problem and solution ielts essay topics

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.

Subscribe newsletter

• Phone: +91 8466016171
• Whatsapp: +91 8208375580
• Email: contact@leapscholar.com

Problem Solution Essay IELTS: Topics & Sample Questions

• Last Updated On July 29, 2024
• Published In IELTS Preparation 💻

Problem and solution essay IELTS or cause and solution essay IELTS is a common type of essay question asked in the IELTS Writing Task 2 Exam. Herein, a problem is presented to the candidate and you are asked to suggest relevant, specific, and possible solutions regarding the same.

Table of Content

Table of Contents

Excel in IELTS with India’s Top Online Coaching

Leap has helped more than 1 Lakh students achieve 7+ IELTS band.

You can either write about 2 problems with both their solutions or discuss one major problem and one solution. As long as you extend and explain your ideas, you will be able to communicate your thoughts to the examiner. Maintain a formal tone throughout your essay. In a problem solution essay IELTS, examiner might ask the candidate to discuss any of the following:

• Cause of the problem
• Effect of a problem
• Methods to prevent the problem
• Possible and effective solutions to the problem

Problem Solution Essay IELTS Question: Evaluation Factors

IELTS writing tests are evaluated across 4 main factors or areas when your IELTS band scores are calculated. These areas are:

• Achievement of the task – The examiner notices here to what extent you have addressed all the parts of the task with explained and well-developed ideas.
• Cohesion and Coherence – The logical flow and organisation of your ideas and information are examined here. The examiner notices whether the essay has a logical progression of thoughts.
• Lexical Resource – The vocabulary used in the essay and its accuracy are examined here. You should use lexical items with sophistication.
• Grammatical accuracy and range – Lastly, the examiner evaluates whether the candidate has used the grammatical structures accurately. Sentences with sophisticated clauses and a clear flow should be used.

Tips to Create a Problem Solution Essay IELTS Structure

While structuring the essay in your head, make sure to use a proper approach to these questions. The steps to structure the essays are:

Consult IELTS Expert for a Free Personalised Learning Plan

Improve your IELTS speaking score with a 1:1 consultation.

Analyse the question thoroughly

Analysing the question is a crucial part of answering any IELTS writing essay questions. You can analyse the question in the best way through three main things:

• Keywords : These are the specific words that inform you about the general topic.
• Micro Keywords : These keywords identify the parts of the general topic that the examiner wants you to focus on. They generally give an opinion by emphasising a sub-category of the topic.
• Action Words : Instruction words or action words make it clear for the candidates what the examiner wants them to do.

Think of Ideas

Now that the purpose of the question is clear to you, form a specific idea for the essay in your head. For each problem you think of, identify a direct solution for the same.

Explore all countries

Follow the structure & write down the essay.

Write down the essay by ensuring to follow a proper structure, including an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The essay should include examples and discuss possible solutions.

Also Read: Latest 50+ IELTS Essay Topics in 2022

Problem Solution Essay IELTS Pattern

A basic four-paragraph structure should be used to structure the problem solution essay IELTS. The structure is as follows:

Paragraph 1 – Introduction

In the introduction paragraph, you can first paraphrase the statement part of the question and outline the ideas to be discussed in the essay further. Paraphrasing the questions means rephrasing the sentence without changing its meaning using synonyms. The outline sentence helps the examiner to understand what they can expect from the essay and thus ensure clarity. Cohesion and clarity play an important role in the scoring of the essay.

Paragraph 2 – Problems

In the second paragraph, state the problems you thought of and then explain the first problem and the second problem in the second half of the essay thoroughly.

Paragraph 3 – Solutions

In the third paragraph, list down the solutions to the problems listed above, the first solution with its examples, and then the second solution, along with relevant examples that support the solution.

Paragraph 4 – Conclusion

In the conclusion paragraph, cover all the important points discussed in the above 3 paragraphs and end your essay.

Problem Solution Essay IELTS: Key Points to Remember

Some of the main points to remember while attempting the problem solution essay task 2 questions in IELTS are:

• You have only 40 minutes to complete the essay writing task, and you have to write a minimum of 250 words.
• Use linking words, collocations, and phrases to ensure a flow in the essay.
• If you are using any facts or statistical data, make sure it is accurate and reliable.
• Make sure that the introduction is clear and engaging. It helps the examiner to get a sense of what will be discussed in the essay further.
• Use refined and accurate grammar and vocabulary, which will help the examiner understand your proficiency in the language.
• Provide relevant examples to explain your content. An explanation of your opinions is the best way to ensure a higher IELTS score.
• Identify the keywords and secondary keywords. Relate them with the problems and the solutions, and make sure to include the keywords in the content. 
• Plan the problems you are going to discuss in your head and the possible solutions before writing them down.
• The paragraphs should be ideally balanced by discussing the problems in one body paragraph and solutions in the second body paragraph.

Also Read: Updated List Vocabulary for IELTS 2022

Common Mistakes

Though problem and solution essay in IELTS are highly asked in the exam, there are some common mistakes that are made by the candidates. Some of these mistakes that a candidate can avoid while attempting these types of questions are:

• Candidates often do not expand on their ideas and often list down a lot of problems and solutions. The examiners mark the essays on the basis of the explanation of the problems and solutions listed. It is usually advised to pick a problem or two along with their solutions and then explain them with relevant examples.
• Another common mistake by the candidates is writing indirectly about solutions that are not directly related to the questions. You should opt for concrete ideas rather than writing a generalised answer. Identify the keywords and the micro-keywords from the question and try to include those in the topic.
• Many people often list down good problems but fail to link them with the solutions. Each problem should have a directly linked solution that actually solves the problem.
• Learn to identify the problem and solution and causes and solution questions as both of them might look similar but have a certain difference in how they are to be structured.
• Avoid writing in absolute terms by using qualifiers which ensure that your sentences look like claims rather than proven facts.

Problem Solution Essay IELTS Sample Questions

There are many themes for the problem solution essay topics IELTS related to various problems. Some of the problem solution essay IELTS topics questions for your practice are as given below:

Theme 1 – Cities

• Nowadays, it is getting difficult for people to enjoy their lives in cities. Why do you think this is? What can the government do to make life in cities more enjoyable?
• In large cities, the issue of overpopulation has been a significant cause of concern which leads to a lack of jobs and traffic congestion. What is the cause of this? How can government help in solving this problem?
• In many cities and urban areas around the world, crime is increasing. What is the cause of this? How can governments help to prevent the crimes?

Theme 2 – Technology & the Internet

• People from older generations face difficulty in using new technology. What is the cause behind this? What are some possible solutions to this problem?
• A lot of children spend time on social media surfing the internet and playing video games, which hurts their studies and grades and makes them experience loneliness and health problems such as obesity. What is the reason behind this? What can the parents do to prevent it?
• The internet has changed the way information is consumed and shared among people. What are some serious issues a person can face associated with the internet, and what solutions can be implemented?

Theme 3 – Environment or Climate Change

• Sea levels have steadily risen in recent years. What do you think is the reason behind this? How can it be fixed?
• Many countries around the world are suffering from poor water and air quality, which is harmful to all of us, especially older people. What is the cause of this? How can it be solved?
• Climate change and global warming is a serious threat the world is facing, which is reducing the average life expectancy. What are some causes of this? How can governments and healthcare sectors solve this problem?

IELTS Advantages & Disadvantage Essay Topics   

Foreign Language IELTS Sample Essay

A sample of the Problem Solution Essay Example Question IELTS for Writing Test 2 is given below for your reference:

As social media continue to develop, more and more youngsters have unsupervised access to all the contents available over the internet in order to meet and chat with friends and even strangers, which can lead to some potentially dangerous situations. What solutions can you suggest to deal with this problem?

Problem Solution Essay IELTS

In the modern era, a large number of young people use the internet to meet and talk with friends via social media. Due to social media and the growth of the internet in the 21st century, many children are facing issues related to their health and the expression of their feelings as a result of the lack of face-to-face interaction. This issue can be solved by opting for some measures.

To begin with, there are many people all over the world who use the internet for their work or education purposes. As a result, everyone uses it until late at night, which can lead to a variety of health issues, such as vision problems from constantly staring at computers or mobile phones and spinal curvatures from excessive sitting in front of computers and laptops. Secondly, due to the nature of online meetings and conversations, there is a lack of face-to-face interaction among people due to which youngsters are unable to express their feelings due to the loss of peer interaction.

Parents can help in resolving these issues by blocking the access of children to websites that are not children-friendly. In addition to that, parents can encourage children to go out and play instead of being on the internet all day in exchange for a surprise or more quality time. Social media companies can also contribute to the solution by restricting the access of children to the platforms on the basis of their age, which can protect them from content that is not suitable for them. For example, the social media platform Facebook recently updated its privacy policies to restrict access to children under the age of ten.

To summarise, young people use the internet to interact with various types of people online without any supervision, which gives them a sense of freedom and confidence in sending unethical messages to others. To stay out of it, parents should monitor their communication and provide suitable guidance and advice to their children.

Problem Solution Essay IELTS is a type of question that includes problems for which you have to find solutions through a logical flow of thought. 40 minutes are given to complete the 250-word essay writing task. The structure of the essay for a problem-solving question includes an introduction, a discussion of problems, possible solutions with examples, and a conclusion. 

The introduction has an overview of the essay. The main body paragraphs discuss the problems along with their direct solutions and examples. The conclusion paragraph summarises your opinion on the task. You need to discuss the problems caused by the issues and the measures to reduce or eliminate the problem altogether.

You do not just need to state problems and solutions but also need to explain the thought process to reach that solution. Make sure the essay is readable and has a logical flow and cohesion.

You can practice for the Problem Solution Essay IELTS by writing on various topics or themes available on the internet ranging from the internet, cities, poverty, problems of rural areas or developing countries, lifestyle in developed countries, success, news, etc.

Related Articles:

• Guide on How to Score 8+ Band in IELTS Speaking
• Covid-19 IELTS Essay
• IELTS Band Requirement for different Countries

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i write the problem and solution both in one paragraph.

Ans. No, you can not write the problem and solution both in the same paragraph, as this will affect the flow and understanding of the essay. The cause and the solution or the problems and the solution will both be discussed in two different paragraphs of the main body.

How can I identify a problem solution essay type?

Ans. In the problem solution essay questions, a topic is given, and you will have to discuss the issues or problems faced in regard to that particular topic. Often, these questions can also ask for your opinion on a particular issue.

What is the difference between a cause solution essay and a problem solution essay IELTS?  

Ans. Problem solution essays and cause solution essays are highly similar. However, there is a subtle difference between the two. A problem solution essay question asks about the problem with regard to a particular topic, whereas the cause solution essay asks about the causes behind an issue. The problem is to be mentioned in both essays. However, in the cause solution essay, you should focus more on the cause of that particular statement.

How can I write a solution paragraph? 

Ans. First of all, for a solution paragraph, you need to develop ideas related to the given problem in your mind to check whether or not your ideas are directly relevant to the problem. After that, you have to decide how you will explain the solution to all the problems in a precise manner. After then, develop your solution with the help of a detailed explanation.

