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How to Plan & Write IELTS Problem Solution Essays

IELTS problem solution essays are the most challenging essay type for many people. The way they are worded can vary hugely which can make it difficult to understand how you should answer the question.

Generally, you’ll be asked to write about both the problem, or cause, and the solution to a specific issue. Sometimes, however, you will only be required to write about possible solutions.

The 3 essay types:

• Problem and solution
• Cause and solution
• Just the solution

Hence, it’s essential that you analyse the question carefully, which I’ll show you how to do in this lesson. I’m also going to demonstrate step-by-step how to plan and write IELTS problem solution essays.

Here’s what we’ll be covering:

• Identifying IELTS problem solution essays 
• 6 Common mistakes
• Essay structure
• How to plan
• How to write an introduction
• How to write main body paragraphs
• How to write a conclusion

Want  to watch and listen to this lesson?

Click on this video.

Click the links to see lessons on each of these Task 2 essay writing topics. 

Once you understand the process, practice on past questions. Take your time at first and gradually speed up until you can plan and write an essay of at least 250 words in the 40 minutes allowed in the exam.

The Question

Here are two typical IELTS problem solution essay questions. They consist of a statement followed by the question or instruction.

1. One problem faced by almost every large city is traffic congestion.

What do you think the causes are? What solutions can you suggest?

2. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the number of endangered species has increased significantly and we have witnessed more mass extinctions in this period than in any other period of time.

State some reasons for this and provide possible solutions.

These are some examples of different ways in which questions can be phrased. The first half of the questions relate to the problem or cause, the second half to the solution.

What issues does this cause and how can they be addressed?

What are some resulting social problems and how can we deal with them?

What problems arise from this and how can they be tackled?

Why is this? How might it be remedied?

What are the reasons for this, and how can the situation be improved?

Why is this happening, and what measures can be taken to tackle this problem?

And here are a few questions where you only have to write about the solution.

How can this situation be improved?

What solutions can you suggest to deal with this problem?

How can this problem be solved?

What measures could be taken to prevent this?

It’s important that you are able to recognise the common synonyms, words and phrases used in problem solution questions. Here are the key words and their synonyms used in the questions above.

• Problem  – issues, resulting, situation
• Cause  – reasons, why
• Solution  – deal with, addressed, tackled, remedied, improved, measures taken, solved, prevent

Before we move on to some common mistakes, I want to quickly explain the difference between a problem and a cause. Read the following examples.

Problem – I've missed the last bus home after visiting my friend for the evening.

Cause – I misread the timetable and thought the bus left at 22.45 when it actually left at 22.35.

The ‘cause’ is the reason for the ‘problem’.  We’ll be looking at question analysis in more detail in a minute.

6 Common Mistakes

These six errors are common in IELTS problem solution essays.

• Confusing problem and causes questions.
• Having too many ideas.
• Not developing your ideas.
• Not developing both sides of the argument equally.
• Not linking the problems and solutions.
• Not being specific enough.

It is common for an essay to consist of a list of problems and solutions without any of them being expanded on or linked to each other. Sometimes, a student will focus on just the problem or only the solution which leads to an unbalanced essay. Both these issues will result in a low score for task achievement.

You must choose just one or two problems and pick solutions directly linked to them. Explain them and give examples.

Another serious error is to write generally about the topic. You need to be very specific with your ideas. Analysing the question properly is essential to avoiding this mistake. I’ll show you how to do this.

Essay Structure

Now let’s look at a simple structure you can use to write IELTS problem solution essays. It’s not the only possible structure but it’s the one I recommend because it’s easy to learn and will enable you to quickly plan and write a high-level essay.

1)  Introduction

• Paraphrase the question
• State 1 key problem/cause and related solution

2)  Main body paragraph 1 – Problem or Cause

• Topic sentence – state the problem or cause
• Explanation – give detail explaining the problem or cause
• Example – give an example

3)  Main body paragraph 2 – Solution

• Topic sentence – state the solution
• Explanation – give detail explaining the solution

4)  Conclusion

• Summarise the key points 

This structure will give us a well-balanced essay with 4 paragraphs.

One Problem/Cause & Solution or Two?

Most questions will state problems, causes and solutions in the plural, that is, more than one. However, it is acceptable to write about just one.

This will give you an essay of just over the minimum 250 words. To write about two problems/causes and solutions will require you to write between 350 and 400 words which are a lot to plan and write in the 40 minutes allowed.

It is better to fully develop one problem/cause and solution than ending up with one idea missing an explanation or an example because you run out of time.

The step-by-step essay structure I’m going to show you includes one problem and solution but you can write about two if you feel able to or more comfortable doing so.

How To Plan IELTS Problem Solution Essays

Here’s the question we’re going to be answering in our model essay followed by the 3 steps of the planning process.

One problem faced by almost every large city is traffic congestion.

What do you think the causes are? What solutions can you sugge st?

• Analyse the question
• Generate ideas
• Identify vocabulary

# 1  Analyse the question

This is an essential step in the planning process and will ensure that you answer the question fully. It’s quick and easy to do. You just need to identify 3 different types of words:

1. Topic words

2.  Other keywords

3.  Instruction words

Topics words are the ones that identify the general subject of the question and will be found in the statement part of the question.

One problem faced by almost every large city is traffic congestion .

So, this question is about ‘ traffic congestion’ .

Many people will do this first step of the process and then write about the topic in general. This is a serious mistake and leads to low marks for task achievement.

What we need to do now that we know the general topic, is to understand exactly what aspect of traffic congestion we're being asked to write about.

The  other keywords  in the question tell you the specific topic you must write about. 

By highlighting these words, it’s easy to see that you are being asked to write about the problem of traffic congestion in large cities. Your essay must only include ideas relevant to these ideas.

The instruction words are the question itself. These tell you the type of IELTS problem solution essay you must write. This is a ‘causes and solutions’ question.

# 2  Generate ideas

The next task is to generate some ideas to write about.

There are several different ways to think up ideas. I cover them fully on the  IELTS Essay Planning  page.

We’re going to use the ‘friends technique’. This is the method I prefer as it allows you to take a step back from the stress of the exam situation and think more calmly.

Here’s how it works. Imagine that you are chatting with a friend over a cup of coffee and they ask you this question. What are the first thoughts to come into your head? Plan your essay around these ideas.

Doing this will help you to come up with simple answers in everyday language rather than straining your brain to think of amazing ideas using high-level language, which isn’t necessary.

You might want to try this yourself before reading on for my ideas.

Here are my ideas:

• Too many cars on the roads – increasing numbers of people own cars, more convenient than buses & trains
• Inadequate public transport – crowded, old & dirty
• Poor road layout
• Rush hour traffic – most people travel to & from work at the same times each day
• Car sharing, park-and-ride scheme, congestion charge
• Improve public transport – more frequent and better quality
• Improve infrastructure – bus lanes, cycle lanes will make it safer for people to cycle
• Flexible working hours

For each cause you think of, immediately write down a possible solution. This you will ensure that the problems and solutions you think of are linked.

You don’t need to spend long on this as you only need one or two ideas.

I’ve got more far more ideas here than I need as I spent more time thinking about it that I would in the real exam. I’m going to pick just one cause to develop in the essay and one or two solutions.

My advice on making your selection is to choose ideas you can quickly think of an example to illustrate.

Here are my choices:

Cause  – Too many cars on the roads.  Why? – increasing numbers of people own cars, more convenient than buses & trains

Solution  – Park-and-ride schemes

We’re almost ready to start writing our IELTS problem solution essay but first, we have one more task to do.

# 3  Vocabulary

During the planning stage, quickly jot down some vocabulary that comes to mind as you decide which cause and solution you are going to write about, especially synonyms of key words. This will save you having to stop and think of the right language while you’re writing. For example:

• traffic jam
• heavy traffic
• private transport
• infrastructure

With that done, we can focus on the first paragraph of the essay – the introduction.

How To Write an Introduction

Good  introductions to IELTS problem solution essays have a simple 2 part structure:

• State 1 key problem/cause and related solution/s (outline sentence)
• Have 2-3 sentences
• Be 40-60 words long
• Take 5 minutes to write

1)  Paraphrase the question

Start your introduction by paraphrasing the question.

Question: One problem faced by almost every large city is traffic congestion.

                  What do you think the causes are? What solutions can you suggest?

Paraphrased question:  

O ne of the most serious issues facing the majority of large urban areas is traffic jams.  

Note my use of synonyms to replace key words in the question statement. You don’t have to replace every key word but do so where possible whilst ensuring that your language sounds natural.

2)  Outline statement

Now we need to add an  outline statement  where we outline the two main points that we’ll cover in the rest of the essay, that is, the cause and the solution I chose earlier. Here they are again.

Cause  – Too many cars on the roads.  Why? – increasing numbers of people own cars, more convenient than buses & trains

And, this is one way to develop them into an outline sentence.

Outline statement:

The main reason for this is that there are too many private cars on the roads these days and a viable solution is to introduce more park-and-ride schemes.

So, let’s bring the two elements of our introduction together.

     Introduction

This introduction achieves three important functions:

• It shows the examiner that you understand the question.
• It acts as a guide to the examiner as to what your essay is about.
• It also helps to keep you focused and on track as you write.

The two ideas in your introduction will become your two main body paragraphs.

Main body paragraph 1  –  Too many cars on the roads  

Main body paragraph 2  –  Park-and-ride schemes

How To Write Main Body Paragraphs

Main body paragraphs in IELTS problem solution essays should contain 3 things:

• Topic sentence – outline the main idea
• Explanation – explain it and g ive more detail

Main Body Paragraph 1

The  topic sentence  summarises the main idea of the paragraph. That’s all it needs to do so it doesn’t have to be complicated.

It plays an important role in ensuring that your ideas flow logically from one to another. It does this by acting as a signpost for what is to come next, that is, what the paragraph will be about.

If you maintain a clear development of ideas throughout your essay, you will get high marks for task achievement and cohesion and coherence.

We’ll now take the idea for our first main body paragraph and create our topic sentence.

Obviously, we’re going to write about the cause of the problem first.

Main body paragraph 1  –  Too many cars on the roads 

Topic sentence:  

The number of people owning cars increases year on year, with most families now having more than one car. 

Next, we must write an  explanation sentence  that develops the idea.

Explanation sentence: 

Most people like the convenience of travelling at the time they want to rather than being restricted to public transport timetables, so they prefer to drive themselves around rather than taking the bus or train. This is despite the fact that they frequently have to sit in long traffic queues as they near the city centre.

Finally, we add an  example  to support our main point. If you can’t think of a real example, it’s fine to make one up, as long as it’s believable. The examiner isn’t going to check your facts. Alternative, you could add another piece of information to support your idea.

Example sentence:

Whenever I have to attend a meeting in the city, I always drive because it means that I can leave home when I want to rather than getting stressed about getting to the station in time to catch the train.

That’s the 3 parts of our first main body paragraph complete. Here’s the finished paragraph.

We now follow the same process for our second main body paragraph.

Main Body Paragraph 2

Main idea 2  –   Park-and-ride schemes

First, we write the  topic sentence  to summarise the main idea. 

Topic sentence:

A solution that is proving successful in many areas is park-and-ride schemes.

Now for the  explanation sentence  where we expand on this idea.

Explanation sentence:

This is where you park your car for free in a large car park on the outskirts of the city and take a bus for the final part of your journey. The fee you have to pay for the bus trip is usually very small and this public transport system is generally very regular, running every ten minutes or so.

Finally, an  example  to support this point.

A survey carried out in the city of Exeter showed that the rush hour congestion decreased by 10% when the council set up a park-and-ride scheme to the north of the city. There was an additional drop of another 10% in traffic volume when a second scheme began operating to the south.

That’s the 3 parts of our second main body paragraph complete. Here’s the finished paragraph.

Now we need a conclusion and our IELTS problem solution essay is done.

How To Write a Conclusion

The conclusion is a summary of the main points in your essay and can generally be done in a single sentence. It should never introduce new ideas.

If you're below the minimum 250 words after you’ve written your conclusion, you can add a prediction or recommendation statement.

Our essay is already over the minimum word limit so we don’t need this extra sentence  but you can learn more about how to write a prediction or recommendation statement for IELTS problem solution essays on the Task 2 Conclusions page.

The conclusion is the easiest sentence in the essay to write but one of the most important.

A good conclusion will:

• Neatly end the essay
• Link all your ideas together
• Sum up your argument or opinion
• Answer the question

If you achieve this, you’ll improve your score for both task achievement and cohesion and coherence which together make up 50% of the overall marks. Without a conclusion, you’ll score below band 6 for task achievement.

You can start almost any final paragraph of an IELTS problem solution essay with the words:

• In conclusion

        or

• To conclude

Now all you need to do is briefly summarise the main ideas into one sentence.

Here’s a top tip . Go back and read the introduction to the essay because this is also a summary of the essay. It outlines what you are going to write about.

To create a good conclusion, you simply have to paraphrase the introduction. 

Introduction:

Here is the same information formed into a conclusion.  I’ve also added a personal statement at the end to link back to one of my example sentences. You don’t have to do this but in this case, I think that it rounds the essay off better.

That’s it. We’ve completed our essay. Here it is with the 4 paragraphs put together.

Finished IELTS problem solution essay.

Go through this lesson as many times as you need to in order to fully understand it and put in lots of practice writing IELTS problem solution essays from past exam questions. Practice is the only way to improve your skills.

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More help with ielts problem solution essays & other task 2 essays.

IELTS Writing Task 2  – T he format, the 5 question types, the 5 step essay writing strategy & sample questions. All the key information you need to know.

The 5 Types of Task 2 Essay   – How to recognise the 5 different types of Task 2 essays. 15 sample questions to study and a simple planning structure for each essay type.

Understanding Task 2 Questions  – How to quickly and easily analyse and understand IELTS Writing Task 2 questions.

How To Plan a Task 2 Essay  – Discover why essay planning is essential & learn a simple 4 step strategy, the 4 part essay structure & 4 methods of generating ideas.

How To Write a Task 2 Introduction  – Find out why a good introduction is essential. Learn how to write one using a simple 3 part strategy & discover 4 common mistakes to avoid.

How To Write Task 2 Main Body Paragraphs  – Learn the simple 3 part structure for writing great main body paragraphs and also, 3 common mistakes to avoid. 

How To Write Task 2 Conclusions  – Learn the easy way to write the perfect conclusion for a Task 2 essay. Also discover 4 common mistakes to avoid.

Task 2 Marking Criteria  – Find out how to meet the marking criteria in Task 2. See examples of good and poor answers & learn some common mistakes to avoid.

The 5 Task 2 Essay Types:

Step-by-step instructions on how to plan & write high-level essays. Model answers & common mistakes to avoid.

   Opinion Essays

   Discussion Essays

  Problem Solution Essays

  Advantages & Disadvantages Essays

  Double Question Essays

Other Related Pages

IELTS Writing Test  – Understand the format & marking criteria, know what skills are assessed & learn the difference between the Academic & General writing tests.

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An Ultimate Guide to Writing IELTS Problem Solution Essays

Updated On Nov 08, 2023

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Introduction

The IELTS problem solution essays are a type of IELTS writing task 2 essay that asks you to discuss a problem and propose possible solutions. These problem solution essays are designed to assess your ability to identify, analyze, and evaluate problems, as well as your ability to develop and articulate effective solutions.

The IELTS problem solution essay topics can be drawn from a variety of sources and are based on real-world situations and issues. Therefore, to do well in writing task 2, it is important to be familiar with the range of IELTS problem solution essay topics.

Identifying IELTS Problem Solution Essays

Each essay type has a unique structure, so it’s important to identify the type of essay you’re writing before you start. Problem solution essays in IELTS are often worded as follows:

It is important to be able to identify the common synonyms, words, and phrases used in problem solution questions. Here are the key words and their synonyms used in the examples above:

• Problem : issues, resulting, situation
• Cause : reasons, why
• Solution : deal with, addressed, tackled, remedied, improved, measures taken, solved, prevent

However, you will mostly be asked to write about both the problem and its solution. The first part of the question will state the problem or cause, and the second part will ask you to identify solutions.

How to Write a Problem Solution Essay IELTS?

To plan and write a problem solution essay IELTS, you can follow these steps:

• Understand the question

The first step is to carefully read the question and understand what is being asked. You should identify the problem, the cause(s) of the problem, and the required solution(s).

• Brainstorm your ideas

Once you understand the question, take some time to brainstorm your ideas. What are the different aspects of the problem? What are the possible causes? What are the different solutions that could be implemented?

• Organize your ideas

Once you have a good understanding of the problem and its possible solutions, it is time to organize your ideas into a logical structure.

• Write your essay

When writing your essay, be sure to use clear and concise language. Avoid using complex sentences and jargon. You should also support your claims with evidence from credible sources.

• Proofread your essay

Once you have finished writing your essay, be sure to proofread it carefully for any errors in grammar, spelling, or punctuation.

Now that we have understood how to write a problem solution essay, let’s have a look at the structure of a problem solution essay.

Enroll in our free  IELTS online coaching  today and learn how to identify and write problem solution essays like a champ!

Structure of Problem Solution Essay

Let’s do an example problem solution essay to understand the above mentioned structure.

Problem Solution Essay Example with Structure

Introduction:.

• Before you begin writing your problem solution essay,  read  the question and  identify  the problem/ solution.
• Note down the ideas that come to your mind naturally. For example, look at the table below.
• Choose one of the  problems  and discuss it in detail. Here’s an example:
• Problem : Dumping of industrial wastes into the nearby water bodies.
• Solution : They must be treated, purified and recycled.
• Wastewater treatment
• Biodegradable products
• Water bodies such as lakes, rivers etc

You should paraphrase the question and outline the problem and solution in your introduction as mentioned below:

Body Paragraph 1:

The body paragraph 1 must be organised as follows:

• Main body paragraph 1:  Letting out of industrial wastes in nearby water bodies
• Central idea:  Industries are increasing in number.
• Explanation : There are no strict rules in place regarding the environment. So industries let out their wastes into the nearby water bodies such as lakes, rivers, etc which affects the respective eco-system and thereby leading to more serious issues.
• Example : As installing a wastewater treatment plant is an additional burden and is costly, it is easier to let the waste water into the nearby water bodies as nobody questions this.

The completed main body paragraph 1 will look like this :

Body Paragraph 2:

The body paragraph 2 must be organised as follows:

• Main body paragraph 2:  Industrial wastewater treatment
• Central idea:  Installing Industrial waste water treatment plants could be beneficial to the environment.
• Explanation : Industrial wastewater treatment illustrates the processes used for treating wastewater that is produced by industries into a by-product. The treated industrial wastewater may be reused or released to a sanitary sewer.
• Examples:  There are proven records for reducing water pollution after wastewater treatment.

The completed main body paragraph 2 will look like this :

Conclusion:

• Make sure to sum up all that has been in the previous paragraphs.
• Use words like in summary, to summarise, to conclude, or as a conclusion, etc.

The final conclusion will look like this:

Therefore, the finished essay will have the following structure:

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Common Mistakes to Avoid in IELTS Problem Solution Essays

Following are some of the Common mistakes that should be avoided in IELTS problem solution essays

• Not understanding the difference between a problem and its causes.
• Trying to include too many ideas in the essay, without developing them fully.
• Not considering both sides of the argument equally.
• Not linking the problems to the solutions.
• Not being specific enough in the discussion of the problems and solutions.

Read:  All Useful IELTS Writing Lessons & Websites

Tips for IELTS Problem Solution Essays

Here are some of the tips to follow while practicing or writing an IELTS Problem Solution Essays:

• Read and understand the instructions given in the question (sometimes the question might ask to write about the cause of the issue as well).
• Follow the word count (no less than 250 words)
• Plan the problems and solutions you wish to write about, before starting to write.
• Start the essay with an introduction paragraph and conclude it with a conclusion paragraph, with the body paragraph between the two.
• If you’re asked to write about both, cause and the solution, then you can write the cause in one body paragraph and the solution in the next body paragraph.

Pro tip:  To avoid a low score in IELTS problem solution essays, focus on one or two problems and identify specific solutions. Explain the problems and solutions in detail, with examples.

Check out some of the  Recent Writing Task 2 Essay Topics for IELTS 2023

Problem Solution Essay IELTS Topics:

Here are some sample IELTS problem solution essay topics:

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I write cause and solution in the same paragraph?

How to write a solution paragraph?

What is the difference between a Problem solution essay and a cause solution essay?

How do you analyze a problem solution essay?

How to identify a problem solution essay?

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Janice Thompson

Soon after graduating with a Master’s in Literature from Southern Arkansas University, she joined an institute as an English language trainer. She has had innumerous student interactions and has produced a couple of research papers on English language teaching. She soon found that non-native speakers struggled to meet the English language requirements set by foreign universities. It was when she decided to jump ship into IELTS training. From then on, she has been mentoring IELTS aspirants. She joined IELTSMaterial about a year ago, and her contributions have been exceptional. Her essay ideas and vocabulary have taken many students to a band 9.

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Posted on Jan 5, 2024

indeed you are excellent\ every one must use them

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IELTS Problem Solution Essays

Problem solution essays are a type of essay question sometimes given to you in the test. 

In this type of essay you need to discuss the problems with regards to a particular topic and then suggest possible solutions to these problems.

You can also watch a video of this lesson:

One of the first things you want to make sure that you are able to do is identfy one of these questions when it arises. 

Here are some examples of this type of question.

Examples of Problem Solution Essay Questions:

Overpopulation of urban areas has led to numerous problems.

Identify one or two serious ones and suggest ways that governments and individuals can tackle these problems.

Nowadays many people have access to computers on a wide basis and a large number of children play computer games.

What are the negative impacts of playing computer games and what can be done to minimize the bad effects?

The internet has transformed the way information is shared and consumed, but it has also created problems that did not exist before.

What are the most serious problems associated with the internet and what solutions can you suggest?

In the developed world, average life expectancy is increasing.

What problems will this cause for individuals and society?

Suggest some measures that could be taken to reduce the impact of ageing populations.

An important note. Some essays ask for  reasons  and solutions, not problems and solutions. Writing about a reason (or cause) is not the same as writing about a problem.

Check these  model essays  to see the difference.

IELTS Problem Solution Essay Example 

In order to understand these types of problem solution essays further and how to organize your writing, we'll look at a problem solution example essay:

Model Answer

The enormous growth in the use of the internet over the last decade has led to radical changes to the way that people consume and share information. Although serious problems have arisen as a result of this, there are solutions.

One of the first problems of the internet is the ease with which children can access potentially dangerous sites. For example, pornography sites are easily accessible to them because they can register with a site and claim to be an adult. There is no doubt that this affects their thoughts and development, which is a negative impact for the children and for society. Another major problem is the growth of online fraud and hacking. These days, there are constant news stories about government and company websites that have been hacked, resulting in sensitive information falling into the hands of criminals.

It is important that action is taken to combat these problems. Governments should ensure that adequate legislation and controls are in place that will prevent young people from accessing dangerous sites, such as requiring more than simply confirming that you are an adult to view a site. Parents also have a part to play. They need to closely monitor the activities of their children and restrict their access to certain sites, which can now be done through various computer programs. Companies must also improve their onsite IT security systems to make fraud and hacking much more difficult by undertaking thorough reviews of their current systems for weaknesses.

To conclude, the internet is an amazing technological innovation that has transformed people’s lives, but not without negative impacts. However, with the right action by individuals, governments and businesses, it can be made a safe place for everyone.

(285 words)

Writing about Problems

From the problem solution essay, look at the problems paragraph, and answer the following questions (then click on the link below to see the answers):

• How many problems are discussed?
• What are they?
• What expressions are used to introduce the problems?
• How are the problems illustrated further?
• What results are discussed for each problem?

Show / hide answers

1) How many problems are discussed?

2) What are they?

children can access potentially dangerous sites growth of online fraud and hacking

3) What expressions are used to introduce the problems?

One of the first problems of the internet is... Another major problem is...

4) How are the problems illustrated further?

For example, pornography sites are easily accessible to them because they can register with a site and claim to be an adult. These days, there are constant news stories about government and company websites that have been hacked.

5) What results are discussed for each problem?

There is no doubt that this affects their thoughts and development, which is a negative impact for the children and for society.

...resulting in sensitive information falling into the hands of criminals.

Your answers to these questions should tell you a lot about how to plan and organize a problem paragraph.

You only need two or three problems as remember you do not have much time and you need to explain the problems.

When you brainstorm your ideas for problem solution essays, think about  (a)   what the problem is   (b)   how you will explain it   (c)   and what the effect is . Your paragraph will then follow this pattern.

Here is an example of the brainstorming for this paragraph:

Problem 1:   children can access potentially dangerous sites

• Explanation / Example:   Pornography sites
• Result:  Affects thought & development - negative for children & society

Problem 2:  growth of online fraud and hacking

• Explanation / Example:   Evident from the constant news stories
• Result:  Criminals get sensitive information

Here they are illustrated in the paragraph, with the introductory expressions underlined:

One of the first problems of the internet is the ease with which children can access potentially dangerous sites . For example, pornography sites are easily accessible to them because they can register with a site and claim to be an adult . There is no doubt that this affects their thoughts and development, which is a negative impact for the children and for society . Another major problem is the growth of online fraud and hacking . These days, there are constant news stories about government and company websites that have been hacked , resulting in sensitive information falling into the hands of criminals.

