Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-25

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

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 hope this letter finds you well, I am writing this letter to take a peek on bad trash collection system in our area. The garbage collector machine is not coming on their schdeule.They are coming once in a month in our area.

First of all, due to bad management of trash collection the bins are overflowing and cause so many diseases. In our area, me and some kids got sick because of trash in all the streets. In addition, water has been stored in the bins and leading to mosquitos breeding due to bad weather conditions.

This problem could be solved with so many ways like : litter collector truck should be schdule once in a week in every area. Moreover, big trash bins can be provided in every street to control overflow the rubbish and bins should be installed with their own lid.

best regards,

kulwinder Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.0
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall6.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response covers all three bullet points required in the task instructions. The student describes how the collection system is failing by stating that collectors come only once a month instead of following their proper schedule. The effects on neighbours are explained through references to overflowing bins, disease, and mosquito breeding. Finally, actionable suggestions are provided, including increasing the frequency of collection trucks and providing larger covered bins. Although the tone opens with a slightly unnatural phrase ("take a peek on"), the overall purpose of the letter is clearly communicated, and all parts of the prompt are addressed, corresponding to a Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter is organised into logical paragraphs, with a standard greeting, an introductory statement of purpose, followed by body paragraphs detailing the problems and solutions, and a closing sign-off. Cohesive devices are used, such as "First of all", "In addition", and "Moreover", although some of these are a bit mechanical. There is a comma splice in the opening sentence ("well, I am writing"), but overall the progression of ideas is fairly easy to follow. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the issues from the proposed solutions, placing this aspect of the writing solidly at a Band 6.0 level.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student attempts some less common vocabulary such as "overflowing", "breeding", and "management", which are appropriate for the topic. However, there are notable lexical inaccuracies and awkward phrasing, such as "take a peek on" instead of "look into" or "draw attention to", and "garbage collector machine" instead of "garbage truck" or "collection service". Spelling errors like "schdeule" also occur. While communication is generally maintained and the vocabulary is adequate for the task, these recurring collocation issues and unnatural phrasings keep the lexical score at a Band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as "This problem could be solved with so many ways like : litter collector truck should be schdule once in a week..." There are several grammatical errors, including comma splices, article omissions ("in our area, me and some kids..." and "control overflow the rubbish"), and passive voice errors ("should be schdule"). Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear throughout the letter, allowing the reader to understand the problems and solutions easily. This aligns well with the descriptors for a Band 5.5.

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

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