Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-06

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,

I am writing this letter from you i have facing a lot of problems regarding rubbish collection in my area. The collection system are not collect the garbage properly as they left the garbage in bins . Usually, the rubbish is collected once a week, but they miss it and do not complete it. My neighbours and I have faced this problem for a few weeks. Bins have remained on the street without being emptied. As a result, some bins are overflowing and rubbish is being left around them.

The main problem is for local residents. The rubbish is unpleasant smell, flies, rats and other insects fly around them. they cause serious diseases in my community. The neighbourhood looks like dirty and unpleasant.

I would to request that local council take step to prevent this major mistake and investigate it. it should be prevented at least within two days to improve my area.

Yours faithfully,

Simran

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all three parts of the prompt, satisfying the requirements for a general correspondence task. The writer describes how the rubbish collection system is failing by mentioning that bins remain uncollected and overflowing. The impact on the neighbourhood is explained through references to unpleasant smells, pests, and health concerns, and a clear suggestion is made to investigate the problem and resolve it within two days. While all content bullets are addressed, some ideas remain slightly under-developed or briefly stated, preventing a fully extended treatment of the topic. For instance, the impact on residents and the community could have been expanded with more specific examples. Nevertheless, the tone is appropriately formal for a letter to a local council, and the overall purpose is clear, striking a balance that comfortably meets the criteria for this band level.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter displays a coherent overall arrangement with a recognisable logical progression from describing the problem to explaining its effects and finally offering a solution. Paragraphing is utilised to separate the main points, such as grouping the description of the uncollected garbage in the first paragraph and the resulting health and environmental issues in the second. However, cohesion at times feels mechanical or slightly faulty. For example, the transition between sentences in the second paragraph lacks smooth linking devices, and referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the pronoun use in 'they cause serious diseases in my community'. Despite these minor cohesion issues, the letter maintains an understandable flow from beginning to end, successfully guiding the reader through the writer's complaints and requests.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully communicating the core message about rubbish collection issues. Words and phrases such as 'garbage collection', 'overflowing', and 'local residents' demonstrate sufficient control for basic communication. However, there are noticeable vocabulary and word-choice errors that occur throughout the response, such as 'rubbish is unpleasant smell' instead of 'rubbish has an unpleasant smell', and 'the neighbourhood looks like dirty' instead of 'the neighbourhood looks dirty'. There are also occasional awkward collocations and imprecise word forms, such as 'take step' instead of 'take steps'. These limitations restrict the range and precision of the vocabulary, keeping the response at this particular band level while still allowing the reader to understand the intended meaning without severe impediment.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and some attempted complex sentence forms, such as 'Usually, the rubbish is collected once a week, but they miss it and do not complete it.' However, the text contains frequent grammatical errors in verb forms, subject-verb agreement, and articles. Examples include 'I am writing this letter from you i have facing', 'The collection system are not collect', and 'it should be prevented'. Punctuation errors, such as missing capitalisation at the start of sentences like 'it should be prevented', are also present. These errors in grammar and mechanics occur regularly throughout the text, occasionally causing some difficulty for the reader and indicating that a wider range of error-free complex structures has not yet been mastered.

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