Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear Sir,

I hope you are doing well in your life. I'm Tamanna a residence of Luxmi Nagar, I would like to draw your attention that towards the problems of garbage collector.

The garbage collectors are not coming in our neighbourhood daily, due to which our area become very dirty. The big heaps of garbage are creating mess on roads and that causes problem in driving. All the dustbins are overflows many times too.

Our neighbourhood area become very smelly and flies are also their because of garbage. Lot of infections and diseases are get increased because of flies such as malaria, dengue and lot more.

As a residence of this society, I would like to suggest to you certain things like the garbage collector should come on daily basis and the garbage should be segregated according to the types of garbage so that we all live in a neat and clean area.

Kindly take actions on these problems, looking forward for your response.

Thank you

Tamanna

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the task. You clearly describe the irregular collection, explain the negative impact on the neighborhood, and offer specific suggestions for improvement. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a council. However, the development of ideas is somewhat basic. For example, while you mention diseases like malaria and dengue, the explanation could be more detailed to fully satisfy the requirements for a higher band. The letter is well-structured and addresses the prompt effectively, ensuring the reader understands the urgency of the situation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, with each paragraph focusing on a specific aspect of the prompt. There is a clear progression of ideas from the problem to the impact and finally to the proposed solution. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat limited and occasionally repetitive. For instance, the transition between sentences could be smoother; phrases like 'due to which' and 'because of' are used frequently. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that referencing (e.g., 'these problems') is always clear would help elevate the flow of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using words like 'segregated', 'neighbourhood', and 'attention'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and minor errors, such as 'a residence of' instead of 'a resident of', and 'garbage collector' used to refer to the service rather than the person. Additionally, phrases like 'lot of' are slightly informal for a formal letter. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing. Expanding your vocabulary to include more formal synonyms for common words will improve the overall quality.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that affect the accuracy of your writing. Examples include 'I would like to draw your attention that towards' (incorrect preposition usage), 'our area become very dirty' (tense error), and 'diseases are get increased' (passive voice error). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the sentence structure could be more varied. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct verb tenses will significantly 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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