Know More about IELTS

Ielts practice test material.

Know more about IELTS

Get free speaking practice samples.

• Describe a Skill That you can teach other people
• Describe a Place you Visited Where the Air was Polluted
• Describe a Famous Person that you are Interested in
• Describe a Course That You Want to Learn
• Describe a Person who Solved a Problem in Smart Way
• Describe a Prize That You Received
• Describe a Volunteering Experience You Have Had
• Describe a Piece of Good News
• Describe Something you Taught to Your Friend
• Talk About an Interesting Old Person you Met Recently
• Describe a Dinner you Really Enjoyed
• Describe a Story or Novel That Was Interesting to You
• Describe a Time When you Shared Something with Others
• Describe a Toy you Liked in Childhood
• Describe an Interesting Neighbour
• Describe a Competition You Would Like to Take Part In
• Describe an interesting activity that you remember enjoying most in your Primary School
• Describe Your Childhood Friend
• Describe an Object You Find Particularly Beautiful
• Describe a Place Where you are Able to Relax
• Describe a person you know who likes to talk a lot
• Describe a place where you would like to go to relax
• Describe a period when you were busy
• Describe a long-term goal you would like to achieve
• Describe a situation when you helped someone
• Describe a job you would not like to do in the future
• Describe a time when you used a map
• Describe a skill that you learned in your childhood
• Describe an unusual holiday you had
• Describe an exciting activity that you experienced with someone else
• Describe a person who is good at making people feel welcome in his/her home
• Describe A Time You Successfully Did Something Difficult
• Describe Something in Your Country That You Are Interested In
• Describe a Beautiful City
• Describe something you do regularly that helps you work and study better
• Describe a photo that you took and are proud of
• Describe a party that you enjoyed
• Describe a useful object in your home that you can’t live without
• Describe a good advertisement that you think is useful
• Describe an occasion when someone or something made noise
• Describe a sportsperson that you admire
• Describe something that you picked up that was thrown by someone else
• Describe a time that something changed your life in good ways
• Describe a successful person who you once studied or worked with

Get Free Reading Practice Samples

• William henry perkin reading answers
• Why zoos are good reading answers
• Bioluminescence reading answers
• Classifying societies reading answers
• Artificial artists reading answers
• Jargon reading answers
• The Origins of Laughter Reading Answers
• The Innovation of Grocery Stores Reading Answers
• All About the Otter Reading Answers
• The Triune Brain Reading Answers
• Saving the Soil Reading Answers
• Trans Fatty Acids Reading Answers
• A Disaster of Titanic Proportions Reading Answers
• Why Companies Should Welcome Disorder Reading Answers
• Book Review Reading Answers
• Tea Times Reading Answers
• Why are Finland's Schools Successful Reading Answers
• Intelligence and Giftedness Reading Answers
• Animal Minds Parrot Alex Reading Answers
• Crop Growing Skyscrapers Reading Answers
• Secrets of the Swarm Reading Answers
• Walking with Dinosaurs Reading Answers
• The Development of Travel Under the Ocean Reading Answers
• What's so Funny Reading Answers
• The Culture of Chimpanzee Reading Answers
• Clutter Bugs Beware Reading Answer
• Stepwells Reading Answers
• Glaciers Reading Answers

Get Free Writing Practice Samples

• Advantages and Disadvantages Essay with Sample Answers
• Agree and Disagree Essay with Sample Answers
• Problem Solution Essay Topic with Sample Answers
• Every year several languages die out
• Positive or Negative Development Essay with Sample Answers
• Honesty is the best policy essay
• Online shopping essay
• Environment essay topics
• Prevention is better than cure essay

Get Free Listening Practice Samples

• Family excursions listening answers
• Public library listening answers
• Hiring a public room listening answers
• Notes on social programme listening answers
• Accommodation request form listening answers
• Transport survey listening answers
• Mic house agency repairs listening answers
• Holiday rentals listening answer
• Job enquiry listening answers
• Homestay application listening answers
• Library information listening answers
• Free activities in the burnham area listening answers

IELTS Important Information

• IELTS Exam Date
• IELTS Exam Fee
• IELTS Modules
• IELTS Speaking Practice Test
• IELTS Writing Practice Test
• IELTS Reading Practice Test
• IELTS Listening Practice Test
• IELTS Test Centres
• IELTS Results
• Types of IELTS
• IELTS Pattern
• IELTS Exam Eligibilty
• IELTS Slot Booking
• IELTS Band Score
• IELTS Registration
• IELTS Books
• IELTS Preparation
• IELTS Practice Test
• IELTS Speaking Cue Card
• IELTS Speaking Part 1
• IELTS Writing Task 1
• IELTS Writing Task 2
• Task 1 Pie Chart
• Task 1 Table Chart
• Task 1 Bar Graph
• Task 1 Line Graph
• Task 1 Diagram
• IELTS Computer Based Test
• IELTS Paper Based Test
• IELTS One Skill Retake
• IELTS for UKVI
• IELTS Vocabulary

IELTS Test Centre and Dates in India

• IELTS Test Centre and Dates in Hyderabad
• IELTS Test Centre and Dates in Bangalore
• IELTS Test Centre and Dates in Chennai
• IELTS Test Centre and Dates in Amritsar
• IELTS Centre and Dates in Ludhiana
• IELTS Test Centre and Dates in Mumbai
• IELTS Test Centres and Dates in Ahmedabad
• IELTS Centre and Dates in Delhi
• IELTS Test Centres and Dates in Chandigarh
• IELTS Center and Dates in Pune

IELTS Coaching

• IELTS coaching in Chandigarh
• IELTS coaching in Chennai
• IELTS coaching in Hyderabad
• IELTS coaching in Ahmedabad
• IELTS coaching in Dehradun
• IELTS coaching in Bangalore
• IELTS coaching in Jaipur
• IELTS coaching in Laxmi Nagar
• IELTS coaching in Coimbatore
• IELTS coaching in Trivandrum
• IELTS coaching in Gurgaon

Kanika Singh

Kanika took a detour from academics for the corporate world. Now she works as a senior editor specialising in content creation, marketing, and strategy.

Personality Vocabulary IELTS: About People & Personalities

IELTS Academic or General: Which is the Easiest Test?

IELTS Connectors and Linking Words for 2024

CEFR Levels In IELTS: 2024 Guide to CEFR Levels For Language Proficiency Tests

Love this blog share the love, boost your ielts writing score.

Learn how to prepare for IELTS

• 2L+ Leap students sent abroad
• 2L+ students scored 7+ bands

Have Questions? Get Guidance to reach your Dream University

Connect with India's finest counsellors and biggest study abroad community.

Related Blogs

GAP Certificate in 2024: Meaning, Format and Samples

• September 3, 2024

Diploma vs Degree Explained!

• 13 min read

IIT vs MIT: Which is Better, IIT or MIT & Acceptance Rate In 2025

A Guide on USA F-1 Visa Interview Questions and Answers

• 15 min read

Minimum PTE Score Required For Australia in 2025

Top 10 High Salary Courses After 12th Computer Science in 2024

• 11 min read

Popular Blogs

What is a STEM Degree: Courses List, Top Colleges & STEM Education

• March 14, 2024
• 12 Min Read
• 13 Min Read

10 Best MBA Colleges In Germany In 2025

• March 18, 2024
• 11 Min Read

PhD in Ireland for International Students: Top Universities, Tuition Fees & more

• August 29, 2024

Crack IELTS with

7+ bands in 4 weeks.

Get Guidance to reach your

Dream university.

Press ESC to close

Problem and Solution IELTS Essay Topics: A List of Common Essay Topics to Guide You for the Exam

IELTS writing discusses a number of essay topics. From the topics that contend with your own views and one where you discuss different social problems. This is the only segment where you can compose your thoughts and views in an ordered way. Unnecessary to mention, this segment is evaluated very minutely and you need to be completely concentrated in order to score well.

One section that is very recurring in the writing section is the problem-solution style essay in IELTS. Here, you are offered a disturbing situation and are asked to recommend appropriate solutions to a particular situation.

Problem Solution Essay IELTS

Problem-solution essays are among the most important IELTS Writing Task 2 topics on the academic paper. While being so common, a lot of students are not doing well on these topics. This article will focus on some of the more common errors and then take you stepwise to answer certain questions.

Common Mistakes in Problem Solution Essay

• The most common error in problem-solving essays is not to build on your thoughts, but simply to describe a lot of problems and solutions. The interviewer does not require a list of all the issues and ideas that you might think of. Alternatively, the examiner wants you to select one or two problems and solutions and then elaborate on them with details and suggestions if you check into how the exam is graded.
• Writing regarding concerns and solutions that are not specifically related to the issue is another typical error. When addressing the question, you should be like a hunter and just offer very clear suggestions, instead of ideas that simply speak about the overall problem. In the questions that we will look at below, this has a lot to do with how you define keywords and micro-keywords.

Avoid these Mistakes

• Many people conceive of interesting ideas for problems and yet struggle to relate their solutions to these problems. The problem must have a solution that is specifically related to it or, in other words, it should fix the real problem.
• At the end of the day, many candidates dream of pretty interesting questions and ideas that answer the issue correctly and then extend their responses with explanations and examples, but they speak too commonly. Alternatively, you should ask about concrete cases and interpretations.⠀

Also Read: IELTS Writing Task Evaluation with Sample Answer: A Guide To Better Band Score

Analyse the Question: Problem Solution Essay

This is one of the most critical aspects of addressing any written question from IELTS. If you don’t have the opportunity to think thoroughly about what the interviewer is expecting you to do, it is very hard to interpret the question accurately.

We evaluate the problem by worrying about 3 factors:

• Micro-keywords
• Action words

Keywords are the terms that tell us what the basic theme is.

Micro-keywords define which aspect of the general theme the interviewer needs you to address. They also offer an opinion, qualify an argument, or speak about a subcategory of a broader general topic.

The words of action teach us what the investigator needs us to do.

Problem Solution Sample Essay: Problem and Solution IELTS Essay Topics

Problem and Solution IELTS Essay Topics: Global warming is one of the biggest threats humans face in the 21st Century and sea levels are continuing to rise at alarming rates.

What are the problems involved with this and what are some potential solutions?

Part One: Problem Solution Essay IELTS

If we look at the problem, we see that the terms are ‘global warming.’ This is our core concept. We’re trying to talk about this, but we can’t write about any issues associated with global warming. When we do this, we haven’t answered the issue properly. Consequently, we need to focus on micro-keywords.

The micro keywords are ‘humans’ and ‘a rising sea level.’ But rather than only writing about the big issue of global warming and any issues associated with it (such as intensified hurricanes, extinction of many species, soil erosion), we need to worry about how especially rising sea levels could impact humans. Although, for example , we were concerned about issues involving the ‘earth’ or ‘animals’ or the ‘atmosphere,’ we may not have addressed the issue.