Writing about Solutions

Answer the following questions about the solutions paragraph:

• How many solutions are given?
• What three different groups of people does the writer say are responsble for these solutions?
• How would the solutions be implemented?
• What three modal verb structures are used to make the suggestions?

1) How many solutions are given?

adequate legislation and controls monitor the activities of children / restrict access improve company IT security systems

3) What three different groups of people does the writer say are responsble for these solutions?

Governments Parents Companies

Stricter criteria for accessing sites Using computer programs Reviewing current IT systems for weaknesses

5) What three modal verb structures are used to make the suggestions?

should need to must

Your answers to these questions provide you with some key tips on writing a solutions paragraph. Some of these points are now explained further.

The people involved

When you come to brainstorm your solutions, think of the key 'actors' who are involved. It is usually governments and individuals in some way or another.

There may be another group specifically realted to the topic. For example, in this case it is companies and parents. If you are discussing crime it could be the police. If it is violence on TV it could be TV and film producers.

You can then brainstorm your ideas under each 'group' and organize them in the same way.

Developing your solutions

Also, try to make sure your solutions are not too simplistic. It's all too easy to make sweeping generalizations about what people can do. For example, look at this idea:

The government should introduce stricter laws.

It it common to see such statements in IELTS problem solution essays with no further explantion. Give more detail about how or why this would work. For example:

Governments should ensure that adequate legislation and controls are in place that will prevent young people from accessing dangerous sites, such as requiring more than simply confirming that you are an adult to view a site.

Some specific detail has now been given on how this solution could work.

Modal Verbs

Modal verbs can be used to make suggestions in problem solution essays. These are usually found in solutions paragraphs.

Check out this grammar lesson if you are unsure how to use modal verbs .

Here again is a plan for the problem solution essay for the solutions paragraph:

Solution 1:   Governments

• Idea:   Adequate legislation and controls  for young people
• How:  More complex website access criteria

Solution 2:  Parents

• Idea:   Monitor children and restrict access
• How:  Use a computer program

Solution 3:   Companies

• Idea:   Improve IT security systems
• How:  Review current systems in place

Here is the paragraph again. Note how it follows the plan and the clear topic sentence that tells the reader the essay is moving on to discuss solutions (modals verbs are underlined):

It is important that action is taken to combat these problems. Governments should ensure that adequate legislation and controls are in place that will prevent young people from accessing dangerous sites , such as requiring more than simply confirming that you are an adult to view a site . Parents also have a part to play. They need to closely monitor the activities of their children and restrict their access to certain sites , which can now be done through various computer programs. Companies must also improve their onsite IT security systems to make fraud and hacking much more difficult by undertaking thorough reviews of their current systems for weaknesses.

More Task 2 IELTS Lessons:

Writing an IELTS Essay Introduction

Tips on how to write an introduction for an IELTS essay introduction in a quick and easy way.

Tips on How to Score IELTS Band 8 in Writing and Speaking

To score IELTS Band 8 you need to understand exactly what is in the IELTS Band Descriptors for an 8 for writing and speaking first.

IELTS Task Response - 25% of your essay grade

The IELTS Task Response criteria in the scoring makes up 25% of your band score for your essay.

Can you use Personal Pronouns in Essays for IELTS?

Learn how to use personal pronouns in essays for IELTS correctly. Can you use "I", "we" and "you"?

Using Substitution in IELTS to Improve Writing Coherency

You can use substitution in your IELTS essays in order to improve coherency and coherence.

Thesis Statement Tips for IELTS Essays

Your thesis statement in an IELTS essay should be written quickly and concisely. Use these tips to do that.

Writing an IELTS Essay Conclusion

The IELTS essay conclusion is the final part of your IELTS essay. This lesson guides you on how to write a conclusion quickly but effectively.

Requirements for IELTS Band 7 in Writing

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IELTS Music Essay: Understanding a Complex Question

An IELTS essay about music is used to show you how to answer a more complex IELTS essay question that does not have a clear 'task' given to you.

The 3 Types of IELTS Opinion Essays in IELTS

IELTS opinion essays in IELTS can be placed into three types. This lesson explains the different types and how to analyse these essay questions.

Improving Writing Coherence for IELTS essays

25% of the writing grade is on how you organise your essay so this lesson shows you how to improve your writing coherence.

Transitional Phrases for Essays

Learn transitional phrases for essays to get a band 7 or higher in your IELTS writing for coherence and cohesion.

How to use brainstorming and planning to generate essay ideas.

Brainstorming and planning is a key step in developing your IELTS essay. This lesson has tips on how to coming up with ideas and organising them.

How to Write an IELTS Essay: The key steps

Learn key steps on how to write an IELTS Essay. This guides you on how to write a great essay plus other lessons to improve your writing skills.

Paragraph Writing for IELTS: Building strong arguments

This paragraph writing lesson provides tips on constructing the best paragraphs for your IELTS essay.

Using Pronouns to Improve IELTS Essay Coherency

Find out how to use pronouns to improve your coherency for IELTS task 2 essays.

Generating ideas for IELTS essays for writing task 2

Generating ideas for IELTS essays for writing task 2 can be difficult but complex ideas are not expected.

IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Essay Tips and Strategies

An advantage disadvantage essay is one type of essay that you may get in the test. This lesson shows how to write a pros cons essay.

How to Identify the Task in an IELTS Essay

Learn how to identify the task in an IELTS task 2 essay question. This is one of the most important steps in responding to an essay question.

How to Identify the Topic of an IELTS Essay Question

In IELTS you must identify the topic of your essay as this is a key to making sure your essay is on topic.

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IELTS Writing Task 2 Problem and Solution Essay Lesson

Problem Solution Essay

This lesson on how to write a problem solution essay will:

• discuss common mistakes;
• show you how to analyse the question;
• show you how to think of ideas;
• give you a structure that can be used again and again on all problem solution IELTS essays;
• describe how to write an introduction , main body paragraphs and conclusion; and
• give you a full band 9 sample answer.

Problem/solution questions are one of the most common IELTS Writing Task 2 questions on the academic paper. Despite being very common, many students fail to do well in these questions. This post will look at some of the most common mistakes and then take you through how to answer these questions step-by-step.

Common Mistakes

• The most common mistake for problem solution essays is not expanding on your ideas and instead simply listing lots of problems and solutions. The examiner does not want a list of all the problems and solutions you can think of, and please don’t do this in the exam. Instead, if you look at how the exam is marked , the examiner wants you to pick one or two problems and solutions and then expand on them with explanations and examples. More on how to do this below.
• Another common mistake is writing about problems and solutions that are not directly linked to the question. You should be like a sniper when answering the question and only give very specific ideas rather than ideas that generally talk about the overall issue. This has a lot to do with how you identify keywords and micro-keywords in the questions which we will look at below.
• Lots of people think of good ideas for problems and then fail to link their solutions to these problems. Each problem should have a solution directly linked to it, or in other words, it should solve the actual problem.
• Finally, some candidates think of really good problems and solutions that answer the question properly and then expand their answers with explanations and examples, but they talk too generally. Instead, you should be thinking of specific examples and explanations. We will look at how to avoid this below.

Analysing the Question 

This is one of the most crucial parts of answering any IELTS writing question. If you don’t take the time to think properly about what the examiner is asking you to do, then it is very difficult to answer the question correctly.

We analyse the question by thinking about three things:

• micro-keywords
• action words

Keywords are the words that tell us what the general topic is.

Micro-keywords identify which part of the general topic the examiner wants you to discuss. They often give an opinion, qualify the statement or talk about a sub-category of the bigger general topic.

Action words tell us what the examiner wants us to do.

Problem Solution Sample Essay

Global warming is one of the biggest threats humans face in the 21st Century, and sea levels continue to rise at alarming rates. 

What problems are associated with this, and what are some possible solutions? 

If we look at this question, we can see that the keywords are ‘ global warming ‘. This is our general topic. We will write about this, but we cannot write about any problems associated with global warming. If we do this, we have not answered the question properly. We, therefore, need to look at the micro-keywords.

The micro-keywords are ‘ humans ‘ and ‘ sea level rise ‘. So instead of writing just about the huge topic of global warming and any problems associated with that (such as increased storms, extinction of certain animals, erosion of soil), we have to talk about how particularly sea level rises will affect humans . If we talked about the problems affecting the ‘planet’ or ‘animals’ or the ‘atmosphere’, we would not be answering the question.

The action words are problems and solutions .  Our task is, therefore, to write about that and only that. It does not ask our opinion about the disadvantages, advantages, or causes, just the problems and solutions. If we discussed the causes of sea level rise, we would not be answering the question.

For more information, go to effectively analyse an IELTS question .

How to Think of Ideas 

Now that we know exactly what the question is asking us to do, we need to think of specific and relevant ideas. There are many strategies for thinking of ideas for IELTS task 2 questions  TO THINK OF IDEAS FOR IELTS WRITING TASK 2  but for problem-solving questions; I like to use something called the ‘coffee shop method’.

Instead of brainstorming or mind-mapping- which take too much time and lead to irrelevant ideas in my opinion- you should pretend you are in a coffee shop with a friend and they have just asked you a simple question. In this case, it would be “What are the problems and solutions associated with sea level rise on humans?”

If you were talking to a friend about this, I’m sure you would have no problem thinking of at least 2 or 3 problems and solutions. This method takes you out of an exam situation and puts your mind into a more relaxed environment. Try it and see. If you don’t like it, try one of my other methods.

There are several problems and solutions, including:

Problem : flooding of people’s homes and businesses

Solution : build flood barriers or move to higher areas

Problem : loss of agricultural land and starvation

Solution : switch to more suitable crops

Problem : displacement of millions of people

Solution : move people in a planned and orderly way before the floods

Problem : groundwater undrinkable

Solution : build desalination plants

As you can see, I didn’t think of lots of problems and then lots of solutions. For each problem, you should think of a solution that directly solves this problem.

You now have lots of ideas, but now you must decide which ones to use. I always tell my students to pick the ones they know most about, i.e. that they can explain and give relevant examples.

I advise my students to use a basic four-paragraph structure with all problem solution IELTS essays. Your four paragraphs should look something like this:

Paragraph 1- Introduction

Paragraph 2- Problems

Paragraph 3- Solutions

Paragraph 4- Conclusion

At a sentence level, your structure should look like this:

Introduction 

1- Paraphrase question

2- Outline sentence

3- State problems

4- Explain first problem

5- Explain second problem

6- Example of second problem

7- State solutions

8- Explain solution to first problem

9- Explain solution to second problem

10- Example of solution to second problem

Conclusion 

Sentence 11- Summary of main points in paragraphs 2 and 3

For more structures, check out our IELTS task 2 structures guide .

Now let’s look at each paragraph in more detail.

The introduction will have two sentences: a paraphrase of the question and an outline statement.

Paraphrasing is simply saying the sentence again with different words but with the same meaning. We can do this by using synonyms and/or changing the order of the words.

Question-  Global warming is one of the biggest threats humans face in the 21st Century, and sea levels continue to rise at alarming rates. 

Paraphrased- Climate change is among the principal dangers facing people this century, and ocean levels are increasing dramatically.

As you can see above, I have used synonyms to change the words of the questions, but it still has the same meaning. The examiner will look for your ability to do this in the exam, so practising this skill is a good idea.

Our outline sentence is next, which tells the examiner what they will read in the rest of the essay. This makes it very clear to the examiner and makes the rest of the essay much easier to understand. You will, therefore, gain marks for coherence and cohesion.

Our outline sentence should look something like this:

This essay will first suggest that the biggest problems caused by this phenomenon are the loss of land and the flooding of homes and then argue that pollution reduction and building flood protection are the most viable solutions.

Our introduction will, therefore, look like this:

Climate change is among the principal dangers facing people this century, and ocean levels are increasing dramatically. This essay will first suggest that the biggest problems caused by this phenomenon are the loss of land and the flooding of homes and then argue that pollution reduction and building flood protection are the most viable solutions.

It should be noted that this introduction does not contain a thesis statement. This is because this particular question does not ask us for our opinion. However, IELTS problem solution questions sometimes do ask you for your opinion, and you should then include a thesis statement.

Problems Paragraph 

Our problems paragraph will have this structure:

Sentence 1- State problems

Sentence 2- Explain first problem

Sentence 3- Explain second problem

Sentence 4- Example of second problem

State problems : The foremost problems caused by climbing sea levels are that land is being lost and peoples’ residences are often flooded.

Now that we have stated the problems, we must explain these. You should always consider your audience to be someone with no specialist knowledge in this area, and you, therefore, need to explain what everything means. Don’t assume that the IELTS examiner is educated and knows what you are talking about. These assumptions will stop you from writing what you need.

Explain first problem : As water levels rise, low-lying land is submerged, and many countries become smaller.

Explain second problem : Furthermore, millions of people worldwide live in coastal areas, and if the sea rises by even a few feet, they are inundated with water and lose their property.

Now we must give an example of what we are talking about. When we give an example, it should be as specific as possible.

An example of a very general example would be:

Lots of people in the world have experienced floods recently. 

This is far too general to be considered a good example.

Example : The devastation brought about by this was clear for all to see during the 2011 Tsunami in Japan, in which millions of people were displaced.

This example is much more specific. Stating a place and/or date can help you make your examples more specific.

Our second paragraph will look like this:

The foremost problems caused by climbing sea levels are that land is being lost and people’s residences are often flooded. As water levels rise, low-lying land is submerged, and many countries become smaller. Furthermore, millions of people worldwide live in coastal areas, and if the sea rises by even a few feet, they are inundated with water and lose their property. This devastation was clear for all to see during the 2011 Tsunami in Japan, in which millions of people were displaced.

Now we must move on to our solutions.

Solutions Paragraph

Our solutions paragraph will have this structure:

Sentence 1- State solutions

Sentence 2- Explain solution to first problem

Sentence 3- Explain solution to second problem

Sentence 4- Example of solution to second problem

State solutions : Possible solutions to these problems would be to reduce the amount of pollution created and build flood barriers.

We now need to explain how our solution will help solve the problem. Again, do not assume that the examiner has any specialist knowledge of this topic, so you need to explain what you mean.

Explain first solution: If each person reduces their carbon footprint, the negative effects on the environment will be reduced, which will mean that the water level will stop rising.

Explain second solution : Furthermore, flood defences, such as dikes, dams, and floodgates, could be built along coasts and waterways, thereby stopping the water from reaching populated areas.

Example : The Netherlands is one of the most populated areas in the world and one of the most vulnerable to flooding. They have successfully employed various flood defence systems.

Our whole solutions paragraph will look like this:

Possible solutions to these problems would be to reduce the amount of pollution being created and to build flood barriers. If each person reduces their carbon footprint, the negative effects on the environment will be reduced, which will mean that the water level will stop rising. Furthermore, flood defences, such as dikes, dams, and floodgates, could be built along coasts and waterways, thereby stopping the water from reaching populated areas. The Netherlands is one of the most populated areas in the world and also one of the most vulnerable to flooding, and they have successfully employed various flood defence systems.

We have now answered the question and need to sum up what we have said in the conclusion.

The conclusion should have no new ideas but instead should list the main points from the previous two paragraphs. You can also use synonyms in this paragraph to avoid repetition.

Conclusion : To conclude, stemming the rising tides caused by increasing global temperatures is one of the foremost challenges we face, and it will ultimately lead to some countries losing landmass and many of the world’s cities being left underwater, but possible solutions could be to protect our environment and to utilise the flood prevention techniques already used by countries like Holland.

Our whole conclusion for this problem solution essay will look like this:

To conclude, stemming the rising tides caused by increasing global temperatures is one of the foremost challenges we face, and it will ultimately lead to some countries losing landmass and many of the world’s cities being left underwater, but possible solutions could be to protect our environment and to utilise the flood prevention techniques already used by countries like Holland.

Problem and Solution Sample Essay

Here is the whole essay:

Climate change is among the principal dangers facing people this century, and ocean levels are increasing dramatically. This essay will first suggest that the biggest problems caused by this phenomenon are the loss of land and the flooding of homes and then argue that pollution reduction and building flood protection are the most viable solutions. The foremost problems caused by climbing sea levels are that land is being lost and peoples’ residences are often flooded. As water levels rise, low-lying land is submerged and many countries become smaller. Furthermore, millions of people all over the world live in coastal areas, and if the sea rises by even a few feet, they are inundated with water and lose their property. The devastation brought about by this was clear for all to see during the 2011 Tsunami in Japan, in which millions of people were displaced. Possible solutions to these problems would be to reduce the amount of pollution being created and to build flood barriers. If each person reduces their carbon footprint, the negative effects on the environment will be reduced and this will mean that the water level will stop rising. Furthermore, flood defences, such as dikes, dams, and floodgates, could be built along coasts and waterways, thereby stopping the water reaching populated areas. The Netherlands is one of the most populated areas in the world and also one of the most vulnerable to flooding and they have successfully employed various flood defence systems. To conclude, stemming the rising tides caused by increasing global temperatures is one of the foremost challenges we face and it will ultimately lead to some countries losing landmass and many of the worlds’ cities being left underwater, but possible solutions could be to protect our environment and to utilise the flood prevention techniques already used by countries like Holland.

I hope this post helps you with IELTS problem solution essays, and if you have any questions, please comment below.

Next Steps 

If you found this lesson useful and it has helped you write a problem solution essay, you should also check out our lessons on task 2 opinions essays , discussion essays and advantages and disadvantages essays .

Do you need me to correct your essays and give you feedback on them? Check out our essay correction service .

The best way to keep up to date with posts like this is to like us on Facebook. There are also lots of practice activities for you to do on the Facebook page.

About Christopher Pell

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Problem Solution Essay IELTS: Topics & Sample Questions

Searching for Problem Solution Essay IELTS Check out these problem solution essay tips sample questions to increase your IELTS score

8/18/2023 2 min read

Introduction

In the realm of IELTS writing tasks, the problem-solution essay stands out as a distinctive format that requires a strategic approach. This essay type necessitates students to identify a problem and propose effective solutions. It is an opportunity to showcase not only language skills but also critical thinking abilities. This article delves into the intricacies of problem-solution essays for IELTS, providing valuable insights, topics, and sample questions.

Understanding the Problem-Solution Essay

What is a problem-solution essay.

A problem-solution essay is an academic composition that addresses a specific issue by presenting well-structured solutions. This format is designed to assess a candidate's capacity to analyze complex problems, offer plausible remedies, and communicate ideas effectively.

The Structure of a Problem-Solution Essay

Introduction : Setting the stage by introducing the problem and its significance.

Problem Description : Clearly defining the issue and its implications.

Challenges Analysis : Examining the underlying causes and hurdles.

Solutions Proposal : Presenting feasible solutions with detailed explanations.

Evaluation of Solutions : Weighing the pros and cons of each proposed solution.

Conclusion : Summarizing the discussed problem and solutions.

Selecting the Right Problem

Identifying a suitable problem.

Before delving into crafting solutions, it's essential to choose a relevant problem. Opt for a topic that resonates with contemporary issues, ensuring there is ample information available to support your arguments.

Balancing Complexity and Feasibility

While selecting a problem, strike a balance between complexity and feasibility. An excessively intricate issue might lead to convoluted solutions, whereas an overly simple problem could limit your analysis.

Crafting Effective Solutions

Brainstorming for solutions.

Dedicate time to brainstorming potential solutions. Consider both conventional and innovative ideas to address the problem comprehensively.

Incorporating Realism

When proposing solutions, ensure they are realistic and practical. Far-fetched ideas might undermine the credibility of your essay.

Providing Detailed Explanations

Each solution presented should be accompanied by a thorough explanation of its implementation and expected outcomes. This showcases your ability to reason and articulate ideas effectively.

Sample Questions and Topics

Sample questions.

Question : In many countries, plastic waste is causing environmental harm. What are the solutions to this issue?

Question : With the rise of obesity, what measures can be taken to promote healthier lifestyles?

Environmental Pollution : Addressing air, water, and soil pollution through policy changes and public awareness.

Youth Unemployment : Strategies to create more job opportunities for the younger generation.

Access to Education : Ensuring quality education for underprivileged communities through innovative approaches.

The problem-solution essay in IELTS writing assesses your ability to dissect complex issues and offer practical solutions. Mastering this format requires a combination of critical thinking, language proficiency, and creativity. By selecting pertinent problems, formulating realistic solutions, and providing comprehensive explanations, you can excel in crafting impressive problem-solution essays.

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IELTS Task 2- Problem Solution Essay

This article explains and shows you how to reach a band 9 on your writing task 2 with a problem and solution essay. In my library of IELTS content, you will find articles on all of the task 2 essay types.

What is the problem solution essay?

The problem solution essay can be the hardest for many students. This can be due to how the question is worded. Generally you will be asked to discuss the problem and solution. But you may be asked to discuss the cause and solution and the solution only.

What's the difference between a problem, cause and solution?

Problem - I arrived at the wrong restaurant even though I had put the address into Google maps

Cause - I didn't check the postcode and discovered there was more than one 'Luigi's'

Solution - Next time I will be sure to check the correct post-code is entered to avoid arriving at the wrong destination

What is the essay structure?

As with any essay structure, you need an opening, the middle where you address the question in more depth, and the conclusion. But let's apply a more specific structure. You would have seen this in other essay posts I have written, so this should be somewhat familiar.

Introduction

• Paraphrase the question
• State 1 key problem/cause and related solution

P aragraph 1 – Problem or Cause

• Topic sentence – state the problem or cause
• Explanation – explain the problem or cause

P aragraph 2 – Solution

• Topic sentence – state the solution
• Explanation – explain the solution
• Summarise the key points

How many problems/cause should I write about?

This depends on how quickly you can write. If you can fit two in, which will result in a 350-400 word response then this is fine. Using one main problem/cause and developing your idea is also fine. With any of the essay types, it's always imperative to develop your ideas. So be sure to do this irrespective of the number of ideas.

Writing task 2 example

Let's use an example question to see how you can answer this question with a band 9 score. This question is a problem and solution essay.

The internet has transformed the way information is distributed and consumed, but it has also created problems that prior to this, did not exist.

What are the most serious problems associated with the internet and what solutions can you suggest?

We have our structure in mind but planning is always part of writing. The structure above is something you should memorise. Then use a table like below and structure your ideas down in five minutes.

You can put this into a table if it helps to remember or simply create the titles and jot down your ideas.

Writing task 2 example, in full

Since the boom of the internet in the 1990's, it has since changed how we consume and share information. In particular, the last decade has seen significant changes in how we use the internet, and our relationship with it. Although serious problems have arisen and continue to do so, there are solutions.

One of the first problems with the internet and arguably, the most worrisome, is the ease with which children can access sites with dangerous and harmful content. For example, pornography sites are easily accessible to them because they can claim to be an adult and have free rein thereafter. The lack of security in this corner of the web means that children are being exposed to content that is far beyond their emotional and cognitive understanding. Undoubtedly, this would affect their thoughts and damage how they otherwise see the world, people and relationships. It could damage their ability of forming their own understanding of sexual relationships as they grow up and mature. Such behaviour could be imitated and potentially harmful to others, and therefore negatively impacting society.

Another serious problem is the growth of online fraud and hacking. With such a wealth of our personal data online and the sophistication of hackers, our data is subject to theft. Whilst there are protective measures online and this issue is often in news stories, this issue is on the rise and has become an incredibly rich industry with hackers that can surpass online security. Even government and state conglomerates have been attacked. Take for example the 2017 NHS cyber attack. Proving that even those deemed safe and ostensibly with great power, are still susceptible to online criminals. From what is reported in the news, it seems as though regardless of status, background, or employment, we can all fall victim to the online hands of criminals.

It is important that action is taken to directly combat these problems. Firstly, Governments should ensure that adequate legislation is in place that will prevent young people from accessing dangerous sites. Clearly the current measures are not enough to protect children online. As well as this, companies dedicated to online protection should be doing more to create stricter, appropriate entries to such sites. Protection can also come from home. Parents should monitor their children whilst online and restrict access to certain sites. Fortunately this is now easier than ever and parents can control what their children consume. Similarly, the government should create stricter legislation around cyber security. Individual companies must also improve their onsite IT security systems to make fraud and hacking much more difficult and virtually impossible. Companies could collaborate on this and those operating within the same field, such as finance, could come together to create more successful online barriers.

To conclude, the internet is an incredible technological tool that has changed people's lives and brought them opportunities, connections, and much happiness but it is not without negative and genuinely harmful impacts. With the right action, especially by governments and business, alongside individuals, it can be a safe place for everyone.

Identify where the structure has been applied

• How many problems are discussed?
• What are they?
• What language is used to initiate discussion of the problems?
• How are the problems explained further?
• What solutions are discussed for each problem?

Read my example and highlight with a different colour 1-5 within the body of the text.

Practice tips

Time yourself:

You have 40 minutes in the exam to write your 250 word answer. When first starting, give yourself 50 minutes. Each time you practice, shave off five minutes and see how you can meet the word count in ideally 30 minutes. It's always good to have time left over to proofread your response.

The need to know language for the problem and cause question:

• Problem – issues, resulting, situation, obstacle, drawback
• Cause – reasons, why, source, root, basis, origin
• Solution – deal with, addressed, tackled, remedied, improved, measures taken, solved, prevent

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IELTS causes and solutions essay - band 9 guide

In this lesson you will learn how to write a high-scoring causes & solutions essay in IELTS Writing . As an example, the model essay will be about loss of bio-diversity . Basically, causes & solutions essay is one of the most common question types in IELTS writing task 2. This question asks you to describe causes and propose solutions for a given problem .

