Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-11-03

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 6.0)

Dear Sir,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with local garbage collection workers that I experienced from few days.

The main problem is that workers are not collecting garbage properly everyday. In addition all workers are setting together and just talk each other, not doing their duty effectively and after completion their shift they just go not even clean street.

As a result, lots of children are feeling sick and in our community have very bad smell because of wet food garbage and I experienced considerable inconvenience and felt disappointed with the municipality service. Some of my guest came yesterday and they told me about this environment and i felt emberassed.

I would appreciate it if you could investigate this matter and take appropriate action, while you should come and visit our street and observed workers work.

I hope you will take my complaint seriously and resolve this issue as soon as possible.

Yours faithfully,

kajal

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address all three requested points: you describe missed or ineffective collections, explain the effects on residents, and ask the council to investigate and act. The details about children feeling sick, the smell from wet food waste, and your guests’ reaction make the complaint relevant and personal. Your request to visit the street is also appropriate. Some points, however, are less fully developed: it is not clear how often collections are missed or how long the rubbish remains, and the proposed action is broad rather than specific. For a stronger response, explain the collection pattern and suggest practical steps, such as a revised schedule or monitoring the workers’ performance. The formal letter format is suitable overall.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall arrangement: it introduces the complaint, describes the collection problem, explains its effects, and ends with a request and closing. Paragraph breaks help distinguish these stages, and phrases such as “As a result” show the relationship between the problem and its consequences. Some connections are less smooth, however. The sentence beginning “In addition” combines several actions without clearly showing how they relate, while “while you should come and visit” makes the requested actions sound awkwardly connected. The progression is understandable, but cohesion sometimes feels mechanical or unclear. Use shorter, more focused sentences and link each paragraph’s details directly to the next point to make the letter easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the complaint and its effects, including “dissatisfaction,” “considerable inconvenience,” and “appropriate action.” These choices show an attempt to use formal language suited to a council letter. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “setting together,” “talk each other,” and “bad smell,” and spelling errors in “emberassed” and “i” reduce accuracy. “Garbage” and “rubbish” are both understandable, but consistent use would make the letter more polished. To improve, learn common combinations such as “sit together,” “talk to each other,” and “unpleasant odour,” and check spelling and capitalization before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including “As a result…” and the conditional request “I would appreciate it if you could investigate this matter.” The main message remains understandable, but grammatical control is uneven, especially in longer sentences. For example, “I experienced from few days” lacks a clear grammatical construction, and “after completion their shift they just go” has problems with articles and verb form. The sentence about children and the smell also lacks a clear subject structure. Practise building complete clauses with accurate subjects and verbs, and use past or present forms consistently. Breaking long sentences into shorter ones will help you control agreement, articles, and punctuation.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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