Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-26

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 to express my concern about the system of garbage collecting is working properly. According to Law they should collect rubbish every Wednesday but they are not coming from last two weeks. In the city, most of the area they didnot clean streets and public places.

Furthermore, this is very serious problem becouse there are starting to spread smell of garbage as well as I saw lots of mosquito in my neibourhood. Moreover, my neibours have kids around 8-10 years old. They also can suffer with some disease like Dangue and Malaria.

Therefore, I hope you would understand my concern. If you donot mind I would like to give a suggestion to you for this problem. You should arrange a meeting and comfirm with them. why this is heppend and take good action.

Thanking you,

Abhishek

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three requested points: you report that collections have stopped for two weeks, describe the smell and mosquitoes, and suggest that the council arrange a meeting and take action. These details make the complaint relevant and give the reader a clear sense of the problem. However, the effects on residents and the proposed solution are less fully developed than the description of missed collections; for example, explain whether rubbish is accumulating outside homes and specify practical action such as arranging an immediate collection and checking the schedule. The response is also 10 words below the required minimum, so it needs a little more detail. The opening says the system “is working properly,” which contradicts your complaint; state clearly that it is not working properly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a coherent overall arrangement: you introduce the complaint, explain its consequences, and then make a request. Paragraph breaks help distinguish these stages, and linking expressions such as “Furthermore,” “Moreover,” and “Therefore” guide the reader through your points. This meets the expected level of organisation, with some evidence of more developed cohesion. To make the progression smoother, avoid stacking several connectors where a direct link would be clearer, and connect the suggested meeting more explicitly to the council’s responsibility. The final request, “You should arrange a meeting and comfirm with them,” is not fully clear about who should meet or what action should follow, so spell out the sequence and desired outcome.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main complaint and its consequences, with relevant terms such as “garbage,” “public places,” “mosquito,” and “disease.” However, the range is limited and several word-choice, collocation, and spelling errors make the letter less natural and occasionally harder to understand. For example, “system of garbage collecting” is awkward, while “spread smell of garbage” and “suffer with some disease” do not use natural English combinations. Spelling errors such as “neibourhood,” “comfirm,” and “heppend” also stand out. Build a small set of precise phrases for formal complaints, such as “missed collections,” “accumulating waste,” and “pose a health risk,” and check spelling before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You use mostly straightforward sentence patterns, with some attempts to combine ideas using “as well as” and “Moreover.” The main message is generally understandable, but there are several grammatical errors in sentence construction and verb forms. For instance, “I am writing to express my concern about the system of garbage collecting is working properly” needs a clearer clause structure, and “they are not coming from last two weeks” needs a suitable tense and time expression. “There are starting to spread smell” also has an incorrect verb pattern, while “my neighbours have kids” is less suitable than a more formal construction. Practise accurate present perfect forms for ongoing situations and use complete, clearly structured sentences in the request.

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