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
Sample Response
Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to report a serious problemexpress a grave situation that the community of "Lake West Spring" is facing due to the faulty and inadequate rubbish management system, over the past three to four weeksespecially for the last three to four weeks. Regarding the problemWith relation to the problems, the number of rubbish bins installed in the area is insufficient given the local populationconsidering the total population. Moreover, for the last couple of weeks, garbage-collection lorriesgarbage collector's lorries have not been picking up the trash onin time, and uncollected wastedeposit of all waste has begun to accumulatehas started to scatter around the bins or on the streets. Since the garbage bins are overflowing with litter, they attractit attracts stray dogssome street dogs who scatter the rubbishrampage the rubish every night. The accumulated waste has also becomeIt has also become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, houseflies and other insects which can lead to the spread of infectious diseases. Moreover, the bad odour from the garbagefrom garbage has started reaching our homeshouse disrupting our ability to live comfortably and healthilywhich hampers our peaceful and healthy living. I would like to suggest that the local council look into the matter urgently and ensure that garbage lorries comemake sure the garbage lorries come to our community every other day to empty the bins. Besides, for a long-term solution, more large waste bins should be installederected in the region as soon as possible and the garbage should be collecteddefinitely be picked up in a timely manner. I hope you will take immediate measures to solve the problems and consider my suggestions. Yours faithfully, Elmina Rose
Why this response received Band 7.0
The letter fully addresses the collection failures, their effects on residents, and practical remedies in a suitably urgent formal tone, with particularly strong development of the health and hygiene consequences. Its main weakness is language accuracy, as several awkward word combinations and agreement errors reduce polish. Organise the content into distinct paragraphs and proofread noun phrases, pronouns, and collocations to make the complaint more precise and professional.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The purpose is immediately clear, all three bullet points are well developed with relevant detail, and the formal, urgent tone is appropriate for the council.
Refine the request by identifying responsibility and a clear response timescale so the proposed action is even more specific.
Coherence and Cohesion
The ideas follow a clear problem-effects-solutions sequence, but presenting the whole letter as one dense paragraph weakens its structure.
Use separate paragraphs for the collection failures, effects on residents, proposed remedies, and closing request.
Lexical Resource
The letter demonstrates a good range of topic-specific vocabulary, although several collocations and one spelling error reduce precision.
Replace awkward phrases such as express a grave situation and rampage the rubbish with natural complaint-letter wording, and check spelling.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A variety of complex sentences is used with generally clear meaning, but agreement, possessive, and pronoun-reference errors recur.
Check agreement in sentences about plural bins and lorries, and ensure each pronoun has a clear, grammatically matching antecedent.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
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
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.