In this lesson you will see:

• question sample + model answer
• band 9 answer structure for causes & solutions essay
• effective strategies to produce ideas for your answer

IELTS problems & solutions question sample

For example, this is the question you’ve got for IELTS writing task 2:

Influence of human beings on the world's ecosystem is leading to the extinction of species and loss of bio-diversity.

What are the primary causes of loss of bio-diversity?

What solutions can you suggest?

Of course, the topics for causes & solutions essay may vary, but the answering strategy is pretty much the same for all essays of causes/solutions type.

Producing ideas

As you know, it’s recommended to spend about 40 minutes on IELTS Writing task 2. But before starting to write your essay, it’s a good idea to dedicate 2-4 minutes to producing some ideas for your essay. This way you’ll know what to write about and your essay will be more structured.

To produce ideas for causes and solutions essay, you have to determine 3 things :

• Causes of this problem
• Solutions to this problem

The problem is already given: loss of bio-diversity (in other words, some animals and plants are dying out).

Now let’s think about its causes and solutions. Don’t be afraid of simple ideas! Remember: getting a high score means writing simple things well. Here are some ideas that may come to your mind:

When humans artificially transform the environment (build roads, houses etc.), they destroy animals’ natural habitat.

Pollution negatively changes the flow of energy, the chemical constitution of the environment and the climate in general, so a lot of species cannot live under such conditions and die out.

When the activities connected with capturing and harvesting a natural resource are too intense in a particular area, the resource becomes exhausted. Example: too intense farming exhausts the soil; too frequent fishing, which doesn’t leave enough time for fish to reproduce, makes fish disappear.

After you’ve though of the possible causes, you can use them in your writing. You can invent more reasons of this problem, but usually, it’s enough to give 1-2 causes in your writing .

Possible solutions :

• protect areas

Protecting areas where human activity is limited and avoiding overexploitation of resources are the best ways to save the environment and prevent species from dying out.

Informing the general population about the disadvantages of loss of biodiversity will encourage people to be more conscious of the environment.

1-2 solutions are enough for a good essay. Now, after we’ve collected some ideas, it’s time to structure our thoughts into an essay.

Band 9 answer structure for causes & solutions essay

There may be many possible answering strategies, but we’ll use this good and time-tested essay structure:

Introduction

• Body paragraph 1 – causes
• Body paragraph 2 – solutions

Write the introduction in 2 sentences:

Despite knowing about biodiversity’s importance for a long time, human activity has been causing massive extinctions of different species.

This essay will examine the main causes of loss of biodiversity and possible solutions of this problem.

Body paragraph 1 - causes

The two main causes of species extinction are change of their habitats and overexploitation of natural resources.

When humans artificially transform the environment, they destroy vegetation and animals’ natural habitat. For instance, to build new roads people are cutting down the trees and cementing the soil, altering the environment. Because of that, a lot of species are dying out.

Also, when the activities connected with capturing and harvesting a natural resource are too intense in a particular area, the resource becomes exhausted. For example, too frequent fishing doesn’t leave enough time for fish to reproduce and makes them disappear.

In other words, human activities often deplete local flora and fauna and cause loss of bio-diversity.

Body paragraph 2 - solutions

Some possible solutions to this problem are protecting natural areas and promoting awareness among people.

By protecting areas where human activity is limited and avoiding overexploitation of its resources, we can save the untouched environment and prevent species from dying out. Moreover, the next step in fighting bio-diversity loss is informing the general population about the dangers of this problem. This way, people will be more conscious of the environment and won’t overuse or destroy its resources.

To conclude, people’s activities that change the environment have negative impact on the world's ecosystem.

However, we can significantly lessen the extinction of species by protecting natural areas and enlightening people as to this problem.

Model essay for IELTS Writing causes/solutions question

The model band-9 essay for this question will look as follows :

Despite knowing about biodiversity’s importance for a long time, human activity has been causing massive extinctions of different species. This essay will examine the main causes of loss of biodiversity and possible solutions of this problem.

The two main causes of species extinction are change of their habitats and overexploitation of natural resources. When humans artificially transform the environment, they destroy vegetation and animals’ natural habitat. For instance, to build new roads people are cutting down the trees and cementing the soil, altering the environment. Because of that, a lot of species are dying out. Also, when the activities connected with capturing and harvesting a natural resource are too intense in a particular area, the resource becomes exhausted. For example, too frequent fishing doesn’t leave enough time for fish to reproduce and makes them disappear. In other words, human activities often deplete local flora and fauna and cause loss of bio-diversity.

Some possible solutions to this problem are protecting natural areas and promoting awareness among people. By protecting areas where human activity is limited and avoiding overexploitation of its resources, we can save the untouched environment and prevent species from dying out. Moreover, the next step in fighting bio-diversity loss is informing the general population about the dangers of this problem. This way, people will be more conscious of the environment and won’t overuse or destroy its resources.

To conclude, people’s activities that change the environment have negative impact on the world's ecosystem. However, we can significantly lessen the extinction of species by protecting natural areas and enlightening people as to this problem.

(263 words)

IELTS Writing Task 2 Problem and Solution Topics/Questions 2024

The list of Task 2 Problem and Solution topics that were added by IELTS student in 2024 . These Problem and Solution questions could be repeated from previous months. Keep in mind that the provided Problem and Solution questions are not predictions. The collection of Problem and Solution questions is updated every hour. Choose one of the topics and start practicing answering this type of question to prepare for the IELTS exam and to get a good grade.

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IELTS Writing Task 2: Problem-solution Essay with Tips, Structure, Sample answer and Vocabulary

This post deals with IELTS Writing Task 2, essay writing. In this post, I’m discussing how to handle a problem-solution a topic where candidates are asked to present the effects or results of unlimited use of cars. They are also asked to decide whether discouraging people to use cars might be a good solution or not. The special tips, structuring, and  sample answer,  provided here is an excellent one that you can follow to achieve a higher band score. Also, take a look at the use of different vocabularies which I’ve explained at the end of the post with explanations. You should write some of the words and try to make sentences for your English language improvement.

Title or rubric of the essay:

People around the world now use more cars than ever. the unlimited use of cars may cause many problems. what kind of problems do you think cars may cause in order to minimize the problems, should we discourage people to use cars, special tips:.

For problem-solution topics, firstly, you must plan on the answer you will write.

Think about some common effects of the over-use of cars such as environmental problems, traffic jams, and accidents.

For the solution part, you must propose at least 2/3 solutions. You must also support or refute the solution proposed in the question and show reasons.

Your essay structure will look somewhat like the one below:

Sample answer:

There is no denying that having a car has become an essential part of many people’s lives in this modern world. Such a transport offers flexibility to human life and work. It also provides ready access to an array of services and leisure options. However, unlimited use of cars also causes a variety of problems that need to be addressed.

Most of the problems associated with frequent car use are becoming increasingly familiar to mass people. The extensive use of cars has real environmental costs. Vehicles are prime sources of urban air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Environmental experts suggest that road traffic is the source of one-third of all harmful air pollution in the world. Car exhaust seriously contributes to acid rain, carbon dioxide, and lead, which are accountable for global warming and health hazards. Another problem is the number of traffic jams spotted almost every day during rush hour. This is because using cars is becoming more popular than walking, cycling or using public transport. The most alarming matter, however, is that cars are less safe compared to all other transport. It causes deadly accidents with huge numbers of casualties every year.

It is suggested by many that the use of cars should be discouraged which I cannot support much. I think such decisions would lead to shrinking mobility for people and a decline in the car industry. In my opinion, a much better solution would be for car manufacturers to devise more eco-friendly cars, which can run on hydrogen or solar power. Moreover, traffic jams can be alleviated by constructing more underground tunnels, ring roads, one-way systems, and parking garages. Besides, safety issues can be avoided by educating drivers as well as pedestrians to be more cautious on the road.

Therefore, to sum up, I believe that discouraging car use might seem a quick solution to many problems currently facing society, but it is most unlikely to be a permanent solution.

Word count: 315

Vocabulary practice:

Deny: to refuse, to reject

I’m not denying that it was her fault.

Essential: important, necessary, crucial, vital

Education is an essential part of our life.

Flexibility: Easiness, litheness, suppleness

Cars offer flexibility in our life.

Array: Range, group

There is an array of colors in the shop.

Address: to tackle, to deal with

We must address this problem as soon as possible.

Associated: Linked, connected, related

There are a few problems associated with it.

Frequent: Common, regular

This is a frequent matter for us.

Extensive: Widespread, wide-ranging

The extensive use of those drugs can cause harm to your body.

Prime: Major, main, chief, key

Computers are the prime source of knowledge for the young generation nowadays.

Exhaust: Waste gases

Car exhaust is responsible for air pollution.

Accountable: Responsible, liable

Your bad attitude is accountable for your failure.

Hazard: Danger, risk

This food has some health hazards .

Rush hour: a period of heavy traffic

Traffic jam occurs mostly during rush hours .

Alarming: Disturbing, shocking, upsetting, frightening

It has become an alarming issue .

Casualty: victim, dead person, injured person, wounded person

There were some casualties in this accident.

Discourage: Dispirit, dampen, dishearten

She was discouraged by her mother to go there.

Shrinking: reduced, lessened

This would lead to a shrinking support for the community.

Mobility: the ability to move about

Cars offer personal mobility to a wide range of areas.

Manufacturer: Maker, producer

The manufacturer of the product is Nestle.

Devise: Plan, work out, prepare, make

We must devise some new designs for the roads.

Eco-friendly: Ecological, environment-friendly

This product is eco – friendly .

Alleviate: Lessen, diminish, reduce

Poverty must be alleviated .

Issue: Problem

Pedestrian: Walker, hiker

This road is for pedestrians only.

Cautious: Careful, watchful, vigilant, alert

We need to be cautious about this experiment.

Unlikely: Improbable, doubtful

It is unlikely that government will go for such a decision.

Permanent: Enduring, lasting, durable, long-lasting

This is not a permanent solution.

Here is the end of the post.

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IELTS Writing Task 2: Agree disagree topic on using forensics to solve old cases; with 3 model answers

This IELTS Writing Task 2 post offers some sample answers to an agree-disagree topic. This agree-disagree topic asks the candidates to provide arguments as to whether new science related to criminal forensics should be used to look at old cases or not. In this post, you will find three great model answers which may help […]

IELTS Writing Task 2: an advantage-disadvantage essay on taking a gap year before starting university education; with plans and model answer

This IELTS Writing Task 2 post offers the insights of writing a great answer to an advantage-disadvantage essay. This task 2 question asks the candidates to provide their personal opinions on taking a gap year before starting university education. In this post, you will find a plan that can help you to write this answer […]

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Problem-solution essays Situation-problem-solution-evaluation

Problem-solution essays are a common essay type, especially for short essays such as subject exams or IELTS . The page gives information on what they are , how to structure this type of essay, and gives an example problem-solution essay on the topic of obesity and fitness levels.

What are problem-solution essays?

Problem-solution essays consider the problems of a particular situation, and give solutions to those problems. They are in some ways similar to cause and effect essays , especially in terms of structure (see below). Problem-solution essays are actually a sub-type of another type of essay, which has the following four components:

The 'situation' may be included in the essay prompt, in which case it will not be needed in the main body. If it is needed, it can often be included in the introduction, especially for short essays, as with the example essay below . The 'evaluation' may be included as part of the conclusion (also as in the example below), or omitted altogether, especially for short essays. For these reasons, problem-solution essays are more common than situation-problem-solution-evaluation essays (or SPSE essays).

There are two main ways to structure a problem-solution essay. These are similar to the ways to structure cause and effect essays , namely using a block or a chain structure. For the block structure, all of the problems are listed first, and all of the solutions are listed afterwards. For the chain structure, each problem is followed immediately by the solution to that problem. Both types of structure have their merits. The former is generally clearer, especially for shorter essays, while the latter ensures that any solutions you present relate directly to the problems you have given.

The two types of structure, block and chain , are shown in the diagram below. This is for a short essay, which includes the 'situation' in the introduction and 'evaluation' in the conclusion. A longer essay, for example one of around 1,000 words, with citations , would probably have these two sections as separate paragraphs in the main body.

Example essay

Below is a problem-solution essay on the topic of obesity and poor fitness . It uses the block structure . Click on the different areas (in the shaded boxes) to highlight the different structural aspects in this essay, i.e. Situation, Problem, Solution, Evaluation. This will highlight not simply the paragraphs, but also (for problems and solutions) the thesis statement and summary , as these repeat the problems and solutions contained in the main body.

Consumption of processed and convenience foods and our dependence on the car have led to an increase in obesity and reduction in the fitness level of the adult population. In some countries, especially industrialized ones, the number of obese people can amount to one third of the population. This is significant as obesity and poor fitness lead to a decrease in life expectancy , and it is therefore important for individuals and governments to work together to tackle this issue and improve their citizens' diet and fitness. Obesity and poor fitness decrease life expectancy. Overweight people are more likely to have serious illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease, which can result in premature death. It is well known that regular exercise can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, which means that those with poor fitness levels are at an increased risk of suffering from those problems. Changes by individuals to their diet and their physical activity can increase life expectancy. There is a reliance today on the consumption of processed foods, which have a high fat and sugar content. By preparing their own foods, and consuming more fruit and vegetables, people could ensure that their diets are healthier and more balanced, which could lead to a reduction in obesity levels. In order to improve fitness levels, people could choose to walk or cycle to work or to the shops rather than taking the car. They could also choose to walk up stairs instead of taking the lift. These simple changes could lead to a significant improvement in fitness levels. Governments could also implement initiatives to improve their citizens' eating and exercise habits. This could be done through education, for example by adding classes to the curriculum about healthy diet and lifestyles. Governments could also do more to encourage their citizens to walk or cycle instead of taking the car, for instance by building more cycle lanes or increasing vehicle taxes. While some might argue that increased taxes are a negative way to solve the problem, it is no different from the high taxes imposed on cigarettes to reduce cigarette consumption. In short, obesity and poor fitness are a significant problem in modern life, leading to lower life expectancy . Individuals and governments can work together to tackle this problem and so improve diet and fitness . Of the solutions suggested, those made by individuals themselves are likely to have more impact, though it is clear that a concerted effort with the government is essential for success. With obesity levels in industrialized and industrializing countries continuing to rise, it is essential that we take action now to deal with this problem.

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Below is a checklist for the main body of an essay. Use it to check your own writing, or get a peer (another student) to help you.

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Author: Sheldon Smith    ‖    Last modified: 22 January 2022.

Sheldon Smith is the founder and editor of EAPFoundation.com. He has been teaching English for Academic Purposes since 2004. Find out more about him in the about section and connect with him on Twitter , Facebook and LinkedIn .

Compare & contrast essays examine the similarities of two or more objects, and the differences.

Cause & effect essays consider the reasons (or causes) for something, then discuss the results (or effects).

Discussion essays require you to examine both sides of a situation and to conclude by saying which side you favour.

Problem-solution essays are a sub-type of SPSE essays (Situation, Problem, Solution, Evaluation).

Transition signals are useful in achieving good cohesion and coherence in your writing.

Reporting verbs are used to link your in-text citations to the information cited.

ielts liz problem and solution essay

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IELTS Problem Solution Essay Model Answer

Below is an IELTS model answer for the IELTS problem solution essay in writing task 2. There are five types of essays in IELTS writing task 2 and the “solution” type essay is a common one. However, make sure you follow the instructions. You need to know the difference between “what are the causes?” and “what problems does this cause?”.  The first requires causes and the second requires problems.

Problem Solution Essay Instructions

The instructions for problem solution questions are often paraphrased in different ways. Below you can see a few examples:

• What are the problems to this and how can it be solved?
• What problems are caused by this? What solutions would you recommend?
• What problems arise from this situation? What measures can be taken to deal with it?
• What problems does this cause? What can be done to deal with this situation?

You can find some essay questions for solution essays and problem solution essays on this page: Solution Essay Questions  and you can find over 100 essay questions to practice: 100 Essay Questions for IELTS

IELTS Problem Solution Essay Question

An increasing number of professionals, such as doctors and teachers, are leaving their own poorer countries to work in developed countries. What problems does this cause? What can be done to deal with this situation?

Model IELTS Essay: Problems and Solutions

More and more professionals from developing or underdeveloped countries are choosing to live and work in richer countries. As a result, poorer countries will struggle to develop but this can be tackled by offering more incentives to stay and better living conditions.

The main problem faced by poorer countries due to the brain-drain, in fields such as medicine and education, is that they will struggle to develop and find it difficult to improve their economy as well as living conditions. One of the main ways that a developing country can better themselves is through the skills and dedication of their professionals which is negated when they choose to take their skills to benefit another country. Consequently, less developed countries will not be able to offer their citizens high levels of education or health care, and this in turn will hinder their ability to compete on a global scale, to entice investors and ultimately to stop the poverty cycle.

One effective solution to deal with professionals leaving their country is for their government to encourage them to stay by offering better work conditions. This can be done by increasing wages and investing in state-of-the-art equipment and training to tempt doctors and teachers to continue working there. Another possible answer is for  poorer countries to offer better standards of living, more tolerance and a positive future as a way to entice their professionals back to their own country after they have completed their training abroad. However, these solutions are financially demanding which means poorer governments may have to look to developed countries for aid in order to implement these changes.

In conclusion, poorer countries are unable to develop due to the brain-drain which can only be tackled by enticing professionals to remain in their country of origin through better conditions.

Question Prompt: A rise in the standard of living in a country often only seems to benefit cities rather than rural areas. What problems can this cause? How might these problems be reduced?

One-sided rise of living standards in cities as opposed to poor and underdeveloped rural areas can create conflicts and conflagrations between communities, but equal distribution of funds for developing both urban and rustic landscapes and infrastructures can solve these issues.

Better education, income or living conditions, which can only be seen in city areas create inequality between the urban dwellers and those residing in pastoral grounds. Consequently, it leads to resentment and hatred against each other, creating ground to bear infighting between people. Therefore, civil war and rebellions will arise if social equality is not achieved between residents of different regions. For example, the French revolution in the Renaissance era occurred because of the growing divide between the rich aristocrats in the urban areas and the poor common people in the outskirts of France.

One of the effective solutions to tackle this problem is to implement equal wealth distribution policies amongst different jurisdictional areas in a nation. In other words, the resources and wealth of a country should be equally divided, regardless of whether it is urban or rural. Only then, the quality of life in both of the regions will be improved together at the same time, without an evident disparity. For instance, the Malaysian government equally divides the capital for investments in the construction of buildings amongst 13 states of the republic, modernising them equally at the same time.

In conclusion, war and political divide between cities and the countryside can result as a consequence of unequal living standards, while establishment of policies advocating fair distribution of resources will shorten the gap of disparaging living standards.

As the professionals, such as doctors and teachers leave their own poor nations with lower incomes to seek jobs in the first world countries with better living standards, the essential institutions in their home countries cease to function. However, with better incentives, these skilled workers may be enticed to return to their countries of origin.

The first and foremost problem arises from the professionals moving to richer countries is the resultant shortage of labour and lack of skilled employees. As a result, the departments and establishments run by these professionals are no longer able to operate, and are closed down. Consequently, the residents of these underdeveloped nations struggle to find services and providers for their day-to-day activities. For example, many third world nations in SouthEast Asia have inefficient health care services with a shortage of competent medical professionals, compared to their counterparts in Europe despite producing millions of doctors, nurses every year.

One possible solution to this issue is to offer enticements to persuade the much needed skilled service providers to stay in the country. In other words, if employee benefits are enhanced by giving a higher pay, free living, better pension schemes or cheaper health care, they will be willing to settle down in the areas they were trained. In addition, these countries will also attract foreign workers to come and replace those who are still willing to leave due to other reasons, such as personal preferences or weather. For instance, many poor African countries pay these highly sought after professionals attractive wages and salaries, which are three-times higher than that of the minimum pay in the country.

In conclusion, many poor countries have been significantly experiencing an emigration of professionals, creating a shortage of the services provided by them, whereas raising the standard of living of these professionals can convince them to work for their own countries.

It has been universally accepted that problem of professionals are migrating from own poorer countries is escalating at an alarming rate. The problem is bringing a state of depression among the masses and in economy too. There are plethora of reasons of the same and its possible solutions can be suggested too which are discussed as follows.

In regards to the problem, the major reason which can be stated is inflation. dozens of professionals when they pass from institutions they start to find a good job, but due to inflation if they get a reasonable job then they cannot fulfill even basic needs for their family members. that is the point where they start thinking of migrating to developed countries. Another problematic cause is those professionals who fail to achieve a better job and then they select a crime path. Government should take a stand on this point and focus on the employment sector and how to create ease in the job market for the professionals who really can be a valuable asset for our country’s growth and economy. Seeing the problem with a brighter mind, many solutions can be helpful to this menace. One of the solutions is whenever they are passing out from university Government should offer paid internship program via an aptitude test. To conclude, solving a global issue is not easy but with the efforts of the Government, control can be taken over the problem with the aforementioned suggested measures. I believe that government should come forward to mitigate this problem.

For a IELTS solution essay if the instructions ask to write solutions but does not mention to write about problems/causes then I assume I only write about solutions only?

That is correct. You follow the instructions precisely and don’t change them. An essay question about solutions only will be an essay based on solutions only.

Thank you ma’am this was really helpful

Hi miss Liz. what are the differences between “what are the reasons” and “what are the problems” in problem-solution essay. I mean that in which way should I answer these questions?

“Reasons” are similar to causes. It’s an explanation for why something is happening. “Problems” are negative effects.

I kindly hope evaluating my essay answer, even merely a score prediction. =============================================== Undoubtedly, the prosperity of the developed countries increasingly attracts highly qualified individuals to immigrate and forsake their struggling people regardless of the severe issues they may cause such as the decreased quality of health and education; besides, economic recession. Those issues will be illustrated and addressed separately.

Firstly, to efficiently handle the migration issue, we have to be aware of two of its fundamental impacts. Brain drain has been a direct immigration impact. Consequently, an absence of physicians leading to a high number of patients; furthermore, a reduced number of educators causing unqualified post-graduates. However, the predicted and indirect result from immigration is a heavy burden affecting the economy of the third world because they have been forced to hire foreigners from the developed countries to establish some hospitals and universities to fill the gap caused by the vocational immigrants. Therefore, the shortage of doctors and teachers and the economic problems are the essential issues aroused from immigration. That should be quickly treated by governments.

Secondly, after understanding the results of immigration toward economically developed countries, I am convinced that the best solution to tackle this situation is that the authorities of the suffered states should closely observe any ambitious and clever pupil and foster him. In other words, they have to establish specialized schools that receive every high IQ scored student and seriously teach him all types of contemporary sciences. In addition, continuous communications should be done to any high qualified immigrant to make him believe that he is immensely demanded and respected among his hometown and has a responsibility to be involved and serve his people, who fostered and taught him before his success, whenever he is wanted. Based on that, high-quality education and tightly connection with immigrants will markedly mitigate the impact of the brain drain phenomena.

In conclusion, the challenges the developing countries have been recently facing for decades could be addressed within few years if those countries considered the risk of low health care and poor education aroused from migration. I believe that a pivotal role could be achieved by the administrators of those poor countries by education and conducting with the qualified immigrants.

Sorry I don’t offer marking or feedback.

Hey miss, I’ve been trying to improve my writing but unfortunately, due to not getting feedback I’m not sure whether am i writing correct or not. I just wrote a problem solution essay can you pls give me feedback it will helped me alot. Q : Nowadays, more and more younger people needs to compete with older people for the same jobs. What problems does this cause? What would you suggest as a solution.

Currently, many youngsters are facing competition with elderly people for similar kind of jobs. This essay will suggests, the major problem that causes is Higher unemployment amongst young employees, and proposing a retirement age on old employees as a viable solution.

Due to rising competition, youngsters struggles alot in finding jobs. Due to not having enough experience, they fail in getting jobs and this leads to poverty. Inspite of, due to lack of jobs, they are deprived of paying their living expenses. For instance, majority of the people who are of aged 40-60, are working more rather than young people.

Therefore, authorities should implement a law on those employees who are of aged ( 40-70 respectively). Those of them who just crossed the age of 40, must gets retired as well as government should take care of their living expenses. Moreover, giving them social benefits and ensuring that no worker will gets employed after the age of 40, will automatically eliminate the escalating competition among both young workers and old workers. For example, if older people stopped working than young people can get more chances in showing their skills and boosting the economy.

In conclusion, by preventing elderly people from working will gives a positive impact and the rivalry among them wil be finished

Hi Liz, Is this a problem solution essay or direct question essay? “Nowadays the increasing number of garbage is a real concern .why is this happening? what can be done to resolve it?”

Be careful with labelling what type of essay something is. Each teacher labels essays differently and IELTS labels them differently again. There are clearly two direct questions. However, I teach them under causes/solution essays.

Hi Liz, can I bring some information not related to the question to make the lengthen my essay

You will be marked down for padding out your essay with information that is not 100% relevant to the question. This is why you need to prepare lots of ideas for topics so that your essays can contain relevant, highly focused points.

I love your tips and it is quite easy to understand. But I have a question in the below question it does not ask for causes. In such situations do we need to write the causes as well?