Also Read: Describe a Person Who is Very Open: IELTS Speaking Cue Card Sample Answers

Part Two: Problem Solution Essay IELTS

Words in action are problems and solutions. Therefore, our job is to write about it and that alone. It does not challenge our viewpoint or the drawbacks and advantages or the reasons, but the challenges and solutions. If we wanted to ask about the causes of rising sea levels, we would not be addressing the issue.

Rather than brainstorming or brainstorming ideas, in my view, take too much time and contribute to useless ideas-you can just imagine that you’re in a coffee shop with a friend, and they’ve just asked you a simple query. In this scenario, it will be “What are the challenges and approaches associated with the rise of the sea level on humans? ”

Part Three: Problem Solution Essay IELTS

If you were speaking to a friend about this, I’m sure you’d have no trouble thinking of at least 2 or 3 issues and solutions. This approach gets you out of the exam scenario and places your mind in a more comfortable environment. You’ve got a lot of ideas now, but now you’ve got to consider which ones to use.

Also Read: 10 Must-Follow IELTS Reading Tips and Tricks to Boost Your Band Score

Relationship Topics: Problem and Solution IELTS Essay Topics

• How can social media bullying be prevented?
• What is the best way to help someone who is depressed?
• What’s the best way to deal with manipulative and domineering people?
• How can you help a friend or roommate who is making poor life choices?
• How can you get out of a bad relationship?
• How can you move out of the “friend zone”?
• What is the best way for a woman to show a man she is interested? Should she ask him out?
• How has texting affected face-to-face relationships?

Social Problems: Problem and Solution IELTS Essay Topics

• How can we help homeless people in our community?
• How can we prevent people from dropping out of high school?
• What is the best way to prevent teen pregnancy?
• How can kids be persuaded not to experiment with illegal drugs?
• What is the best way to prevent deaths from drunk driving?
• How can teenagers be convinced to drive more safely?
• What can be done to prevent divorce?
• How can kids with divorced parents be helped to do well in school, have strong relationships, and build successful lives and marriages?

Athletes and Sports: IELTS Problems

• How can steroid use be limited in all sports (or one in particular)?
• Should college athletes be paid?
• How can colleges better handle the combination of education, athletics, and business?
• Do kids train too hard in athletics at young ages?
• What is the best way for a young athlete to learn a sport? (You might want to talk about a particular sport you know well).
• How can coaches best encourage their athletes to do their best?
• Think about your local sports team. What can be done to make that team more effective? How can the fans be made to support the team more?
• Pick your favourite sport. How can someone best prepare themselves to be excellent at that sport?

Also Read: 6 Tips for IELTS Writing Skill Enhancement: Get Your Desired Band Score

Education: IELTS Problems

• How can parents make virtual learning effective?
• How can we make education better for kids who have trouble in school?
• How can schools help the problem of childhood obesity?
• How can schools best serve special education students?
• How can schools allocate more money and resources for sports, fine arts, and other special programs?
• What should be done about misbehaving and disruptive students?
• What should be done to make gifted and talented education programs effective?
• How can we help kids who are in failing schools?

Family Life: IELTS Preparation

• How can parents best handle homework?
• How can parents handle their child’s cell phone and social media use appropriately?
• Should parents be held responsible for the obesity of their children? What should be done to help families with obese children?
• How can parents help their children have a positive body image and avoid eating disorders?
• What can be done about parents who push too hard for their children to achieve in sports, academics, fine arts, or another area?
• What can be done to increase the number of children who are adopted?
• How can we prevent young people from ageing out of the child welfare system without ever finding a family?
• What is the best way to help families who have a child with a mental illness?

We hope that this article will be a helping hand for your next IELTS exam. This section can be a tough one to tackle but if you keep your head calm and think wisely, you might easily crack this exam with a good band score. Don’t forget to try out the topics mentioned in this article. Practice 4-5 topics daily to become an expert in IELTS preparations. Always give mock tests before the exam to know your speed and time management

Best of luck!

Also Read: Describe Something You Enjoy doing with a Group of People: IELTS Exam Cue Card Topic

These are some pretty common topics, and thank you for guiding us on how to write an essay.

This was such an informative article. It helped me a lot to learn more about IELTS as an individual. Keep writing such blogs as they are a great help to people like us.

This article has so much information that is very helpful and important, can you also help with tips for other section?

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Share Article:

You might also like

Describe Something Important that has been Kept in Your Family: A Cue Card Sample Topic for IELTS Speaking

How to Use an IELTS Calculator? Calculate Your Overall IELTS Exam Score

What is a Good IELTS Score? Is 7.5 a Good IELTS Score? Here’s All You Need to Know

Other stories, ielts reading passage for practice: list of important reading passage topics 2021, ielts exam preparation online: checkout the best books, preparation tips, exam fee & more.

• Ebooks & Courses
• Practice Tests

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.

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

• Click on the HTML link code below.
• Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

Like this page?

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.

• IELTS Writing
• Problem Solution Essays
• Back To Top

 * New * Grammar For IELTS Ebooks

$9.99 each       Full Set   Just   $ 23.97

Find Out More >>

IELTS Courses

Full details...

IELTS Writing Ebook

Discount Offer

$7 each       Full Set Just   $ 21

Find out more >>

Testimonials

“I am very excited to have found such fabulous and detailed content. I commend your good work.”  Jose M.

“Thanks for the amazing videos. These are ‘to the point’, short videos, beautifully explained with practical examples."  Adari J.

"Hi Jacky, I bought a listening book from you this morning. You know what? I’m 100% satisfied. It’s super helpful. If I’d had the chance to read this book 7 years ago, my job would be very different now."  Loi H.

"Hi Jacky, I recently got my IELTS results and I was pleased to discover that I got an 8.5 score. I'm firmly convinced your website and your videos played a strategic role in my preparation. I was able to improve my writing skills thanks to the effective method you provide. I also only relied on your tips regarding the reading section and I was able to get a 9! Thank you very much." Giano

“After listening to your videos, I knew I had to ditch every other IELTS tutor I'd been listening to. Your explanations are clear and easy to understand. Anyways, I took the test a few weeks ago and my result came back: Speaking 7, listening 9, Reading 8.5 and Writing 7 with an average band score of 8. Thanks, IELTS Jacky." Laide Z.

      Contact

      About Me

      Site Map

      Privacy Policy

      Disclaimer

IELTS changes lives.

Let's work together so it changes yours too.

Copyright  © 2024     IELT Jacky     

All Right Reserved

IELTS is a registered trademark of the University of Cambridge, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia. This site and its owners are not affiliated, approved or endorsed by the University of Cambridge ESOL, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia.

• TOEFL Writing Correction Topics
• OET Mock Tests
• Writing Correction
• Speaking Mock Test
• Reading Course
• Listening Practice Tests
• FREE Practice Tests
• IELTS Writing Correction
• IELTS Speaking Practice
• OET Writing Correction
• OET Reading Course
• OET Speaking Mock Test
• TOEFL Writing Correction
• PTE Writing Correction
• OET Listening Practice Tests
• OET (Occupational English Test)
• PTE (Pearson Test of English)
• Essay Task 2

How to Write Problem Solution Essay in IELTS

• Essay Types
• Double Question
• Advantage Disadvantage
• Problem Solution
• Essay Length

IELTS problem-solution tasks are the easiest of the IELTS essay types as you are required to explain the given problem(s) and provide some relevant suggestions/solutions. In this IELTS Task 2 Writing guide, we will take a look at how to produce a well-written essay for an IELTS writing task 2 problem and solution task.

Table of Contents

1.1 understanding the question, 1.2 example problem/solution questions.

• Essay Structure for Problem/Solution Essays
• 3.1 Identify key words and phrases

3.2 Organise your ideas

3.3 identify vocabulary, 4.1 introduction, 4.2 main body paragraphs, 4.3 conclusion.

• 5.1 Complete the sample problem/solution essay

5.2 Problem Solution Sample Essay

1. problem/solution overview.

A problem and solution essay is a common type of IELTS writing task 2 essay question .

Remember, there are five main types of writing task 2 questions:

• Advantage/disadvantage
• Double question
• Problem/solution

You will have 40 minutes to write at least 250 words which you use to explain one or more of the following

• A common problem/ problems in the world
• A cause/causes of a problem
• A possible solution/solutions

There are a few different ways that a problem/solution question may be worded and it is important to understand exactly what you are being asked to do.

Here are the three main types of problem/solution question aims:

• Write about a problem and possible solutions to that problem
• Write about a cause of a problem and possible solutions
• Only write about the solutions

And here are some ways the question may be worded for each aim:

• What problems arise from this and how can they be tackled?
• What do you think the causes are? What are the solutions?
• What solution can you suggest to deal with this problem?

Identifying common synonyms in the instruction words will also help you to identify the aim:

Problem : Situation; resulting in…; issue

Cause : Reason; why

The only solution : address; present; solve; improve; tackle; remedy; deal with

Take the time to read the question carefully! It is a common mistake to answer the wrong question.

Here are some example problem/solution questions. Try to work out what the aim is for each question:

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?

Also, read the following IELTS Essay Writing Guides

• IELTS Discussion Type Questions
• Double Question IELTS Essay Topics
• Opinion-based Task 2 IELTS Guide
• IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Essay Type

Overpopulation of urban areas has led to numerous problems. Identify two serious ones and suggest ways that governments and individuals can tackle these problems.

One problem faced by almost every large city is traffic congestion What do you think the causes are? What solutions can you suggest?

More and more wild animals are on the verge of extinction and others are on the endangered list. What are the reasons for this? What can be done to solve the problem?

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?

IELTS Writing

Ielts writing correction & grading.

Improve Your IELTS Score

• 24-Hour Turnaround
• Open 365 Days
• 1 Year Validity
• Handwritten Essays Accepted

2. Essay Structure for Problem/Solution Essays

You will see more than one way to structure a problem/solution IELTS essay. We’ve given you two options to choose from that are nice and easy to follow and enable you to produce a clear and cohesive essay everytime:

Essay structure 1

Essay structure 2

Note that essay structure 2 suggests that it is an option to write about more than one problem and solution . In fact, the essay question will usually ask for problems and solutions in the plural.

However, it is acceptable to write about one problem and solution so that you fully develop your ideas rather than rushing through your essay and missing any important examples or explanations.

Why not time yourself writing an essay in test conditions and see what option works for you!

IELTS Speaking

Ielts speaking practice.

• One-on-one Zoom Session
• Instant Feedback & Band Score
• Includes Part 1, Cue-card, Part 3
• Exam-based Speaking Topics

3. Planning your Problem/Solution Essay

Taking the time to plan your essay will really make a big difference. Read on for some useful tips to help your planning.

3.1 Identify keywords and phrases

It’s a good idea to start your planning by  confirming the topic of your essay by locating the topic words .

Here’s the question for our model 9 band writing task 2 answer at the end of this guide:

Some people think that children nowadays are spending an excessive amount of time watching TV or using a computer or mobile phone.

Describe some of the problems that too much screen time can have for children , and what can be done to tackle them .

The topic of this essay is about the amount of time children spend using screens (TV, computer, mobile phones).

By looking at the instruction words , we can see this question also asks for problems and solutions in the plural form (although remember it is ok to focus on a single problem and solution in the exam).

