Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-14

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 to inform you about the failure of garbage collection system in our neighbourhood. I live in Blue Star area, and for the past two weeks all of the garbage chutes are hahving technical issues.

To be more specific, the chute is not able to separate the rubbish into its proper bins. For instance, when dumping recyclables into the chute, it does not goes into recycle bin. Sometimes, we are not able to open the chute at all due to some technical glitch.

Therefore, people in our community are experiencing inconvinience on daily basis. There are some houses who have not taken out garbage from last three days because of the malfunctuning system. It has resulted piles of garbage bags laying in front of the houses, and that makes our neighbourhood look ugly.

I have a few suggestions in order to resolve this issue. Firstly, I request you to send a technician to look at the cause of the issue. After that, we would appreciate if it would be fixed in no time.

Kind Regards,

Sam Altman.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The candidate has effectively addressed all bullet points of the task prompt. The letter begins by describing how the rubbish collection system is failing through specific technical issues with the garbage chutes. It clearly explains the impact on the community, noting inconvenience, uncollected garbage for three days, and unsightly piles of bags. Furthermore, actionable suggestions are provided, including sending a technician and fixing the issue promptly. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a local council, though the salutation used 'Dear Sir' instead of the requested 'Dear Sir or Madam'. Overall, the task is successfully fulfilled with well-developed ideas, earning a solid band score for this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter exhibits a clear overall structure and logical progression. The response is divided into logical paragraphs, each serving a distinct function: stating the purpose, detailing the specific problems, explaining the effects, and offering solutions. Cohesive devices such as 'To be more specific', 'For instance', 'Therefore', and 'Firstly' are used effectively to guide the reader through the argument, although referencing has minor slips (e.g., 'it does not goes'). Paragraphing is used appropriately throughout the letter. The organization is straightforward and supports clear communication, aligning well with the descriptors for Band 7.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The candidate demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for a semi-formal or formal letter, using terms like 'technical glitch', 'inconvenience', 'malfunctioning', and 'community'. However, there are some noticeable vocabulary and spelling errors, such as 'hahving' instead of having, 'inconvinience' instead of inconvenience, and 'malfunctuning' instead of malfunctioning. While these errors do not impede overall communication, they prevent the lexical score from reaching higher bands. Less common items are attempted with mixed success, reflecting the characteristics of a Band 6 performance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'I am writing to inform you about...' and 'when dumping recyclables into the chute, it does not goes into recycle bin.' There are several grammatical inaccuracies and typos present, including subject-verb agreement errors ('does not goes') and prepositional or article omissions (e.g., 'failure of garbage collection system' instead of 'the failure'). Despite these errors, meaning is generally clear and does not impede communication. The control over grammar is sufficient for a Band 6 level, though punctuation and minor structural accuracy need refinement.

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

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