Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-01

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/Madam,

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction about the improper garbage collection system that is not working appropriately.

As I wrote a letter before about the rubbish collection system but I have not seen any improvement. Since last week, it caused many problems from giving birth to mosquitoes to bad odour. People who are responsible to collect garbage are not picking it up every week, they are irresponsible towards their duty. Mostly they only pick organic waste and leave the recycle and landfill waste as it is.

This issue negatively affects people’s lives. Firstly, the unwanted smell is coming out for the bins which cause health problems such as asthma and cardiovascular issues. Besides this, local people and I do not able to dump the waste properly in the bins. This issue not only adversely affects environment but also improper waste management practices causes medical issues.

I would really appreciate it if you could look after this issue as soon as possible to protect atmosphere. There is an urgent need to pick up the garbage every week without making delays. The local council has to schedule people’s duties effectively for the betterment of society. Imposing stringent actions could lead to make the society more beautiful.

I look forward to hearing a positive response from you.

Yours sincerely,

Harjot

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points required by the task. You clearly described the failure of the collection system, explained the negative impact on residents, and provided 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 example, when mentioning 'medical issues', you could briefly specify the nature of these concerns to add more weight to your argument. Overall, the response is well-focused and meets the requirements of the prompt effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a formal closing. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Besides this', and 'not only... but also' to link your ideas. However, the progression between sentences is occasionally slightly mechanical. For instance, the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother. Additionally, ensure that referencing is always clear; in some places, the connection between the 'issue' and the specific consequences could be more tightly linked to improve the flow of your argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Phrases like 'improper waste management practices' and 'adversely affects' are used effectively. There are some minor inaccuracies in collocation, such as 'giving birth to mosquitoes' (which sounds unnatural; 'breeding' would be better) and 'look after this issue' (where 'address' or 'resolve' would be more professional). While you attempt some less common vocabulary, there is room to increase the precision and sophistication of your word choices to reach a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Examples include 'do not able to dump' (should be 'are not able to'), 'coming out for the bins' (should be 'from'), and 'lead to make the society' (should be 'lead to making'). These errors do not impede communication, but they do indicate a need for more consistent control over verb forms and prepositions. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.