Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-24

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/Madam

I hope you are doing well. i am writing this letter to you just to know that the system which is usually used for the garbage collection in my local area is not working well. There are separte containers for garbage like for organic, disposal and garbage, rubbish container usually come on different days and pick the containers, but they are not coming.

This affects us many ways, for example; it smells badly all the time, as well it also give births to small insects which creates problems for us and we also have a fear of what if they create health prombles. Secondly, we also have not space to throw our waste beacuse bins are already full,it creates alot obstacles.

I want to suggest some solutions, like could you please a look that why they are not coming, if the regular bin collectors are facing any hurdles, you can send another ones, beacuse we just wnt to get rid from the rubbish.

I would like to hearing back from you, thanks for your time and consideration.

best regards,

komalpreet kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The candidate covers all three bullet points required by the task instructions. The letter begins appropriately with the requested salutation and successfully describes how the rubbish collection system is failing, explaining that the trucks are not coming on their scheduled days. Furthermore, the writer clearly explains the negative impacts on the neighbourhood, such as foul odours and the fear of health problems caused by insects, and offers a logical suggestion that the council should investigate or send alternative collectors. Although some ideas are expressed simply, all parts of the prompt are addressed adequately, fulfilling the requirements for Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter is divided into appropriate paragraphs, giving it a coherent overall arrangement. The writer attempts to sequence ideas logically, moving from the problem description to its effects and finally to suggested solutions. However, cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or faulty, such as the abrupt transition in the second paragraph ('Secondly, we also have not space...') and the run-on sentence structures. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and punctuation errors around conjunctions disrupt the flow. These features place the response firmly in the Band 5.5 to 6.0 range, demonstrating a clear attempt at organisation that is occasionally let down by mechanical cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to communicate everyday concepts related to garbage collection. However, there are frequent word choice and collocation errors, such as 'give births to small insects' instead of 'breed insects', 'smells badly' instead of 'smells bad' or 'emits a foul odour', and spelling mistakes like 'separte', 'beacuse', and 'wnt'. While the student attempts less common vocabulary, inaccuracies are noticeable throughout the response. Therefore, the lexical resource fits the Band 5.5 criteria, showing a limited but minimally adequate range for general correspondence.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some variety in structure. However, there are frequent grammatical errors and punctuation issues, such as comma splices ('...bins are already full,it creates alot obstacles.') and missing capitalisation ('i am writing'). Tense and modal verb control are occasionally flawed, as seen in 'could you please a look' and 'we would like to hearing back'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the response from achieving a higher band, making a score of 5.5 appropriate.

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

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