Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-05

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 this letter to inform an unpleasant information regarding the waste collection technology. This garbage collection system is not working properly nowadays, and creats certain problems in our neighbourhood.

The machine used for collecting the garbage is not picking up the whole waste which placed in the allocated area. Therefore, this situation makes waste accumilisation in the area, and which causes several problems to us.

People need to clean their locality after the rubbish collecting time because there are un-collected wastes surrounded in the locality. Moreover, this situation create bad smell in the garbage collecting days because of uncollected waste in the locality.

I would like suggest that munciplaity should take some measures to replace the garbage collector or perhaps do some necassary maintenance work for the errors. In addition, creating an additional waste collecting department is another efficient method.

I hope the department will fix this error, and thank you for considering my request.

Yours faithfully

Aby

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt, earning a solid score for this criterion. The student covers the first bullet point by explaining that the waste collection technology is malfunctioning and missing garbage placed in the allocated area. The second bullet point is fulfilled by describing the negative impacts on neighbours, such as accumulation and a bad smell. Finally, the third bullet point is covered by suggesting that the municipality should perform maintenance or replace the collector. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a local council, maintaining a clear purpose throughout. While some ideas, such as the suggestion to create an additional department, could have been slightly more extended, all requirements of the task are well-covered with a clear and consistent position.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression throughout, reflecting the lower boundary of the next band while fully satisfying the standard criteria. Information and ideas are generally well managed, and paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, body points covering the problem and its effects, the suggestion, and the sign-off. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'Therefore', 'Moreover', and 'In addition', which help guide the reader through the text, although referencing is occasionally a bit mechanical. For example, expressions like 'and which causes' reflect a slight awkwardness in connection that prevents the response from achieving a fully flexible cohesive flow. Overall, the organization is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, providing a sufficient range to communicate the main points, though it contains notable errors in spelling, word form, and word choice. The student attempts some less common items such as 'allocated area', 'accumilisation', and 'munciplaity', but these are marred by spelling mistakes like 'accumilisation' and 'necassary', or slight lexical inaccuracies such as 'inform an unpleasant information' (instead of 'share unpleasant information' or 'report an issue'). Although these errors and inappropriate word choices are noticeable and require the reader to occasionally adjust, they do not severely impede overall communication. A wider range of precise lexical choices and improved spelling control would be required to reach a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writing exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at subordination and varied structures. However, frequent errors in grammar and punctuation persist throughout the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues like 'this situation create' instead of 'creates', incorrect article usage in 'on the garbage collecting days' instead of 'on garbage collection days', and awkward prepositions or relative clauses such as 'the whole waste which placed'. There are also minor punctuation slips with commas. While these errors occur regularly, the sentence structures remain accessible enough that the meaning is generally clear and communication is rarely impeded. Greater control over grammatical structures and fewer local errors are needed to progress further.

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

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