In many developing countries, there is a problem with declining quality of air and water from both industry and construction. What measures could be taken to prevent this?

You should only ever follow instructions. If you are asked for only solutions, you will give only solutions. For marking criteria of Task Response is not just about the ideas you use, it is also about how you fulfil the instructions – always write a focused, relevant essay 🙂

Thank you! Liz. Appreciate your answer.

Hey Liz, can you tell.me is this a proper way to paraphrase (intro) this question in task 2 Some cities create housing areas by providing taller buildings.others create housing by building houses one a wider area of land what solution is better? My ans: as a result of rapidly increasing population the demand for housing has increased . I believe that creating housing through high rise buildings is better than constructing houses on a wider area of land.

It’s fine.

Thank you so much dear LIZ, you are a blessing After watching your videos I can do my writing in a very efficient way, I can control over time so easily, hope I can make it it in my test. I highly appreciated all the tips you advise us in your videos.

I’m so glad my lessons are helping you. Good luck in your test !! 🙂

Hi Liz It is a wonderful site !! What if I label an essay differently from my examiner. 🙃 How many points do tend to loose?

There are no labels that the examiner follows. Only teacher give labels in order to help explain and teach.

Hi Liz, One question contains this at the end, ‘… why do you think that is? What could be done to encourage more people to take interest in the arts?’ Is this also a course+ solution essay?? Looking forward a response

Yes, it asks for causes and solutions. It is common for IELTS to paraphrase instructions.

Dear Li, I will be taking the IELTS General Training test next week. I’d like to know if the problem/solution or cause/solution essays are only for Academic Test takers or GT candidates should also expect them in the test.

The question types are the same for both tests. This applies to both writing task 2 and the reading test.

Thank You dear Liz

Thank You for your helps

The question prompt usually says “What are the problems due to this phenomenon?” and “What are the solutions to this problems?”. In this case, are we supposed to write two problems and two solutions or one problem and one solution? I ask this because question says problems and solutions, which is plural but if we write two problems and solutions than we will have to write about 350 to 400 words to fully develop those ideas to get higher task achievement scores. This will mean that completing task in 40 minutes will be tough. What do you suggest in this case? Is writing one problem and a solution answering all parts of the task? Looking forward to your response. Thanks

The page above gives you a model essay for exactly that type of essay. Read through it and learn how to write it using a reasonable word count.

Hello Liz. Can you share with me the link to your video lessons where you explain “cause and solution essay”? Looking forward your response. Thanks.

I don’t have a video for that essay question yet. Sorry.

Hi Liz, Firstly wanted to thank for the info you’re providing!

I just have one question about the solution essay. When they just ask to provide the solution in the essay (not mentioning cause or problems) how do we structure the two BP’s? One solution each body BP?

I can’t see any examples about this on your website!

Thanks in advance,

Who said you could only have two body paragraphs? It is fine to have three. The number of body paragraphs will depend on the number of solutions you have.

Thanks a lot for you effort

Dear Liz, For a problem solution essay, can I follow the following structure to get higher bands? 1- Intro 2- Body paragraph 1 (problem + solution) 3- Body paragraph 2 (problem + solution) 4- Conclusion

It is a standard, correct structure to use. There are many reasons to get a higher score based on the 4 marking criteria – that only will not help you.

Thank you so much.

Can you please tell where could I find your problem solution essay video lesson … shall be thankful

I haven’t made that lesson yet.

Thank you for the essay. I observed that this essay does not consist of any examples in both the body paragraphs. Does that mean we have to only include examples in opinion essays? or we can afford to not mention examples in writing task 2 and still get a good band score?

Thank you for your help in advance.

You give examples when you want. Some teachers teach students always to give examples because it is an easy way to explain ideas. But it isn’t a requirement. Ideas can be developed in many ways.

Understood. Thank you.

Thank you for this model answer. But, I have a feeling that the solution could be more fully developed. Please clear my doubt dear teacher.

You don’t get marks for a longer essay and this essay is long enough. Developing solutions further would not increase your score.

The official criteria is very confusing which states that not developing ideas could lower your writing score. What should I do teacher? Ielts is so confusing.

I think you need to consider what the requirements are. An essay is under 300 words (about 290). This means the intro is about 40 or 50, the conclusion about 30. So, you are left with about 105 or 110 words per body paragraph (for two body paragraphs). This means to get band 9, those words are enough. Just be logical. An underdeveloped body paragraph contains one or two sentences – no more. Try to work within the requirements. See my advanced lessons for training: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

Hi Liz!i want to pay 24$.can i do through bank.i face face problem in my visa card.

The payments are processed by paypal using either a debit or credit card. All lessons are bought individually.

Thank you Liz Your free training is doing a good work in me, I actually need to extend time for my IELTS test.

Thank you Liz for your brilliant ideas and tips!!

Dear liz Pls let me know GT task 2 questions are similar to academic task 2 questions? As I need GT task 2 questions to practice please give me some details about it?

Yes, they are similar. GT questions are sometimes easier.

Hello mam please I’d like to ask who marks ielts exam papers? Are they sent to british council uk or marked in country where its taken? Just to clear a doubt please. Thanks mam.

This has recently changed. Before the writing was marked by examiners in the city where you did your test. Now the papers are sent to a central location abroad where examiners will mark them.

Hi Liz, Since when did they start sending the writing papers to be assessed at central location. Does this mean we can’t apply for remark anymore?

Of course, you can apply for a remark. All remarks are checked by a senior examiner. The change in system has NO influence on candidates, on your score or on your remarking.

Liz can you please explain use of articles in particular ‘the’? I feel like I miss them before abstract nouns. Is there any lesson/video I could watch? I’m desperate for your help!

My website is based on IELTS exam technique. You will need to find an English language website. See this page for some links: https://ieltsliz.com/useful-websites-and-resources-for-ielts/ or use google.

Thank you very much, Liz. You have been very helpful.

Thank you very much madam

Hello Liz, thanks for sharing your knowledge with us, “poor mortals”. If you were an examiner, would you give which band for this problem solution essay you made as a model? Would it be band 9, indeed? If so, I’m very confident I got the right structure to build it. Thanks a lot!

Yes, it would be a band 9. It addresses the task fully with relevant, well developed ideas. Signposts and linking are used flexibly. Paragraphing is logical. Vocab and grammar are flexible and also error free. The real aim for a high score is keeping your English language error free – don’t take risks.

Thank you liz. It was long awaited. I also purchased your other writing videos. They are great. Your way of explaining is very good and easy to understand.

I’m really glad my advanced writing task 2 lessons were useful. I tried to pack them with as many flexible techniques as I could 🙂

For Writing Task 1 and 2, can extra sheet be given?

If you have filled the answer sheet, you can raise your hand and ask for another. However, the answer sheets are the right length for the writing required.

I knew that I need two sheets because I practised on them before therefore I ask for them at the beginning of writing part. I’ve obtained them without any problem.

You will not be given them at the start of the writing part. You must first full the answer sheets provided. Always remember that your aim is to write under 300 words for task 2 and under 200 for task 1.

Thank you Liz for your prompt response .

Thanx alot mam liz. This is very helpful eassy of solution and problem. Can we use this eassy words for every eassy of solution and problem.

I don’t understand your question. Are you talking about memorising the essay? You definitely can’t memorise it but you can learn vocabulary from it.

What is the paraphrase of financially demanding?

Thanks for whole essay . It is really nice answer for problem and solution type of essay. My problem is I could not copy your sample essay and paste it into word doc. Could you please tell me how it can be done? I know it is a silly question. I prefer read them rather on the paper than on computer. . Thank you

Unfortunately, you’ll have to type the essay into your laptop to copy it. It will do you good to test your English accuracy 🙂

Splendid😊😊 Thanks liz Is lure equal tempt??

It has a similar meaning but I wouldn’t use it in this context. You need to be very careful with synonyms. Although they have similar meaning, they might not all be suitable for the same topics or contexts.

thanks for the answer to this essay. But one thing I want to clarify is that “brain-drain” is an informal word. So can we use it in writing ? thanks & regards,

It is not an informal word – it’s fine to use.

Thanks alot Liz.. I have LWR on Dec. 2nd and this has help alot.

Good luck!! See my last minute tips: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-exam-tips-on-the-day/

Is conclusion word not used in introduction and conclusion of task 2.

Sorry I don’t understand this comment at all. The linking words “In conclusion” are used to start the conclusion of the essay above.

Thanks liz .. Your ielts tips are really helpful.

Hi Liz Thank you very much for your efforts writing the wonderful essay, Can I ask you there is a repeatation of (entice) is there any exact synynom for entice or it is ok to repeat it?? Thanks

It’s fine and natural for some words to be repeated. As long as you show paraphrasing skills that’s all that is needed. Your aim isn’t change all words, all the time.

Good morning Liz, thanks. ☺

I watched your videos on all modules and I would like to sincerely thank you for your guidance and support. Your videos and tips are very much helpful, after watching your videos my preparation style and concepts on each modules are changed completely.

Thank you so much for your support.

You’re welcome 🙂

Thank You Liz for your update Currently, I’m preparing my IELTS test and all tips in your website really helps me

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An Ultimate Guide to Writing IELTS Problem Solution Essays

Updated On Nov 08, 2023

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Introduction

The IELTS problem solution essays are a type of IELTS writing task 2 essay that asks you to discuss a problem and propose possible solutions. These problem solution essays are designed to assess your ability to identify, analyze, and evaluate problems, as well as your ability to develop and articulate effective solutions.

The IELTS problem solution essay topics can be drawn from a variety of sources and are based on real-world situations and issues. Therefore, to do well in writing task 2, it is important to be familiar with the range of IELTS problem solution essay topics.

Identifying IELTS Problem Solution Essays

Each essay type has a unique structure, so it’s important to identify the type of essay you’re writing before you start. Problem solution essays in IELTS are often worded as follows:

It is important to be able to identify the common synonyms, words, and phrases used in problem solution questions. Here are the key words and their synonyms used in the examples above:

• Problem : issues, resulting, situation
• Cause : reasons, why
• Solution : deal with, addressed, tackled, remedied, improved, measures taken, solved, prevent

However, you will mostly be asked to write about both the problem and its solution. The first part of the question will state the problem or cause, and the second part will ask you to identify solutions.

How to Write a Problem Solution Essay IELTS?

To plan and write a problem solution essay IELTS, you can follow these steps:

• Understand the question

The first step is to carefully read the question and understand what is being asked. You should identify the problem, the cause(s) of the problem, and the required solution(s).

• Brainstorm your ideas

Once you understand the question, take some time to brainstorm your ideas. What are the different aspects of the problem? What are the possible causes? What are the different solutions that could be implemented?

• Organize your ideas

Once you have a good understanding of the problem and its possible solutions, it is time to organize your ideas into a logical structure.

• Write your essay

When writing your essay, be sure to use clear and concise language. Avoid using complex sentences and jargon. You should also support your claims with evidence from credible sources.

• Proofread your essay

Once you have finished writing your essay, be sure to proofread it carefully for any errors in grammar, spelling, or punctuation.

Now that we have understood how to write a problem solution essay, let’s have a look at the structure of a problem solution essay.

Enroll in our free  IELTS online coaching  today and learn how to identify and write problem solution essays like a champ!

Structure of Problem Solution Essay

Let’s do an example problem solution essay to understand the above mentioned structure.

Problem Solution Essay Example with Structure

Introduction:.

• Before you begin writing your problem solution essay,  read  the question and  identify  the problem/ solution.
• Note down the ideas that come to your mind naturally. For example, look at the table below.
• Choose one of the  problems  and discuss it in detail. Here’s an example:
• Problem : Dumping of industrial wastes into the nearby water bodies.
• Solution : They must be treated, purified and recycled.
• Wastewater treatment
• Biodegradable products
• Water bodies such as lakes, rivers etc

You should paraphrase the question and outline the problem and solution in your introduction as mentioned below:

Body Paragraph 1:

The body paragraph 1 must be organised as follows:

• Main body paragraph 1:  Letting out of industrial wastes in nearby water bodies
• Central idea:  Industries are increasing in number.
• Explanation : There are no strict rules in place regarding the environment. So industries let out their wastes into the nearby water bodies such as lakes, rivers, etc which affects the respective eco-system and thereby leading to more serious issues.
• Example : As installing a wastewater treatment plant is an additional burden and is costly, it is easier to let the waste water into the nearby water bodies as nobody questions this.

The completed main body paragraph 1 will look like this :

Body Paragraph 2:

The body paragraph 2 must be organised as follows:

• Main body paragraph 2:  Industrial wastewater treatment
• Central idea:  Installing Industrial waste water treatment plants could be beneficial to the environment.
• Explanation : Industrial wastewater treatment illustrates the processes used for treating wastewater that is produced by industries into a by-product. The treated industrial wastewater may be reused or released to a sanitary sewer.
• Examples:  There are proven records for reducing water pollution after wastewater treatment.

The completed main body paragraph 2 will look like this :

Conclusion:

• Make sure to sum up all that has been in the previous paragraphs.
• Use words like in summary, to summarise, to conclude, or as a conclusion, etc.

The final conclusion will look like this:

Therefore, the finished essay will have the following structure:

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Common Mistakes to Avoid in IELTS Problem Solution Essays

Following are some of the Common mistakes that should be avoided in IELTS problem solution essays

• Not understanding the difference between a problem and its causes.
• Trying to include too many ideas in the essay, without developing them fully.
• Not considering both sides of the argument equally.
• Not linking the problems to the solutions.
• Not being specific enough in the discussion of the problems and solutions.

Read:  All Useful IELTS Writing Lessons & Websites

Tips for IELTS Problem Solution Essays

Here are some of the tips to follow while practicing or writing an IELTS Problem Solution Essays:

• Read and understand the instructions given in the question (sometimes the question might ask to write about the cause of the issue as well).
• Follow the word count (no less than 250 words)
• Plan the problems and solutions you wish to write about, before starting to write.
• Start the essay with an introduction paragraph and conclude it with a conclusion paragraph, with the body paragraph between the two.
• If you’re asked to write about both, cause and the solution, then you can write the cause in one body paragraph and the solution in the next body paragraph.

Pro tip:  To avoid a low score in IELTS problem solution essays, focus on one or two problems and identify specific solutions. Explain the problems and solutions in detail, with examples.

Check out some of the  Recent Writing Task 2 Essay Topics for IELTS 2023

Problem Solution Essay IELTS Topics:

Here are some sample IELTS problem solution essay topics:

Get the inside scoop on how to write a high-scoring IELTS problem solution essay from our IELTS expert in our free webinar.  Book your Seat Now !

Also check :

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• Free IELTS Writing Essay Evaluation and Correction Service
• IELTS Writing Practice Tests 2023

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I write cause and solution in the same paragraph?

How to write a solution paragraph?

What is the difference between a Problem solution essay and a cause solution essay?

How do you analyze a problem solution essay?

How to identify a problem solution essay?

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Janice Thompson

Soon after graduating with a Master’s in Literature from Southern Arkansas University, she joined an institute as an English language trainer. She has had innumerous student interactions and has produced a couple of research papers on English language teaching. She soon found that non-native speakers struggled to meet the English language requirements set by foreign universities. It was when she decided to jump ship into IELTS training. From then on, she has been mentoring IELTS aspirants. She joined IELTSMaterial about a year ago, and her contributions have been exceptional. Her essay ideas and vocabulary have taken many students to a band 9.

Explore other Problem Solution Essays

Kasturika Samanta

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Posted on Jan 5, 2024

indeed you are excellent\ every one must use them

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I hope the sample questions will help me ace the exam!!! Thank you for the resources.

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IELTS Writing Task 2 Problem and Solution Essay Lesson

Problem Solution Essay

This lesson on how to write a problem solution essay will:

• discuss common mistakes;
• show you how to analyse the question;
• show you how to think of ideas;
• give you a structure that can be used again and again on all problem solution IELTS essays;
• describe how to write an introduction , main body paragraphs and conclusion; and
• give you a full band 9 sample answer.

Problem/solution questions are one of the most common IELTS Writing Task 2 questions on the academic paper. Despite being very common, many students fail to do well in these questions. This post will look at some of the most common mistakes and then take you through how to answer these questions step-by-step.

Common Mistakes

• The most common mistake for problem solution essays is not expanding on your ideas and instead simply listing lots of problems and solutions. The examiner does not want a list of all the problems and solutions you can think of, and please don’t do this in the exam. Instead, if you look at how the exam is marked , the examiner wants you to pick one or two problems and solutions and then expand on them with explanations and examples. More on how to do this below.
• Another common mistake is writing about problems and solutions that are not directly linked to the question. You should be like a sniper when answering the question and only give very specific ideas rather than ideas that generally talk about the overall issue. This has a lot to do with how you identify keywords and micro-keywords in the questions which we will look at below.
• Lots of people think of good ideas for problems and then fail to link their solutions to these problems. Each problem should have a solution directly linked to it, or in other words, it should solve the actual problem.
• Finally, some candidates think of really good problems and solutions that answer the question properly and then expand their answers with explanations and examples, but they talk too generally. Instead, you should be thinking of specific examples and explanations. We will look at how to avoid this below.

Analysing the Question 

This is one of the most crucial parts of answering any IELTS writing question. If you don’t take the time to think properly about what the examiner is asking you to do, then it is very difficult to answer the question correctly.

We analyse the question by thinking about three things:

• micro-keywords
• action words

Keywords are the words that tell us what the general topic is.

Micro-keywords identify which part of the general topic the examiner wants you to discuss. They often give an opinion, qualify the statement or talk about a sub-category of the bigger general topic.

Action words tell us what the examiner wants us to do.

Problem Solution Sample Essay

Global warming is one of the biggest threats humans face in the 21st Century, and sea levels continue to rise at alarming rates. 

What problems are associated with this, and what are some possible solutions? 

If we look at this question, we can see that the keywords are ‘ global warming ‘. This is our general topic. We will write about this, but we cannot write about any problems associated with global warming. If we do this, we have not answered the question properly. We, therefore, need to look at the micro-keywords.

The micro-keywords are ‘ humans ‘ and ‘ sea level rise ‘. So instead of writing just about the huge topic of global warming and any problems associated with that (such as increased storms, extinction of certain animals, erosion of soil), we have to talk about how particularly sea level rises will affect humans . If we talked about the problems affecting the ‘planet’ or ‘animals’ or the ‘atmosphere’, we would not be answering the question.

The action words are problems and solutions .  Our task is, therefore, to write about that and only that. It does not ask our opinion about the disadvantages, advantages, or causes, just the problems and solutions. If we discussed the causes of sea level rise, we would not be answering the question.

For more information, go to effectively analyse an IELTS question .

How to Think of Ideas 

Now that we know exactly what the question is asking us to do, we need to think of specific and relevant ideas. There are many strategies for thinking of ideas for IELTS task 2 questions  TO THINK OF IDEAS FOR IELTS WRITING TASK 2  but for problem-solving questions; I like to use something called the ‘coffee shop method’.

Instead of brainstorming or mind-mapping- which take too much time and lead to irrelevant ideas in my opinion- you should pretend you are in a coffee shop with a friend and they have just asked you a simple question. In this case, it would be “What are the problems and solutions associated with sea level rise on humans?”

If you were talking to a friend about this, I’m sure you would have no problem thinking of at least 2 or 3 problems and solutions. This method takes you out of an exam situation and puts your mind into a more relaxed environment. Try it and see. If you don’t like it, try one of my other methods.

There are several problems and solutions, including:

Problem : flooding of people’s homes and businesses

Solution : build flood barriers or move to higher areas

Problem : loss of agricultural land and starvation

Solution : switch to more suitable crops

Problem : displacement of millions of people

Solution : move people in a planned and orderly way before the floods

Problem : groundwater undrinkable

Solution : build desalination plants

As you can see, I didn’t think of lots of problems and then lots of solutions. For each problem, you should think of a solution that directly solves this problem.

You now have lots of ideas, but now you must decide which ones to use. I always tell my students to pick the ones they know most about, i.e. that they can explain and give relevant examples.

I advise my students to use a basic four-paragraph structure with all problem solution IELTS essays. Your four paragraphs should look something like this:

Paragraph 1- Introduction

Paragraph 2- Problems

Paragraph 3- Solutions

Paragraph 4- Conclusion

At a sentence level, your structure should look like this:

Introduction 

1- Paraphrase question

2- Outline sentence

3- State problems

4- Explain first problem

5- Explain second problem

6- Example of second problem

7- State solutions

8- Explain solution to first problem

9- Explain solution to second problem

10- Example of solution to second problem

Conclusion 

Sentence 11- Summary of main points in paragraphs 2 and 3

For more structures, check out our IELTS task 2 structures guide .

Now let’s look at each paragraph in more detail.

The introduction will have two sentences: a paraphrase of the question and an outline statement.

Paraphrasing is simply saying the sentence again with different words but with the same meaning. We can do this by using synonyms and/or changing the order of the words.

Question-  Global warming is one of the biggest threats humans face in the 21st Century, and sea levels continue to rise at alarming rates. 

Paraphrased- Climate change is among the principal dangers facing people this century, and ocean levels are increasing dramatically.

As you can see above, I have used synonyms to change the words of the questions, but it still has the same meaning. The examiner will look for your ability to do this in the exam, so practising this skill is a good idea.

Our outline sentence is next, which tells the examiner what they will read in the rest of the essay. This makes it very clear to the examiner and makes the rest of the essay much easier to understand. You will, therefore, gain marks for coherence and cohesion.

Our outline sentence should look something like this:

This essay will first suggest that the biggest problems caused by this phenomenon are the loss of land and the flooding of homes and then argue that pollution reduction and building flood protection are the most viable solutions.

Our introduction will, therefore, look like this:

Climate change is among the principal dangers facing people this century, and ocean levels are increasing dramatically. This essay will first suggest that the biggest problems caused by this phenomenon are the loss of land and the flooding of homes and then argue that pollution reduction and building flood protection are the most viable solutions.

It should be noted that this introduction does not contain a thesis statement. This is because this particular question does not ask us for our opinion. However, IELTS problem solution questions sometimes do ask you for your opinion, and you should then include a thesis statement.

Problems Paragraph 

Our problems paragraph will have this structure:

Sentence 1- State problems

Sentence 2- Explain first problem

Sentence 3- Explain second problem

Sentence 4- Example of second problem

State problems : The foremost problems caused by climbing sea levels are that land is being lost and peoples’ residences are often flooded.

Now that we have stated the problems, we must explain these. You should always consider your audience to be someone with no specialist knowledge in this area, and you, therefore, need to explain what everything means. Don’t assume that the IELTS examiner is educated and knows what you are talking about. These assumptions will stop you from writing what you need.

Explain first problem : As water levels rise, low-lying land is submerged, and many countries become smaller.

Explain second problem : Furthermore, millions of people worldwide live in coastal areas, and if the sea rises by even a few feet, they are inundated with water and lose their property.

Now we must give an example of what we are talking about. When we give an example, it should be as specific as possible.

An example of a very general example would be:

Lots of people in the world have experienced floods recently. 

This is far too general to be considered a good example.

Example : The devastation brought about by this was clear for all to see during the 2011 Tsunami in Japan, in which millions of people were displaced.

This example is much more specific. Stating a place and/or date can help you make your examples more specific.

Our second paragraph will look like this:

The foremost problems caused by climbing sea levels are that land is being lost and people’s residences are often flooded. As water levels rise, low-lying land is submerged, and many countries become smaller. Furthermore, millions of people worldwide live in coastal areas, and if the sea rises by even a few feet, they are inundated with water and lose their property. This devastation was clear for all to see during the 2011 Tsunami in Japan, in which millions of people were displaced.

Now we must move on to our solutions.

Solutions Paragraph

Our solutions paragraph will have this structure:

Sentence 1- State solutions

Sentence 2- Explain solution to first problem

Sentence 3- Explain solution to second problem

Sentence 4- Example of solution to second problem

State solutions : Possible solutions to these problems would be to reduce the amount of pollution created and build flood barriers.

We now need to explain how our solution will help solve the problem. Again, do not assume that the examiner has any specialist knowledge of this topic, so you need to explain what you mean.

Explain first solution: If each person reduces their carbon footprint, the negative effects on the environment will be reduced, which will mean that the water level will stop rising.

Explain second solution : Furthermore, flood defences, such as dikes, dams, and floodgates, could be built along coasts and waterways, thereby stopping the water from reaching populated areas.

Example : The Netherlands is one of the most populated areas in the world and one of the most vulnerable to flooding. They have successfully employed various flood defence systems.

Our whole solutions paragraph will look like this:

Possible solutions to these problems would be to reduce the amount of pollution being created and to build flood barriers. If each person reduces their carbon footprint, the negative effects on the environment will be reduced, which will mean that the water level will stop rising. Furthermore, flood defences, such as dikes, dams, and floodgates, could be built along coasts and waterways, thereby stopping the water from reaching populated areas. The Netherlands is one of the most populated areas in the world and also one of the most vulnerable to flooding, and they have successfully employed various flood defence systems.

We have now answered the question and need to sum up what we have said in the conclusion.

The conclusion should have no new ideas but instead should list the main points from the previous two paragraphs. You can also use synonyms in this paragraph to avoid repetition.

