Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to complain about the garbage collection system which is not been properly working from the last Friday and this is causing health effects to us and as well to our neighbours.

Firstly, I would like to explain that due to recent rains the censor malfuncioned and not properly working at the moment which effect to not properly closed the upper window. Futhermore, the contanier is filled with the water by 2 feet which is the main reason of this problem.

Moreover, it is afecting us and our neighbours because the smell is very strong; other is that the files and street dogs taken control of this specfic area outside our house. Hence this is very dangerous for our kids and other family members.

Finally, I would like to request to action on this matter quickly by sending the concerned teams for the initial repair & maintane of our system.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Hamza

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The candidate successfully covers all three bullet points required in the task instructions. The letter begins by describing how the garbage collection system is malfunctioning due to a broken sensor and water filling the container. It then explains the negative impacts clearly, mentioning the strong smell, flies, street dogs, and the resulting danger to children and family members. Finally, a clear suggestion is made to send concerned teams for initial repair and maintenance. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a local council, and the purpose is clear throughout. The response is fully relevant to the prompt and successfully develops all required points, earning a band score of 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is generally coherent and follows a logical arrangement, beginning with a clear opening statement of purpose and ending with a standard closing. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different ideas, such as the description of the problem, the effects on neighbours, and the suggested solution. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Firstly', 'Futhermore', 'Moreover', and 'Finally', which help guide the reader through the text, although some referencing is slightly mechanical and mechanical errors occur. While the overall logical progression is maintained, cohesion is sometimes faulty due to awkward phrasing. This performance aligns well with the descriptors for a band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully communicating everyday concepts related to the problem, such as 'garbage collection system', 'sensor', 'container', and 'repair'. However, there are notable spelling and word choice errors throughout the text, such as 'malfuncioned' instead of 'malfunctioned', 'contanier' instead of 'container', 'afecting' instead of 'affecting', 'files' instead of 'flies', and 'maintane' instead of 'maintenance'. Furthermore, some collocations are awkward, such as 'health effects to us' and 'taken control of this specific area'. Because these lexical errors are frequent but do not impede overall communication, the vocabulary reaches a solid band 5.5 level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses and multi-clause sentences connected by conjunctions. However, there are several grammatical errors and awkward structures throughout the text, including 'which is not been properly working' (passive voice and tense error), 'which effect to not properly closed' (incorrect verb form and complementation), and 'would like to request to action' (missing object or incorrect phrasing). Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while these frequent errors can occasionally cause the reader some difficulty, they do not completely obscure the meaning. This demonstrates the control typical of a band 5.5 performance.

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

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