Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-21

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/Madam,

From the past two months our area is facing a tremendous problems in our local waste collection system. This has lead to growth of bugs and animals like rats.

To start with, for few months the garbage collection is not operating in our area. Due to which all our neighborhood area had accumulated huge piles of unwanted waste. In addition to it, no departmental workers have arrived to the site even after many complaints.

Children and old age are facing severe health issues like difficult in breathing due to bad odor. Moreover due to rise in bugs like mosquitoes, our place has been gradually becoming a dengue hub.

We would like to take a strict actions for this ongoing problem. Regularly, sending garbage trucks to collect waste can make a huge difference. For example: twice a week might be great. Also, sweeping is also essential with proper disposable of waste.

I hope you will look into this matter as soon as possible.

Thank You

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task. You described the failure of the collection system, explained the impact on the community, and provided specific suggestions for improvement. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a council. To reach a higher band, ensure your ideas are more fully developed; for instance, instead of just mentioning 'health issues', you could briefly elaborate on the specific nature of the waste or the duration of the neglect. Overall, the response is clear and covers the requirements effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organised with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use some cohesive devices such as 'To start with', 'In addition to it', and 'Moreover' to link your ideas. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or grammatically awkward, such as 'Due to which all our neighborhood area had accumulated...'. Improving the variety and natural flow of these linking phrases would enhance the coherence. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different points of the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly, such as 'accumulated', 'odor', and 'disposable'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'tremendous problems' (a 'tremendous' problem is usually positive or neutral in scale; 'serious' or 'significant' would be better) and 'take a strict actions' (should be 'take strict action'). Despite these occasional inaccuracies, the meaning is never obscured, and you successfully use topic-specific vocabulary related to waste management.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'From the past two months our area is facing' (should be 'For the past two months, our area has been facing') and 'difficult in breathing' (should be 'difficulty breathing'). Additionally, 'This has lead to' should be 'This has led to'. While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of present perfect continuous tenses for ongoing situations.

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

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