Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-12

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 5.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing to you to complain about the rubbish collection system is not work properly in local area which create enormous problems.

The rubber collector collect the rubbish on time but they threw some garbage on way like they not pick up all garbage bags and some left on the road which also block the road .

It is affecting a lot not only me but also neighbours because the smell of garbage spread in all corner of area even difficult to breath and also pollute the air. Apart from that in evening time all neighbours are sit on benches located on street So due to this everyone avoid to go outside.

In my viewpoints, you should make strict rules for them and hire new employees who work properly. senior employer should check their work one's a week for mitigate the problem. I look forward for your reply.

Yours faithfully,

Kiran

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You successfully cover all parts of the task prompt. You describe how the rubbish collection system is not working properly by noting that workers throw garbage on the way and leave bags on the road, explaining the resulting problems in terms of bad smells, air pollution, and restricted outdoor access for neighbors. Furthermore, you provide clear suggestions for a solution, including strict rules, new employees, and regular management checks. The tone is appropriately formal for a complaint letter to a local council, maintaining a clear purpose throughout. While the ideas are somewhat straightforward and expressed with frequent grammatical slips, all bullet points are addressed satisfactorily, earning a solid Band 6.0 for Task Achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

Your letter has a coherent overall arrangement with a clear beginning and ending, following the requested opening 'Dear Sir or Madam,' and signing off appropriately. You organise your thoughts into sensible paragraphs covering the problem, the effects, and the suggestions respectively. However, the cohesion within paragraphs is sometimes faulty or mechanical. For example, transitional phrases are basic, and referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'they not pick up all garbage bags'. Paragraphing is used, but the progression between sentences could be smoother with better use of cohesive devices. Overall, the structural arrangement meets the criteria for Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms related to the topic such as 'rubbish collection system', 'garbage bags', 'pollute the air', and 'employees'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'rubbish collector collect' instead of collectors, 'on way' instead of on the way, and 'senior employer' instead of senior employees or management. Spelling is generally accurate, but some terms are repeated or used with grammatical inaccuracies. Because the vocabulary is sufficient to communicate your message despite these limitations, this places your lexical resource performance at Band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'I am writing to you to complain about...' and 'Apart from that in evening time all neighbours are sit on benches...'. However, your writing contains frequent grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, including tense and verb form issues ('is not work properly', 'they threw... like they not pick up', 'are sit on', 'look forward for'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with missing commas and spacing errors around punctuation marks. These errors occasionally cause difficulty for the reader, though communication is generally maintained. This level of accuracy and range aligns with a Band 5.0.

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

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