Conclusion : To conclude, stemming the rising tides caused by increasing global temperatures is one of the foremost challenges we face, and it will ultimately lead to some countries losing landmass and many of the world’s cities being left underwater, but possible solutions could be to protect our environment and to utilise the flood prevention techniques already used by countries like Holland.

Our whole conclusion for this problem solution essay will look like this:

To conclude, stemming the rising tides caused by increasing global temperatures is one of the foremost challenges we face, and it will ultimately lead to some countries losing landmass and many of the world’s cities being left underwater, but possible solutions could be to protect our environment and to utilise the flood prevention techniques already used by countries like Holland.

Problem and Solution Sample Essay

Here is the whole essay:

Climate change is among the principal dangers facing people this century, and ocean levels are increasing dramatically. This essay will first suggest that the biggest problems caused by this phenomenon are the loss of land and the flooding of homes and then argue that pollution reduction and building flood protection are the most viable solutions. The foremost problems caused by climbing sea levels are that land is being lost and peoples’ residences are often flooded. As water levels rise, low-lying land is submerged and many countries become smaller. Furthermore, millions of people all over the world live in coastal areas, and if the sea rises by even a few feet, they are inundated with water and lose their property. The devastation brought about by this was clear for all to see during the 2011 Tsunami in Japan, in which millions of people were displaced. Possible solutions to these problems would be to reduce the amount of pollution being created and to build flood barriers. If each person reduces their carbon footprint, the negative effects on the environment will be reduced and this will mean that the water level will stop rising. Furthermore, flood defences, such as dikes, dams, and floodgates, could be built along coasts and waterways, thereby stopping the water reaching populated areas. The Netherlands is one of the most populated areas in the world and also one of the most vulnerable to flooding and they have successfully employed various flood defence systems. To conclude, stemming the rising tides caused by increasing global temperatures is one of the foremost challenges we face and it will ultimately lead to some countries losing landmass and many of the worlds’ cities being left underwater, but possible solutions could be to protect our environment and to utilise the flood prevention techniques already used by countries like Holland.

I hope this post helps you with IELTS problem solution essays, and if you have any questions, please comment below.

Next Steps 

If you found this lesson useful and it has helped you write a problem solution essay, you should also check out our lessons on task 2 opinions essays , discussion essays and advantages and disadvantages essays .

Do you need me to correct your essays and give you feedback on them? Check out our essay correction service .

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How to Plan & Write IELTS Problem Solution Essays

IELTS problem solution essays are the most challenging essay type for many people. The way they are worded can vary hugely which can make it difficult to understand how you should answer the question.

Generally, you’ll be asked to write about both the problem, or cause, and the solution to a specific issue. Sometimes, however, you will only be required to write about possible solutions.

The 3 essay types:

• Problem and solution
• Cause and solution
• Just the solution

Hence, it’s essential that you analyse the question carefully, which I’ll show you how to do in this lesson. I’m also going to demonstrate step-by-step how to plan and write IELTS problem solution essays.

Here’s what we’ll be covering:

• Identifying IELTS problem solution essays 
• 6 Common mistakes
• Essay structure
• How to plan
• How to write an introduction
• How to write main body paragraphs
• How to write a conclusion

Want  to watch and listen to this lesson?

Click on this video.

Click the links to see lessons on each of these Task 2 essay writing topics. 

Once you understand the process, practice on past questions. Take your time at first and gradually speed up until you can plan and write an essay of at least 250 words in the 40 minutes allowed in the exam.

The Question

Here are two typical IELTS problem solution essay questions. They consist of a statement followed by the question or instruction.

1. One problem faced by almost every large city is traffic congestion.

What do you think the causes are? What solutions can you suggest?

2. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the number of endangered species has increased significantly and we have witnessed more mass extinctions in this period than in any other period of time.

State some reasons for this and provide possible solutions.

These are some examples of different ways in which questions can be phrased. The first half of the questions relate to the problem or cause, the second half to the solution.

What issues does this cause and how can they be addressed?

What are some resulting social problems and how can we deal with them?

What problems arise from this and how can they be tackled?

Why is this? How might it be remedied?

What are the reasons for this, and how can the situation be improved?

Why is this happening, and what measures can be taken to tackle this problem?

And here are a few questions where you only have to write about the solution.

How can this situation be improved?

What solutions can you suggest to deal with this problem?

How can this problem be solved?

What measures could be taken to prevent this?

It’s important that you are able to recognise the common synonyms, words and phrases used in problem solution questions. Here are the key words and their synonyms used in the questions above.

• Problem  – issues, resulting, situation
• Cause  – reasons, why
• Solution  – deal with, addressed, tackled, remedied, improved, measures taken, solved, prevent

Before we move on to some common mistakes, I want to quickly explain the difference between a problem and a cause. Read the following examples.

Problem – I've missed the last bus home after visiting my friend for the evening.

Cause – I misread the timetable and thought the bus left at 22.45 when it actually left at 22.35.

The ‘cause’ is the reason for the ‘problem’.  We’ll be looking at question analysis in more detail in a minute.

6 Common Mistakes

These six errors are common in IELTS problem solution essays.

• Confusing problem and causes questions.
• Having too many ideas.
• Not developing your ideas.
• Not developing both sides of the argument equally.
• Not linking the problems and solutions.
• Not being specific enough.

It is common for an essay to consist of a list of problems and solutions without any of them being expanded on or linked to each other. Sometimes, a student will focus on just the problem or only the solution which leads to an unbalanced essay. Both these issues will result in a low score for task achievement.

You must choose just one or two problems and pick solutions directly linked to them. Explain them and give examples.

Another serious error is to write generally about the topic. You need to be very specific with your ideas. Analysing the question properly is essential to avoiding this mistake. I’ll show you how to do this.

Essay Structure

Now let’s look at a simple structure you can use to write IELTS problem solution essays. It’s not the only possible structure but it’s the one I recommend because it’s easy to learn and will enable you to quickly plan and write a high-level essay.

1)  Introduction

• Paraphrase the question
• State 1 key problem/cause and related solution

2)  Main body paragraph 1 – Problem or Cause

• Topic sentence – state the problem or cause
• Explanation – give detail explaining the problem or cause
• Example – give an example

3)  Main body paragraph 2 – Solution

• Topic sentence – state the solution
• Explanation – give detail explaining the solution

4)  Conclusion

• Summarise the key points 

This structure will give us a well-balanced essay with 4 paragraphs.

One Problem/Cause & Solution or Two?

Most questions will state problems, causes and solutions in the plural, that is, more than one. However, it is acceptable to write about just one.

This will give you an essay of just over the minimum 250 words. To write about two problems/causes and solutions will require you to write between 350 and 400 words which are a lot to plan and write in the 40 minutes allowed.

It is better to fully develop one problem/cause and solution than ending up with one idea missing an explanation or an example because you run out of time.

The step-by-step essay structure I’m going to show you includes one problem and solution but you can write about two if you feel able to or more comfortable doing so.

How To Plan IELTS Problem Solution Essays

Here’s the question we’re going to be answering in our model essay followed by the 3 steps of the planning process.

One problem faced by almost every large city is traffic congestion.

What do you think the causes are? What solutions can you sugge st?

• Analyse the question
• Generate ideas
• Identify vocabulary

# 1  Analyse the question

This is an essential step in the planning process and will ensure that you answer the question fully. It’s quick and easy to do. You just need to identify 3 different types of words:

1. Topic words

2.  Other keywords

3.  Instruction words

Topics words are the ones that identify the general subject of the question and will be found in the statement part of the question.

One problem faced by almost every large city is traffic congestion .

So, this question is about ‘ traffic congestion’ .

Many people will do this first step of the process and then write about the topic in general. This is a serious mistake and leads to low marks for task achievement.

What we need to do now that we know the general topic, is to understand exactly what aspect of traffic congestion we're being asked to write about.

The  other keywords  in the question tell you the specific topic you must write about. 

By highlighting these words, it’s easy to see that you are being asked to write about the problem of traffic congestion in large cities. Your essay must only include ideas relevant to these ideas.

The instruction words are the question itself. These tell you the type of IELTS problem solution essay you must write. This is a ‘causes and solutions’ question.

# 2  Generate ideas

The next task is to generate some ideas to write about.

There are several different ways to think up ideas. I cover them fully on the  IELTS Essay Planning  page.

We’re going to use the ‘friends technique’. This is the method I prefer as it allows you to take a step back from the stress of the exam situation and think more calmly.

Here’s how it works. Imagine that you are chatting with a friend over a cup of coffee and they ask you this question. What are the first thoughts to come into your head? Plan your essay around these ideas.

Doing this will help you to come up with simple answers in everyday language rather than straining your brain to think of amazing ideas using high-level language, which isn’t necessary.

You might want to try this yourself before reading on for my ideas.

Here are my ideas:

• Too many cars on the roads – increasing numbers of people own cars, more convenient than buses & trains
• Inadequate public transport – crowded, old & dirty
• Poor road layout
• Rush hour traffic – most people travel to & from work at the same times each day
• Car sharing, park-and-ride scheme, congestion charge
• Improve public transport – more frequent and better quality
• Improve infrastructure – bus lanes, cycle lanes will make it safer for people to cycle
• Flexible working hours

For each cause you think of, immediately write down a possible solution. This you will ensure that the problems and solutions you think of are linked.

You don’t need to spend long on this as you only need one or two ideas.

I’ve got more far more ideas here than I need as I spent more time thinking about it that I would in the real exam. I’m going to pick just one cause to develop in the essay and one or two solutions.

My advice on making your selection is to choose ideas you can quickly think of an example to illustrate.

Here are my choices:

Cause  – Too many cars on the roads.  Why? – increasing numbers of people own cars, more convenient than buses & trains

Solution  – Park-and-ride schemes

We’re almost ready to start writing our IELTS problem solution essay but first, we have one more task to do.

# 3  Vocabulary

During the planning stage, quickly jot down some vocabulary that comes to mind as you decide which cause and solution you are going to write about, especially synonyms of key words. This will save you having to stop and think of the right language while you’re writing. For example:

• traffic jam
• heavy traffic
• private transport
• infrastructure

With that done, we can focus on the first paragraph of the essay – the introduction.

How To Write an Introduction

Good  introductions to IELTS problem solution essays have a simple 2 part structure:

• State 1 key problem/cause and related solution/s (outline sentence)
• Have 2-3 sentences
• Be 40-60 words long
• Take 5 minutes to write

1)  Paraphrase the question

Start your introduction by paraphrasing the question.

Question: One problem faced by almost every large city is traffic congestion.

                  What do you think the causes are? What solutions can you suggest?

Paraphrased question:  

O ne of the most serious issues facing the majority of large urban areas is traffic jams.  

Note my use of synonyms to replace key words in the question statement. You don’t have to replace every key word but do so where possible whilst ensuring that your language sounds natural.

2)  Outline statement

Now we need to add an  outline statement  where we outline the two main points that we’ll cover in the rest of the essay, that is, the cause and the solution I chose earlier. Here they are again.

Cause  – Too many cars on the roads.  Why? – increasing numbers of people own cars, more convenient than buses & trains

And, this is one way to develop them into an outline sentence.

Outline statement:

The main reason for this is that there are too many private cars on the roads these days and a viable solution is to introduce more park-and-ride schemes.

So, let’s bring the two elements of our introduction together.

     Introduction

This introduction achieves three important functions:

• It shows the examiner that you understand the question.
• It acts as a guide to the examiner as to what your essay is about.
• It also helps to keep you focused and on track as you write.

The two ideas in your introduction will become your two main body paragraphs.

Main body paragraph 1  –  Too many cars on the roads  

Main body paragraph 2  –  Park-and-ride schemes

How To Write Main Body Paragraphs

Main body paragraphs in IELTS problem solution essays should contain 3 things:

• Topic sentence – outline the main idea
• Explanation – explain it and g ive more detail

Main Body Paragraph 1

The  topic sentence  summarises the main idea of the paragraph. That’s all it needs to do so it doesn’t have to be complicated.

It plays an important role in ensuring that your ideas flow logically from one to another. It does this by acting as a signpost for what is to come next, that is, what the paragraph will be about.

If you maintain a clear development of ideas throughout your essay, you will get high marks for task achievement and cohesion and coherence.

We’ll now take the idea for our first main body paragraph and create our topic sentence.

Obviously, we’re going to write about the cause of the problem first.

Main body paragraph 1  –  Too many cars on the roads 

Topic sentence:  

The number of people owning cars increases year on year, with most families now having more than one car. 

Next, we must write an  explanation sentence  that develops the idea.

Explanation sentence: 

Most people like the convenience of travelling at the time they want to rather than being restricted to public transport timetables, so they prefer to drive themselves around rather than taking the bus or train. This is despite the fact that they frequently have to sit in long traffic queues as they near the city centre.

Finally, we add an  example  to support our main point. If you can’t think of a real example, it’s fine to make one up, as long as it’s believable. The examiner isn’t going to check your facts. Alternative, you could add another piece of information to support your idea.

Example sentence:

Whenever I have to attend a meeting in the city, I always drive because it means that I can leave home when I want to rather than getting stressed about getting to the station in time to catch the train.

That’s the 3 parts of our first main body paragraph complete. Here’s the finished paragraph.

We now follow the same process for our second main body paragraph.

Main Body Paragraph 2

Main idea 2  –   Park-and-ride schemes

First, we write the  topic sentence  to summarise the main idea. 

Topic sentence:

A solution that is proving successful in many areas is park-and-ride schemes.

Now for the  explanation sentence  where we expand on this idea.

Explanation sentence:

This is where you park your car for free in a large car park on the outskirts of the city and take a bus for the final part of your journey. The fee you have to pay for the bus trip is usually very small and this public transport system is generally very regular, running every ten minutes or so.

Finally, an  example  to support this point.

A survey carried out in the city of Exeter showed that the rush hour congestion decreased by 10% when the council set up a park-and-ride scheme to the north of the city. There was an additional drop of another 10% in traffic volume when a second scheme began operating to the south.

That’s the 3 parts of our second main body paragraph complete. Here’s the finished paragraph.

Now we need a conclusion and our IELTS problem solution essay is done.

How To Write a Conclusion

The conclusion is a summary of the main points in your essay and can generally be done in a single sentence. It should never introduce new ideas.

If you're below the minimum 250 words after you’ve written your conclusion, you can add a prediction or recommendation statement.

Our essay is already over the minimum word limit so we don’t need this extra sentence  but you can learn more about how to write a prediction or recommendation statement for IELTS problem solution essays on the Task 2 Conclusions page.

The conclusion is the easiest sentence in the essay to write but one of the most important.

A good conclusion will:

• Neatly end the essay
• Link all your ideas together
• Sum up your argument or opinion
• Answer the question

If you achieve this, you’ll improve your score for both task achievement and cohesion and coherence which together make up 50% of the overall marks. Without a conclusion, you’ll score below band 6 for task achievement.

You can start almost any final paragraph of an IELTS problem solution essay with the words:

• In conclusion

        or

• To conclude

Now all you need to do is briefly summarise the main ideas into one sentence.

Here’s a top tip . Go back and read the introduction to the essay because this is also a summary of the essay. It outlines what you are going to write about.

To create a good conclusion, you simply have to paraphrase the introduction. 

Introduction:

Here is the same information formed into a conclusion.  I’ve also added a personal statement at the end to link back to one of my example sentences. You don’t have to do this but in this case, I think that it rounds the essay off better.

That’s it. We’ve completed our essay. Here it is with the 4 paragraphs put together.

Finished IELTS problem solution essay.

Go through this lesson as many times as you need to in order to fully understand it and put in lots of practice writing IELTS problem solution essays from past exam questions. Practice is the only way to improve your skills.

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More help with ielts problem solution essays & other task 2 essays.

IELTS Writing Task 2  – T he format, the 5 question types, the 5 step essay writing strategy & sample questions. All the key information you need to know.

The 5 Types of Task 2 Essay   – How to recognise the 5 different types of Task 2 essays. 15 sample questions to study and a simple planning structure for each essay type.

Understanding Task 2 Questions  – How to quickly and easily analyse and understand IELTS Writing Task 2 questions.

How To Plan a Task 2 Essay  – Discover why essay planning is essential & learn a simple 4 step strategy, the 4 part essay structure & 4 methods of generating ideas.

How To Write a Task 2 Introduction  – Find out why a good introduction is essential. Learn how to write one using a simple 3 part strategy & discover 4 common mistakes to avoid.

How To Write Task 2 Main Body Paragraphs  – Learn the simple 3 part structure for writing great main body paragraphs and also, 3 common mistakes to avoid. 

How To Write Task 2 Conclusions  – Learn the easy way to write the perfect conclusion for a Task 2 essay. Also discover 4 common mistakes to avoid.

Task 2 Marking Criteria  – Find out how to meet the marking criteria in Task 2. See examples of good and poor answers & learn some common mistakes to avoid.

The 5 Task 2 Essay Types:

Step-by-step instructions on how to plan & write high-level essays. Model answers & common mistakes to avoid.

   Opinion Essays

   Discussion Essays

  Problem Solution Essays

  Advantages & Disadvantages Essays

  Double Question Essays

Other Related Pages

IELTS Writing Test  – Understand the format & marking criteria, know what skills are assessed & learn the difference between the Academic & General writing tests.

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Your Guide to IELTS Band 7

IELTS Problem Solution Essay: tips, common mistakes, questions & essays

In this lesson we are going to look at how to answer an IELTS Problem Solution essay.

You will learn about this  IELTS Writing Task 2  essay, using  authentic IELTS essay questions , plus the most common mistakes. And I will finish with an  IELTS model essay  written by me in response to a  sample IELTS essay question . So let’s get started!

What Is Your Task?

In this IELTS question type, you are usually presented with a statement about a common problem that many people or societies face. Usually you will be asked to discuss 2 things:

• the causes of the problem, or the problem itself
• and some solutions to the problem

Sometimes you may be asked to discuss the effects of the problem.

So it’s really important to read the question carefully, so you know  exactly  what you should discuss!

Read this task:

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? 

Cambridge IELTS 16 General Training Test 1

So in the task above, you are presented with a statement about a problem: “ Plastic bags, plastic bottles and plastic packaging are bad for the  environment. “

Next, you are asked a question related to the problem: “ What damage does plastic do to the environment?” . In this task the question is asking you about the effect of the problem.

Then, you are asked a question related to the solution: “ What can be done by governments and individuals to solve this problem?” In other words, you need to suggest some solutions.

These types of question can be worded in a variety of ways. Here are some common examples:

• What problems are associated with this and what are some possible solutions?
• What difficulties does this cause? What can we do to tackle this problem?

What do you think are the causes of these problems and what measures could be taken to solve them?

• Why is this the case? What can be done about this problem?

As you can see, it’s really important to read the question carefully because the wording can vary a lot.

How To Plan An IELTS Problem Solution Essay

If you are aiming for a high band score (band 7 and above) it is absolutely vital that you plan your essay. A good plan will help you to see if you have answered the question, developed your ideas and organised them BEFORE you start writing.

We’re going to plan an essay using my  4 Step Planning Process .

Step 1: Understand The Task

First, you need to make sure you understand exactly what you need to write about. So you need to read the question carefully, not quickly!

Think about these three questions:

What is the topic about?

What is the topic NOT about?

How should you respond to the topic?

Let’s go back to this essay question, and answer those 3 questions:

The topic is presented in the first sentence in the task, “plastic bags, plastic bottles and plastic packaging are bad for the environment.”  So the topic is about the negative effects that plastic items (specifically bags, bottles and packaging) have on the natural world.

Note that the first sentence is a factual statement, not an opinion. It states that plastic IS bad for the environment, not “ some people think plastic is bad for the environment)

• The topic is not about pollution in general, only plastic pollution. So don’t discuss carbon emissions or petrol fumes.
• The topic also mentions only bags, bottles and packaging. So it’s probably best to avoid talking about objects made of plastic (e.g. toys…although I did this in one of my model essays! Hopefully I will get a kind examiner!)

The two questions tell you how to respond to the topic. So make sure you answer these questions. Don’t discuss the advantages of plastic, or why you think plastic is NOT bad for the environment!

Step 2: Decide Your Position

Next, you need to decide your position. In other words, you need to decide what you think.

In a problems solutions IELTS essay, your position is simply your answers to the two questions .

So in our example task, your position is your answers to these 2 questions:

• What damage does plastic do to the environment?
• What can be done by governments and individuals to solve this problem?

There aren’t questions with a factual answer, so they are really asking you for your opinion, ideally an opinion based on your own knowledge or experience.

Personally, I think that plastic damages the environment by harming wildlife, and because the plastic gets into the water supply system. What can governments and individuals do? I think governments need to tax plastic more heavily. And individuals can stop using plastic bags.

So what is YOUR position? What do YOU think? 

Step 3: Extend Your Ideas

When you decided your position, you may have started thinking about the reasons for your position, the reasons for your answer. In other words, WHY are you taking this view?

Giving reasons for your view is essential in an IELTS essay. In fact, all IELTS questions tell you to “give reasons for your answer”. So in Step 3, you need to think about your reasons a little more.

However, just presenting your  reasons is not enough. You need to develop them.

The two best ways of developing your ideas is by:

• giving explanations of what you mean
• giving specific examples which illustrate what you mean

Together, these add more detail to your answer.

You MUST do this to get Band 7. If you fail to develop your ideas in detail, your band score for Task Response may be limited to Band 6.

Read more about how to develop your ideas in an IELTS essay.

Step 4: Structure Your Essay

The final step in the planning process is to structure your essay. This simply means deciding which main ideas to put in which paragraphs.

Here’s a simple structure for a problem / solution essay:

• Paragraph 1: introduction
• Paragraph 2: discuss 2 problems
• Paragraph 3: discuss 2 solutions
• Paragraph 4: summarise your ideas.

Here is an alternative structure:

• Paragraph 2: discuss one problem and a solution to this problem
• Paragraph 3: discuss one problem and a solution to this problem

However, this structure is not always appropriate, so use it carefully! If your ideas are not closely related to the problem, it can cause problems with coherence. For example, one problem caused by global warming is melting icecaps; however, there is no direct solution to melting icecaps –  the solution often lies a long way from the polar ice caps .

How To Write Your IELTS Problem Solution Essay

Let’s go through how to write the different parts of the essay.

How To Write The Introduction To An IELTS Problem Solution Essay

In the introduction to an IELTS Problems Solutions essay, you need to do two things:

• briefly introduce the topic of the essay
• briefly say what you are going to write about

Introduce The Topic

You should begin with a background sentence which introduces your reader to the topic of the essay. The best way to do this is to paraphrase the topic statement.

How To Paraphrase

Think about the meaning of the topic statement, and briefly rewrite it using your own words. Try not to use the same grammatical structures as in the essay question, and try to move language around. In other words, be flexible. This is important if you are aiming for a Band 7 or higher.

In the example essay question above, the topic statement said:

“Plastic bags, plastic bottles and plastic packaging are bad for the environment.”

Here is one way of paraphrasing this:

“People are becoming increasingly concerned about the damaging effects of plastic on the environment.”

This sentence has the same general meaning as the original sentence, but uses different vocabulary and different grammatical structures.

Say What You Are Going To Write About

In an IELTS Problems Solutions essay, it’s a good idea to briefly say what you are going to write about – in other words, say that you are going to answer the two questions.

In our example essay above, we need to answer two questions:

So I could write:

This essay will examine the damage done to the environment by plastic, along with some possible solutions.

How To Write The Body Paragraphs

In an IELTS Problems Solutions essay, you need to present the problem (or the causes of the problem) and possible solutions in the body paragraphs.

There a couple of possible structures:

• Body Paragraph 1: discuss the problems
• Body Paragraph 2: discuss the solutions
• Body Paragraph 1: discuss one problem and its solution
• Body Paragraph 2: discuss another problem and its solution

However, this second structure is not always appropriate. I would recommend only using the first structure.

Each body paragraph should contain:

• A problem (or a solution) – your main idea
• A more detailed explanation of the problem (or solution)
• An example which illustrates this
• You can also include a 2nd problem or (2nd solution) in the same paragraph.

This structure is what is meant by developing your ideas, and it is essential for a Band 7.

You can read more about  developing your ideas here .

How To Write The Conclusion

In the conclusion to an IELTS Problem Solution essay, you need to do one thing:

• summarise your main points

Do NOT write any new ideas in your conclusion. If you think of new ideas while writing your conclusion, forget them! It’s too late.

Common Mistakes in an IELTS Problem Solution Essay

These are the most common mistakes made by Test Takers when writing an IELTS Problem Solution essay:

• presenting too many problems and solutions: you MUST develop ALL of your ideas to get a high band score, so it’s best to present 3 or 4 problems / solutions in total and explain them all
• not answering the exact question. If the question asks you to discuss the CAUSES of the problem, make sure you discuss the causes, not the problem.  If the question asks you to discuss the EFFECTS of the problem, make sure you discuss the effects, not the problem. So read the question carefully!
• Writing an overly general statement about the topic in the introduction (e.g. “The Environment is a topic of hot debate.” )
• Your main ideas are not explained and illustrated enough. You need to develop all of your ideas to get a band 7 and higher.
• Writing an opinion in the conclusion: you usually only need to summarise your main points in the conclusion.
• Using memorised phrases (e.g. “a hot topic”, “in a nutshell”, “quick fix”)
• Using “research studies” as examples: examples should illustrate your ideas, not prove them. Read about  how to use examples in IELTS essays .
• Trying to use rare or “novel” language: examiners are looking for groups of words used naturally, not rare words.quick fix

Sample IELTS Problem Solution Essay Questions

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?

