Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-22

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,

I am Ramandeep Kaur, a local resident of Scarborough area. I am writing this letter to apprise you with the ongoing problem of garbage over-piling at Navaho Drive. This is because the local garbage collecting staff is on strike due to unfulfilled demands by the authorities.

From last week the garbage collection was not done properly all the neighbours complained to the working staff about the garbage not being collected properly. But they were incapable as the machinery provided to them for daily duties need replacement and some of them lacks maintainence, thus causing inconvenience.

This is affecting the daily lives of the residents from commuting to taking a walk nearby. The heaps of garbage is increasing day by day and foul smell started to disturb everyone.

I would be grateful if you could look into this matter and try to solve the issues of the municipal staff so that they can restart their jobs.

Hope to listen from you promptly and kind consideration on this pelirious matter.

Yours faithfully

Ramandeep Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly describe the issue with the garbage collection, explain the impact on residents, and suggest a solution. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a local council. However, the development of ideas is slightly limited; for instance, the explanation of how the strike and the machinery issues relate to each other is a bit confusing. To reach a higher band, ensure that your explanation of the problem is logically consistent and fully developed. Overall, the task is addressed effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'This is because' and 'Thus', which help the flow. However, the transition between the description of the problem and the impact is somewhat abrupt. Paragraphing is present, but the connection between the sentences within the second paragraph could be smoother. Some referencing is slightly unclear, such as 'some of them lacks maintenance', where the antecedent for 'them' is slightly ambiguous. Improving the variety of linking words would enhance the overall cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'apprise', 'municipal', and 'inconvenience'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'garbage over-piling' (should be 'piling up') and 'pelirious' (likely a misspelling of 'perilous', which is also slightly too dramatic for this context). Additionally, 'hope to listen from you' is not a standard collocation; 'look forward to hearing from you' is the conventional formal expression. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise word choice.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('some of them lacks maintenance' should be 'lack') and tense inconsistencies ('From last week the garbage collection was not done' should be 'has not been done'). There are also minor punctuation errors, such as missing commas after introductory phrases. While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding your message. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and consistent use of present perfect tense for ongoing situations.

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

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