Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-24

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,

I am writing this letter to you because garbage system is not working properly which cause many problems.

The rubbish collection bins are broken ,when we are trying to collect the waste in it, it can not be stand properly.

However, lid of the bin is also missing which cause many issues. Mosquito are flying on the waste which may not only effect the health of my neighbours but also affects the health conditions of other local people.Apart from this, weather of our city is changing every time so, when its rainy and more wind occurs the waste such as papers and tissues blows away in the wind which may effect the environment.

You have to give us new bins with lids which we already sent a request to you. At the same time please ,tell the people who are collecting rubbish from door to door they have come to our area daily. In this way we can stay fit and fine.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: describing the broken bins, explaining the impact on health and the environment, and suggesting solutions. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation of the health impact is a bit repetitive, and the suggestion regarding the collection schedule could be more specific. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, though the opening 'Dear sir' is slightly informal compared to the standard 'Dear Sir or Madam'. Overall, the response addresses the prompt adequately, but further elaboration on the impact and more precise suggestions would have strengthened the response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. There is an attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Apart from this', and 'At the same time'. However, some of these transitions feel slightly mechanical or are used with minor grammatical inaccuracies, such as the awkward phrasing in the second paragraph. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter, and the overall structure is coherent enough to convey the message without confusion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There are some noticeable errors in word choice, such as 'it can not be stand properly' instead of 'it cannot stand properly' and 'weather of our city is changing' when referring to wind and rain. The use of 'fit and fine' is a common collocation error in formal writing. While the student manages to communicate the main points, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there is a reliance on basic terms. More precise terminology related to waste management would improve the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('Mosquito are flying'), incorrect verb forms ('it can not be stand'), and punctuation errors (missing spaces after commas). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be distracting. The student attempts to use complex sentences, but they often contain errors that affect clarity. To improve, the student should focus on basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like pluralization and verb tense consistency.

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

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