Hustlers IELTS | Cambridge IELTS 16 General Training (Test 1) | Band 7–9 Plan + Model Answer + Vocabulary
Plastic is a high-frequency IELTS topic — and for good reason. But most candidates still lose marks because they do one of these:
- they write only about “plastic is bad” with no specific damage
- they give solutions but forget the question demands both governments and individuals
- they list problems without explaining the mechanism (how plastic causes harm)
This model shows you how to stay focused, specific, and high-scoring.
The Task (Cambridge GT 16, Test 1)
Plastic bags, plastic bottles and plastic packaging are bad for the environment.
- What damage does plastic do to the environment?
- What can be done by governments and individuals to solve this problem?
This is a problem–solution essay. You must cover:
- damage (environmental impact)
- solutions (government + individual actions)
Hustlers IELTS Plan (What to Write)
Damage (problems)
-
Plastic in the water supply
- plastic degrades → micro-particles → enter water systems
- toxic / possibly carcinogenic
-
Wildlife ingestion and choking
- animals mistake plastic for food
- digestive blockage and death, especially marine animals
Solutions (governments + individuals)
-
Make plastic more expensive / reduce usage
- charges/taxes on bags and packaging
- encourages reusable options (individual behaviour change)
-
Improve local water supply
- reduce bottled-water dependence in developing countries
- cut single-use bottle consumption at the source
Band 7–9 Model Essay
Plastic use has increased dramatically over the last 50 years, replacing more traditional packaging such as glass bottles, tins and paper bags. Unfortunately, this has also resulted in a huge amount of plastic being discarded, and this has caused a number of environmental problems.
One of the main problems — one that has only recently been discovered — is that when plastic degrades, it releases tiny particles which eventually get washed into the water supply. These particles can be toxic if ingested in large enough quantities, and may even be carcinogenic. Another problem is that animals may mistake plastic items for food. For example, seagulls often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, and try to eat them, causing them to choke and die. Many larger aquatic animals have been found washed up on beaches with their digestive systems full of plastic material.
So what can be done about this? One of the obvious solutions is to make plastic packaging more expensive in order to encourage people to re-use plastic or avoid it altogether. Supermarkets in many countries have started to charge consumers for plastic bags and this has proved to be successful, with many people bringing their own reusable shopping bags. Another solution might be to improve local water supply. In many developing countries, tap water cannot be drunk because it contains bacteria or heavy metals, so people instead buy bottled water. However, this creates a colossal amount of plastic waste since these bottles are single-use. Helping countries like Thailand or Turkey modernise their domestic water supply infrastructure would therefore lead to a large reduction in the use of plastic bottles.
To summarise, plastic packaging has harmful effects both on drinking water and for animals, but making it more expensive and improving access to drinkable water in the developing world can go a long way to reducing these problems.
(308 words)
Why This Essay Scores High
1) It answers every part of the question
- specific environmental damage (water + wildlife)
- solutions that clearly include government action (pricing, infrastructure) and individual behaviour (reusable bags)
2) It explains mechanisms, not slogans
“Plastic is bad” is not enough. This model explains:
- degradation → micro-particles → water supply
- ingestion → choking → death
3) Solutions match the causes
If bottled water is driving plastic waste, improving water infrastructure is a direct, logical fix.
Band 7–9 Vocabulary & Collocations (Use These)
- plastic use has increased dramatically
- more traditional packaging
- glass bottles, tins and paper bags
- a huge amount of plastic being discarded
- a number of environmental problems
- has only recently been discovered
- plastic degrades
- releases tiny particles
- washed into the water supply
- toxic / ingested / carcinogenic
- mistake X for Y
- choke and die
- aquatic animals
- washed up on beaches
- digestive systems full of
- make plastic packaging more expensive
- encourage people to re-use plastic
- charge consumers
- reusable shopping bags
- local water supply
- bacteria or heavy metals
- a colossal amount of
- single-use
- domestic water supply infrastructure
Hustlers IELTS Final Word
For problem–solution essays, the winning formula is always the same:
- 2 clear problems (explained)
- 2–3 solutions (matched to problems)
- include both government and individual roles
- finish with a sharp summary