Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-07

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 this letter to you regarding the garbage collection in my local area, which is not performing really well. As a result , all the local people are suffering. In my local area, we have there garbage collection bins, one for food waste, second for recycling and thirdly for rubbish.

From the past few days, all the local residence has been noticing that nobody is coming to pickup the trash. We tried to contact the garbage collector but, we have not received any update yet. Due to that, all the bins are overflowing and it is creating an unpleasant smell. Moreover, the food waste is attracting a lot of insects and all of the residences are suffering from mosquitoes, which is causing health issues.

I would like you to take an immediate action about this matter as soon as possible. It is a humble request to you from all the residence. We all are looking forward for your help.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly describe the system, explain the negative impact on the community, and suggest a course of action. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a local council. To reach a higher band, you could provide more specific details, such as the duration of the problem or the specific location, to make the complaint feel more authentic and urgent. Overall, the task is fully addressed with a clear purpose maintained throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into three distinct paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover' and 'Due to that' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by minor errors in referencing, such as 'all the local residence' instead of 'residents'. The progression of ideas is clear, but the use of cohesive devices could be more varied and sophisticated to improve the overall flow between sentences and paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'overflowing', 'unpleasant smell', and 'recycling'. However, there are consistent errors in word choice and form, such as using 'residence' (a place) when you mean 'residents' (people). These errors are noticeable but do not impede communication. To improve, focus on using the correct noun forms for people and expanding your range of formal vocabulary to sound more professional in a complaint letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'we have there garbage collection bins' (likely a typo for 'three') and 'take an immediate action' (the article 'an' is unnecessary). Additionally, 'all the local residence has been noticing' contains a subject-verb agreement error, as 'residents' is plural. While these errors are frequent, they do not prevent the reader from understanding your message. Increasing your control over articles and pluralization will significantly improve your score.

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

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