better: 'refuse collection truck') and 'advanced bin' (better: 'smart bins'). Additionally, there are a few spelling errors like 'ia' instead of 'is' and 'aa' instead of 'as'. While these do not impede communication, they prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on more precise collocations and proofreading for small slips will enhance your lexical score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'the waste has been collecting' (should be passive: 'has been collected') and 'sent the notification' (should be 'sends'). There are also minor punctuation and article errors, such as 'the ground floors' and 'the neighbourhood'. The majority of your sentences are understandable, but the frequency of these small errors suggests that you need to focus on subject-verb agreement and passive voice construction to achieve a higher level of accuracy.

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

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