Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-21

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 6.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I hope you are doing well.

My name is Himanshu Singh residence of townhall building sector 18. I am writing to inform you that the collection of the garbage bags are not happening in an adequate manner. According to the annual meeting happened last month, it was decided that a personal will come to take all kind of rubbish from our area every friday, however, it has been more than 3 weeks now but no one came to collect it.

It is causing a lot of problems to me and my neighbourhood as the unattended garbage bins are attracting racoons. Moreover, there are lots of food flies all over the place and the garbage bins are smelling so bad because they had not been emptied frequently.I request you to please arrange someone who can collect all kinds of garbage bags every friday so that our surrounding become clean and tidy.

Thank you for your understanding regarding this concern.

Best regards,

Himanshu

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three requested points and maintain a clear, appropriate purpose throughout. The missed weekly collections are explained with a specific timeframe, and you describe effects on residents, including raccoons, flies and unpleasant smells. Your request for collection every Friday is relevant and gives the council a practical action to take. These details make the letter clear and supported. To develop the response further, explain more precisely how the problem affects you personally or the wider neighbourhood—for example, whether rubbish is overflowing or creating a health concern. The proposed solution could also include a request for the council to investigate why collections stopped, rather than only arranging future pickups.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter follows a sensible progression: you introduce the complaint, explain the collection failure, describe its effects and make a request. The paragraph break helps distinguish the problem from its consequences, and linking expressions such as “Moreover” make the relationship between effects clear. The opening and closing also suit a formal letter. However, the main body is presented in two dense paragraphs, and the long sentence beginning “According to the annual meeting” contains several pieces of information that would be easier to follow if divided. Some links, such as “Moreover,” are a little mechanical. Clearer sentence boundaries and a separate paragraph for the requested action would make the organisation more polished and the progression more consistently smooth.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the complaint and its consequences, including “unattended garbage bins,” “attracting racoons” and “smelling so bad.” The topic is clear, but several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for a formal council letter. “Food flies” is not the usual term for insects around rubbish, while “collection of the garbage bags are not happening in an adequate manner” is wordy and awkward. “A personal will come” also uses the wrong word, and “our surrounding” is not a natural expression in this context. These choices make the language less precise, although the reader can understand your meaning. Aim for standard collocations and concise formal phrasing, especially when describing collection schedules and sanitation problems.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a sentence with “however” and another beginning “Moreover,” and the message remains understandable. Some grammatical errors persist, particularly in agreement, articles and verb forms. For example, “the collection … are not happening” has a singular subject, and “a personal will come” needs an article and a suitable noun. The phrase “it has been more than 3 weeks now but no one came” shifts awkwardly between present perfect and past simple; “no one has come” would fit the timeframe better. In “because they had not been emptied,” the past perfect is not well matched to the surrounding present situation. Check subject–verb agreement and keep tense choices consistent. More accurate control of these patterns would strengthen the letter.

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