Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear Sir,

I hope that you are well. I am writing with my dissatisfaction to let you know about the problem of rubbish collection in my area that is not working properly.

Firstly, I would say that the garbage truck does not come on time and a selected day, so neighbours have to wait a long time, and somethings they have to keep the garbage inside their home. In addition, rubbish is not thrown inside the truck properly, this is why, it spread all around the street.

This is affection us in many ways. Firstly, keeping garabge on the street for a long time may create a bad smell. This can cause of breathing difficulity for people who walk near to that area. Furthermore, sometime, garbage bins are thrown in the middle of the raod by heavy air, this can cause the transportation problems.

I would appreciate if you can take a strit action on your employee's service. A proper timing and days sheet should be given to them to collect the garbage from each street. In addition, cameras and GPS should be install in their struck so that employer can monitor on their activities and work.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

sandeep

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three requested points: delayed or irregular collections and rubbish left outside, the effects on residents, and proposed remedies. The consequences are made concrete through bad smells, possible breathing difficulties, and bins obstructing transport, while the schedule and monitoring suggestions give the council practical actions to consider. Your purpose is clear from the opening and remains consistent. To strengthen the response further, explain the collection pattern more precisely—for example, how often the truck misses its scheduled day—and develop the proposed monitoring measures by clarifying who would check the records and how this would improve service. The ideas are relevant and supported, though some details remain general.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall progression: it introduces the complaint, describes the collection failures, explains their effects, and then proposes solutions. Paragraphing supports this sequence, and signposts such as “Firstly,” “In addition,” and “Furthermore” help readers follow the points. The closing is also appropriate for a formal complaint. However, the repeated use of “Firstly” and several additive transitions makes the linking somewhat mechanical. Some connections could be made more naturally, such as linking the missed collection directly to rubbish remaining on the street and then to its effects. The reference in “this is why, it spread” is also not fully clear. More varied transitions and clearer links between cause and consequence would improve the flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use vocabulary relevant to the topic, including “rubbish collection,” “bad smell,” “transportation problems,” and “monitor,” so the main message is understandable. However, the range is limited and several noticeable word-choice, collocation, and spelling errors reduce precision: “with my dissatisfaction” is unnatural, “a selected day” is unclear, and “take a strit action” does not express the intended formal request accurately. There are also misspellings such as “garabge,” “difficulity,” and “raod.” Aim to learn common formal complaint phrases and check spelling carefully. More precise terms such as “irregular collection schedule,” “overflowing bins,” and “enforce service standards” would make the letter more effective.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including “This can cause of breathing difficulity for people who walk near to that area,” and the overall meaning is generally recoverable. However, errors in sentence construction and grammatical forms occur often enough to affect clarity. For example, “the garbage truck does not come on time and a selected day” needs a clearer structure, while “This is affection us” has an incorrect verb form. In “rubbish is not thrown inside the truck properly, this is why, it spread,” two clauses are joined incorrectly and the pronoun does not agree with the intended meaning. Practise accurate clause joining, verb forms, and sentence patterns, while retaining your attempts at complex sentences.

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

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