Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 lodge a complaint about the system used for garbage collection is not working efficiently for the last few weeks.

Firstly, I live with my family in North Etobicoke neighbourhood near the Humber River. The garbage collection system used to visit once a week for the last couple of years.From the last two weeks, the garbage collectors are not visiting, which caused significant problems to us.

Secondly, due to the fall season and children's are at home, we are collecting more garbage than ever before. Our bins are full and we had to throw garabge to nearest garbage bin by our private vehicle. I believe the excessive garbage and waste could spread illness into our neighbourhood.

Therefore, I would request you to investigate this matter and schedule garbage collection in our neighbourhood with new system. Should you require more details about our neighbourhood or feedback, I am happy to assist you further.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Neel Desai.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The candidate successfully covers all bullet points required by the prompt. The letter begins by describing how the rubbish collection system is failing, noting that collectors have not visited for the last two weeks. It then explains the negative impact on the writer and neighbours, highlighting full bins, the need to transport waste manually, and potential health risks. Finally, a clear suggestion is made asking the council to investigate and schedule collection with a new system. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter, and the purpose is clear throughout. Minor awkwardness in phrasing does not prevent the message from being fully conveyed, resulting in a solid performance for this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organised with a clear beginning, body paragraphs addressing specific points, and a concluding sign-off. The writer uses simple transition markers such as 'Firstly' and 'Secondly' to structure the response, though these are slightly mechanical in places. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas, such as the problem description and its impacts. However, referencing is occasionally weak, for instance in the opening sentence where the clause construction 'that garbage collection is not working efficiently' lacks smooth integration. Overall progression is clear and easy to follow, supporting a band 6.5 or 7.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for a general complaint letter, including terms like 'lodge a complaint', 'neighbourhood', 'excessive garbage', and 'investigate this matter'. There are some word choice and collocation slips, such as 'garbage collection system is not working' combined with 'is not working efficiently' creating a slight redundancy, and misspelling 'garabge'. Attempting less common phrases like 'spread illness' works reasonably well. While there are minor errors, they do not impede communication, allowing the reader to grasp all details easily.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as conditional and subordinate clauses ('Should you require more details...'). However, there are noticeable grammatical errors that distract from the accuracy. For example, the opening sentence contains a fused structure: 'the system used for garbage collection is not working'. Furthermore, 'children's are at home' uses an incorrect possessive instead of the plural noun 'children are'. Preposition errors also occur, such as 'throw garabge to nearest' instead of 'into'. These errors occur with some frequency, though they rarely impede overall understanding.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.