Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-02
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 5.0)
Dear Sir\Madam,
I am writing to inform you about my area garbage Issue.
Actually , we are living in Mississauga ,in my area Garbage collection system was not working properly this is the cause of we and neighbours are getting bad smell every day and even we are not able to walk the streets.
some time we are not able to open the house doors too. childerns not able to going the schools by walk due to this garbage,they complaint lot of times even garbage system was not working properly.and its effect to childerns health.
Please send some experience resource to work on this garbage system and fix the preblem as early as possiable.
Hope your fixing the problem as early as possiable.
Your faithfully,
SIva Puppala
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response addresses the main parts of the task by describing the broken garbage collection system and explaining its impact on the neighbourhood, while also suggesting a solution. However, the ideas remain limited and under-developed, lacking specific details about how long the issue has persisted or what exact measures the council should take. Furthermore, the length requirement is not met, as the text contains only 127 words, falling short of the 150-word minimum. To reach a higher band, the response needs to fully extend and support all bullet points with clearer details and meet the minimum word count.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
There is some organisation in the letter, beginning with an appropriate opening greeting and ending with a sign-off, but the text lacks a clear overall progression. Paragraphing is not used effectively; most of the body text is compressed into a single, dense block of sentences, and the closing sentences are isolated into single-line paragraphs rather than forming a cohesive concluding paragraph. Cohesive devices are either inadequate or missing, resulting in abrupt transitions between ideas, such as the sudden jump from the bad smell to children walking to school. To improve, the writer should group related ideas into distinct paragraphs and use appropriate linking words to guide the reader smoothly through the letter.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for the task, featuring basic terms like "garbage Issue", "bad smell", and "fix the preblem". There are noticeable errors in word choice, form, and spelling, such as "preblem" instead of problem, "possiable" instead of possible, and "experience resource" instead of experienced personnel or staff. These lexical limitations and spelling errors cause some difficulty for the reader and prevent the text from achieving a higher level of precision. To progress, the writer needs to expand their range of vocabulary, use less common items accurately, and carefully check their spelling.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5
The writer uses a very limited range of sentence structures, relying mostly on simple sentences joined by coordinating conjunctions or run-on structures. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including tense misuse ("garbage collection system was not working" combined with present tense meaning), missing articles and prepositions ("in my area Garbage collection", "going the schools by walk"), and awkward phrasing like "this is the cause of we and neighbours are getting". These frequent errors cause difficulty for the reader. To improve, the writer must focus on basic sentence construction, correct subject-verb agreement, accurate verb tenses, and appropriate preposition use.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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