Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-22

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 7.0)

Dear Sir,

I am writing this letter to inform you about the rubbish/garbage waste collection which gets picked up every week has not been consistent. In the past few weeks it has been a issue which I believe should be looked into.

To begin with, there are new people hired for our local area. I have been noticing that whenever they come to pick the garbage they either skip some houses or they are not fully trained to use the equipment that has been provided to them. There is always a spill when they try to pick it up and dump it into the garbage truck.

However, due to the spill there is always a bad odor in the neighborhood and some kids have slipped due to the water left dripping behind from the truck. What I would suggest is if the local council can look into providing them with health and safety training equipment or pair them up with veterans who have been doing this work for a long time. They could guide them in a proper way.

I hope to hear back from local council on the issue we have been facing.

Yours sincerely,

Don Bradman.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response successfully covers all three bullet points required by the prompt. First, you describe how the system is not working properly by noting inconsistent pickups, missed houses, and spills caused by inexperienced staff. Second, you explain the negative effects, such as a bad odor and children slipping on the liquid left behind. Finally, you suggest practical solutions, proposing health and safety training or pairing new staff with experienced veterans. The tone of the letter is appropriate, and the purpose is clear from the beginning. All parts of the task are well-addressed with relevant details, meeting the criteria for a solid score. To push higher, you could expand slightly on the personal impact to add even greater depth to your development of ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter follows a clear logical organization with an appropriate greeting and sign-off, as well as a sensible division into paragraphs. Each paragraph has a distinct focus: introduction, description of the problem, impact and suggestions, and a closing remark. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'However', and 'What I would suggest' are used to guide the reader through the text, although some transitions could be smoother. Referencing is generally clear, though phrases like 'due to the spill' in the third paragraph could link back more precisely to the specific truck overflow mentioned previously. Overall, the structure is coherent and easy to follow, supporting the progression of your ideas well throughout the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You use an adequate and mostly natural range of vocabulary suitable for a general correspondence task. Phrases like 'inconsistent', 'bad odor', 'local council', and 'health and safety training' demonstrate good control over topic-specific leexis. However, there are a few minor lexical inaccuracies or awkward collocations, such as using 'waste collection which gets picked up' (which is slightly repetitive) and referring to workers as 'veterans' when 'experienced staff' or 'long-serving employees' might be more natural in this context. Despite these minor issues, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your message precisely without impeding communication, allowing for a comfortable band six level with elements reaching higher.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional structures reasonably well. For example, sentences like 'What I would suggest is if the local council can look into...' show ambition, though the grammar within that clause contains a slight structural awkwardness. There are a few grammatical errors throughout the text, such as 'it has been a issue' instead of 'an issue', and a missing preposition in 'hear back from local council'. Punctuation is generally fine, and these errors do not impede communication. Your control is consistent enough to ensure that the majority of simple structures are accurate while complex attempts show good potential.

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.