Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-21

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/ Madam,

I am a member of Society in North area. I am writting to complain about bacause the garbage collection in our area is not working properly. we are requesting you to take a strict action against that and use a new system of version for garbage pickup.

Firstly, The rubbish collection is every week on Tuesday in our area. However, The truck they are using for garbage collection is not working properly. They are alway drop some garbage on the road. Due to that, every individuals from our area get frustrate.

This affecting all in my nabourhood. we have to deal with bad buds. sometimes, we firmly believe that municipality should take an action and change the garbage truck so may be it will stop.

I appriciate if you could do anything about this problem.

Your faithfully,

Keya Patel

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The candidate has addressed all parts of the prompt, including describing the faulty rubbish collection system, explaining its impact on neighbours, and suggesting a solution. However, the response falls slightly short of the minimum word count requirement, with only 142 words, which negatively impacts task achievement under the length penalty rule. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a local council, though the development of ideas is somewhat limited and repetitive. Phrases like 'every individuals from our area get frustrate' show a basic attempt to cover the bullet points, but the lack of elaboration prevents the response from achieving a higher band score. To improve, the candidate should expand on each point with more specific details and ensure the 150-word minimum is met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter uses basic paragraphing with clear spacing between sections, which helps structure the communication. Some cohesive devices are used, such as 'Firstly', to guide the reader through the points. However, the overall organisation is disrupted by awkward transitions and choppy, fragmented paragraphs. For example, sentences like 'This affecting all in my nabourhood' stand alone without adequate logical progression or smooth linking to the preceding ideas. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the mechanical use of cohesion places this text firmly in the band 5.5 to 6 range. More varied and accurate cohesive devices are needed to connect the thoughts fluidly throughout the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but basic and repetitive, with several spelling and word-choice errors that impede natural expression. Examples of errors include 'writting' instead of writing, 'bacause', 'alway' instead of always, 'individuals' used incorrectly with 'every', 'frustrate' instead of frustrated, 'nabourhood', 'buds' instead of smells or odours, and 'appriciate' instead of appreciate. While the writer attempts some topic-specific vocabulary such as 'garbage collection' and 'municipality', the frequency of lexical inaccuracies and misspelt words restricts the score to a 5.0. A wider, more precise range of vocabulary with correct spelling is necessary for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The letter displays a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying mostly on simple sentences with frequent structural errors. There are notable grammatical mistakes throughout, such as 'I am writting to complain about bacause the garbage collection', 'They are alway drop some garbage', and 'every individuals... get frustrate'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with capitalization after periods, seen in 'Firstly, The rubbish collection'. These frequent errors in tense, subject-verb agreement, and word forms cause difficulty for the reader at times and demonstrate weak control over complex sentence forms. A wider variety of accurate structures is required to reach higher band levels.

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

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