Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-29

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 to complaint about the rubbish/garbage collection system not working properly and everybody in the neighborhood is disappointed because of the inconvenience caused by the system.

To begin with, the workers assigned for garbage collection in our area are very irregular, they are supposed to collect the garbage as well as recycle waste every Tuesday, but they either skip one week or would come on a different day. Furthermore, they do not take the recycle waste sometimes which is creating a pile of rubbish on the street and it makes the streets look ugly.

Let me explain in detail how this is affecting me as well as the neighbors. Because the assigned day for rubbish collection is Tuesday, we all keep our bins on the street on a Monday night and as you know garbage in the bins always stinks and it makes the whole street smelly and the air does not feel fresh at all. Moreover, flies also sit on the garbage when not collected regularly and it causes diseases like malaria and dengue to people living in neighborhood.

I would like to suggest you some possible solutions to these problem. Sir, I think you should make it compulsory for the officials who are in charge of garbage collection to collect it twice a week instead of coming once a week or skipping it. Also, if possible please send someone to spray insecticide in our area once a week so communicable diseases can be prevented.

I hope you will take prompt action towards these problem.

Yours faithfully,

Alex White

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points of the prompt effectively. You clearly described the irregularities in the collection schedule, explained the negative impact on the neighborhood (smell and health risks), and provided concrete suggestions for improvement. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a council. To reach a higher band, ensure that your ideas are fully developed; for instance, while you mention health risks, you could briefly elaborate on how the council's current lack of oversight contributes to this. Overall, the response is well-focused and meets the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use transition signals such as 'To begin with', 'Furthermore', and 'Moreover' to guide the reader through your arguments. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. However, some cohesive devices are used in a slightly mechanical way, and the referencing could be smoother in places. For example, 'these problem' in the final paragraph should be 'this problem' to maintain grammatical cohesion. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'irregular', 'compulsory', and 'prevented'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'complaint' (should be 'complain') and 'recycle waste' (should be 'recyclable waste'). While you successfully communicate your message, the vocabulary is generally functional rather than sophisticated. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations related to municipal services and environmental issues to demonstrate a wider, more flexible range of lexical items.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While many sentences are clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist, such as 'suggest you some possible solutions to these problem' (should be 'suggest some possible solutions to this problem') and 'flies also sit on the garbage' (a more natural choice would be 'gather' or 'swarm'). Additionally, there are minor errors with articles and pluralization. Despite these errors, your meaning is always clear, and the grammar does not impede communication. Increasing the variety of complex structures would help elevate your score.

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

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