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 serious concern regarding the rubbish/garbage collection system in our local area, which has not been functioning properly.

Over the past few weeks, the rubbish collection truck has not been coming on scheduled pick days. On the day they do come, several bags are left behind the pavement. As a result, waste accumulate outside houses for days and creating problems in my society.

This has cause considerable difficulties for the residents residing in this vicinity. The smell become unpleasant, especially in summer and many raccoon and rabbits has been seen near the bins and torn the garbage bags. consequently, these raccoons making pedestrian walkway cluttered as a result kids and neighbour are facing health problems.

I propose that the council ensure waste is collected on timely and regular manner and appoint a contact so that we can reach out when the waste collection is missed.

I look forward to hearing from you regarding the steps that will be taken.

Yours sincerely,

Lovejeet Singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You described the failure of the collection system, explained the negative impact on the community, and provided a clear suggestion for improvement. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a local council. The ideas are relevant and logically developed, meeting the requirements of the task effectively. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly more on the specific health concerns or the long-term impact on the neighborhood to provide more depth to your arguments.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is well-organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a formal closing. You use some cohesive devices such as 'As a result,' 'consequently,' and 'In addition' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally interrupted by grammatical errors that make some sentences feel slightly disjointed. Paragraphing is used correctly to separate the different points of the letter. To improve, ensure that transitions between sentences are smoother and that you avoid repetitive sentence structures.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'functioning properly,' 'scheduled pick days,' and 'vicinity.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'waste accumulate' (should be 'accumulates') and 'making pedestrian walkway cluttered' (should be 'cluttering the pedestrian walkway'). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise control over word forms and collocations to reach a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is good. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('waste accumulate,' 'smell become,' 'rabbits has been seen') and verb tense consistency. Additionally, there are issues with pluralization and article usage. While the meaning remains clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and tense consistency will significantly improve your score.

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

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