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

I am writing to complain you about the garbage collection system in our area which is working improperly.

It has been two weeks the garbage collection truck has not came to our street and the bins are full. Also, mostly they forgot to collect rubbish from some other bins too. All of my neighbours complaining about delayed service.

The trash on road causes so many problems. It is hard to open the windows of house because of the bad smell of it. Secondly, it may also cause some serious diseases too. This could attract rats and other insacts if the garbage is not being collected on time.

I think you should schedule the trucks for each area properly and introduce any website or contact which public can use to report any delays. Finally, city council should provide the citizens some extra garbage bins to use if this kind of situation occurs.

I would appreciate your prompt attention on this case

Yours Sincerely,

Kamal

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You described the failure of the collection system, explained the negative impact on your neighborhood, and provided constructive suggestions for improvement. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a local council. The ideas are relevant and clearly presented, ensuring the reader understands the situation and your expectations. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly on the impact, perhaps by mentioning how long this has been an issue or the specific health risks involved, to provide more depth to your arguments.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each point, and a formal closing. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Also', 'Secondly', and 'Finally' to transition between ideas. While the structure is sound, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and phrases to connect sentences more fluidly. For instance, instead of starting sentences with 'Also' or 'Secondly', you could integrate these points into more complex, cohesive structures. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different aspects of your complaint.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have an adequate range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly, such as 'prompt attention', 'delayed service', and 'garbage collection system'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies and word-choice errors, such as 'working improperly' (should be 'not functioning properly') and 'insacts' (spelling error: 'insects'). You also use 'complaining' as a verb without the auxiliary 'are' ('All of my neighbours are complaining'). To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and ensure spelling is accurate. The vocabulary is sufficient for the task but lacks the sophistication required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'the garbage collection truck has not came' (should be 'has not come') and 'complain you about' (should be 'complain to you about'). Additionally, there are issues with article usage and verb tense consistency. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning, they are frequent enough to impact the overall accuracy. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct verb forms will help improve your score in this criterion.

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

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