Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Dear sir,

I am writing this letter to express concern regarding garbage collection activity is not obey by the collection team.

My name is sagar. Currently, I am living in saraland. which is most cleanest area of the city and our society was received the best award for maintain the cleanness. However, since two weeks, garbage collection team did not take the garbage. so that dustbin is full with the trash. In addition, some of moistque has been introduced. It might cause the health issues. Eventhough, i have been discussed this matter with local government body.

I want to request to you for escalting this matter as soon as possible. beacause my neighboir and my family is disturbing nowadays. beacause this dusbin position in front of our house. So, it would difficult to survive these days. I hope, you can take action agianst my request.

I am waiting for you prompt response.

Yours Faithfully,

Sagar

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the main situation and include its effects and a request for action: the collection has stopped for two weeks, the bin is full, and you ask the council to escalate the matter. These points make the purpose clear. However, the description of the collection failure is brief, and the proposed solution is not specific; for example, you could ask for an immediate collection and a reliable schedule. The effects on neighbours are mentioned, but mostly as a general statement that they are disturbed. The opening also does not follow the requested “Dear Sir or Madam,” exactly. Develop the impact and make the requested action clearer to cover the task more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter has a recognisable sequence: it introduces the complaint, describes the overflowing bin and possible health effects, then requests action and closes politely. Paragraph breaks help separate these functions. However, progression is sometimes difficult to follow because several ideas are joined abruptly or with inaccurate links. For instance, “Eventhough, i have been discussed this matter” does not clearly connect the previous health concern to the action already taken. Repeated “because” and “so” also make the links feel mechanical, while the final request could be placed directly after a clearer explanation of the impact. Use simpler, accurate transitions and organise the details into a clear problem–impact–solution progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “garbage collection,” “dustbin,” “trash,” and “health issues,” so the reader can identify the complaint. There are also attempts at more formal language, such as “express concern” and “prompt response.” However, noticeable spelling and word-choice errors sometimes make the message harder to understand: “moistque” appears to mean mosquitoes, and “escalting” is not the appropriate form here. Phrases such as “collection activity is not obey” and “dustbin is full with the trash” are also unnatural collocations. Build a small set of accurate formal complaint phrases and check spelling and word forms before sending the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and more complex sentences, including “However, since two weeks, garbage collection team did not take the garbage” and “It might cause the health issues.” However, complex constructions are often faulty, and errors in tense, agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries occur frequently enough to affect clarity. For example, “I have been discussed this matter” has an incorrect verb form, while “my neighboir and my family is disturbing” has an agreement problem and an unclear grammatical construction. Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, as in “saraland. which” and “beacause.” Practise accurate past and present-perfect forms, subject–verb agreement, and complete sentence construction before adding more complex clauses.

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