Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-11-04

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/Madam,

My name is Lilian from Rivonia in Sandton. i am writing to express my concern regarding the garbage collecting system that has not been functioning well for the past three weeks.

The garbage is ussually collected every Tuesday in our area but for over a fortnight now, the routine is inconsistant, forcing the community to leave their packed garbage bins outside for days. The wind is blowing the waste away, littering the streets and the strong smell in each road is polluting the air and inviting flies every where which is puting the lives of people in danger of getting sick from contaminated food.

The situation really needs a quick sollution and i am suggesting the local council should point a temporary place outside the community where people can drop their trash inorder to keep the community clean while the issue at hand is being resolved.

I trust my request will be put into consideration and thank you for acting upon my it.

Yours Sincerly,

Lilian Dube

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The letter addresses all three required points and maintains a clear, appropriate purpose. You explain that Tuesday collections have become inconsistent, describe the consequences—waste blown into the streets, unpleasant smells and flies—and propose a temporary drop-off location. These details make the complaint relevant and give the council a practical response to consider. The effects on residents are clear, although the claim that contaminated food may make people ill is not explained in detail, and the proposed location could be made more actionable by asking the council to identify and manage a specific site. A more explicit request for regular collections to resume would also strengthen the proposed solution.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter has a clear progression: it introduces the complaint, describes the collection problem and its effects, then offers a solution and closes politely. Paragraphing supports this sequence, and linking expressions such as “but,” “while” and “and” help connect related points. The long second paragraph, however, combines the missed collections, litter, smell and health concern in one extended sentence, so the relationships between these effects are not always easy to follow. The final sentence, “thank you for acting upon my it,” also makes the closing less clear. Separate the effects into shorter sentences and use precise references to the problem and request to make the flow more controlled.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a formal complaint, including “express my concern,” “routine,” “polluting the air” and “temporary place.” These choices communicate the issue and its impact. Some spelling and word-choice errors reduce accuracy, such as “ussually,” “inconsistant,” “sollution” and “Sincerly.” A few expressions are also awkward or imprecise: “point a temporary place” is not a natural collocation, and “put into consideration” does not express the intended request idiomatically. Aim for accurate spelling and conventional formal phrases, and choose more precise terms for the council’s proposed action. This would make the letter sound more fluent and professional.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response includes both simple statements and longer complex sentences, for example the sentence beginning “The garbage is ussually collected every Tuesday” and the clause “while the issue at hand is being resolved.” Meaning remains clear overall, but some grammatical and punctuation errors are present. The opening “i am writing” and later “i am suggesting” need capital letters, while “the local council should point a temporary place” has an incomplete grammatical pattern for the intended meaning. The final phrase “acting upon my it” is also structurally unclear. The long sentence describing the effects would be easier to control if divided into shorter sentences. Review sentence patterns after verbs such as “suggest” and check capitalization and punctuation.

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