Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-17

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 to complain about our poor rubbish collection service in our local area, because it is causing serious problems in my neighbourhood.

From past few weeks in our area the garbage collection truck is not coming on the schedule days they are often missing there days for garbage collection , moreover, many residents have no choice left they have to leave the garbage on the pavement.

This situation effecting me and my neighbours because of the unpleasant smell coming from the garbage moreover, people also saw some rats near by the garbage which is huge problem local residents it can also leads to health problem for kids and

Older citizens.

I would appreciate if the council take step and talk to garbage collection service to make sure to come to schedule days in our area and provide us extra bins to prevent us this kind of problem and I hope I will heard from you soon.

Yours Faithfully,

Simran kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response successfully addresses all bullet points of the prompt. You begin by describing the malfunctioning rubbish collection system, noting that the truck is not coming on scheduled days and is missing collections frequently. Next, you explain how this affects you and your neighbours by highlighting the unpleasant smells and the presence of rats, which poses a serious health risk to children and older citizens. Finally, you suggest practical solutions, such as talking to the service provider to ensure they adhere to the schedule and providing extra bins. The purpose of the letter is clear, and the tone is appropriately formal for a complaint to a local council, matching the requirements of a Band 6.5 or 7.0 for Task Achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter has a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical letter structure, opening with a clear purpose and closing with an appropriate sign-off. Paragraphing is utilised to separate the introduction, the problem description, the impact on residents, and the proposed solutions. However, there are some issues with cohesive devices and punctuation. For example, sentences in the body paragraphs run together using comma splices, such as in the second paragraph where multiple clauses are joined solely by commas. Furthermore, referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly with pronoun use. These mechanical faults in cohesion place the response firmly in the Band 6 category.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing you to successfully convey your message to the council. You attempt some less common vocabulary items and functional phrases, such as 'unpleasant smell', 'local residents', and 'health problem'. However, there are notable lexical and collocation errors throughout the text, such as writing 'From past few weeks' instead of 'For the past few weeks', 'schedule days' instead of 'scheduled days', and 'saw some rats near by the garbage' instead of 'spotted rats near the garbage'. Additionally, there is a minor spelling error ('heard' instead of 'hear'). These inaccuracies demonstrate a Band 5.5 to 6.0 level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an attempt at varied structures. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several noticeable errors, including missing prepositions ('coming to schedule days'), incorrect tense usage ('this situation effecting me'), and run-on sentences formed by incorrect comma usage. For instance, the entire third paragraph is constructed as one long sentence joined by commas and coordinating conjunctions, lacking proper terminal punctuation and subordination. While these errors do not completely impede communication, their frequency prevents the writing from achieving a higher band, placing it at a Band 5.5.

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

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