A list is a great way to organise your ideas before you start writing your IELTS essay about problem and solution. Your ideas do not have to be elaborate or in-depth, just put pen to paper and start to jot down some ideas for an IELTS essay. You could choose to only write down ideas you will use in your essay, or you might end up with more than you need (we suggest ticking off the ideas you use to avoid repetition)

We have used a simple bullet point list to note down ideas for our model essay:

• Childhood obesity
• Mental health issues
• Targeted junk food adverts

Solutions :

• Government incentives for active children
• Limited screen time imposed by parents
• Lessons to educate children on the dangers of too much screen time
• Restrictions on adverts at certain times

Writing down any useful vocabulary for IELTS that comes to mind during the planning process could improve your score in Lexical resources . Ask yourself if you know any idioms, collocations or other unusual IELTS essay vocabulary linked to your essay topic.

4. Writing your Problem/Solution Essay

There are three key things to include in your problem/solution introduction:

• Paraphrase the given IELTS statement and question
• State the problem/cause/solution
• State what your essay will do

To successfully paraphrase the statement, you can use synonyms, change the word order or change the word class (e.g from a noun to an adjective). The tricky part is making sure you keep the meaning of the statement the same. Look what we’ve done for our model answer:

You can also briefly state what your essay will do using an outline statement . Here’s an example sentence:

This essay will look at these problems in more detail and propose some solutions.

For each problem or cause you write about, you should create a topic sentence which introduces each main idea.

Here are some possible ways you could structure your topic sentences:

• One major problem connected to _____ is…
• Another issue is that…
• A final problem is the…
• One cause of ____ is …
• One reason for ____ is …
• A further way to explain ____ is …
• One contributing factor to ____ is…

You could also use the structure that + a clause. Here are some examples:

One major problem connected to childrens’ health is lack of exercise .

Another issue is that there are a large amount of junk food advertisements on television aimed at children .

As well as language for problems, you will also need to introduce solutions to these problems. Even though the topic of your essay will be different, you can learn language chunks/sentence starters to do this. Take a look at these examples:

• To deal with this problem, _____ could …
• The way forward might be for _____ to …
• The solution is for people to …
• In order to solve this issue, _____ should …

When you provide a solution, it is a good idea to keep the actor of the sentence more general, for example:

• The government

You can also learn lexical chunks related to solutions to common problems. Here are just a few suggestions for our model answer:

• The government could bring in a law to ban junk food advertising.
• The government could allocate more money to healthy eating campaigns.
• Parents could set aside time in the day to do activities as a family away from screens.
• Schools could employ more physical education teachers to improve students’ fitness levels.

We’ve used the tips above to create the following body paragraphs:

Your conclusion for any IELTS writing task 2 essay is very important as without it, you will not score above a band score 6.0 in Task achievement .

Always make your conclusion easy to identify for the examiner by starting with:

• In conclusion,…
• To conclude,…
• To sum up,…
• In summary,…

Now you will need to paraphrase (again) what you have written for your introduction in your own words. Compare out model answer introduction and conclusion:

You can also include the following points in your conclusion (it is not necessary to include all the points):

• State the seriousness of the problem (we’ve used the phrase ‘ increasingly serious ’)
• Suggest who you think should solve the problem (we’ve gone with a balance between the government and parents )
• Make suggestions about what to do in the future (we’ve kept this general: ‘ reducing the amount of screen time ’)
• State what might happen if nothing is done to solve the problem (again, we’ve kept this general to reduce the word count: ‘ these problems will only intensify ’)

5. Example Problem/Solution Essay and Exercise

Below you will find the complete problem/ solution essay that we have been using throughout this guide, except we have removed some of the keywords.

Your task is to select the missing words and complete the sample answer. Good luck!

5.1 Complete the Sample Problem/Solution Essay

Describe some of the problems that too much screen time can have for children, and what can be done to tackle them.

Nowadays, governments and health experts around the world have become increasingly concerned about the general health of children. They are particularly worried about problems caused by too much time spent in front of a TV, computer or mobile. This essay will look at these problems in more detail and propose some solutions.

One major problem connected to childrens’ health is lack of exercise: in recent years , the amount of time children spend being sedentary in front of a screen has increased drastically, and as a result, childrens’ fitness levels have plummeted. This is a significant problem in the USA, for example , where children spend an increasing amount of time watching a TV screen. To try and solve this problem, governments should implement incentives for children that spend more time being active, such as giving vouchers for sport equipment or free tickets to sporting events.

Another issue is that there are a large amount of junk food advertisements on television aimed at children. This means that children are being targeted to buy unhealthy junk food and processed meals which can lead to weight and other health problems due to the high amounts of fat and sugar in the food. The answer could be for the government to ban these adverts at certain times of the day. If they did this, children would not be subjected to these unhealthy marketing tactics.

To sum up, there is no doubt that the problem of too much screen time is becoming increasingly serious for the youth of today. Unless action is taken urgently, these problems will only intensify. My opinion is that responsibility for reducing the amount of time in front of a screen lies mainly with the government, but also with the parents.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

• ielts writing
• ielts listening
• ielts speaking
• ielts reading
• IELTS Sample Reports
• IELTS Sample Essays
• IELTS Vocabulary
• IELTS Grammar

Exam Updates & Tips!

Signup for preparation and special offers!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

Free IELTS lessons signup

• Academic practice
• General practice
• Task 1 Academic
• Task 1 General
• Task 2 (essay)

IELTS Writing: problem and solution essay

In this lesson you’ll learn how to answer problems/solutions questions in IELTS Writing . This type of questions gives you an issue and asks you to describe some common problems associated with it and propose some possible solutions.

• See problem-solution question sample
• Learn how to generate ideas
• Learn band 9 answering strategies
• See full band 9 answer

Question sample

This is an example of problem-solution question in IELTS Writing:

Despite a large number of gyms, a sedentary lifestyle is gaining popularity in the contemporary world.

What problems are associated with this?

What solutions can you suggest?

How to answer the question?

Before starting to write your answer, you should think of 1-2 problems and 1-2 solutions, so you know what to write about. In our case:

Problems associated with sedentary lifestyle :

• problems with backbone (osteoporosis, scoliosis)

Solutions :

• promote walking and cycling as safe and attractive alternatives to motorized transport
• promote visiting gyms and doing exercises

Now, after we’ve generated some ideas for our essay, it’s time to use them in our writing .

Remember : it’s not enough to simply state these facts, you should also extend the ideas in your writing.

Band 9 answer structure

Although there are many possible ways to structure your essay, we’ll use this band 9 answer structure that has been approved by many IELTS examiners:

Band-9 essay structure:

• Introduction
• Body paragraph 1 - problems
• Body paragraph 2 - effects

Let’s take a look at each of these sections in detail:

Introduction Write your introduction in two sentences:

• Sentence 1 - paraphrase the statement (you can use ‘nowadays/today/these days’ to start):

These days a sedentary lifestyle is becoming more and more popular despite a big number of sport facilities.

• Sentence 2 - say what you’ll write about in your essay:

This essay will discuss the main problems associated with this epidemic and propose some possible solutions to avoid them.

Body paragraph 1- problems

• Sentence 1 - summarise the main problems of inactive lifestyle:

The main problems caused by inactive lifestyle are obesity and various spine disorders.

• Sentences 2-3 - state and explain the first problem (you can also give an example). It’s very important to expand your opinion! Imagine that your examiner doesn’t know this subject at all and you have to explain everything in detail:

A growing number of body research shows that long periods of physical inactivity raise a risk of becoming overweight. This is because people burn fewer calories and easily gain weight.

• Sentences 4-5 - describe the second problem (as usual, expand your opinion). You can give an example and use linking words ‘ moreover’ , ’ what’s more’ or ‘ also ’ to start:

What’s more, a lot of studies show that so-called ‘sitting disease’ often results in posture and backbone problems. Due to constant sitting, person loses muscle tissue and curves spine, developing numerous spinal diseases. For example, it has been proven that about 80% of people experience backache at least once a week.

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. Therefore, an effective way to make people more active is to advertise walking and cycling as safe and attractive alternatives to motorized transport.

Moreover, inactive lifestyle is gaining popularity because nowadays a lot of people prefer passive rest to workouts in the gym. And the best way to avoid the hazards of unhealthy living is to obtain a regular dose of physical activity. Thus, promoting gyms and regular exercising would increase the level of activity.

Write your conclusion in 2 sentences by summing up the problems and solutions you’ve written in your body paragraphs:

In conclusion, leading a sedentary lifestyle causes a lot of health problems, including obesity and spinal diseases. The most effective solution is to increase the level of fitness among the society by advertising physical activity.

Band 9 answer sample

These days a sedentary lifestyle is becoming more and more popular despite a big number of sport facilities. This essay will discuss the main problems associated with this epidemic and propose some possible solutions to avoid them.

The main problems caused by inactive lifestyle are obesity and various spine disorders. A growing number of body research shows that long periods of physical inactivity raise a risk of becoming overweight. This is because people burn fewer calories and easily gain weight. What’s more, a lot of studies show that so-called ‘sitting disease’ often results in posture and backbone problems. Due to constant sitting, person loses muscle tissue and curves spine, developing numerous spinal diseases. For example, it has been proven that about 80% of people experience backache at least once a week.

In my opinion, the best solution to these problems is promoting active lifestyle. Firstly, millions of people stay less active because they use cars instead of walking. Therefore, an effective way to make people more active is to advertise walking and cycling as safe and attractive alternatives to motorized transport. Moreover, inactive lifestyle is gaining popularity because nowadays a lot of people prefer passive rest to workouts in the gym. And the best way to avoid the hazards of unhealthy living is to obtain a regular dose of physical activity. Thus, promoting gyms and regular exercising would increase the level of activity.

(268 words)

IELTS Charlie

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.

Share this:

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
• Click to print (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)

Related Posts

About the author

Charlie is a former IELTS Examiner with 25 years' teaching experience all over the world. His courses, for both English language learners and teachers, have been taken by over 100,000 students in over 160 countries around the world.

IELTS® is a registered trademark of Cambridge English Language Assessment, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia. By using this website, you agree that you fully understand that ieltscharlie.com is not affiliated, approved or endorsed by Cambridge English Language Assessment, the British Council, or IDP Education Australia.

Unit 22489, PO Box 6945, London, W1A 6US, United Kingdom

© IELTSCharlie

Privacy Overview

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

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

IELTS Advantage

IELTS Preparation Courses

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

My name is Christopher Pell and I'm the Managing Director of IELTS Advantage.

I started IELTS Advantage as a simple blog to help 16 students in my class. Several years later, I am very humbled that my VIP Course has been able to help thousands of people around the world to score a Band 7+ in their IELTS tests.

If you need my help with your IELTS preparation, you can send me an email using the contact us page.

• IELTS Scores
• Life Skills Test
• Find a Test Centre
• Alternatives to IELTS
• General Training
• Academic Word List
• Topic Vocabulary
• Collocation
• Phrasal Verbs
• Writing eBooks
• Reading eBook
• All eBooks & Courses
• IELTS Writing Task 2

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:

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"?

