· The most important thing about the problem solution essay is the structure, which, as you may have already noticed, is reflected in its name. In other words, what makes an essay a «problem solution» one is the particular structure, in which the first paragraph is telling about a certain problem and the next is suggesting the possible solution In most cases, problem-solution essay represents an argumentative writing piece where a particular challenge is chosen as a research topic. Once a problem is identified, one or more solutions are offered with brief explanation as to why specified method has been chosen A problem solution essay is used to state a problem and the methods to solve it. It is argumentative writing in which you also aim to persuade a person’s opinion. Mostly you aim to convince the reader for a particular action
IELTS Problem Solution Essays – Step-by-Step Guide – IELTS Jacky
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. Sometimes, however, you will only a problem solution essay required to write about possible solutions. Want to watch and listen to this lesson? Click on this video. 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 words in the 40 minutes allowed in the exam.
Here are two typical IELTS problem solution essay questions. They consist of a statement followed by the question or instruction. One problem faced by almost every large city is traffic congestion. What do you think the causes are?
What solutions can you suggest? 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 a problem solution essay 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?
Here are the key words and their synonyms used in the questions above. 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, a problem solution essay.
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 These six errors are common in IELTS problem solution essays. 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, a problem solution essay.
You must choose just one or two problems and pick solutions directly linked to them. Explain them and give examples, a problem solution essay. 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. Topic sentence — state the solution Explanation — give detail explaining the solution Example — give an example 4 Conclusion.
Most questions will state problems, causes and solutions in the plural, that is, more than one. However, it is acceptable to write about a problem solution essay one. This will give you an essay of just over the minimum words. What solutions can you sugge st? This is an essential step in the planning process and will ensure that you answer the question fully. You just need to identify 3 different types of 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.
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 a problem solution essay asked to write about. The other keywords in the question tell you the specific topic you must write about. 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.
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. 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. Imagine that you are chatting a problem solution essay 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, a problem solution essay. You might want to try this yourself before reading on for my ideas. 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. My advice on making your selection is to choose ideas you can quickly think of an example to illustrate. Cause — Too many cars on the roads. Solution — Park-and-ride schemes.
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.
For example:. Good introductions to IELTS problem solution essays have a simple 2 part structure:. Question: One problem faced by almost every large city is traffic congestion. Paraphrased question:. O ne of the most serious issues facing the majority a problem solution essay large urban areas is traffic jams.
Note my use of synonyms to replace key words in the question statement. Here they are again. And, this is one way to develop them into an outline sentence, a problem solution essay. 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. Main body paragraph 1 — Too many cars on the roads.
Main body paragraph 2 — Park-and-ride schemes. Main body paragraphs in IELTS problem solution essays should contain 3 things:. The topic sentence summarises the main idea of the paragraph. It plays an important role in ensuring that your ideas flow logically from one to another. It does a problem solution essay by acting as a signpost for what is to come next, that is, what the paragraph will be about, a problem solution essay.
If you maintain a clear development of ideas throughout your essay, you will get high marks for task achievement and cohesion and coherence. 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. 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.
Main idea 2 — A problem solution essay schemes.
Problem-Solution Essay - Body Paragraphs
, time: 3:11How to Write an Problem-Solution Essay | Full Guide by HandmadeWriting
· One type of essay that is often found in the IELTS Writing section is the problem-solution type essay. Here you are presented a problem and is asked to suggest a suitable solution specific to the blogger.comted Reading Time: 8 mins · As its name suggests, the problems solution essay is a writing assignment where you need to find a problem relevant to modern society and then figure out ways to solve it. You need to use your critical thinking to find the best solutions and then A problem solution essay is used to state a problem and the methods to solve it. It is argumentative writing in which you also aim to persuade a person’s opinion. Mostly you aim to convince the reader for a particular action
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