Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear Sir,

I am writing this letter regarding the problem of garbage collection in my local area.

Let me explain more, actually I am living in this building since my childhood with my family but we never faced problem related rubbish collection. The problem start almost a week ago when you hired a new guy for garbage collection due to which some time they do not collect the garbage properly. As a result some time cats and dogs throw rubbish everywhere which creating a bad smile in our building. Moreover, it is affecting badly to our society because everybody in our neighbours like to set with each other during evening time but due to this condition everybody is stuck in their own apartments.

I would like to suggest you that you should give him a basic training. Alternatively, you can give a warning because it is his job.

Hope to have a positive response from your side as soon as possible.

Yours faithfully,

Jaswinder Singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt: describing the problem, explaining the impact on residents, and suggesting solutions. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter to a council. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation of the impact is a bit repetitive, and the suggestions are quite brief. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your ideas with more detail, such as describing the specific health risks or the frequency of the missed collections, to provide a more comprehensive picture of the situation for the reader.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. You use some basic cohesive devices like 'Moreover' and 'As a result' to connect your ideas. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the paragraphing could be more effective. The transition between the description of the problem and the impact on neighbors is a bit abrupt. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph focuses on a single, well-developed idea will help improve the overall flow and coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate your message clearly, but it is somewhat basic and repetitive. For example, you use the word 'garbage' and 'rubbish' frequently. There are also some minor errors in word choice, such as 'bad smile' instead of 'bad smell' and 'set with each other' instead of 'sit with each other'. To improve, try to incorporate a wider range of topic-specific vocabulary related to waste management and community issues, and pay closer attention to collocations to ensure your word choices sound more natural in a formal context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an ability to use a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, such as 'I am living in this building since my childhood' (should be 'have been living'), 'The problem start' (should be 'started'), and 'it is affecting badly to our society' (should be 'it is affecting our society badly'). These errors are noticeable and occasionally distract the reader, although they do not prevent the message from being understood. Focusing on verb tenses and preposition usage will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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