Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-31

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 5.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

My name is Bhadresh Patel from your local area which is covered your municipal services. I am writing this letter to express my serious concern regarding problems that your garbage collection system does not work properly in our area and have to get some serious problems not only for me but also to my neighbours.

First and foremost difficulties from your service which cover in your responsibilities that collecting rubbish does not work in proper ways like they do not collect it regularly and whenever it dump from your vehicles, they escape some debris at the place and spot by people with bad smells in our area.

This issue brings many detrimental impacts in our area such as creates environment contamination and resulting health issues towards in society. and I and our neighbours have to bear it even if we pays huge amount tax related to this service.

As per most effective suggestion which should be kept in list of your works which would be more beneficial not for us but also helpful in support to solve this issue. Firstly, dump trolley should be repaired and also staff should be proper trainned to

I hope you may take immediate action to solve this problem and also prompt response me for this regards.

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully,

Bhadresh Patel

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task: describing the problem, explaining the impact, and suggesting solutions. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the description of the rubbish collection issues is slightly repetitive, and the suggestion section is cut off abruptly, leaving the final recommendation incomplete. While the purpose of the letter is clear, the lack of a fully developed conclusion and the incomplete sentence structure in the final paragraph prevent a higher score. To improve, ensure that each point is fully expanded with clear, complete sentences and a logical flow.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter follows a standard formal structure, including an appropriate salutation and sign-off. Paragraphing is attempted, but the transition between ideas is sometimes mechanical. The use of cohesive devices like 'First and foremost' and 'As per' is evident, but some linking phrases are used incorrectly or awkwardly, such as 'towards in society' and 'not for us but also helpful in support'. The logical progression is occasionally interrupted by grammatical errors, which makes the flow feel a bit disjointed. Improving the variety and accuracy of your linking words will help your ideas connect more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your concerns effectively. You use some relevant topic-specific vocabulary such as 'municipal services', 'detrimental impacts', and 'environment contamination'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'whenever it dump from your vehicles' and 'prompt response me for this regards'. These errors occasionally hinder the precision of your message. To reach a higher band, focus on learning common collocations and ensuring that your word forms (e.g., 'trainned' vs 'trained') are accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there is a high frequency of grammatical errors throughout the text. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('garbage collection system does not work'), incorrect preposition usage ('towards in society'), and tense inconsistencies. Additionally, there are several sentence fragments and incomplete thoughts, particularly in the final paragraph. While the meaning is generally understandable, the persistent errors in basic grammar and punctuation require attention. Focusing on sentence construction and proofreading for basic errors will significantly improve your clarity and accuracy.

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

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