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.

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.

Writing an IELTS Essay Introduction

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

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.

Paragraph Writing for IELTS: Building strong arguments

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

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.

Using Pronouns to Improve IELTS Essay Coherency

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

Transitional Phrases for Essays

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

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 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.

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.

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 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.

Using Substitution in IELTS to Improve Writing Coherency

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

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.

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.

Any comments or questions about this page or about IELTS? Post them here. Your email will not be published or shared.

Band 7+ eBooks

"I think these eBooks are FANTASTIC!!! I know that's not academic language, but it's the truth!"

Linda, from Italy, Scored Band 7.5

Bargain eBook Deal! 30% Discount

All 4 Writing eBooks for just  $25.86 Find out more >>

IELTS Modules:

Other resources:.

• All Lessons
• Band Score Calculator
• Writing Feedback
• Speaking Feedback
• Teacher Resources
• Free Downloads
• Recent Essay Exam Questions
• Books for IELTS Prep
• Useful Links

Recent Articles

IELTS Essay: Living with Climate Change

Aug 23, 24 02:37 AM

Grammar in IELTS Listening

Aug 22, 24 02:54 PM

IELTS Line Graph: Governments Expenditure on Research

Jul 23, 24 01:27 PM

Important pages

IELTS Writing IELTS Speaking IELTS Listening   IELTS Reading All Lessons Vocabulary Academic Task 1 Academic Task 2 Practice Tests

Connect with us

Before you go...

30% discount - just $25.86 for all 4 writing ebooks.

Copyright © 2022- IELTSbuddy All Rights Reserved

IELTS is a registered trademark of University of Cambridge, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia. This site and its owners are not affiliated, approved or endorsed by the University of Cambridge ESOL, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia.

• PTE Study Plan & Strategy
• PTE Describe Image Task
• Mastering the PTE Write Essay Task
• Re-order Paragraphs and Reading Strategies
• PTE Listening – Tips and Practice for Success
• OET Study Plan & Strategy
• OET Writing Overview & Tips
• Tips and Practice for Success
• OET Listening Preparation & Practice Tips
• OET Reading
• Academic Writing Sample for Task 1
• Tips & Topics for IELTS Speaking
• TOEFL test changes 2023
• Time to Prepare for TOEFL
• Take a Free TOEFL Mock Test
• TOEFL Reading Time Management
• How to Succeed at TOEFL Reading
• TOEFL Listening
• TOEFL Speaking
• TOEFL Writing Academic Discussion
• TOEFL Integrated Writing
• Top 10 English Essay Writing Tips
• Synonyms and Other Writing Techniques
• START FREE TRIAL

How to write an IELTS Writing Task 2 Problem / Solution Essay

Writing problem / solution essay.

The IELTS Writing Task 2 Problem / Solution Essay task tests your ability to write about a problem(s) and suggest ways that the problem(s) may be solved.  You will be given a statement about a contemporary issue and two questions. One asks you to identify the cause of the problem, the other to suggest solutions to solve it.

You will need to first analyse the question carefully to make sure you understand what you are being asked to do. It helps if you highlight or underline the keywords in the exam task.

Let’s look at a typical IELTS Problem / Solution essay question:

Before you begin to write your IELTS Problem / Solution Essay, make a brief plan.  You should make a note of the main causes and possible solutions. Two problems and two solutions are usually sufficient.

Your Problem /Solution essay should contain an introduction , two main body paragraphs and a conclusion .

Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence that states the main idea of the paragraph.  The topic sentence (usually the 1 st sentence) should indicate that you will discuss the cause of the problem, the topic sentence in the second paragraph should indicate that you will discuss solutions to the problem.

Tip:  In both paragraphs don’t forget to use link words to signal that you are moving from one point to another.

In the first paragraph, you may need to use a vocabulary of cause and effect to explain why the problem exists. To do this you will need to use language to express Cause and Effect/Result

Introducing the cause(s)  

• A major cause of …….. is ….
• Perhaps the major cause of this is …
• The main/ primary cause of this is …
• A further cause of this is …
• An additional cause of …. is
• …. also plays a role in …
• …… is (often/ usually) responsible for …

If you are uncertain of the cause you can add the modal verbs may / might, which are used to give more information about the main verb and are used for suggestions

For example:

Another cause may / might be …

Introducing the result(s)

• More vehicles in city centres have resulted in poorer air quality
• Poorer air quality results from the high number of vehicles on our roads.
• Poorer air quality leads to an increased number of residents in the city who suffer from respiratory conditions such as asthma and bronchitis. ( lead to is used with results that happened after some time)

How to introduce and propose possible solutions

The question usually asks you to suggest solution s – not just one solution. Therefore, you will need to use linking words to propose other solutions such as:

• First and foremost,  
• Another possible solution is
• In addition, Moreover,

Tip:  Checking your work.

Candidates often forget or run out of time and don’t edit their writing carefully which can result in a lower band.

Make sure you:

•         Check for mistakes in spelling
•         Subject + verb agreement
•         Capitalisation i.e. using capital letters on proper nouns
•         Grammar – Especially the use of the definite and indefinite articles a/an/ the

Writing the introduction of a Problem/ Solution Essay

In the introduction, you should first make a general statement related to the problem.

Then you should restate the exam question in your own words. Look at these introductions and decide which one is best. ( 1 or 2)

Sample Problem / Solution Essay Exam question

‘One problem faced by many large cities worldwide is traffic congestion. What do you think the causes are? What solutions can you suggest?

Which is a better restatement of the question? Why?

•      It is true that in many big cities traffic congestion is a problem.  There are a number of causes for this. I will suggest some solutions in this essay.
•      Congestion caused by too much traffic on the roads and streets in major cities and towns all around the world is a growing concern.

The second one is better of course because the student has restated the exam question is his or her own words.

Below is a model introduction to the Problem / Solution Essay exam question . You will see that the introduction contains 3 sentences: 

• A general statement related to the topic.
• T he exam question in my own words (check out more paraphrasing tips here )
• A sentence which suggests it is a serious or controversial issue, or a statement saying that the issue will be discussed and some solutions will be suggested

A sample of a three-sentence introduction

More and more people are driving private cars nowadays than ever before. Congestion caused by too much traffic on the roads and streets in major cities and towns all around the world is a growing concern . This issue will be discussed in this essay along with some possible solutions that may be implemented to alleviate the problem.

Paragraph 1- Discuss 2 problems

Paragraph 2 – Discuss 2 solutions

Write a conclusion (2-3 sentences)

You can also check out more IELTS Writing topics and Essay Structures here .

Written by Janet Wilson

anurag says:

More and more people are driving private cars nowadays than ever before. Congestion caused by too much traffic on the roads and streets in major cities and towns all around the world is a growing concern.

the in ” the roads” appears to be wrong as the passage is not specifying a particular road nor ” roads ” was used in the passage earlier.

Please confirm if the observation is correct or not.

Tamniyah says:

More and more people are driving private cars nowadays than ever before . That well be caused by too much traffic on the roads and streets in major cities and towns all around the ward is growing concern .

Where do you think the cars will cause traffic? At home? In outer space? Please confirm if sometimes, common sense in simple matters such as this is is far more necessary than complicating things.

M Ashraf Uddin says:

This on line teaching method is good. I am getting in to it. Let’s hope for the best.

Charan says:

These days,there is an ongoing debate between people(about/whether) ( reframing the question) . While it is possible to claim that (negative) , my view is that (positive). In this essay, I shall explain my point of view by analysing both sides of argument.

Para2 There are a couple of reasons why I (agree or advantages or disagree/disadvantages). One of the reason is that(. ) .While the other reason why I (support/don’t support) (2nd point)

Para3 On the other hand, those who agree (for/against)

Para4 In conclusion, there are strong arguments on both sides of the case, my opinion is that (. ). I believe this because .

Sir, I have my exam this Friday that is 11/03 . Can you explain me how this format is going to help me.

Chinyere says:

I need more tips on writing and reading.my IELTS exam is within a short time thanks

olivia says:

We’d love to help! If you’re interested in our services we can suggest you a package that’s right for you! Just message the expert Duty Tutors here: https://help.e2language.com/support/tickets/new

Share with them your test, previous scores, and next exam date.

Very useful and helpful

Leave a Reply Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes:

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

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.

IELTS Writing Task 2: How to Structure a ‘Problem and Solution’ Essay

by Dave | Structuring your essay | 21 Comments

A lot of my IELTS students struggle with how many ideas they need and how to structure their essay.

This article with explain clearly what you need to do and why. read some examples of actual ielts essays here ., let’s look at an example of this kind of question:.

The price of rail travel in some countries increases annually while average incomes remain relatively stable. This causes a problem for many people who rely on trains for travelling to work. What do you think are the causes of this problem and what measures could be taken to solve them?

Don’t miss out on my new Patreon exclusive essays here if you want to really improve on IELTS!

How many causes and solutions, you’re being asked to discuss causes and solutions (measures) but in fact it’s better if you can think of just one or a maximum of two main causes and solutions., this means you can spend more time developing those ideas which will then improve your task achievement score., possible essay structures, 1. separately – you discuss the main cause first then discuss the main solution., you need one or two main causes  and one or two main solutions..

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., do not write an opinion essay, a lot of ielts students are very good at writing agree or disagree essays, so they misunderstand problem/solution questions., instead of discussing causes and solutions, they discuss the benefits and drawbacks of  expensive tickets., this would mean a 4 for task achievement., make sure you read and understand the question carefully., other similar types of questions than you can answer in the same way include:, – what do you think are the causes / what are the solutions, – explain some possible reasons for this problem and suggest some solutions., now it’s your turn put your answers in the comments., is travelling by train in your country more expensive than in the past why, how could train companies save money, recommended for you.

Latest IELTS Writing Task 1 2024 (Graphs, Charts, Maps, Processes)

by Dave | Sample Answers | 147 Comments

These are the most recent/latest IELTS Writing Task 1 Task topics and questions starting in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and continuing into 2024. ...

Recent IELTS Writing Topics and Questions 2024

by Dave | Sample Answers | 342 Comments

Read here all the newest IELTS questions and topics from 2024 and previous years with sample answers/essays. Be sure to check out my ...

Find my Newest IELTS Post Here – Updated Daily!

by Dave | IELTS FAQ | 18 Comments

IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Answer: Business

by Dave | Sample Answers | 16 Comments

This is an IELTS Sample Answer for Task 2 Writing from the test on January 20th, 2018 in the Asia region (different regions have different tests ...

IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Answer: Buildings

by Dave | Sample Answers | 10 Comments

    This is an IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Answer from March 10th on the topic of whether or not buildings should be built according ...

IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Answer: Foreign Languages (Cambridge 13)

by Dave | Cambridge 13 | 47 Comments

  This IELTS Writing Task 2 sample answer is from a past paper and was published in Cambridge 13. The topic is foreign languages and it ...

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

21 Comments

Could you please give some ideas about this topic as it is not getting clear which problem needs to be considered for giving causes and solutions

Do you mean this question: Is travelling by train in your country more expensive than in the past? Why? How could train companies save money?

