Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-11-02

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 am this letter on the behalf of whole area of Mullis Crescent, to complain about your garbage collection service in our society. Additionally, I would like to express the issues we have encountered and some possible ways to tackle it.

For the past few days, we noticed that the house rubbish is not being collected properly, the service providers drop the litter on the street while picking up the bins. Also, the pick up schedule is not fixed yet, sometime, they even skip the whole week. Despite filing a complaint to you local office, the problem still persists.

Due to the garbage on the streets, it stinks all the time; the litter always surrounded by the mosquitoes and other pests, causing serious hazard to all the local children, even some of the are ill already.

Nevertheless, I kindly request an appropriate inspection and solution to our cleaning services. I would appreciate it if a fixed schedule for trash pick up would be authorized to our society.

I look forward to your prompt action in this critical matter.

Yours sincerely,

Satmeet Singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The letter addresses all three requirements: it describes missed collections and litter left behind, explains the smell and pest-related risks, and asks for an inspection and a fixed collection schedule. The purpose is clear from the opening complaint, and the formal closing suits the audience. The effects on residents are relevant, especially the reference to children becoming ill, though this point would be stronger with a little more detail about the impact on neighbours. The proposed remedies are also somewhat narrow: alongside a schedule, you could request that crews clean up dropped rubbish and explain how the council will monitor the service. These additions would make the ideas more fully supported and specific.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information follows a clear sequence: the opening states the purpose, the next paragraph describes collection failures, the following paragraph explains their effects, and the final paragraph makes requests. This paragraphing helps the reader follow the complaint, and linking expressions such as “Additionally” and “Despite” show relationships between ideas. Some connections are less natural or precise, however. “Nevertheless” does not clearly signal the move from describing the consequences to making a request, and “it” in the opening refers vaguely to several possible issues. Use more direct transitions, such as “To address this,” and make references explicit. The overall progression is clear, but more flexible and accurate linking would make the letter smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a formal complaint, including “collection service,” “schedule,” “persists,” “inspection,” and “prompt action.” These choices communicate the main problem and requested response. There are also several inaccurate or unnatural expressions that limit precision: “on the behalf of whole area,” “in our society,” and “the litter always surrounded by the mosquitoes” do not sound natural in this context. “Serious hazard” is also less precise than a phrase such as “health risk.” Aim for accurate collocations and consistent terms for the neighbourhood and collection service. The meaning remains understandable, but more natural phrasing would make the complaint more convincing and professional.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The letter includes both simple sentences and attempts at more complex structures, such as “Despite filing a complaint…” and the sentence explaining the effects of the rubbish. However, some grammatical errors remain. The opening is missing a main verb (“I am this letter”); it could be “I am writing this letter.” In “the litter always surrounded by the mosquitoes,” the verb “is” is needed, and “some of the are ill already” has an incomplete noun phrase and incorrect structure. There are also errors with articles and agreement, as in “a fixed schedule … would be authorized.” These do not prevent the reader from understanding the complaint, but proofreading sentence structure and verb forms would improve accuracy.

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