(Cambridge IELTS 16 General Training Test 1)

Nowadays many people complain that they have difficulties getting enough sleep. What problems can lack of sleep cause? What can be done about lack of sleep?

(Cambridge IELTS 15 General Training Test 2)

In spite of the advances made in agriculture, many people around the world still go hungry. Why is this the case? What can be done about this problem?

( Cambridge IELTS 13 Academic Test 4 )

Many working people get little or no exercise either during the working day or in their free time, and have health problems as a result. Why do many working people not get enough exercise? What can be done about this problem?

(Cambridge IELTS 13 General Training Test 2)

Model IELTS Problem Solution Essays

Here is an IELTS Problem Solution Essay that I wrote in response to this task:

In some countries the average weight of people is increasing and their levels of health and fitness are decreasing.

Cambridge IELTS 8 Test 4 (Academic)

Over the last few decades, rising obesity and a drop in people’s overall health and fitness have become a major concern in many countries, especially those in the developed world.

One of the main causes of increasing weight amongst the population is because so much food and drink contains large amounts of carbohydrates. Junk food, for example, tends to contain high quantities of cheap pasta and rice, while soft drinks often contain large amounts of sugar. If these carbohydrates are not burned up through exercise, they will simply be converted by the body into fat, leading to weight gain.

However, people are getting less exercise, which means that not only will they gain weight, they will also experience lower levels of health and fitness. One of the main reasons for this lack of exercise is our increasingly sedentary lifestyle. Whereas in the past, many people used to be engaged in manual labour such as factory work or farming, today they are more likely to be sat in an office hunched over a computer. Add to that the fact that people are more likely to commute to work by car, rather than walk or cycle, and we can see why people are getting fatter and less healthy.

There are some solutions to this problem that governments could provide, such as a sugar tax. In countries where this has been introduced, such as the U.K., this has led to drinks’ manufacturers reducing the amount of sugar in their products. I also feel that higher levels of tax on petrol might make car drivers think twice about whether they should really take the car out on the road. Ultimately, however, it is up to individuals to take more responsibility for their own health and fitness. They could make the effort to walk more and take the car less, and make better choices regarding their diet using information that is widely available on the Internet.

(321 words)

Read my full plan and comments for this essay.

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Discover the 7 STEPS to BAND 7 in IELTS Writing Task 2

Problem Solution Essay IELTS: Topics & Sample Questions

Searching for Problem Solution Essay IELTS Check out these problem solution essay tips sample questions to increase your IELTS score

8/18/2023 2 min read

In the realm of IELTS writing tasks, the problem-solution essay stands out as a distinctive format that requires a strategic approach. This essay type necessitates students to identify a problem and propose effective solutions. It is an opportunity to showcase not only language skills but also critical thinking abilities. This article delves into the intricacies of problem-solution essays for IELTS, providing valuable insights, topics, and sample questions.

Understanding the Problem-Solution Essay

What is a problem-solution essay.

A problem-solution essay is an academic composition that addresses a specific issue by presenting well-structured solutions. This format is designed to assess a candidate's capacity to analyze complex problems, offer plausible remedies, and communicate ideas effectively.

The Structure of a Problem-Solution Essay

Introduction : Setting the stage by introducing the problem and its significance.

Problem Description : Clearly defining the issue and its implications.

Challenges Analysis : Examining the underlying causes and hurdles.

Solutions Proposal : Presenting feasible solutions with detailed explanations.

Evaluation of Solutions : Weighing the pros and cons of each proposed solution.

Conclusion : Summarizing the discussed problem and solutions.

Selecting the Right Problem

Identifying a suitable problem.

Before delving into crafting solutions, it's essential to choose a relevant problem. Opt for a topic that resonates with contemporary issues, ensuring there is ample information available to support your arguments.

Balancing Complexity and Feasibility

While selecting a problem, strike a balance between complexity and feasibility. An excessively intricate issue might lead to convoluted solutions, whereas an overly simple problem could limit your analysis.

Crafting Effective Solutions

Brainstorming for solutions.

Dedicate time to brainstorming potential solutions. Consider both conventional and innovative ideas to address the problem comprehensively.

Incorporating Realism

When proposing solutions, ensure they are realistic and practical. Far-fetched ideas might undermine the credibility of your essay.

Providing Detailed Explanations

Each solution presented should be accompanied by a thorough explanation of its implementation and expected outcomes. This showcases your ability to reason and articulate ideas effectively.

Sample Questions and Topics

Sample questions.

Question : In many countries, plastic waste is causing environmental harm. What are the solutions to this issue?

Question : With the rise of obesity, what measures can be taken to promote healthier lifestyles?

Environmental Pollution : Addressing air, water, and soil pollution through policy changes and public awareness.

Youth Unemployment : Strategies to create more job opportunities for the younger generation.

Access to Education : Ensuring quality education for underprivileged communities through innovative approaches.

The problem-solution essay in IELTS writing assesses your ability to dissect complex issues and offer practical solutions. Mastering this format requires a combination of critical thinking, language proficiency, and creativity. By selecting pertinent problems, formulating realistic solutions, and providing comprehensive explanations, you can excel in crafting impressive problem-solution essays.

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Ielts task 2- problem solution essay.

This article explains and shows you how to reach a band 9 on your writing task 2 with a problem and solution essay. In my library of IELTS content, you will find articles on all of the task 2 essay types.

What is the problem solution essay?

The problem solution essay can be the hardest for many students. This can be due to how the question is worded. Generally you will be asked to discuss the problem and solution. But you may be asked to discuss the cause and solution and the solution only.

What's the difference between a problem, cause and solution?

Problem - I arrived at the wrong restaurant even though I had put the address into Google maps

Cause - I didn't check the postcode and discovered there was more than one 'Luigi's'

Solution - Next time I will be sure to check the correct post-code is entered to avoid arriving at the wrong destination

What is the essay structure?

As with any essay structure, you need an opening, the middle where you address the question in more depth, and the conclusion. But let's apply a more specific structure. You would have seen this in other essay posts I have written, so this should be somewhat familiar.

P aragraph 1 – Problem or Cause

• Explanation – explain the problem or cause

P aragraph 2 – Solution

• Explanation – explain the solution
• Summarise the key points

How many problems/cause should I write about?

This depends on how quickly you can write. If you can fit two in, which will result in a 350-400 word response then this is fine. Using one main problem/cause and developing your idea is also fine. With any of the essay types, it's always imperative to develop your ideas. So be sure to do this irrespective of the number of ideas.

Writing task 2 example

Let's use an example question to see how you can answer this question with a band 9 score. This question is a problem and solution essay.

The internet has transformed the way information is distributed and consumed, but it has also created problems that prior to this, did not exist.

What are the most serious problems associated with the internet and what solutions can you suggest?

We have our structure in mind but planning is always part of writing. The structure above is something you should memorise. Then use a table like below and structure your ideas down in five minutes.

You can put this into a table if it helps to remember or simply create the titles and jot down your ideas.

Writing task 2 example, in full

Since the boom of the internet in the 1990's, it has since changed how we consume and share information. In particular, the last decade has seen significant changes in how we use the internet, and our relationship with it. Although serious problems have arisen and continue to do so, there are solutions.

One of the first problems with the internet and arguably, the most worrisome, is the ease with which children can access sites with dangerous and harmful content. For example, pornography sites are easily accessible to them because they can claim to be an adult and have free rein thereafter. The lack of security in this corner of the web means that children are being exposed to content that is far beyond their emotional and cognitive understanding. Undoubtedly, this would affect their thoughts and damage how they otherwise see the world, people and relationships. It could damage their ability of forming their own understanding of sexual relationships as they grow up and mature. Such behaviour could be imitated and potentially harmful to others, and therefore negatively impacting society.

Another serious problem is the growth of online fraud and hacking. With such a wealth of our personal data online and the sophistication of hackers, our data is subject to theft. Whilst there are protective measures online and this issue is often in news stories, this issue is on the rise and has become an incredibly rich industry with hackers that can surpass online security. Even government and state conglomerates have been attacked. Take for example the 2017 NHS cyber attack. Proving that even those deemed safe and ostensibly with great power, are still susceptible to online criminals. From what is reported in the news, it seems as though regardless of status, background, or employment, we can all fall victim to the online hands of criminals.

It is important that action is taken to directly combat these problems. Firstly, Governments should ensure that adequate legislation is in place that will prevent young people from accessing dangerous sites. Clearly the current measures are not enough to protect children online. As well as this, companies dedicated to online protection should be doing more to create stricter, appropriate entries to such sites. Protection can also come from home. Parents should monitor their children whilst online and restrict access to certain sites. Fortunately this is now easier than ever and parents can control what their children consume. Similarly, the government should create stricter legislation around cyber security. Individual companies must also improve their onsite IT security systems to make fraud and hacking much more difficult and virtually impossible. Companies could collaborate on this and those operating within the same field, such as finance, could come together to create more successful online barriers.

To conclude, the internet is an incredible technological tool that has changed people's lives and brought them opportunities, connections, and much happiness but it is not without negative and genuinely harmful impacts. With the right action, especially by governments and business, alongside individuals, it can be a safe place for everyone.

Identify where the structure has been applied

• How many problems are discussed?
• What are they?
• What language is used to initiate discussion of the problems?
• How are the problems explained further?
• What solutions are discussed for each problem?

Read my example and highlight with a different colour 1-5 within the body of the text.

Practice tips

Time yourself:

You have 40 minutes in the exam to write your 250 word answer. When first starting, give yourself 50 minutes. Each time you practice, shave off five minutes and see how you can meet the word count in ideally 30 minutes. It's always good to have time left over to proofread your response.

The need to know language for the problem and cause question:

• Problem – issues, resulting, situation, obstacle, drawback
• Cause – reasons, why, source, root, basis, origin
• Solution – deal with, addressed, tackled, remedied, improved, measures taken, solved, prevent

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IELTS Problem Solution Essays

Problem solution essays are a type of essay question sometimes given to you in the test. 

In this type of essay you need to discuss the problems with regards to a particular topic and then suggest possible solutions to these problems.

You can also watch a video of this lesson:

One of the first things you want to make sure that you are able to do is identfy one of these questions when it arises. 

Here are some examples of this type of question.

Examples of Problem Solution Essay Questions:

Overpopulation of urban areas has led to numerous problems.

Identify one or two serious ones and suggest ways that governments and individuals can tackle these problems.

Nowadays many people have access to computers on a wide basis and a large number of children play computer games.

What are the negative impacts of playing computer games and what can be done to minimize the bad effects?

The internet has transformed the way information is shared and consumed, but it has also created problems that did not exist before.

In the developed world, average life expectancy is increasing.

What problems will this cause for individuals and society?

Suggest some measures that could be taken to reduce the impact of ageing populations.

An important note. Some essays ask for  reasons  and solutions, not problems and solutions. Writing about a reason (or cause) is not the same as writing about a problem.

Check these  model essays  to see the difference.

IELTS Problem Solution Essay Example 

In order to understand these types of problem solution essays further and how to organize your writing, we'll look at a problem solution example essay:

Model Answer

The enormous growth in the use of the internet over the last decade has led to radical changes to the way that people consume and share information. Although serious problems have arisen as a result of this, there are solutions.

One of the first problems of the internet is the ease with which children can access potentially dangerous sites. For example, pornography sites are easily accessible to them because they can register with a site and claim to be an adult. There is no doubt that this affects their thoughts and development, which is a negative impact for the children and for society. Another major problem is the growth of online fraud and hacking. These days, there are constant news stories about government and company websites that have been hacked, resulting in sensitive information falling into the hands of criminals.

It is important that action is taken to combat these problems. Governments should ensure that adequate legislation and controls are in place that will prevent young people from accessing dangerous sites, such as requiring more than simply confirming that you are an adult to view a site. Parents also have a part to play. They need to closely monitor the activities of their children and restrict their access to certain sites, which can now be done through various computer programs. Companies must also improve their onsite IT security systems to make fraud and hacking much more difficult by undertaking thorough reviews of their current systems for weaknesses.

To conclude, the internet is an amazing technological innovation that has transformed people’s lives, but not without negative impacts. However, with the right action by individuals, governments and businesses, it can be made a safe place for everyone.

(285 words)

Writing about Problems

From the problem solution essay, look at the problems paragraph, and answer the following questions (then click on the link below to see the answers):

• What expressions are used to introduce the problems?
• How are the problems illustrated further?
• What results are discussed for each problem?

Show / hide answers

1) How many problems are discussed?

2) What are they?

children can access potentially dangerous sites growth of online fraud and hacking

3) What expressions are used to introduce the problems?

One of the first problems of the internet is... Another major problem is...

4) How are the problems illustrated further?

For example, pornography sites are easily accessible to them because they can register with a site and claim to be an adult. These days, there are constant news stories about government and company websites that have been hacked.

5) What results are discussed for each problem?

There is no doubt that this affects their thoughts and development, which is a negative impact for the children and for society.

...resulting in sensitive information falling into the hands of criminals.

Your answers to these questions should tell you a lot about how to plan and organize a problem paragraph.

You only need two or three problems as remember you do not have much time and you need to explain the problems.

When you brainstorm your ideas for problem solution essays, think about  (a)   what the problem is   (b)   how you will explain it   (c)   and what the effect is . Your paragraph will then follow this pattern.

Here is an example of the brainstorming for this paragraph:

Problem 1:   children can access potentially dangerous sites

• Explanation / Example:   Pornography sites
• Result:  Affects thought & development - negative for children & society

Problem 2:  growth of online fraud and hacking

• Explanation / Example:   Evident from the constant news stories
• Result:  Criminals get sensitive information

Here they are illustrated in the paragraph, with the introductory expressions underlined:

One of the first problems of the internet is the ease with which children can access potentially dangerous sites . For example, pornography sites are easily accessible to them because they can register with a site and claim to be an adult . There is no doubt that this affects their thoughts and development, which is a negative impact for the children and for society . Another major problem is the growth of online fraud and hacking . These days, there are constant news stories about government and company websites that have been hacked , resulting in sensitive information falling into the hands of criminals.

Writing about Solutions

Answer the following questions about the solutions paragraph:

• How many solutions are given?
• What three different groups of people does the writer say are responsble for these solutions?
• How would the solutions be implemented?
• What three modal verb structures are used to make the suggestions?

1) How many solutions are given?

adequate legislation and controls monitor the activities of children / restrict access improve company IT security systems

3) What three different groups of people does the writer say are responsble for these solutions?

Governments Parents Companies

Stricter criteria for accessing sites Using computer programs Reviewing current IT systems for weaknesses

5) What three modal verb structures are used to make the suggestions?

should need to must

Your answers to these questions provide you with some key tips on writing a solutions paragraph. Some of these points are now explained further.

The people involved

When you come to brainstorm your solutions, think of the key 'actors' who are involved. It is usually governments and individuals in some way or another.

There may be another group specifically realted to the topic. For example, in this case it is companies and parents. If you are discussing crime it could be the police. If it is violence on TV it could be TV and film producers.

You can then brainstorm your ideas under each 'group' and organize them in the same way.

Developing your solutions

Also, try to make sure your solutions are not too simplistic. It's all too easy to make sweeping generalizations about what people can do. For example, look at this idea:

The government should introduce stricter laws.

It it common to see such statements in IELTS problem solution essays with no further explantion. Give more detail about how or why this would work. For example:

Governments should ensure that adequate legislation and controls are in place that will prevent young people from accessing dangerous sites, such as requiring more than simply confirming that you are an adult to view a site.

Some specific detail has now been given on how this solution could work.

Modal Verbs

Modal verbs can be used to make suggestions in problem solution essays. These are usually found in solutions paragraphs.

Check out this grammar lesson if you are unsure how to use modal verbs .

Here again is a plan for the problem solution essay for the solutions paragraph:

Solution 1:   Governments

• Idea:   Adequate legislation and controls  for young people
• How:  More complex website access criteria

Solution 2:  Parents

• Idea:   Monitor children and restrict access
• How:  Use a computer program

Solution 3:   Companies

• Idea:   Improve IT security systems
• How:  Review current systems in place

Here is the paragraph again. Note how it follows the plan and the clear topic sentence that tells the reader the essay is moving on to discuss solutions (modals verbs are underlined):

It is important that action is taken to combat these problems. Governments should ensure that adequate legislation and controls are in place that will prevent young people from accessing dangerous sites , such as requiring more than simply confirming that you are an adult to view a site . Parents also have a part to play. They need to closely monitor the activities of their children and restrict their access to certain sites , which can now be done through various computer programs. Companies must also improve their onsite IT security systems to make fraud and hacking much more difficult by undertaking thorough reviews of their current systems for weaknesses.

More Task 2 IELTS Lessons:

Tips on How to Score IELTS Band 8 in Writing and Speaking

To score IELTS Band 8 you need to understand exactly what is in the IELTS Band Descriptors for an 8 for writing and speaking first.

How to Identify the Task in an IELTS Essay

Learn how to identify the task in an IELTS task 2 essay question. This is one of the most important steps in responding to an essay question.

Requirements for IELTS Band 7 in Writing

Getting to an IELTS Band 7 is a struggle for many candidates. This lesson explains exactly what you have to do to reach this band score.

Using Substitution in IELTS to Improve Writing Coherency

You can use substitution in your IELTS essays in order to improve coherency and coherence.

How to Write an IELTS Essay: The key steps

Learn key steps on how to write an IELTS Essay. This guides you on how to write a great essay plus other lessons to improve your writing skills.

Generating ideas for IELTS essays for writing task 2

Generating ideas for IELTS essays for writing task 2 can be difficult but complex ideas are not expected.

IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Essay Tips and Strategies

An advantage disadvantage essay is one type of essay that you may get in the test. This lesson shows how to write a pros cons essay.

Writing an IELTS Essay Conclusion

The IELTS essay conclusion is the final part of your IELTS essay. This lesson guides you on how to write a conclusion quickly but effectively.

How to Identify the Topic of an IELTS Essay Question

In IELTS you must identify the topic of your essay as this is a key to making sure your essay is on topic.

Thesis Statement Tips for IELTS Essays

Your thesis statement in an IELTS essay should be written quickly and concisely. Use these tips to do that.

Can you use Personal Pronouns in Essays for IELTS?

Learn how to use personal pronouns in essays for IELTS correctly. Can you use "I", "we" and "you"?

Paragraph Writing for IELTS: Building strong arguments

This paragraph writing lesson provides tips on constructing the best paragraphs for your IELTS essay.

Transitional Phrases for Essays

Learn transitional phrases for essays to get a band 7 or higher in your IELTS writing for coherence and cohesion.

The 3 Types of IELTS Opinion Essays in IELTS

IELTS opinion essays in IELTS can be placed into three types. This lesson explains the different types and how to analyse these essay questions.

Using Pronouns to Improve IELTS Essay Coherency

Find out how to use pronouns to improve your coherency for IELTS task 2 essays.

Improving Writing Coherence for IELTS essays

25% of the writing grade is on how you organise your essay so this lesson shows you how to improve your writing coherence.

How to use brainstorming and planning to generate essay ideas.

Brainstorming and planning is a key step in developing your IELTS essay. This lesson has tips on how to coming up with ideas and organising them.

IELTS Music Essay: Understanding a Complex Question

An IELTS essay about music is used to show you how to answer a more complex IELTS essay question that does not have a clear 'task' given to you.

IELTS Task Response - 25% of your essay grade

The IELTS Task Response criteria in the scoring makes up 25% of your band score for your essay.

Writing an IELTS Essay Introduction

Tips on how to write an introduction for an IELTS essay introduction in a quick and easy way.

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IELTS Podcast

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Problem Solution Essays in IELTS Writing Task 2

January 30, 2023 By Ben Worthington

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This tutorial discusses how to write problem-solution essays in IELTS Writing Task 2.

A “problem and solution” essay, as its name suggests, proposes a problem to you and asks you to suggest a solution or solutions to it. It may also ask about the causes of the problem or the effects which the problem has.

Listen and you will learn:

• How to write a problem solution essay
• How to understand the question and structure your answer
• How to make logical arguments in your answer
• Three things all problem and solution questions have in common
• Ideas to develop answers to sample IELTS problem/solutions questions

Read the Sample Problem Solution Essay Questions below

• ‘Loneliness’ is an increasing problem in many societies, especially among the elderly. Why is this? How might it be remedied?
• The world’s oceans are filling up with plastic waste. What are the reasons for this, and how can the situation be improved?
• Many of the world’s rarest plants and animals are on the verge of becoming extinct. Why is this? What, if anything can be done to slow this process or arrest it all together?

Join many other students who have achieved IELTS success with our online IELTS course or get instant feedback with our online essay checker .

You can download or listen to the full tutorial here:

| Direct Download Here | Stitcher | iTunes | Spotify

About Ben Worthington

As the founder of IELTSPodcast, Ben started his journey as an English educator in 2006. Ben and his team of teachers provide students with expert advice, twice a week to cover the writing, reading, listening and speaking sections of the IELTS exam.

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IELTS Writing Task 2 Problem and Solution Topics/Questions 2024

The list of Task 2 Problem and Solution topics that were added by IELTS student in 2024 . These Problem and Solution questions could be repeated from previous months. Keep in mind that the provided Problem and Solution questions are not predictions. The collection of Problem and Solution questions is updated every hour. Choose one of the topics and start practicing answering this type of question to prepare for the IELTS exam and to get a good grade.

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IELTS Model Example - Problem & Solutions Essay

In many cities, traffic congestion has become a significant issue, leading to numerous problems for both individuals and society as a whole. What are the main causes of this problem, and what measures can be taken to alleviate traffic congestion effectively?

This is a Problems and Solutions IELTS essay question type - let's practice writing before looking at the example.

How do I plan my answer?

Here are some ideas on how to plan your answer: Introduction paragraph:

Start with a general statement about the topic of traffic congestion.

Provide some background information about the issue and its significance.

State your thesis statement, which should indicate that you will discuss the causes of traffic congestion and propose effective measures to alleviate it.

Body paragraph 1 - Causes:

Begin by introducing the main cause of traffic congestion (e.g., rapid urbanization, increasing population, inadequate infrastructure).

Explain how this cause contributes to the problem, providing specific examples and evidence.

Discuss any related factors that exacerbate the situation (e.g., lack of public transportation, poor city planning).

Conclude the paragraph by emphasizing the importance of addressing these causes to alleviate traffic congestion.

Body paragraph 2 - Solutions:

Start by introducing one effective solution to alleviate traffic congestion (e.g., improving public transportation).

Explain the benefits of implementing this solution (e.g., reduced traffic volume, decreased reliance on private vehicles).

Provide examples of cities or countries where this solution has been successful.

Discuss any potential challenges or drawbacks that may arise when implementing the solution.

Present additional solutions in separate paragraphs, following the same structure as above.

Conclusion paragraph:

Summarize the main causes of traffic congestion discussed in the essay.

Highlight the proposed solutions and their potential effectiveness.

Emphasize the need for a comprehensive approach involving multiple solutions.

Conclude by reiterating the importance of taking action to address traffic congestion for the benefit of individuals and society.

Remember to use appropriate linking words and phrases to connect your ideas and maintain coherence throughout your essay.

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IELTS Problem and Solution Essay

Problem-solution is one of the essay types that you may be asked to write during the IELTS test writing task 2 . In this article, we will take an in-depth look into problem and solution essays, how to recognize and answer them.

Always keep in mind, you won’t be able to write well-structured IELTS essays if you don’t know how to structure all 5 types of IELTS essays. So, now, let’s start learning about problem and solution essays.

How to Recognize Problem and Solution Essays

Obviously, the first thing you want to do when writing an IELTS essay is to determine the essay type.

Problem and solutions essays consist of two parts. The first part of the topic question describes an existing problem. The second part of the topic question asks what possible solutions you can propose to the problem.

At this point, you should have a basic idea about problem and solution questions and the way they look. Now, let’s take a question from an official IELTS Cambridge book and see it with a real example.

The question we will use is from Cambridge IELTS Book 10, Test 4:

Overpopulation in many urban centres around the world is a major problem. What are the causes of this and how can this problem be solved?

As you can see, the topic asks you to discuss a problem, which is overpopulation in urban centers. And then you have to think of some possible solutions to deal with this problem. This is a problem and solution essay. Whenever you see an essay question that describes a problem and asks you to give possible solutions to the problem, that is a problem and solution essay. No need to hesitate about the essay type!

Now, let’s move forward and understand how you should structure problem and solution essays.

Step 1. Plan your answer.

Understand the question..

Before beginning to write, make sure to understand what the question is asking for. Once you fully understand the question, it will be easier to give a relevant answer. For example, this question asks you to find the reasons why urban centres are becoming overpopulated and propose solutions to deal with this situation.

Additionally, since the question has “ you ” in it, it is, thus, asking for your opinion. IELTS essays always ask for your opinion, so writing in the first person is okay. You may use phrases like “ I believe ”, “ in my opinion. ”, “I have to state” and etc.

Plan the structure.

We recommend that you write 4 paragraphs for problem and solution essays – introduction, two main body paragraphs, and conclusion.

1. Introduction: topic and answer.

In the introduction, you need to write two sentences: The first should paraphrase the topic question and the second one should give some ideas on how the problem can be solved.