If so, the problem is that travelling by train is more expensive. What are some possible causes of that? Is it because of new trains? Or is it related to a growing middle class? Are they used less frequently?

Does that make it clearer for you?

I need the reply to this question

I haven’t written a sample answer on that particular question. I can give you a brief answer, which is that the maintanence and improvement of railway lines causes countries to raise rates on an annual basis, regardless of the status of the economy. That is why salaries may remain stable or even fall in bad economic times while fares continue to rise.

Does that answer your question?

Thanks Sir .. really appreciate your efforts ..

It would be really nice of you if you can give me some idea on the solutions of it

I can, but why don’t you try to think of some ideas yourself and comment them below? Then I’ll give you some feedback. This post may help you think of ideas: https://howtodoielts.com/how-to-brainstorm-ideas-10-amazing-ways/

Okk.. lemme try. Government should provide pass facility for daily commuters which means they would be able to travel on less fare..

Another government should allocate more budget on rail in the year where average income is less so that it can be developed without increasing the fare.

Kindly comment on these and do provide some more

Thanks in advance

Those are good! We call those ‘free passes’ and you can say that governments should allocate more of the budget particularly in times of economic stagnation.

But remember the question is about causes and solutions – so you need a main idea for the causes as well which could related to the reluctance of governments to lower prices especially if they aren’t getting as much money from taxes or the need to maintain/update existing lines.

Another solution would be for governments to make the fares cheaper when people are commuting to work and more expensive at other hours, when people may be using the rails for leisure purposes.

Is that helpful?

Thanks for giving detailed answer.. ☺

You’re welcome!

Nice to meet you! 🙂

examples of actual IELTS essays here Above hyper link takes user to the task 1. I think it is a technical problem.

Thank you for pointing that out – I will fix it!

The rail travel is widely recognized the convenient, punctually reliable, and cheaper source to travel. But every end of the year an increase in fare is failed to gain its acceptance by its low-income commuters especially. The shift in prices are due to its expensive labor and maintenance. This surge can be overcome by both hunting skilled-workers and by producing high-quality material within country for its long life.

Undoubtedly, the labor of skilled-workers is very expensive nowadays owing to its deficiency in the country. Such an infinitesimal number cause to demand recruitment from other countries. For instance, every year Canada seeks overseas for technical workers which can become helping-hand for its rapidly flourishing economy. Another reason is, the sustainability of rail lines requires upper-cost material for care such as high-quality iron rods, grease for its flexibility, continue supervising facilities, security alarm system etc. For instance, if the rail lines would be poor, the passenger’s safety of life would be at risk all-time. This has happened every day in under-developed countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, etc, where people are killed by rail accidents each day, even though numbers are soaring.

In order to curb this problem, it becomes the utmost responsibility of the Governments to look for highly demand technicians within the country resultant capital will be circulated within the country and there would be no extra need to pay high-wages, extra incentives and discounts on amenities to ensure their existence. For example, in quest for technical advanced people, governments should render its residents full resources and required aid to ascertain the quality education is being provided and attaining or not. Furthermore, government should supervise whether raw materials for rail sustenance are decisively creating in the country or importing by which the spread of extra money could be undertaken which is ultimately causes high in ticket prices. These possible solutions will definitely help lower the ticket prices and keep the travelers always happy, kind and grateful.

To conclude, I firmly believe that the on-going quarrels in commuters for ticket prices would come to halt, If these ideas are successfully implemented. However, the unnoticed capital which is flying overseas could bring to an under control and rather be spent on other good purposes like wildlife conservation.

Good effort!

It is a little wordy – especially with your topic sentences – write a little more simply.

Good range with vocabulary and grammar but you should work more on your accuracy.

thanks to rectify me bro

The trend in most countries nowadays is the rising train fare annually and a matter of fact, as the wages won’t follow the same trend, this places a lot of pressure on those who use trains for commuting to work. While there can be many reasons for the fare hikes, in this essay we will touch upon a few of them and remedies too.

First, the reason for the train fare hikes is that the rail companies have been till now selling the train tickets on discount only. This is to draw more people to rail transport. But, this cannot continue forever and hence the rail has slowly demanded a fair price. If you take the case of Indian Railways, they charge only 60% of the actual cost to its passengers, and the remaining is borne by the Government of India itself. To remedy this, I suggest the companies pay for the remaining price so that the employees are not burdened by the prices on a regular basis.

The other reason is the ongoing disinvestment of the Railways. In many of these countries, the Railways has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Government. As you can see, many countries have gone for disinvestment for economic reasons or to avoid focus on transportation alone. Once these rail companies are transferred to private companies, the prices are going to be increasing. To encounter this, the governments should still regulate the fares continuously and make sure it does not affect hard-working labor.

In conclusion, while the prices are going to hurt the commuting employees, the governments and employers should step up and bear the burden.

Now a days, more people are choosing to socialize online rather than face to face. It is a positive or negative development.

These days, many people are communicating online rather than meeting in person. From my perspective, using online to stay connected is a negative development and it will create lots of problems.

Technology had helped people to stay connected but it has also lead to unhealthy disorder. For example, 90% of younger generation had undergone depression and suicidal attempt due to loneliness. As they started to isolate themselves from others and had been interacting with people only through internet. Which is very unhealthy and cause these disorder. Moreover, it is very difficult for parent to monitor their kids and protect them through social network.

Another negative aspect of this will harm individual life. To illustrate, people especially younger generation tend to make a relationship  through different social website like facebook without even knowing him/her. Besides this, people used fake identities to make business and some even make their living through it.  Which is very risky and will create lots of obstacle in people life. Non the less people will lost their trust in humanity. Lastly, choosing social network to socialse will make them distance  between family and friends. It will also cause jealousy and lost in fait in one another. For example, my sister does not stay with us and we rarely meet. We used to interact like once in a blue moon through video calling and it did create a lots of distance between us as we work in different country.

To conclude, socializing through social network have way more negative development. As it create lots of problems and it is very unhealthy. Therefore, it is much better to meet rather then connecting through online.

Exclusive Ebooks, PDFs and more from me!

Sign up for patreon.

Don't miss out!

"The highest quality materials anywhere on the internet! Dave improved my writing and vocabulary so much. Really affordable options you don't want to miss out on!"

Minh, Vietnam

Hi, I’m Dave! Welcome to my IELTS exclusive resources! Before you commit I want to explain very clearly why there’s no one better to help you learn about IELTS and improve your English at the same time... Read more

Patreon Exclusive Ebooks Available Now!

IELTS Preparation with Liz: Free IELTS Tips and Lessons, 2024

• Test Information FAQ
• Band Scores
• IELTS Candidate Success Tips
• Computer IELTS: Pros & Cons
• How to Prepare
• Useful Links & Resources
• Recommended Books
• Speaking Part 1 Topics
• Speaking Part 2 Topics
• Speaking Part 3 Topics
• 100 Essay Questions
• On The Day Tips
• Top Results
• Advanced IELTS

100 IELTS Essay Questions

Below are practice IELTS essay questions and topics for writing task 2. The 100 essay questions have been used many times over the years. The questions are organised under common topics and essay types. IELTS often use the similar topics for their essays but change the wording of the essay question.

In order to prepare well for writing task 2, you should prepare ideas for common topics and then practise applying them to the tasks given (to the essay questions). Also see model essays and tips  for writing task 2.

Below you will find:

• Essay Questions By Topic
• Essay Questions by Essay Type (for example Opinion, Discussion etc)

Please also note that my new Grammar E-book is now available in my store along with my Ideas for Essay Topics E-book and Advanced Writing Lessons. To visit store, click here: IELTS LIZ STORE

1) Common IELTS Essay Questions

IELTS practice essay questions divided by topic. These topics have been reported by IELTS students in their tests. Essay questions have been recreated as accurately as possible.

• Art   (5 essay questions)
• Business & Money   (17 essay questions)
• Communication & Personality   (20 essay questions)
• Crime & Punishment   (12 essay questions)
• Education   (17 essay questions)
• Environment   (12 essay questions)
• Family & Children   (8 essay questions)
• Food & Diet (13 essay questions)
• Government (6 essay questions)
• Health   (9 essay questions)
• Housing, Buildings & Urban Planning (8 essay questions)
• Language (6 essay questions)
• Leisure (1 essay question)
• Media & Advertising   (12 essay questions)
• Reading  (5 essay questions)
• Society   (10 essay questions)
• Space Exploration (3 questions)
• Sport & Exercise   (6 essay questions)
• Technology  (6 essay questions)
• Tourism and Travel   (11 essay questions)
• Transport  (7 essay questions)
• Work (17 essay questions)

2) IELTS Essay Questions by Essay Type 

There are 5 main types of essay questions in IELTS writing task 2 (opinion essays, discussion essay, advantage/disadvantage essays, solution essay and direct question essays). Click on the links below to see some sample essay questions for you to practice with at home.

• Opinion Essay Model Answer with Useful Tips
• Discussion Essay Model Answer with Useful Tips
• Solution Essay Model Answer with Useful Tips
• Direct Questions Model Essay 
• Adv/Disadv Model Essay with Useful Tips

3) Recent Essay Topics

You can also track recent essay topics on this page: IELTS ESSAY TOPICS 2024

Note: you must also prepare all other topics on the page above because questions are recycled each year.

FREE SUBSCRIBE Subscribe to get new lessons & tips by email. Email Address Subscribe

ADVANCED IELTS

Recent New Lessons

Ideas in ielts essays & in ielts speaking, test yourself with linking words, ielts speaking part 2 cue card topics – 2024, new reading exercise for you (july 2024), ielts gt writing task 1 letter: using the prompts for a high score.

Click Below to Learn:

• IELTS Test Information
• Writing Task 1
• Writing Task 2

Copyright Notice

Copyright © Elizabeth Ferguson, 2014 – 2024

All rights reserved.

Privacy Policy & Disclaimer

• Click here:  Privacy Policy 
• Click here: Disclaimer

Return to top of page

Copyright © 2024 · Prose on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

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.

