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 Sir or Madam,

My name is Nav and I am living in this area from last 29 years. I am writing this letter regarding the garbage collection system used in my local area. There are not enough garbage bins in the area. Within two or three days it’s almost filled with rubbish.No one came to clear it before weekend.

Garbage collector bins are placed in the centre of the local area, the smell coming from the bins causing difficulty in breathing. Apart from this, stray animals like cow sometimes came in search of food ,and through polythene on the road, which is causing a problem again.

I would like to recommend to change the place of rubbish collection system used outside the city, so that garbage should be easily disposed off. Moreover, council needs to increase the rubbish collection time 2 times in a week.

Waiting for the possible solid from council as soon as possible.

With regards,

Nav.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt: describing the system failure, explaining the impact on the community, and suggesting solutions. Your tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a council. However, the development of your ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the description of the impact could be more detailed to better convey the severity of the situation. While you have covered the requirements, the ideas could be expanded further to reach a higher band. Overall, the response is relevant and clearly communicates the purpose of the letter.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use some basic cohesive devices like 'Apart from this' and 'Moreover' to link your ideas. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel abrupt. The referencing is generally clear, but the structure of the final sentence is slightly awkward, which affects the overall coherence. To improve, try to use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that your sentences flow more naturally into one another.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have an adequate range of vocabulary to convey your message, such as 'disposed off' and 'garbage collection system'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'possible solid' (likely meaning 'solution') and 'through polythene' (should be 'threw' or 'scattered'). These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit your score. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise vocabulary and ensuring that your word choices are contextually appropriate for a formal complaint letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, such as 'I am living in this area from last 29 years' (should be 'have lived... for the last 29 years') and 'cow sometimes came' (should be 'cows sometimes come'). Additionally, there are issues with article usage and verb tense consistency. While these errors are noticeable, they rarely prevent the reader from understanding your meaning. Increasing your control over verb tenses and subject-verb agreement will significantly improve your score.

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

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