Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-04

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 or Madam,

I am writing to inform you of an issue with the communities garbage collection system. On the 1st of October 2026, many individuals living close to the system complained of pungent smell emanating from the site and disturbing their living situation. Upon investigation, we quickly discovered the source of the smell, the garbage system had stopped functioning.

After checking, we discovered that the electrical system of an important machinery had gotten burnt and has therefore affected the effectiveness of the machine.

Currently, we have vacated the neighbours living around the area to an hotel which was paid for by concerned individuals. Also, I and many others have garbage pilling up for days now and is causing horrible smells. Also, dangerous animals like bears have started rummaging through the trash to find food and it is becoming dangerous to move around in the evenings.

We humbly request swift action be taken to outsource a reliable vendor to fix the machine as no one in the community or around has the experience nor capability to fix it. Also, regular maintenance would be planned out by the community to ensure its reliability.

We hope to hear from you very soon.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You described the mechanical failure, explained the impact on the community (including the health risks and the presence of wildlife), and proposed a clear solution. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a local council. The ideas are relevant and sufficiently developed to meet the requirements of the task. To reach a higher band, ensure that the connection between the 'garbage collection system' and the 'machinery' is more clearly explained, as the current description is slightly vague regarding how a collection system relies on a single machine.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter follows a logical structure with clear paragraphing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Currently', 'Also', and 'After checking' to link ideas. However, the use of 'Also' at the beginning of consecutive sentences in the third paragraph is repetitive and makes the flow feel slightly mechanical. Using a wider variety of transition words or subordinating conjunctions would improve the overall flow and cohesion of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'pungent smell', 'emanating', and 'vacated'. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'communities garbage collection system' (should be 'community's') and 'garbage pilling up' (should be 'piling'). Additionally, 'an important machinery' is incorrect as 'machinery' is an uncountable noun; it should be 'a piece of important machinery'. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise control over word forms and collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I and many others have garbage pilling up... and is causing' (subject-verb agreement error) and 'an hotel' (should be 'a hotel'). The sentence 'the garbage system had stopped functioning' is a comma splice when joined to the previous clause. While you attempt complex structures, the frequency of these minor errors prevents a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles would significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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