If you like it, make sure you leave a comment below.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

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 […]

IELTS Problem and Solution Writing Samples Band 8

Many people believe that children who grow up with little money are more equipped to deal with the problems life throws at them, in comparison to the kids who are born in wealthy families. this essay aims to substantiate this assertion., many parents are unhappy because of the increasing amount of violence in their children by computer games, tv programs, and other leisure activities. how harmful are these for children discuss possible solutions., in some countries, younger people are neglecting their right to vote. what problems does this cause, and what are some possible solutions, it is commonly said that today's children are facing huge challenges. this essay indent to discuss the causes of these pressures and give some suggestions to solve them., the increase in the production of consumer goods results in damage to the natural environment. what are the causes of this what can be done to solve this problem, some cities create housing areas by providing taller buildings. others create housing by building houses on a wider area of land. what solution is better, in many countries, people are now living longer than ever before, some people say an ageing population creates problems for governments, other people think there are benefits if society has more elderly people. to what extent do the advantages ofhaving an ageing population outweigh the disadvantages, in many large cities, people waste hours of their time every day because of traffic congestion on the road. what are the causes of this, what solution can you suggest, in some parts of the world, traditional festivals and celebrations have disappeared or are disappearing. why is this happening what measures could be taken to ensure they do not disappear., people in the current generation are not fit and active. what are the problems with this issue what can be done to encourage people to participate in sports activities, global warming is one of the most serious issues that the world is facing today. what are the causes of global warming and what measures can governments and individuals take to tackle the issue, nowadaysn teenagers are suffering from a lot of pressure.write an esay of about 250 words to list the causes of teen pressure and give solutions to overcome, nowadays, more and more children are being brought up in single parent families. what are the causes of this what effects can be seen as a result of this, many people in poor countries die from diseases that are curable because they cannot afford the medication required. do you believe that drug companies should make their products available at reduced prices in these countries, some people think the increasing business and cultural contact between countries brings many positive effects . others say it causes the loss of national identities.discuss both of these views and give your own opnion., in many countries, people are now living longer than ever before. some people say an ageing population creates problems for governments. other people think there are benefits if society has more elderly people. to what extent do the advantages of having an ageing population outweigh the disadvantages, modern children are suffering from the diseases that were once considered to only be meant for adults. obesity is a major disease prevalent among children. what are its causes, and what solutions can be offered, an increasing number of professionals such as doctor and teacher are leaving their own poorer countries to work in developed countries. what problem does this cause what can be done to deal with this situation, the increase in the production of consumer goods results in damage to the natural environment. why is this the case what can be done to solve this problem, the world is experiencing a dramatic increase in population. this is causing problems not only for poor, undeveloped countries, but also for industrialized and developing nations. describe some of the problems that overpopulation causes, and suggestion least one possible solution..

• Unlimited Task 1 checks Get all the feedback you need to keep improving your charts and letters.
• Unlimited Task 2 checks Practice and perfect your skills with essays.
• Personalized suggestions Know how to boost your score.
• Detailed mistakes analysis Get instant feedback. Spot every mistake.
• Topic ideas generator Get topic-specific ideas to enhance your writing.
• Vocabulary helper Get the right words for any topic.
• Progress tracking Track your writing improvements.

IELTS Writing Task 2: All You Need to know

Share on Whatsapp

Share on Email

Share on Linkedin

Limited-Time Offer : Access a FREE 10-Day IELTS Study Plan!

“With the help of this article, know all about the format, tips, and techniques to crack your IELTS Writing Task 2 all before kickstart your IELTS preparations!“

Understanding IELTS Writing Task 2

IELTS Writing Task 2 requires you to write an essay in response to a given general topic. This task is designed to assess your skills based on presenting a clear position, developing an argument logically, and organizing ideas coherently.

To achieve a high score, you must understand the task format and question types, analyze prompts effectively, and structure your essay appropriately. This blog post will break down everything you need to know from the format of the IELTS task 2 writing to tricks to solve it effortlessly.

IELTS Academic Writing Task 2 Test Papers

IELTS General Writing Task 2 Test Papers

Difference between ielts writing task 2 academic vs general.

To understand the differences between Academic and General Training in IELTS Writing Task 2, here is a helpful comparison table:

IELTS Writing Task 2 Format

Task Requirement: Write an academic-style essay in response to a point of view, argument, or problem.

Assessment: Assesses your ability to present a solution or opinion in a logical, structured way.

Duration: 40 minutes

IELTS Writing Task 2 Scoring Criteria

To understand how your IELTS Writing Task 2 essay is evaluated by the examiner, it is crucial to be familiar with the assessment criteria!

Have a look at the table below to learn more about the evaluation criteria!

IELTS Writing Task 2 Question Types

There are 6 types of questions in the IELTS Writing Task 2 and you may get any one type in your IELTS test. Hence, get to know about them to identify the question prompts effortlessly!

• Opinion 

You need to pick a side of the given two sides of an argument write in support of it and provide reasons for your opinion.

• Agree/Disagree

Here, you need to state whether you agree or disagree with a given statement and support it with reasons and examples.

Discussion (Discuss Both Views)

This type requires you to discuss both sides of an issue and then give your own opinion at last.

• Problem/Solution

You have to identify problems related to the topic and suggest possible solutions.

• Advantages/Disadvantages

This question asks you to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a particular situation or issue.

• Double Question (Direct Questions)

You must answer two or more direct questions related to a single topic and support it with proper examples as well.

Useful IELTS Writing Task 2 Tips

IELTS Writing Task 2 is the second part of the two writing tasks and is one of the most challenging parts of the IELTS test. Most students also find it more difficult than Writing Task 1. Therefore, access to some quick tips for task 2 writing IELTS:

• Understand the Task: Test-takers should identify the key components, the question type, and any specific instructions before outlining the key points that should be covered.
• Plan Before You Write: Before diving into the essay, candidates should spend a few minutes planning the response. A clear outline needs to include an introduction, the main points for each body paragraph, and the conclusion.
• Follow a Structured Essay Format: Every essay type has a specific structure. So, sticking to the traditional essay structure with a clear introduction, well-developed body paragraphs, and a concluding summary enhances the readability of the essay.
• Provide Supportive Examples: Test-takers should support their arguments with concrete examples and evidence. This not only strengthens the expressed opinion but also showcases the ability to develop ideas.
• Use Linking Words and Phrases: Candidates should employ linking words and phrases to connect ideas within and between sentences. This improves the overall flow and coherence of the essay.
• Revise and Proofread: This is one of the most vital steps and test-takers need to allocate some time at the end to review and edit their essay. They should check for grammatical errors, clarity, and coherence and ensure that the essay effectively communicates their ideas.
• Write Regularly Under Time Constraints: Practice writing essays within the 40-minute. This helps improve your time management skills and ensures that you can effectively express your ideas within the given constraints.
• Seek Feedback: To understand the weak areas and improve them, test-takers need to share their practice essays with teachers, peers, or online communities like the one created by IELTSMaterial . Constructive feedback helps identify areas for improvement and provides valuable insights.

Top 8 Common Mistakes to Avoid in IELTS Writing Task 2

1. misunderstanding the question.

Many test-takers misunderstand the question, leading to off-topic essays.

2. Poor Time Management

Struggling to manage time effectively often results in incomplete essays.

3. Lack of Ideas

Difficulty in generating relevant ideas quickly is a common problem.

4. Disorganized Structure

Failing to organize thoughts into clear, logical paragraphs is a frequent mistake.

5. Grammar Errors

Frequent grammar errors can significantly lower the writing score.

6. Limited Vocabulary

Using a limited vocabulary makes it hard to express ideas effectively.

7. Weak Evidence

Providing weak examples usually weakens arguments and doesn’t provide a strong essay.

8. Incorrect Word Count

Not meeting the required word count can negatively affect the score.

Band Descriptors IELTS Writing Task 2

Structure For Answering the IELTS Writing Task 2 Question Types

The IELTS Writing Task 2 section has different types of essays that may be asked, each requiring a specific structure and approach. The main 6 IELTS Writing Task 2 question types and their standard structure are summarized in the table below:

IELTS Writing Task 2 Question Types with Sample Answers

Let's look at the different IELTS writing task 2 essay types that may appear in Writing Task 2:

Opinion Essay

These prompts simply ask for your  opinion  on a topic without presenting two views.

Sample prompt:  "Some people think that the best way to reduce crime is to give longer prison sentences. Others, however, believe there are better alternative ways of reducing crime. What is your opinion on this?

Check out more IELTS Writing Task 2 Opinion Essay below:

• Some People Believe that Nowadays We Have Too Many Choices- IELTS Writing Task 2
• IELTS Writing Task 2 Opinion Essay Topic: Prevention is better than cure
• Universities Should Accept Equal Numbers of Male and Female Students in Every Subject – IELTS Writing Task 2
• Doing an Enjoyable Activity with a Child Can Develop Better Skills and More Creativity Than Reading – IELTS
• All Children Should be Made to Wear School Uniforms- IELTS Writing Task 2

Agree and Disagree Essay

These questions ask your opinion on a statement or proposal. You must decide whether you agree or disagree and support your view.

Sample prompt:   "Unpaid community service should be a compulsory part of high school programs." To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Check out more IELTS Writing Task 2 Agree and Disagree Essay below:

• It is more important to spend public money on promoting a healthy lifestyle – IELTS Writing Task 2
• Foreign Visitors Should Pay More Than Local Visitors for Cultural and Historical Attractions – IELTS Writing Task 2
• Some people believe that air travel should be restricted Sample Essay
• When a Country Develops its Technology the Traditional Skills and Ways of Life Die Out – IELTS Writing Task 2
• Reading stories from a book is better than watching TV Sample Essay

These prompts present two perspectives on an issue and ask you to  discuss  and examine both sides.

Sample prompt:   "Some people think the manufacturers and shopping malls should sell fewer packaged products while others argue that people have the responsibility to buy products with less packaging. Discuss both views and give your opinion."

Check out more IELTS Writing Task 2 Discussion Essay below:

• In Some Countries, a Few People Earn Extremely High Salaries – IELTS Writing Task 2
• Some People Think that Children Should Start School Sooner- IELTS Writing Task 2
• Some People Think that it is Better to Educate Girls and Boys in Separate Schools- IELTS Writing Task 2
• Some Companies Sponsor Sport and Sports Stars as a Way to Advertise Themselves – IELTS Writing Task 2
• University Students Should Study Whatever They Like Sample Essay

Problem/Solution Essay

These questions given in the  problem/solution  essay describe an issue and ask you to propose solutions.

Sample prompt:   "In many cities, public transport systems are inadequate and road congestion is increasing. What are the causes of these problems and what measures could be taken to solve them?"

Check out more IELTS Writing Task 2 Problem/Solution Essay below:

• Many Working People get little or no Exercise either During the Working Day- IELTS Writing Task 2
• Doctors Recommend that Older People Exercise Regularly- IELTS Writing Task 2
• Over Population Of Urban Areas Has Led To Numerous Problems – IELTS Writing Task 2
• An Increase in Production of Consumer Goods Results in Damage to the Natural Environment- IELTS Writing Task
• In the Developed World, Average Life Expectancy is Increasing- IELTS Writing Task 2

Advantages/Disadvantages Essay

These prompts ask you to analyze the  advantages and disadvantages  of an issue.

Sample prompt:  "Studying overseas has many benefits for students. However, there are also some disadvantages. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages and give your own opinion."

Check out more IELTS Writing Task 2 Advantages/Disadvantages Essay below:

• People now have the Freedom to Work and live Anywhere in the World- IELTS Writing Task 2
• In Some Countries People Prefer to Rent a House than Buy One – IELTS Writing Task 2
• Planners Tend to Arrange Shops, Schools, Offices and Homes in Specific Areas – IELTS Writing Task 2
• Technology is Increasingly Being Used to Monitor What People Are Saying And Doing Sample Essays
• In the Past, When Students Did a University Degree, They Tended to Study in Their Own Country – IELTS

Direct Question Essay

These prompts which are also known as  Direct Question  essays give you a statement along with a related question.

