How to write an IELTS problem and solution essay

Problem and solution questions describe a situation and ask you to explain it and fix it. The wording varies: What are the causes of this problem and what solutions can you suggest?, What problems does this cause, and what can be done?, or How can this be tackled? Read carefully, because “causes” and “problems” are different jobs.

Answer exactly what is asked

• Causes and solutions: explain why the problem happens, then how to fix it.
• Problems (effects) and solutions: explain what harm it does, then how to reduce it.
• Causes and effects: no solutions needed at all.

Writing about effects when the question asks for causes is one of the most common reasons these essays lose Task Response marks.

The strongest essays link each solution to a cause

A list of unrelated solutions looks random. Instead, match them:

Cause: cheap, sugary food is everywhere. Solution: a tax on sugary drinks makes the healthy choice the cheaper one.

When each solution answers a cause you have already explained, the essay reads as one argument rather than two lists, and Coherence improves without a single extra linking word.

A four-paragraph plan

1. Introduction: paraphrase the problem and say, in one line, what the main cause and your main solution are.
2. Body 1, causes (or problems): one or two, each explained with an example.
3. Body 2, solutions: one or two practical measures, each linked to a cause, saying who should act and why it would work.
4. Conclusion: sum up the cause and the solution in one or two sentences.

“The government should do something” is not a solution. Name the measure, who carries it out, and what it changes: “Councils could add bus lanes, so buses become faster than cars at rush hour.”

Useful language

• Causes: The main reason is…, This stems from…, …is largely driven by…
• Effects: As a result,…, This leads to…, The consequence is that…
• Solutions: One practical measure would be…, This could be tackled by…, If…, then…

A conditional sentence is a natural fit for solutions: “If cities priced congestion, fewer people would drive alone at peak times.”

Practise

Read the model answers on childhood obesity (with a band 6 version), traffic congestion, housing costs and stress at work. Then pick a problem and solution question.