Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-20

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 this letter to complain about the garbage collection system in our area that causes challenges for the people who are living here.

Firstly, garbage is not picked up on time as collectors sometimes come late. Moreover, there were several times they missed to collect garbages that also results in full garbage for whole week.

This causes adverse effects on the people those live there because no clealiness that would affect the image of the society. Moreover, mosquitoes are increasing day by day, resulting in disease like malaria, dengue.

This issue can be solved if serious actions will be taken by the authority. In addition , a fixed schedule can be made for daily garbage. Local council should provide more garbage bins for individuals needs as it can be used for extra stuff. Furthermore, system can cleaned the area garbage is collected from the bins.

I would appreciate if you could solve this problem, as it is affecting people's health.

Yours faithfully,

Kamal Ratia

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task: describing the problem, explaining the impact, and suggesting solutions. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a local council. However, some ideas are slightly under-developed. For instance, your suggestions for improvement are a bit vague, such as 'system can cleaned the area'. To reach a higher band, ensure that your suggestions are specific and clearly linked to the problems mentioned. The overall structure is logical, and the purpose of the letter is clear from the beginning, which satisfies the requirements for this task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each focusing on a specific aspect of the prompt. You use some cohesive devices like 'Firstly', 'Moreover', and 'In addition' to connect your ideas. However, the use of these devices is sometimes a bit mechanical. Additionally, there are minor issues with referencing, such as in the sentence 'no clealiness that would affect the image of the society', where the connection to the previous clause is slightly awkward. Improving the flow between sentences would help achieve a higher score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have an adequate range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. You use some relevant terms like 'adverse effects', 'authority', and 'garbage collection'. However, there are some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'missed to collect garbages' (should be 'failed to collect the garbage') and 'extra stuff' (which is too informal). The word 'garbages' is also incorrect as 'garbage' is an uncountable noun. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise, formal collocations would enhance your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Examples include 'people those live there' (should be 'people who live there'), 'disease like malaria' (should be 'diseases like malaria'), and 'system can cleaned the area' (should be 'the system should clean the area'). These errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct verb forms would be beneficial.

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

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