Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-24

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,

I am a resident of the Omega coloney and I am writing this letter on behalf of the entire neighbourhood, to draw your attention towards our problem of garbage collection system, as it is not working properly since last week. This is causing a lot of polluction on the side walk and a huge pile of garbage is accumulated near all the dustbins.

The rubbish collection system in unable to pick the garbage and even after calling on their service number, nobody is answering the call. This is affecting us a lot in numerous ways like, bad oder across the neighborhood, flies spreading on the garbage and so on.

Its my sincere request to you to please repair the system and clean everything as soon as possible and I would like to suggest you to review your customer services and make sure that all the calls should be answered.

All the neighbours will be thankful to you for your help, so kindly solve the issue.

Yours truely,

Nancy Malik

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three required points: it reports that collections have failed since last week, describes the resulting pollution and accumulated rubbish, and asks the council to arrange cleaning and improve its call service. The purpose is clear from the opening, and the request remains consistent throughout. The effects on residents are relevant, particularly the bad odour and flies, although they are listed briefly rather than explained with much supporting detail. To strengthen the response further, specify practical consequences for neighbours—for example, whether the rubbish blocks the pavement or creates a health concern—and make the proposed action more precise, such as arranging an immediate collection and providing a reliable contact channel.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information follows a clear, sensible order: the opening identifies the problem, the next paragraph explains its effects, and the final paragraphs make a request and close politely. Paragraphing helps the reader distinguish these functions, and links such as “This is affecting us” connect the collection failure to its consequences. The letter is easy to follow overall. Some connections are less smooth because several ideas are compressed into lists, as in “bad oder across the neighborhood, flies spreading on the garbage and so on.” The final request also combines repair, cleaning, and customer service in one long sentence. Separating these points and using more precise links between cause, effect, and requested action would make the progression more polished.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses enough topic vocabulary to communicate the issue, including “garbage collection,” “dustbins,” “neighbourhood,” and “customer services.” However, the range is limited and several noticeable spelling or word-choice errors reduce precision: “coloney,” “polluction,” “oder,” and “truely.” Some phrases are also unnatural, such as “draw your attention towards our problem of garbage collection system” and “flies spreading on the garbage.” These do not prevent the reader from understanding the main message, but they make the letter less fluent and appropriately formal. Aim for accurate, natural collocations and check spelling carefully; for example, describe rubbish as “piling up beside the bins” and refer to “an unpleasant odour” and “flies gathering around it.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The letter attempts a mixture of simple and more extended sentence forms, including the opening sentence with a reason clause and the sentence beginning “This is causing…”. The main message remains understandable, but grammatical control is uneven. For example, “The rubbish collection system in unable to pick the garbage” has an incorrect verb form, while “Its my sincere request to you to please repair…” has a faulty sentence construction. The long opening also joins several ideas without clear control, and “all the calls should be answered” is less direct than a well-formed request. Practise accurate clause construction and verb forms, and use shorter sentences when making several requests. Proofreading for apostrophes and punctuation will also improve accuracy.

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