Cambridge IELTS 5 General Training Writing B — Adapted Practice

Dear Sir or Madam,

My name is Mohamad Abdul. I am taking a part-time evening course. I am having a hard time keeping up with this course. I am afraid I cannot continue the course.

My problem is, I have a full-time job, from 9am – 5pm. Sometimes, I am asked to stay extra hours, to finish up the rest of the work. That is because the holidays are coming up soon. Also, I have to do some work preparations for the next day.

At night when I get home, I am too tired to even prepare a dinner for myself. Also, I have no time to study for this course.

I would like to drop this course this quarter. Then take it again the next quarter. So, please accept my situation.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,
M. Abdul

Supplied commentary (unverified): Reason for writing is very clear but the recipient is not made clear. All three bullet points are covered but the letter is underlength at 135 words. Range of vocabulary sufficient; grammar limited with a few minor errors.

I think it is true that in almost every country today each household and family produces a large amount of waste every week. Most of this rubbish comes from the packaging from the things we buy, such as processed food. But even if we buy fresh food without packaging, we still produce rubbish from the plastic bags used everywhere to carry shopping home.

The reason why we have so much packaging is that we consume so much more on a daily basis than families did in the past. Convenience is also very important in modern life, so we buy packaged or canned food that can be transported from long distances and stored until we need it, first in the supermarket, and then at home.

However, I think the amount of waste produced is also a result of our tendency to use something once and throw it away. We forget that even the cheapest plastic bag has used up valuable resources and energy to produce. We also forget that it is a source of pollution and difficult to dispose of.

I think, therefore, that governments need to raise this awareness in the general public. Children can be educated about environmental issues at school, but adults need to take action. Governments can encourage such action by putting taxes on packaging, such as plastic bags, by providing recycling services and by fining households and shops that do not attempt to recycle their waste.

With the political will, such measures could really reduce the amount of rubbish we produce. Certainly nobody wants to see our resources used up and our planet poisoned by waste.

Note: This model clearly answers both parts of the question (causes + government action) and supports its arguments with reasons and examples.