Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-13

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 5.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing this letter to update you regarding rubbish/garbage collection in our local area, which is causing trouble to entire resident.

to begin with, garbage collecter is not regular on his duty. Due to his absence excess garbage cause ilness.

Excess of garbage also block the guitar which cause over flow of dirty water. In addition to this malfunction children can not go out side for play and make them sick. due to this most of resident become the victom of this malfunction. This problem also harming the environment.

I requestion you to add complaint box in every area which might be monitored by higher authorities. in addition to this I want authorities to personally visit the area and suspend the current management due to their irresponsibility and trouble cause to resident.

I hope my complaint will be considered on priority.

Thank you!

Kind regard: Furqan Ahmad

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three required points: you report irregular collection, describe effects on residents and children, and request action from the council. The details about excess rubbish, dirty water overflowing, and children being unable to play make the complaint relevant. Your proposed complaint boxes and a council visit are specific, but the request to suspend the current management is abrupt and not supported with much explanation. Some effects are also stated generally—for example, that residents become victims and the environment is harmed—without explaining the consequences. To strengthen the letter, clarify the collection problem with a concrete example, explain the impact more precisely, and make the requested remedies proportionate and clearly justified.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a recognisable structure: an opening purpose, a description of the problem and its effects, a paragraph requesting action, and a closing. Connectors such as “to begin with” and “in addition to this” help signal the sequence. However, the progression within the main paragraph is sometimes difficult to follow, particularly where the blocked “guitar” and overflowing dirty water are mentioned without a clear link. The repeated use of “in addition to this” also makes cohesion somewhat mechanical, and the shift from describing impacts to demanding suspension is sudden. Use clearer paragraphing for the problem, its effects, and your recommendations, and make the links between cause and consequence explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant vocabulary for a formal complaint, including “local area,” “authorities,” “irresponsibility,” and “environment,” so the reader can understand the general issue. However, several noticeable spelling and word-choice errors reduce precision: “garbage collecter,” “ilness,” “victom,” and “requestion.” Some phrases are also unnatural or unclear, such as “block the guitar” and “trouble cause to resident.” These errors occasionally make the intended meaning difficult to identify, even though the overall topic remains clear. Check spelling carefully and choose standard collocations for rubbish collection and its effects. More precise terms for overflowing drains, missed collections, and residents’ health would make the complaint clearer and more appropriate in tone.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, including a cause-and-effect construction beginning “Due to his absence,” and a recommendation using “which might be monitored.” This gives the letter some structural variety. However, there are some errors in agreement, articles, verb forms, and sentence boundaries. For example, “entire resident” needs a plural form and determiner, while “Excess of garbage also block” has a subject–verb agreement problem. The sentence beginning “In addition to this malfunction” is difficult to parse, and several sentences begin with lowercase “due” after a full stop. Review singular and plural agreement, use complete sentence structures, and punctuate sentence openings consistently. These changes would make your meaning easier to follow.

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