Sample prompt:   "A growing number of people are living alone in many major cities. What are the reasons for this? Why do they choose to live alone?

Check out more IELTS Writing Task 2 Direct Question Essay below:

• Is freedom of speech necessary in a free society? – IELTS Writing Task 2
• Many People Like to Wear Fashionable Clothes – IELTS Writing Task 2
• Consumers Are Faced With Increasing Numbers of Advertisements From Competing Companies – IELTS
• There are Many Different Types of Music in The World Today – IELTS Writing Task 2
• More and more people want to buy famous brands with clothes- IELTS Writing Task 2

IELTS Writing Task 2 Topics with Answers

Below is the list of IELTS Writing Task 2 Topics with Answers which you can refer to for the exam.

• Topic: Family
• Topic: Press, news on internet & newspapers
• Topic: Families
• Topic - Environment
• Topic: Invention 
• Topic: Aging Population
• Topic: Art & Technology
• Topic: Career
• Topic: Dangerous Sports
• Topic: Technology
• Topic: Travel & Tourism
• Topic: International Car-free Days & Sample Essay
• Topic: Traffic
• Topic: Transportation
• Topic: TV or Radio
• Topic: Communication Technology
• Topic: Living in Campus
• Topic: Crime
• Collocations - Topic: The Environment
• Useful Collocations - Topic: Government

Trending Essay Topics

• Every year several languages die out
• Some People Think That Parents Should Teach Children How to be Good Members of Society
• Happiness is considered very important in life
• In some countries the average weight of people is increasing
• Young people are encouraged to work or travel for a year between finishing high school
• Research Indicates That the Characteristics We are Born With Have Much More Influence On Our Personality

Academic IELTS Writing Task 2 Topics with Sample Essays

Below is the list of Academic IELTS Writing Task 2 Topics with   Sample Essays :

• Topic 01: Media
• Topic 02: Successful Sports Professionals
• Topic 03:Smoking
• Topic 04: Children today play very violent games
• Topic 05:The birth rate in most developed countries
• Topic 06: Many families find it necessary for both parents go out to work
• Topic 07: Women and men are commonly seen as having different strength and weaknesses
• Topic 08: Increase in violent crime among youngsters
• Topic 09: Good Job
• Topic 10: Different medical traditions
• Topic 11:Need to prepare for tests and examinations
• Topic 12: Eating Fish
• Topic 13:Concerned about the number of children who are overweight
• Topic 14: Freedom of Speech
• Topic: Architecture & History
• Topic: Digital Communication
• Topic: Economic Development
• Topic: Education
• Topic: Environment
• Topic: Food & Transport
• Topic: Government
• Topic: Newspapers
• Topic: Sports
• Topic: Television & Children
• Topic: Economic Growth

The key is to practice regularly and make writing a habit until your final   IELTS Writing  test! With this preparation, you'll be ready to achieve your desired band in no time. We bet you’re all aware of the IELTS Writing Task 2 so now get ready to gather our expert tricks to crack your writing task 1. Pick between  IELTS General Writing Task 1  and the   IELTS Academic Writing Task 1  as per your preference and start now!

Frequently Asked Questions

How many paragraphs should my essay have?

What’s better - a longer or shorter essay?

Should I write in the first or third person?

How strict are they on word count?

Can I bring in outside knowledge on the topic?

What’s the best way to prepare for Task 2?

Should I write legibly?

What if I make mistakes or cross things out?

Practice IELTS Writing Task 2 based on Essay types

Recent articles.

Kasturika Samanta

Janice Thompson

IELTSMaterial Master Program

1:1 Live Training with Band 9 Teachers

4.9 ( 3452 Reviews )

Our Offices

Gurgaon city scape, gurgaon bptp.

Step 1 of 3

Great going .

Get a free session from trainer

Have you taken test before?

Please select any option

Email test -->

Please enter Email ID

Mobile Band 9 trainer -->

Please enter phone number

Application

Please select any one

Already Registered?

Select a date

Please select a date

Select a time (IST Time Zone)

Please select a time

Mark Your Calendar: Free Session with Expert on

Which exam are you preparing?

Great Going!

Understanding IELTS Task 2 Essay Structures

• No Comments
• 2nd September 2024

Introduction to IELTS Task 2 Essay Structures

• 1 Introduction to IELTS Task 2 Essay Structures
• 2 Key Components of a Successful IELTS Task 2 Essay
• 3 Common IELTS Task 2 Essay Types and Their Structures
• 4 Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting Your IELTS Task 2 Essay
• 5 Tips and Strategies for Mastering IELTS Task 2 Essay Structures

Welcome to our guide on IELTS Task 2 essay structures , where we aim to demystify the different formats and strategies involved in crafting an effective essay. Understanding the structure is essential, as it forms the backbone of our response and allows us to communicate our ideas clearly and persuasively. In this section, we’ll explore the primary structures used in the IELTS Task 2 essay , ensuring we are well-prepared for the exam.

When approaching the IELTS Task 2 essay , it’s vital to recognize that there are four main types of essays we might encounter:

• Opinion Essays – Where we state our viewpoint on a particular issue.
• Discussion Essays – In which we examine various perspectives surrounding a topic.
• Problem-Solution Essays – Focused on identifying problems and proposing solutions.
• Advantages and Disadvantages Essays – Where we weigh the pros and cons of a specific situation.

Each of these essay types has its unique requirements, but all share a common structure that includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. In the introduction, we will introduce the topic and present our thesis statement. The body paragraphs will be dedicated to elaborating our arguments, providing supporting evidence, and analyzing different viewpoints if necessary. Finally, in the conclusion, we will summarize our main points and restate our position regarding the question posed. Mastering these essential components of IELTS Task 2 essay structures is crucial for achieving a high score in the writing section.

Key Components of a Successful IELTS Task 2 Essay

In our journey to master the IELTS, understanding the key components of a successful IELTS Task 2 essay is crucial. Each component plays a significant role in creating a coherent and compelling argument while adhering to the assessment criteria set by the examiners. Let’s explore these essential elements together.

Firstly, a clear and concise thesis statement sets the foundation of our essay. This statement should encapsulate our main argument or viewpoint and help guide the reader through our thoughts. It’s vital to make our stance evident from the beginning, allowing us to stay focused throughout the essay.

Next, we focus on developing well-structured paragraphs that support our thesis. Each paragraph must contain a topic sentence that introduces the main idea, followed by evidence, examples, and explanations. This structure not only boosts the clarity of our writing but also enhances the logical flow, which is essential for achieving a high score.

• Coherence and Cohesion: Using transitional phrases and linking words is essential to connect our ideas smoothly.
• Addressing the Task Properly: We need to ensure that we fully understand and address all parts of the prompt.
• Variety of Vocabulary and Sentence Structures: Demonstrating a range of vocabulary and grammatical accuracy is crucial for scoring high.

By mastering these key components of a successful IELTS Task 2 essay , we can significantly enhance our writing skills and our chances of securing a favorable score in the IELTS exam.

Common IELTS Task 2 Essay Types and Their Structures

As we prepare for the IELTS exam, understanding the common IELTS Task 2 essay types and their structures becomes essential for success. There are several distinct types of essays that candidates may encounter, each with its own specific requirements and characteristics. Below, we’ll explore these types in detail, helping us to grasp their structures and enhancing our writing skills.

The primary common IELTS Task 2 essay types include:

• Opinion Essays : These essays require us to express our viewpoint on a particular issue. The structure typically follows a clear introductory paragraph, followed by two or three body paragraphs that provide supporting arguments, and concludes with a summary of our stance.
• Discuss Both Views Essays : In this format, we need to discuss two conflicting perspectives on a topic. The structure should include an introduction outlining the issue, separate body paragraphs dedicated to each view, and a conclusion that may also express our personal opinion.
• Problem-Solution Essays : These essays focus on identifying a problem and proposing one or more solutions. We start with an introduction that introduces the problem, followed by paragraphs that elaborate on the problem and its significance, and conclude with a discussion on potential solutions.
• Advantages and Disadvantages Essays : In this type, we analyze the positives and negatives of a particular issue. We can structure it with an introduction, followed by two body paragraphs—one for advantages and another for disadvantages—and a conclusion that summarizes our findings.

By familiarizing ourselves with these common IELTS Task 2 essay types and their respective structures, we bolster our chances of achieving a higher score. Effective practice and understanding the demands of each type will enable us to articulate our thoughts clearly and cohesively in the exam.

Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting Your IELTS Task 2 Essay

Creating a successful IELTS Task 2 essay can be a daunting challenge, but with the right approach, we can simplify the process. This step-by-step guide will assist us in organizing our thoughts and structuring our essays effectively, ensuring we meet the examiners’ requirements while clearly articulating our arguments.

To start, let’s outline our essay with a clear plan. We should follow these essential steps:

• Understand the prompt: Analyze the question to identify what is being asked.
• Brainstorm ideas: Jot down our thoughts on the topic, focusing on relevant arguments.
• Structure our essay: Organize our ideas into a coherent outline, typically consisting of an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.
• Write the essay: Begin with the introduction, followed by well-developed body paragraphs, and wrap it up with a compelling conclusion.
• Review and revise: Allocate time to proofread our essay, checking for grammatical errors and clarity.

Using this straightforward step-by-step guide , we can tackle our IELTS Task 2 essay with confidence. Each stage in this process builds upon the previous one, leading us toward crafting a well-structured and persuasive essay that showcases our skills and knowledge effectively.

Tips and Strategies for Mastering IELTS Task 2 Essay Structures

In our journey to excel in the IELTS Task 2 essay, understanding the structure is crucial. A well-organized essay not only helps in conveying our ideas effectively but also adheres to the assessment criteria that examiners use. Here are some essential tips and strategies we can implement to master the IELTS Task 2 essay structures.

• Familiarize ourselves with different essay types: It’s important to recognize that IELTS Task 2 includes various essay types such as opinion essays, discussion essays, and problem-solution essays. Each type has a unique structure that we need to follow.
• Craft a strong thesis statement: Our introduction should include a clear thesis statement that outlines our main argument or stance. This statement will guide the reader through our essay, setting the tone for the discussion.
• Utilize topic sentences: Each paragraph should start with a topic sentence that clearly presents the main idea of that paragraph. This strategy adds cohesion and helps us stay focused on the point we are making.
• Plan and outline: Before we start writing, it’s helpful to spend a few minutes organizing our thoughts. An outline can serve as a roadmap, ensuring that our arguments flow logically and coherently throughout the essay.

By adopting these strategies and continually practicing, we enhance our writing skills and boost our confidence in tackling the IELTS Task 2 essay. Remember, consistent practice will lead us to discover our unique writing style, making us more effective communicators in the exam.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Discover Our Summer Courses!

• Accept terms and privacy policy.

bea_manchester

• Cultural Immersion (31)
• English for Specific Purposes (ESP) (30)
• IELTS and Exam Preparation (31)
• Study Abroad (29)
• Visit Manchester (151)
• General English Level Test
• General English
• Conversation Lessons
• FCE/CAE Preparation
• Accommodation