2. Body paragraph.

In the first body paragraph, you should discuss what causes the given problem. Try to give 2-3 ideas in this body paragraph with supporting examples. Write 5-7 sentences for this body paragraph.

3. Body paragraph.

In the second body paragraph, you should write your solutions to the problem. Again, try to write 5-7 sentences for this body paragraph.

4. Conclusion: repeat the answer.

In the conclusion paragraph, you should repeat the answer you stated in the introduction while summarizing the problems and steps you have written in the two body paragraphs. This should be easy to do. In a moment, we’ll show the way you can do it.

Plan ideas for two body paragraphs before writing

For the first body paragraph, you will write the causes. Some causes of this problem could be:

1. More jobs in urban centers and people move there to get a job

2. In urban centers education is better, that’s why people prefer staying there.

This body paragraph will need to include 5-6 sentences. The first sentence should introduce what the paragraph is about. You may write, “ There are several reasons why in urban centers the population is increasing rapidly. ” Then, you can follow the paragraph and add your points with supporting examples.

For the second body paragraph, propose solutions to the causes you stated in the first body paragraph. For this example, the solutions may be as follows:

1. The government can create jobs in rural areas so that people can work there.

2. Creating good schools in the countryside so that children can get a decent education outside of major cities.

This body paragraph will need to include five to six sentences, like the previous paragraph. The first sentence should introduce what the paragraph is about. You may write, “ There are solutions to decrease the population in urban centers. ” In the second through fifth sentences, you should list the solutions you have suggested. Try to divide two to three sentences for each idea while staying within five to six total sentences in the paragraph.

Understanding the question and planning the ideas should take you overall 7 minutes. Try to achieve this.

Once you understand the question and have planned your answer, it’s time to start writing the answer. 

Introduction Paragraph – IELTS Problem and Solution Essay

The introduction paragraph needs two sentences. The first sentence should be introducing the topic. In this example, the topic sentence can be similar to the following:

 “ It is undoubtedly true that overcrowding is a serious problem in many cities. There are a variety of reasons for this, but steps can definitely be taken to tackle this problem. ”

Beginning with the phrase “ It is undoubtedly true ” confirms that you agree that the problem mentioned in the question exists.

With the second sentence, we say that to solve this problem we should take some steps. And, we are going to write these steps in the second body paragraph.

You have not revealed any causes or solutions yet. You will present these in the body paragraphs. For now, you are introducing what you will talk about in the essay.

Body paragraph 1 – IELTS Problem and Solution Essay

Write the first body paragraph according to the plan. We should mention what are the reasons that cities are overpopulated. So, it could be:

“ On the one hand, there are a lot of reasons why in urban centers the population is increasing rapidly. First of all, in cities, there are more job opportunities and therefore people move to cities to seek employment. For example, many people struggle to find a job in their villages for a long time, but once they move to major cities, they land a job easily. Moreover, the lack of good schools in rural areas forces people to leave their homes and move to towns because their children will get a decent education. Hence, these people do not have another option except living in the cities where the standard of education is far better than in rural areas. ”

Here, we finish the first main body paragraph. We gave two reasons why urban centers becoming overpopulated place.

Now, we need to write the second body paragraph and propose solutions to the existing problem.

Body paragraph 2 – IELTS Problem and Solution Essay

Let’s start writing the second body paragraph. We will start it with the phrase “on the other hand ” because the first paragraph we started with the phrase “on the one hand”. Also, we will propose our solution to the existing problem.

“On the other hand, there are several actions which governments can take to improve the situation. The first and most obvious step is to create more job opportunities with competitive salaries in rural areas so that people will not move to the cities to find work. For example, in the countryside, governments can establish a tax-free system. Hence, people will be eager to start a business there and create jobs. Additionally, if governments create better schools near villages people will not need to move to the major cities to get a first-class education.

We gave two solutions which were relevant to the issues which cause the problem of overpopulation in urban centers.

Now, it’s time to write the conclusion and finish this essay.

Conclusion paragraph – IELTS Problem and Solution Essay

In the conclusion paragraph, you will need to summarize the problem and the solution. We already know the problem as we introduced it in the first body paragraph. We also know the solutions that we suggested, and we will summarize those, too. Your summary may be as follows:

“In conclusion, people tend to live in urban areas because of several benefits but governments can take certain actions to make these people happy in rural areas as well so that urban centres will not become overpopulated.”

ALISTAIR BROWN:  As a writing and speaking examiner for more than 10 years, I bring a lot of experience. I have seen the frustrations that students have with IELTS from a career where I have actively guided and corrected students’ studies. I am looking for the most effective ways to teach IELTS as I understand students’ needs.

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• Academic practice
• General practice
• Task 1 Academic
• Task 1 General
• Task 2 (essay)

IELTS causes and solutions essay - band 9 guide

In this lesson you will learn how to write a high-scoring causes & solutions essay in IELTS Writing . As an example, the model essay will be about loss of bio-diversity . Basically, causes & solutions essay is one of the most common question types in IELTS writing task 2. This question asks you to describe causes and propose solutions for a given problem .

In this lesson you will see:

• question sample + model answer
• band 9 answer structure for causes & solutions essay
• effective strategies to produce ideas for your answer

IELTS problems & solutions question sample

For example, this is the question you’ve got for IELTS writing task 2:

Influence of human beings on the world's ecosystem is leading to the extinction of species and loss of bio-diversity.

What are the primary causes of loss of bio-diversity?

What solutions can you suggest?

Of course, the topics for causes & solutions essay may vary, but the answering strategy is pretty much the same for all essays of causes/solutions type.

Producing ideas

As you know, it’s recommended to spend about 40 minutes on IELTS Writing task 2. But before starting to write your essay, it’s a good idea to dedicate 2-4 minutes to producing some ideas for your essay. This way you’ll know what to write about and your essay will be more structured.

To produce ideas for causes and solutions essay, you have to determine 3 things :

• Causes of this problem
• Solutions to this problem

The problem is already given: loss of bio-diversity (in other words, some animals and plants are dying out).

Now let’s think about its causes and solutions. Don’t be afraid of simple ideas! Remember: getting a high score means writing simple things well. Here are some ideas that may come to your mind:

When humans artificially transform the environment (build roads, houses etc.), they destroy animals’ natural habitat.

Pollution negatively changes the flow of energy, the chemical constitution of the environment and the climate in general, so a lot of species cannot live under such conditions and die out.

When the activities connected with capturing and harvesting a natural resource are too intense in a particular area, the resource becomes exhausted. Example: too intense farming exhausts the soil; too frequent fishing, which doesn’t leave enough time for fish to reproduce, makes fish disappear.

After you’ve though of the possible causes, you can use them in your writing. You can invent more reasons of this problem, but usually, it’s enough to give 1-2 causes in your writing .

Possible solutions :

• protect areas

Protecting areas where human activity is limited and avoiding overexploitation of resources are the best ways to save the environment and prevent species from dying out.

Informing the general population about the disadvantages of loss of biodiversity will encourage people to be more conscious of the environment.

1-2 solutions are enough for a good essay. Now, after we’ve collected some ideas, it’s time to structure our thoughts into an essay.

Band 9 answer structure for causes & solutions essay

There may be many possible answering strategies, but we’ll use this good and time-tested essay structure:

• Body paragraph 1 – causes
• Body paragraph 2 – solutions

Write the introduction in 2 sentences:

Despite knowing about biodiversity’s importance for a long time, human activity has been causing massive extinctions of different species.

This essay will examine the main causes of loss of biodiversity and possible solutions of this problem.

Body paragraph 1 - causes

The two main causes of species extinction are change of their habitats and overexploitation of natural resources.

When humans artificially transform the environment, they destroy vegetation and animals’ natural habitat. For instance, to build new roads people are cutting down the trees and cementing the soil, altering the environment. Because of that, a lot of species are dying out.

Also, when the activities connected with capturing and harvesting a natural resource are too intense in a particular area, the resource becomes exhausted. For example, too frequent fishing doesn’t leave enough time for fish to reproduce and makes them disappear.

In other words, human activities often deplete local flora and fauna and cause loss of bio-diversity.

Body paragraph 2 - solutions

Some possible solutions to this problem are protecting natural areas and promoting awareness among people.

By protecting areas where human activity is limited and avoiding overexploitation of its resources, we can save the untouched environment and prevent species from dying out. Moreover, the next step in fighting bio-diversity loss is informing the general population about the dangers of this problem. This way, people will be more conscious of the environment and won’t overuse or destroy its resources.

To conclude, people’s activities that change the environment have negative impact on the world's ecosystem.

However, we can significantly lessen the extinction of species by protecting natural areas and enlightening people as to this problem.

Model essay for IELTS Writing causes/solutions question

The model band-9 essay for this question will look as follows :

Despite knowing about biodiversity’s importance for a long time, human activity has been causing massive extinctions of different species. This essay will examine the main causes of loss of biodiversity and possible solutions of this problem.

The two main causes of species extinction are change of their habitats and overexploitation of natural resources. When humans artificially transform the environment, they destroy vegetation and animals’ natural habitat. For instance, to build new roads people are cutting down the trees and cementing the soil, altering the environment. Because of that, a lot of species are dying out. Also, when the activities connected with capturing and harvesting a natural resource are too intense in a particular area, the resource becomes exhausted. For example, too frequent fishing doesn’t leave enough time for fish to reproduce and makes them disappear. In other words, human activities often deplete local flora and fauna and cause loss of bio-diversity.

Some possible solutions to this problem are protecting natural areas and promoting awareness among people. By protecting areas where human activity is limited and avoiding overexploitation of its resources, we can save the untouched environment and prevent species from dying out. Moreover, the next step in fighting bio-diversity loss is informing the general population about the dangers of this problem. This way, people will be more conscious of the environment and won’t overuse or destroy its resources.

To conclude, people’s activities that change the environment have negative impact on the world's ecosystem. However, we can significantly lessen the extinction of species by protecting natural areas and enlightening people as to this problem.

(263 words)

Below is an IELTS model answer for the IELTS problem solution essay in writing task 2. There are five types of essays in IELTS writing task 2 and the "solution" type essay is a common one. ... Dear Liz, For a problem solution essay, can I follow the following structure to get higher bands? 1- Intro 2- Body paragraph 1 (problem + solution) 3 ...

Start the essay with an introduction paragraph and conclude it with a conclusion paragraph, with the body paragraph between the two. If you're asked to write about both, cause and the solution, then you can write the cause in one body paragraph and the solution in the next body paragraph. Pro tip: To avoid a low score in IELTS problem ...

Body paragraph 2 - solutions. Sentence 1 - briefly state the main solutions: In my opinion, the best solution to this problem is promoting active lifestyle. Sentences 2-3 - write the first solution and explain it: Firstly, millions of people stay less active because they use cars instead of walking.

Problem: flooding of people's homes and businesses. Solution: build flood barriers or move to higher areas. Problem: loss of agricultural land and starvation. Solution: switch to more suitable crops. Problem: displacement of millions of people. Solution: move people in a planned and orderly way before the floods.

Procedure: introduce the focus of the lesson: Academic Writing Task 2 - Problems and Solutions essays. elicit environmental problems in general or show the class some pictures related to overfishing and elicit the topic. give students a copy of Worksheet 1 and draw attention to the essay question. elicit keywords from the question to identify ...

Essay Structure. Now let's look at a simple structure you can use to write IELTS problem solution essays. It's not the only possible structure but it's the one I recommend because it's easy to learn and will enable you to quickly plan and write a high-level essay. 1) Introduction. Paraphrase the question.

Step 4: Structure Your Essay. The final step in the planning process is to structure your essay. This simply means deciding which main ideas to put in which paragraphs. Here's a simple structure for a problem / solution essay: Paragraph 1: introduction. Paragraph 2: discuss 2 problems. Paragraph 3: discuss 2 solutions.

A problem-solution essay has some key elements. First, it must identify a problem. Second, it must propose one or more solutions to that problem. Third, it must explain why the proposed solution is the best option. Before you start writing a problem-solution essay, it's important to first understand the problem.

The problem-solution essay in IELTS writing assesses your ability to dissect complex issues and offer practical solutions. Mastering this format requires a combination of critical thinking, language proficiency, and creativity. By selecting pertinent problems, formulating realistic solutions, and providing comprehensive explanations, you can ...

Writing task 2 example. Let's use an example question to see how you can answer this question with a band 9 score. This question is a problem and solution essay. The internet has transformed the way information is distributed and consumed, but it has also created problems that prior to this, did not exist.

Here again is a plan for the problem solution essay for the solutions paragraph: Solution 1: Governments. Idea: Adequate legislation and controls for young people. How: More complex website access criteria. Solution 2: Parents. Idea: Monitor children and restrict access. How: Use a computer program.

Explain the possible solution (s) . Give reasons to support your ideas. Paragraph 4 (conclusion) Re-state the problem and summarise your main ideas. 2. Together - you discuss the causes one at a time together with its solution. Again, you need at two main causes and two main solutions. Paragraph 1 (intro)

Listen to the audio version here. This tutorial discusses how to write problem-solution essays in IELTS Writing Task 2. A "problem and solution" essay, as its name suggests, proposes a problem to you and asks you to suggest a solution or solutions to it. It may also ask about the causes of the problem or the effects which the problem has.

Check your IELTS essays right now! The list of Task 2 Problem and Solution topics that were added by IELTS student in 2024. These Problem and Solution questions could be repeated from previous months. Keep in mind that the provided Problem and Solution questions are not predictions. The collection of Problem and Solution questions is updated ...

Discuss any potential challenges or drawbacks that may arise when implementing the solution. Present additional solutions in separate paragraphs, following the same structure as above. Conclusion paragraph: Summarize the main causes of traffic congestion discussed in the essay. Highlight the proposed solutions and their potential effectiveness.

Obviously, the first thing you want to do when writing an IELTS essay is to determine the essay type. Problem and solutions essays consist of two parts. The first part of the topic question describes an existing problem. The second part of the topic question asks what possible solutions you can propose to the problem.

In this lesson you will learn how to write a high-scoring causes & solutions essay in IELTS Writing.As an example, the model essay will be about loss of bio-diversity.Basically, causes & solutions essay is one of the most common question types in IELTS writing task 2. This question asks you to describe causes and propose solutions for a given problem.

Addressing Challenges: A Guide to Problem and Solution Essay Topics

Table of contents

• 1.1 Environmental Issues Problem-Solution Essay Topics
• 1.2 Social Problems Problem And Solution Essay Ideas
• 1.3 Healthcare Challenges: Problem-Solving Essay Ideas
• 1.4 Technological Advancements Ideas for a Problem Solution Essay
• 1.5 Educational Concerns Problem Solution Paper Topics
• 1.6 Economic Problems to Write About
• 1.7 Global Challenges Topics for Problem Solution Essays
• 1.8 Political and Governance Problem Solution Essay Topics
• 1.9 Transportation Problem Solution Topics
• 1.10 Cultural and Ethical Dilemmas
• 2 Easy Problem Solution Topics For an Essay
• 3 Closing Note

Navigating the complexities of real-world issues through the lens of academic inquiry, problem-and-solution essays serve as a dynamic educational tool. Which topic is specific enough for a good problem-and-solution essay? Problem and solution essays are crucial to academic writing, offering students an invaluable opportunity to analyze various situations and articulate effective solutions critically. These essays sharpen critical thinking and problem-solving skills and encourage a deep exploration of a multitude of contemporary issues. By tackling these essays, students gain the ability to approach problems from multiple perspectives and develop insights into potential remedies.

This article promises to dive into an extensive array of topics for problem and solution essays, encompassing diverse areas and problems to write about, such as environmental issues, social challenges, healthcare dilemmas, and more.

120 Problem Solution Essay Topics List

With such a rich palette of issues, the next step in crafting an impactful essay becomes crucially important. Selecting an appropriate topic is key when tasked with writing a problem-solving essay. It’s essential to choose a subject that is not only relevant and engaging but also provides ample scope for in-depth research and thorough analysis. This careful selection allows for a detailed exploration of the issue and the formulation of effective solutions. To aid in this process, we have compiled an extensive list of 120 thought-provoking topics for problem-solution essays.

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Environmental Issues Problem-Solution Essay Topics

• Combating Climate Change: Strategies for Global Cooperation.
• Addressing Ocean Pollution: Cleaning Our Seas.
• Deforestation: Reforestation and Sustainable Practices.
• Urban Air Pollution: Cleaner Cities.
• Endangered Species: Conservation Efforts.
• Plastic Waste Management: Innovative Solutions.
• Sustainable Agriculture: Feeding the World Responsibly.
• Renewable Energy: Transition from Fossil Fuels.
• Water Scarcity: Effective Water Management.
• Eco-friendly Transportation: Reducing Carbon Footprint.

Social Problems Problem And Solution Essay Ideas

• Homelessness: Creating Sustainable Housing Solutions.
• Gender Inequality: Bridging the Gap in the Workplace.
• Racial Discrimination: Fostering Inclusivity.
• Bullying in Schools: Prevention Strategies.
• Elderly Care: Improving Senior Living.
• Child Abuse: Strengthening Child Protection Services.
• Poverty Alleviation: Economic Empowerment Programs.
• Substance Abuse: Effective Rehabilitation Approaches.
• Unemployment: Job Creation Strategies.
• Digital Divide: Bridging the Technological Gap.

Healthcare Challenges: Problem-Solving Essay Ideas

• Mental Health Stigma: Promoting Awareness and Acceptance.
• Obesity Epidemic: Lifestyle and Dietary Changes.
• Healthcare Accessibility: Universal Health Coverage.
• Pandemic Preparedness: Lessons from COVID-19.
• Antibiotic Resistance: Developing New Treatments.
• Chronic Diseases: Prevention and Management.
• Mental Health in the Workplace: Supporting Employees.
• Telemedicine: Bridging the Healthcare Gap.
• Health Education: Promoting Healthy Lifestyles.
• Drug Affordability: Policies for Cheaper Medications.

Technological Advancements Ideas for a Problem Solution Essay

• Cybersecurity: Safeguarding Digital Information.
• AI Ethics: Balancing Innovation and Privacy.
• Social Media Addiction: Finding Digital Balance.
• Technological Unemployment: Reskilling the Workforce.
• Online Privacy: Protecting Personal Data.
• E-waste Management: Sustainable Recycling Practices.
• Digital Literacy: Educating the Next Generation.
• Internet Censorship: Balancing Freedom and Security.
• Tech in Education: Enhancing Learning Experiences.
• Future of Work: Adapting to Technological Changes.

Educational Concerns Problem Solution Paper Topics

• Student Loan Debt: Financial Aid and Repayment Options.
• Academic Pressure: Promoting a Balanced Education.
• Dropout Rates: Improving Student Engagement.
• Quality Education in Rural Areas: Bridging the Gap.
• Gender Disparity in STEM: Encouraging Female Participation.
• Teacher Burnout: Strategies for Support and Retention.
• Digital Divide in Education: Accessible Learning for All.
• Standardized Testing: Alternatives for Student Assessment.
• Special Needs Education: Inclusive Teaching Strategies.
• Lifelong Learning: Promoting Continuous Education.

Economic Problems to Write About

• Income Inequality: Fair Wage Policies.
• Global Trade: Promoting Ethical Practices.
• Sustainable Economic Growth: Eco-friendly Business Models.
• Financial Literacy: Educating the Public.
• Unemployment: Innovative Job Creation Strategies.
• Cryptocurrency: Regulation and Security.
• Global Poverty: Effective Aid Strategies.
• Economic Crises: Preventive Measures and Solutions.
• Gig Economy: Ensuring Worker Rights.
• Consumer Debt: Promoting Responsible Spending.

Global Challenges Topics for Problem Solution Essays

• International Conflict Resolution: Peacekeeping Strategies.
• Refugee Crisis: Humanitarian Aid and Integration.
• Global Hunger: Sustainable Solutions.
• Climate Change Migration: International Policies.
• Cultural Preservation: Protecting Heritage in a Globalized World.
• Human Trafficking: Global Efforts to Combat.
• Global Health: Eradicating Communicable Diseases.
• Water Crisis: International Cooperation for Water Security.
• Wildlife Trafficking: International Laws and Enforcement.
• Global Education: Ensuring Access for All.

Political and Governance Problem Solution Essay Topics

• Corruption: Transparency and Accountability Measures.
• Election Integrity: Ensuring Fair Democratic Processes.
• Political Polarization: Fostering Civil Discourse.
• Human Rights: Protecting Individual Freedoms.
• Press Freedom: Combating Censorship.
• Public Trust in Government: Building Confidence through Transparency.
• Policy Making: Involving Public Participation.
• International Relations: Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution.
• Government Surveillance: Balancing Security and Privacy.
• Political Activism: Encouraging Civic Engagement.

Transportation Problem Solution Topics

• Urban Traffic Congestion: Efficient Public Transport Solutions.
• Road Safety: Reducing Accidents and Fatalities.
• Sustainable Aviation: Eco-Friendly Air Travel.
• Maritime Pollution: Cleaner Shipping Practices.
• Electric Vehicles: Infrastructure and Adoption.
• Public Transportation Accessibility: Inclusive Design.
• Bicycle-Friendly Cities: Promoting Cycling Infrastructure.
• Autonomous Vehicles: Ethical and Practical Considerations.
• Urban Planning: Integrating Efficient Transportation Systems.
• Transportation in Rural Areas: Improving Connectivity.

Cultural and Ethical Dilemmas

• Cultural Appropriation: Promoting Cultural Sensitivity.
• Ethical Consumerism: Making Informed Choices.
• Media Bias: Promoting Objective Reporting.
• Animal Rights: Ethical Treatment and Welfare.
• Online Censorship: Balancing Free Speech and Regulations.
• Genetic Engineering: Ethical Implications and Regulations.
• Work-Life Balance: Corporate Policies for Better Harmony.
• Privacy in the Digital Age: Ethical Considerations.
• Artificial Intelligence: Addressing Ethical Concerns.
• Cultural Preservation: Respecting and Protecting Heritage.

Easy Problem Solution Topics For an Essay

Selecting an easy topic for a problem-solving essay is a strategic process that can significantly streamline your writing phase. Which topic is specific enough for a good problem-and-solution essay? To identify such a topic, begin by reflecting on common challenges faced in everyday life, whether they pertain to personal, community, or global issues. An easy topic often lies in an area where you have personal experience or interest, as this familiarity can provide a wealth of insights and ready solutions. Additionally, consider issues with widespread impact yet are manageable in scope, ensuring that your essay can propose realistic and achievable solutions. Researching current events and trends can also unveil relevant and engaging topics, yet not overly complex, making them ideal candidates for a concise and focused essay. Here are 20 easy problem and solution topics:

• Reducing Stress in College: Time Management Strategies.
• Healthy Eating on a Budget: Accessible Nutrition.
• Overcoming Procrastination: Effective Techniques.
• Managing Social Media Use: Finding a Healthy Balance.
• Improving Sleep Quality: Strategies for Better Rest.
• Balancing School and Work: Time Management Tips.
• Reducing Screen Time: Encouraging Outdoor Activities.
• Dealing with Bullying in Schools: Prevention and Intervention.
• Encouraging Physical Activity: Community Fitness Programs.
• Improving Reading Habits: Encouraging Literary Engagement.
• Enhancing Community Safety: Neighborhood Watch Programs.
• Reducing Littering: Effective Waste Management.
• Coping with Anxiety: Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques.
• Promoting Environmental Awareness: Educational Campaigns.
• Addressing Teen Smoking: Prevention and Education.
• Encouraging Volunteerism: Community Involvement Programs.
• Reducing Carbon Footprint: Sustainable Lifestyle Changes.
• Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking: Confidence Building.
• Enhancing Road Safety: Awareness and Enforcement.
• Promoting Cultural Understanding: Exchange Programs.

By aligning your selection with areas of personal insight or concern, you ease the research and writing process and infuse your essay with authenticity and enthusiasm.

Closing Note

In conclusion, problems and solutions examples offer a platform to address a plethora of issues, ranging from personal challenges to global concerns. The problem-solution paper topics listed in this article provide diverse issues to explore, offering opportunities for critical thinking and solution-focused writing. Whether you choose a complex global issue or a simpler, more relatable topic, the key is to present a well-researched problem and propose feasible and effective solutions. It is a problem-solving solution essay topic guide for college students guide. Thus, young people develop their writing skills through these essays and contribute their voices to ongoing discussions about important matters. Remember, every problem has a solution, and your essay could be the first step toward finding it.

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Guest Essay

A Year on Ozempic Taught Me We’re Thinking About Obesity All Wrong

By Johann Hari

Mr. Hari is a British journalist and the author of “Magic Pill: The Extraordinary Benefits — and Disturbing Risks — of the New Weight Loss Drugs.”

Ever since I was a teenager, I have dreamed of shedding a lot of weight. So when I shrank from 203 pounds to 161 in a year, I was baffled by my feelings. I was taking Ozempic, and I was haunted by the sense that I was cheating and doing something immoral.

I’m not the only one. In the United States (where I now split my time), over 70 percent of people are overweight or obese, and according to one poll, 47 percent of respondents said they were willing to pay to take the new weight-loss drugs. It’s not hard to see why. They cause users to lose an average of 10 to 20 percent of their body weight, and clinical trials suggest that the next generation of drugs (probably available soon) leads to a 24 percent loss, on average. Yet as more and more people take drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro, we get more confused as a culture, bombarding anyone in the public eye who takes them with brutal shaming.

