Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear Sir,

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the garbage collecting system in my colony due to which we have to face some serious health related issues.

The garbage truck was coming everyday to collect the trash before. But for the few months, it is coming only once a week. So all the waste products accumulate in the colony and it smells horrible. In addition to that, whenever the rubbish vehicle comes, the workers does not work properly. I, as a resident of the society make sure that different types of garbage collects in different containers. Despite of following these rules the workers does not seem nice to us and they do not collect all the trash.

Due to the contamination of garbage, there is an accumulation of insects and mosquitoes. Due to which we are facing serious problems like dengue , malaria etc. In addition to that, it does not smell good which is very inconvenient to us.

I would appreciate it if you could look into this matter at your earliest convenience.Thank you for your time and assistance.

Yours sincerely,

Kruti Patel

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task: describing the problem, explaining the impact, and suggesting a solution. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a council. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, while you mention that workers do not work properly, you could have provided a more specific example of their behavior to strengthen your argument. The suggestion for improvement is also quite brief. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is fully extended with more descriptive detail or specific examples, which would demonstrate a more thorough engagement with the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter follows a logical progression, moving from the introduction of the problem to its effects and finally to a request for action. Paragraphing is used correctly to separate these distinct ideas. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In addition to that' and 'Despite of', though the latter is used incorrectly (it should be 'Despite following' or 'In spite of following'). While the flow is generally clear, some transitions feel a bit mechanical. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring they are used with grammatical accuracy would enhance the overall cohesion of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'dissatisfaction', 'accumulate', and 'inconvenient'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'garbage collecting system' is better phrased as 'waste collection service', and 'colony' is often used in specific contexts (like housing societies in certain regions) but 'neighborhood' or 'residential area' is more universally understood. There is also a minor error in 'different types of garbage collects', which should be 'is collected'. Expanding your range to include more precise, topic-specific vocabulary would improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Notable issues include subject-verb agreement ('the workers does not work', 'garbage collects'), prepositional errors ('Despite of'), and tense inconsistencies ('The garbage truck was coming... But for the few months, it is coming'). While these errors do not prevent the message from being understood, they indicate a lack of control over more complex grammatical forms. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions will help you achieve a higher band.

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

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