This is happening because we are trapped in a set of old stories about what obesity is and the morally acceptable ways to overcome it. But the fact that so many of us are turning to the new weight-loss drugs can be an opportunity to find a way out of that trap of shame and stigma — and to a more truthful story.

In my lifetime, obesity has exploded, from being rare to almost being the norm. I was born in 1979, and by the time I was 21, obesity rates in the United States had more than doubled . They have skyrocketed since. The obvious question is, why? And how do these new weight-loss drugs work? The answer to both lies in one word: satiety. It’s a concept that we don’t use much in everyday life but that we’ve all experienced at some point. It describes the sensation of having had enough and not wanting any more.

The primary reason we have gained weight at a pace unprecedented in human history is that our diets have radically changed in ways that have deeply undermined our ability to feel sated. My father grew up in a village in the Swiss mountains, where he ate fresh, whole foods that had been cooked from scratch and prepared on the day they were eaten. But in the 30 years between his childhood and mine, in the suburbs of London, the nature of food transformed across the Western world. He was horrified to see that almost everything I ate was reheated and heavily processed. The evidence is clear that the kind of food my father grew up eating quickly makes you feel full. But the kind of food I grew up eating, much of which is made in factories, often with artificial chemicals, left me feeling empty and as if I had a hole in my stomach. In a recent study of what American children eat, ultraprocessed food was found to make up 67 percent of their daily diet. This kind of food makes you want to eat more and more. Satiety comes late, if at all.

One scientific experiment — which I have nicknamed Cheesecake Park — seemed to me to crystallize this effect. Paul Kenny, a neuroscientist at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, grew up in Ireland. After he moved in 2000 to the United States, when he was in his 20s, he gained 30 pounds in two years. He began to wonder if the American diet has some kind of strange effect on our brains and our cravings, so he designed an experiment to test it. He and his colleague Paul Johnson raised a group of rats in a cage and gave them an abundant supply of healthy, balanced rat chow made out of the kind of food rats had been eating for a very long time. The rats would eat it when they were hungry, and then they seemed to feel sated and stopped. They did not become fat.

But then Dr. Kenny and his colleague exposed the rats to an American diet: fried bacon, Snickers bars, cheesecake and other treats. They went crazy for it. The rats would hurl themselves into the cheesecake, gorge themselves and emerge with their faces and whiskers totally slicked with it. They quickly lost almost all interest in the healthy food, and the restraint they used to show around healthy food disappeared. Within six weeks, their obesity rates soared.

After this change, Dr. Kenny and his colleague tweaked the experiment again (in a way that seems cruel to me, a former KFC addict). They took all the processed food away and gave the rats their old healthy diet. Dr. Kenny was confident that they would eat more of it, proving that processed food had expanded their appetites. But something stranger happened. It was as though the rats no longer recognized healthy food as food at all, and they barely ate it. Only when they were starving did they reluctantly start to consume it again.

Though Dr. Kenny’s study was in rats, we can see forms of this behavior everywhere. We are all living in Cheesecake Park — and the satiety-stealing effect of industrially assembled food is evidently what has created the need for these medications. Drugs like Ozempic work precisely by making us feel full. Carel le Roux, a scientist whose research was important to the development of these drugs, says they boost what he and others once called “satiety hormones.”

Once you understand this context, it becomes clear that processed and ultraprocessed food create a raging hole of hunger, and these treatments can repair that hole. Michael Lowe, a professor of psychology at Drexel University who has studied hunger for 40 years, told me the drugs are “an artificial solution to an artificial problem.”

Yet we have reacted to this crisis largely caused by the food industry as if it were caused only by individual moral dereliction. I felt like a failure for being fat and was furious with myself for it. Why do we turn our anger inward and not outward at the main cause of the crisis? And by extension, why do we seek to shame people taking Ozempic but not those who, say, take drugs to lower their blood pressure?

The answer, I think, lies in two very old notions. The first is the belief that obesity is a sin. When Pope Gregory I laid out the seven deadly sins in the sixth century, one of them was gluttony, usually illustrated with grotesque-seeming images of overweight people. Sin requires punishment before you can get to redemption. Think about the competition show “The Biggest Loser,” on which obese people starve and perform extreme forms of exercise in visible agony in order to demonstrate their repentance.

The second idea is that we are all in a competition when it comes to weight. Ours is a society full of people fighting against the forces in our food that are making us fatter. It is often painful to do this: You have to tolerate hunger or engage in extreme forms of exercise. It feels like a contest in which each thin person creates additional pressure on others to do the same. Looked at in this way, people on Ozempic can resemble athletes like the cyclist Lance Armstrong who used performance-enhancing drugs. Those who manage their weight without drugs might think, “I worked hard for this, and you get it for as little as a weekly jab?”

We can’t find our way to a sane, nontoxic conversation about obesity or Ozempic until we bring these rarely spoken thoughts into the open and reckon with them. You’re not a sinner for gaining weight. You’re a typical product of a dysfunctional environment that makes it very hard to feel full. If you are angry about these drugs, remember the competition isn’t between you and your neighbor who’s on weight-loss drugs. It’s between you and a food industry constantly designing new ways to undermine your satiety. If anyone is the cheat here, it’s that industry. We should be united in a struggle against it and its products, not against desperate people trying to find a way out of this trap.

There are extraordinary benefits as well as disturbing risks associated with weight-loss drugs. Reducing or reversing obesity hugely boosts health, on average: We know from years of studying bariatric surgery that it slashes the risks of cancer, heart disease and diabetes-related death. Early indications are that the new anti-obesity drugs are moving people in a similar radically healthier direction, massively reducing the risk of heart attack or stroke. But these drugs may increase the risk for thyroid cancer. I am worried they diminish muscle mass and fear they may supercharge eating disorders. This is a complex picture in which the evidence has to be weighed very carefully.

But we can’t do that if we remain lost in stories inherited from premodern popes or in a senseless competition that leaves us all, in the end, losers. Do we want these weight loss drugs to be another opportunity to tear one another down? Or do we want to realize that the food industry has profoundly altered the appetites of us all — leaving us trapped in the same cage, scrambling to find a way out?

Johann Hari is a British journalist and the author of “Magic Pill: The Extraordinary Benefits — and Disturbing Risks — of the New Weight Loss Drugs,” among other books.

Source photographs by seamartini, The Washington Post, and Zana Munteanu via Getty Images.

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IELTS Preparation with Liz: Free IELTS Tips and Lessons, 2024

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IELTS Essays: Five Types of IELTS Essays

There are 5 types of IELTS essays which can appear in IELTS writing task 2. These types of essays are for both GT and Academic writing task 2. Below you will find sample essay questions for each type of essay and links to model answers.  Please note that IELTS teachers sometimes divide essays into different categories based on how they teach.

1) IELTS Opinion Essay

This type of essay is where you are presented with someone else’s opinion and you are asked if you agree or disagree with it. The opinion is often flawed or extreme in its views. Some teachers call this the Argumentative Essay. The instructions can be written in a number of ways. Below are a few examples:

• To what extent do you agree?
• Do you agree?
• Do you agree or disagree?
• What is your opinion?

No matter how the instructions are written, you can take any position you want: agree, disagree or partial agreement (balanced view). Below is an example essay question:

Opinion Essay Question:  Some people think that only electric cars should be allowed on the road by 2040. Do you agree?

2) IELTS Discussion Essay

This type of essay presents you with a statement and you must present the two sides. This might be two sides of the same issue:

Some people think there should be free health care for all people, but others disagree. Discuss both sides.

Or it might be two separate issues which you need to discuss:

Some people think that urban spaces should be used for parks rather than for housing. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

3) IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Essays

There are two types of questions in this category.

i) Advantage and Disadvantage Essay

This is similar to a discussion essay where you are given a statement must present the positive and negative side of the issue:

Some people think it is good for students to take a gap year before going to university. What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing so?

ii) Outweigh Essay

This is by far the most difficult of the two essay types in this category. It requires you to present an opinion and explain your opinion.

Some people think the world will eventually have only one language. Do you think the advantages of having one global language outweigh the disadvantages?

4) IELTS Solution Essays

There are a number of types of possible questions in this category:

i) Solution Only

Some children have serious weight problems. What are the possible solutions?

ii) Cause Solution

Children in rural areas are being left behind in their academic development. Why is this is the case? What solutions can you suggest?

iii) Problem Solution

More and more people are moving to cities to look for work. What problems does this cause? What are the possible solutions?

5) Direct Questions Essays

Some teachers call these the Two Question Essay. However, these types of essay questions might contain one, two or three questions for you to answer. Below are some examples.

Pollution around the world is becoming a serious problem. Do you think this is a problem that should be solved internationally or on a local level?

In the question above, you are asked one specific question. Your whole essay must tackle this question only.

More and more people are choosing to work from home. Is this a positive or negative development?

This essay question has just one issue and one question. You must explain what type of development you think working from home is.

Some people spend a lot of money on weddings. Why do they do this? Do you think it is good to spend a lot of money on weddings?

Above, you will see you have been presented with two questions to answer: reasons and opinion (evaluating if it is good or not.) 

News editors decide what to print in newspapers and what to broadcast on TV. What factors do you think influence these decisions? Do we become used to bad news? Would it be better if more news was reported?

As you can see there are three questions to answer in this essay question. It is not common to get three questions. If you get three, just tackle them one at a time in a logical order.

Practice Essay Questions for IELTS

You can find over 100 essay questions to practice on this page: 100 IELTS Essay Questions . The questions are divided first into topics and then into essay types. This way you can get lots of practice before your actual test day.

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Response to opinion based essay:

Electric cars are progressively replacing non-electric cars by the end of 2040. While it is possible that electric ones will eventually replace the other cars, it is unlikely that they will end up serving the same purpose. This essay will discuss why only few electric cars will be carried out by people.

Electric cars may eventually replace non-electric cars that are not compatible for the environment. Many people think that only electric powered vehicles should be allowed on the road because they emit far less emissions,and less maintenance is required. In China, for example many non-electric motors have been replaced by plug-in vehicles that are more environment friendly and budgeted. For these reasons, cars that can be replaced by electricity will be replaced.

Conversely, there are multiple factors that only electric cars will not be allowed only. Put simply, these factors include affordability and infrastructure development. A necessary framework including charging stations, grid capacity must be required. Without charging stations, drivers may face anxiety and hesitant to switch to electric cars. Additionally, switching completely to electric ones will increase a demand of charging from the grid stations.

It is increasingly likely that powered vehicles will end most non-powered cars. In most of the countries, traveling will be done entirely by electric cars; however, where the money and development are major issues they will always exist. Ultimately, addition of very few electrical cars is valuable but it is not a complete replacement of other cars.

Please get my advanced lessons to learn the correct way to write an IELTS essay: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/ . Each advanced lesson takes 1 hour for me to explain how to write one type of essay. It isn’t something I can explain in a short message. An IELTS essay has specific requirements which you need to learn about. If I could give you small pointers, I would. But you really need to learn the right way in detail.

dear Liz i am very grateful to u for presenting helpful notes here. they are truly informative. i downloaded your series of grammar book last year and learned quite good topics that i used to find challenging. do you have any grammar notes for IELTS beginners?

Sorry, I don’t have anything for beginners. My Grammar E-book basically covers everything I can thing of. Is there something specific you are interested in? If you let me know, I could plan to create something.

Hlo mam ..I am not able to use proper grammer in task 1 ..and to be honest I don’t know which grammer is to be use in different graphs charts etc could u plz tell me mam..r can u plz tell me the accurate souce where ..would I find ..proper … instructions tht how to or what grammer we should use in task 1..I would be very helpful if u rply…??

I don’t have one page or one lesson which focuses on all aspects of grammar for all types of task 1 writing. I suggest you review all my model answers and make notes on sentence structure, tenses, prepositions, articles, noun phrases, clauses, word order etc etc. Model answers can be used for more than only studying structure or general content. Then review all practice lessons and also pay attention to the grammar being used. There’s a lot of free materials to study: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-1-lessons-and-tips/

hy liz i want to sample answers of ielts academic writing task 2

Model essays and tips for writing task 2 are found on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

Hello Liz, please I want to be receiving updates to enable me prepare for my IELTS exam.

There are over 300 page of practice lessons, tips, model answers and topics on this website which you should be using now for your IELTS preparation. Go to the HOME page to learn how to use this website. I post new lessons and tips once or twice a month because my website already has so many tips and lessons.

Hi Liz, Do I write and underline my headings for example, do I write an introduction underline, and do the same with other headings?

My second question is do I write an introduction, overview, Paragraphs 1&2, then conclusion for task 2, essay writing?

As you can see from my model essays, no titles or headings are required for your essay. The paragraph format you can find tips for on the main writing task 2 page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/ You’ll also find model essays on that page.

Hi Liz, Kindly advise which are the two top essay types that frequently appears on the test day. I am expecting to take IELTS test two weeks from now and think I do not have enough time to practice all 5 question types. In addition, I assume that each question types are not equally tested. Thank you for your kindness.

No matter what people tell you, all the types of essays are possible. Focusing on only two is really taking a risk. You have two weeks before your test which is quite a lot of time to review the five types and ideas for topics as well. If I had to pick two types of essays, it would be the Opinion Essay and the Discussion Essay – but it really could be any type. Here is my advice, get my three advanced lessons for writing task 2, together they will cover three types of essays in three hours all together. This is a link to my store: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/ . For the other two types of essays, review my model essays on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/ , also review the linking words, how many paragraphs and other tips as well. Good luck!!

Hello Liz, is it okay to use templates for writing task 2 that is available online some say it decrease our band score while others say it will increase our band scores. I am really confused at the moment.

If you are aiming for a low band score, it’s fine. If you are aiming for a higher band score, it won’t help. The examiners are trained to spot the difference between a templated essay with memorised language in it and an essay that shows your own level of English.

I learnt a lot from Your lessons and only because of You I achieved the score I was aiming for. Honestly, thank You very very much. You are doing a wonderful job.

Best wishes from Lithuania!

I’m glad to hear you got the score you needed. Well done 🙂 Greetings to all in Lithuania!

I just want to ask, in the opinion essay, should we always present both sides? For instance, if the question only asks for our opinion on the matter (no mention of discussing both sides) should we still do it? Alternatively, can we just structure the essay to show our opinion and each paragraph elaborates on reasons why that is our opinion? Will doing it this way (not mentioning both sides) adversely affect our band score? Thank you!

I suggest you get my Advanced Lessons to learn properly. I generally don’t teach how to write an Opinion Essay in a short message. It takes me nearly an hour by video to do this. Here’s a link to my store: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

Thank you so much Liz. This video has been helpful. I have a question.

In Britain, when someone gets old they often go to live in a home with other old people where there are nurses to look after them. Sometimes the government has to pay for this care. Who do you think should pay for this care, the government or the family? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Is this an opinion essay which will follow exactly the structure you just taught or a discussion essay.

This is a Direct Question essay. Please remember that each teacher gives different names for essay types. I call this the Direct Question Essay because you are being given a direct question to answer. It might be one question, two or even three questions. Your whole essay explains your answer.

Hi Liz Do you think this is a positive or negative development? What type of essay is this please?

I’ve just added it to the page above. Take a look.

Hello Liz: I recently came across this essay. My question is what type of essay is this? Do you have any model essays on this type of essay? The essay is: In your view, what is the most important thing for governments to spend money on: education, health, transportation, or something else? Give reasons for your answers and include any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge.

You said that you “came across” this essay question. Where did you come across it? Did you find it in one of the IELTS Cambridge test books? Only use authentic test questions. If you don’t use proper sources for your IELTS preparation, you will easily get confused about the test and this won’t help your preparation.

Thanks, Liz! This is now clear to me as I came across the question from a ‘model IELTS Essay topics’. published by a local company.

That sounds like the problem. You ought to use the IELTS Cambridge test books which are real test published by IELTS. I have collected over 100 essay questions over the years and they are also safe to use. You can find them linked to the main writing task 2 section of this site: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

Thank you, Liz, for your comments and the link. I wish you good health and happiness!

Hope you are keeping well. I am not able to score more than 6.5 in my writing test. I have scored 8.5 in Listening, Reading & Speaking but writing disappoints every time. Where can I find model answer to evaluate where am I lacking? I have taken 2 computer based tests for far and scheduled 3rd one in 5 days. I need band score 7 in Writing to achieve my target.

You can find some model answers in the main writing task 2 section my website along with other essential tips: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/ . I also have paid advanced lessons which might help you understand where you are going wrong. They can be bought in my online store: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/ . Each lesson focuses on one specific essay type and explains paragraph by paragraph what to do.

Liz, thank you so much for your help. Two weeks ago I took the IELTS exam and surprisingly get 9 in Reading section!

Fantastic!! Well done to you 🙂

Hi Liz,I really need help with opinion essays especially for the part that asks to what extent do you agree or disagree?am I supposed to discuss both sides,thank you

I suggest you get my advanced lessons for the opinion essay: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/ . It isn’t something that can be taught in a short message.

Your materials and videos have sincerely been helpful. Thank you very much for such a selfless act. My exam is in a week time, I have only 10days to prepare for my IELTS GT. I would give you an update on how it goes. Cheers

Hi Liz! I am preparing for my IELTS and I have found your website very helpful, very precise information is given and it talk to the point. thank you for providing good content. keep up the great work.

reagrds Neha Shah

You’re welcome 🙂

Thanks a lot Liz . Your materials and tutorials helped me a lot in my preparation for my IELTS . Followed your tips and videos for 3 weeks . Able to score 7.5 overall.

Thank you again for the great help you provide.

Wonderful news! Very well done 🙂 It’s a great overall score!

Thank you so much Liz for the work you do. Your videos, website and materials helped me in my preparations. I just got my results, it was a band 8 overall. Have a splendid 2022.

Wonderful !! A great result! Wishing you all the best for 2022 !! 🙂

Hi Liz I’m from Sri Lanka. Thank you for all your guidance. Today I sat for IELTS academic paper. Task 1 was a bar chart, percentage of young people in higher education in for countries in 3 years. Task 2- news has no connection with people’s life so it’s a waste of time to read best from newspaper and watch news program on tv. To which extent do you agree. I hope these will help you. Waru

Hi Liz, I follow all your videos and they are very helpful. I gave my speaking exam last week. But now I think the cue card question was to describe a leisure activity I enjoy and I talked about a leisure activity I am planning to enjoy. I am really worried if it will affect my band score. But my talk was fluent . Can you give me your insights?

It won’t make any difference to your score. As long as your talk is based on the main topic (leisure activity), it’s ok. Your score won’t be negatively impacted in any way at all.

Hi Liz, Im Janet from kenya. thank you for the good work you are doing. im preparing for my exams in 4 weeks time. your content is very helpful and I like the way you explain things. im a slow learner and i find your pace very good for me. Thank you again. keep up the good job.

Good luck with your preparation and test 🙂

Thank you Liz

Hi Liz, hope you are doing well. Liz I have silly question I know but I’m really stuck in this problem and I was wondering if you can help me with this issue.. The problem is writing a topic sentence, you said in advanced lectures that topic sentence should be written carefully because it is kind of more important .. Please can you tell me that among these 2 topic sentences of BP1, which one is okay and looks relevant?

1] Although we are living in prosperous times, with people in many countries enjoying a higher standard of living than ever before, there are still millions of people in the world who are living in poverty.

2] Instead of wasting lots of money on exploration of space, governments ought to focus on local problems such as poverty eradication. There are millions of……

Essay statement; Space exploration is a luxury that we cannot afford. Instead of spending billions of dollars on space programs, governments should use this money to fight global problems such as poverty, disease and climate change. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion.

Kind regards

The first step is to underline the key words in the essay question: space exploration, spending billions, fighting global problems (examples). Now make sure your topic sentence covers those aspects. Neither of the topic sentences you have listed really works because, while the second one is obviously more carefully connected to the essay question, it doesn’t leave room for any other paragraph as you are tackling all problems in one paragraph. Also it switches from global problems to local problems which is confusing. However, in terms of which of your sentences connects to the essay question properly, it is the second one. This essay is all about funding for space exploration and whether it is relevant in today’s world or not given all our global problems.

I love your lessons and tips. They are really helpful and you are extraordinarily devoting. Here I have a question about the answer you left under Khola’s comment. What do you mean by “no room left for other paragraphs as you tackled all problems in one paragraph”?

Looking forward to your response.

Sincerely, Ella

It means that if you put all your ideas into one paragraph, you won’t have any more ideas for other paragraphs. By choosing one main focal point for one paragraph, you have the ability to use other ideas for other paragraphs. So many people say “I can’t think of how to make my essay long enough”. The answer is to be more careful about how you use your ideas. First, brainstorm ideas. Then select the best ideas. Then decide carefully which ideas can go into which paragraph. Then pay attention as to whether some ideas should go together or some ideas should be separated into different paragraphs. There is a lot to think about in the planning stage. It is crucial to plan carefully and strategically.

Electric cars are currently being developed by many well-known automotive companies. Many people still question whether electric cars are a feasible replacement for petrol and diesel-fuelled vehicles. In this essay, I will explore the opinions for and against the use of electric cars and their replacement of petrol and diesel-fuelled cars.

On one hand, electric cars are environment friendly. They require no non-renewable energy and are clean to run and maintain on the road. To support this opinion, recent studies show that the use of electric cars helps to curb pollution in urban and rural areas. Clearly, electric cars are one way to tackle ecological concerns and support a ‘greener’ environment.

On the other hand, electric cars are inconvenient to maintain and to dispose of. The driver of an electric vehicle must recharge his car approximately every 100 kms. In addition, the plutonium battery of an electric car is toxic to the environment and must be safely disposed of through expensive means. In brief, scientists are still exploring ways to produce these types of vehicles so that they are easier to manufacture, maintain and use safely.

To sum up, it’s evident that there are both pros and cons of electric vehicles. Despite the expense of development and the inconvenience of recharging electric cars, I still believe strongly that it is well worth the investment to continue research and production of these vehicles. To conclude, we should remain open, supportive to the use of electric cars and to their development in the future.

Recently i sat for IELTS exam, and the GT Writting Task 2 was about transport and they asked “ Do you think it has more advantages or more disadvantage?”

For this would it be option question or Adv/Disadv question? How is the structure for that type?

I wrote both sides and gave my opinion in the conclusion… but not sure if its right… i got 6.5 for writing.

Also, if you can advise how they ask the questions to determine what type of essay it would be so it can easy for us to identify.

Thanks and appreciate all your help.

That is an “outweigh” essay – do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Hi Liz I have my exam this week and searching for model questions for April 2021. I checked on your site but model essay questions were available till March so if you can recommend me to follow something for latest Also, can you please share me the link for model answers of March Model Essay Questions?

I am eagerly waiting to hear from you.

The model essays are to be used for all years of the test. The topics are often recycled and the techniques for essay writing are 100% the same as always. The test format hasn’t changed and neither has the marking. All pages of this site are 100% relevant to the test today.

I have purchased material from you in 2019 but somehow because of my system crash I could not recover anything. Please can you share the link to access the notes that will be very grateful as I want to reattempt IELTS again. Because of Corona, I was not in my town to connect with you regarding this.

I’ve just resent your access link. Check both your inbox and spam folder.

Hi I booked my test in May 2021 I was just wondering which one is latest book i can refer? I have heard Cambridge books are best but I’m not aware about which version i should go for. Your help would be really appreciated

The IELTS Cambridge books are numbered, at present, from 1 to 15. Number 15 is the most recent and was published in 2020. However, all the books provide useful practice. The general format of the test has not changed. I personally would recommend books from 7 to 15. In July 2021, book 16 will be published.

Hello Liz, this is my first message ever. I would like to thank you for your devotion. Can I start a “ solutions” body in the problem solution essay with “ to get around these problems “ as I found this linking device from the “ new scientist” journal whose translation is seemingly appropriate to that, at least to me.

This means a way to avoid the problem rather that solve the problem. So, it wouldn’t be appropriate for an IELTS essay which asks for solutions. It is better to use: The most effective way to tackle this problem is… X is the way to deal with this issue The answer to solving this problem is ….

Hi Liz, In my exam I got the question of “Are there more advantages or more disadvantages” Is it similar to “Do advantages outweigh disadvantages” ?

Yes, it is 100% the same.

Thanks mam these are quite useful essays.

In the public version of the IELTS writing marking criteria, some linkers are called mechanical and it limit your band score. Some teachers say words like firstly,On one hand,on the other hand are example. I notice you use such words or phrases in ur sample essays. Are they really mechanical? Can you enlighten on what the band descriptors calls mechanical linker

The linkers themselves are not mechanical. All the linking words you have written are suitable for IELTS up to band score 9. The problem is how people use them. It is there use that becomes mechanical. If you have three paragraphs and each one starts with a linking words: Firstly, Secondly, Thirdly, it is similar to a machine that always does the same thing each time. So, to avoid this you must be flexible. So, use all suitable linking words, but use them flexibly. The mechanical use of linking words is typical of a band 6 in Coherence and Cohesion. This means that if you are aiming for band 7 and above, you need to use signposting more flexibly.

Your website and materials helped me a lot in my preparations for my ielts test.

I scored a band 8 overall after about 4 weeks of regular practice.

Thank you Liz for the work you do.

Great news! Very well done 🙂

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