IELTS Problem Solution Essays: Cause And Solution Essay IELTS

Being an IELTS aspirant myself, I know how challenging the IELTS problem-solution essays can be. These essays require you to identify causes of an issue and propose viable solutions. Mastering this format can help to not only boost your IELTS score but also enhances your critical thinking skills.

So, are you ready to tackle these essays with confidence? Read on to learn the essentials and strategies to excel in the IELTS problem-solution essays.

Variations of Problem-Solution Questions

Discussed below are the variations of the problem-solution questions in IELTS writing task 2:

1. Direct: This problem-solution essay topic explicitly states the problem and asks about solutions.

Sample Questions:

1. The increasing cost of higher education is a barrier to entry for many students. What problems does this create, and how can we offer affordable and quality education for everyone?
2. The rise of social media addiction among teenagers is causing concern. Discuss the negative impacts of social media overuse and propose solutions to encourage responsible use among young people.
3. Many students need help with learning foreign languages. What are the primary reasons for this, and how can the situation be improved?

2. Indirect: This format presents a situation or a trend and asks to discuss its impact (problem) and potential solutions.

Sample Questions:

• Automation is increasingly replacing human jobs in many industries. Discuss the challenges automation poses for workers and propose strategies to help people adapt and develop new skills in this changing job market.
• The growing popularity of urban living has led to overcrowded cities with rising living costs. Discuss the problems associated with urbanization and suggest measures to create more sustainable and affordable cities.
• The increasing reliance on technology has made face-to-face communication less common. Analyze the impact of this trend on social interactions and suggest ways to encourage stronger interpersonal communication skills.

3. Solution-focused: These are problem-solving essay topics which focus on a specific problem and ask for potential solutions.

Sample Questions:

• Traffic congestion in major cities is a major cause of air pollution and wasted time. Propose some effective solutions that could help alleviate traffic problems in urban areas.
• The growing amount of plastic waste is causing significant environmental damage. Suggest some solutions to reduce plastic consumption and promote sustainable waste management practices.
• The decline in public transportation ridership in many cities is a concern. Propose strategies to make public transportation more appealing and efficient to encourage people to use it as their primary mode of travel.

4. Cause and Effect: This problem-solution essay in IELTS presents a problem and asks you to discuss its causes and potential solutions.

Sample Questions:

• The gap between rich and poor is widening in many countries. What are the main factors leading to income inequality, and how can we promote policies that create a more equitable society?
• The spread of misinformation online is a growing problem that undermines trust in media sources. Discuss the causes of the spread of fake news and suggest solutions to promote online literacy and critical thinking skills.
• Climate change is a global challenge with wide-ranging consequences. Analyze the main causes of climate change and propose solutions to mitigate its impact on our planet.

Tips for Answering Problem-Solution Essays

Here are certain tips for answering problem-solution essays efficiently:

• Identify the Problem and Solution Clearly: Analyze the question to pinpoint the core problem and any mentioned solutions. Providing a clear definition of the problem and a well-thought-out solution will set the stage for a compelling essay.
• Develop Strong Arguments: Use clear and concise language, logical reasoning, and transition words to connect your ideas. Building strong arguments that are logically structured and supported by evidence will reinforce the persuasiveness of your essay.
• Provide Examples: Use real-life examples, statistics, or research to strengthen your arguments for both the problem and the solution. Incorporating relevant examples and credible data will illustrate the significance of the issue and the effectiveness of your proposed solution.
• Consider Multiple Solutions: If the question allows, discuss alternative solutions and weigh their pros and cons. Exploring various solutions and their implications will demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the issue and the ability to evaluate different options critically.
• Don't Just List Problems and Solutions: Choose one or two key issues and develop them thoroughly, explaining their impact and the effectiveness of your proposed solutions. 
• Focus on Practicality: Ensure your solutions are realistic and feasible to implement. Emphasizing practical and feasible solutions will portray a sense of realism and understanding of the practical challenges involved in addressing the problem.
• Link the Problem and Solution: Clearly show how your proposed solution addresses the identified problem. Articulating a clear connection between the problem and the proposed solution will highlight the relevance and effectiveness of your approach.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in IELTS Problem-Solution Essays

Here’s a list of common mistakes you must avoid to incorporate effective essay-writing strategies. This will help you enhance the clarity, coherence, and quality of your IELTS problem-solution essays.

Inattentiveness to Task Instructions

Not reading the task carefully can lead to misunderstanding and incomplete responses.  You can underline keywords for better understanding. For example, in the task "Nowadays many people in cities live alone. What are the reasons for it? Is it a positive or a negative trend?", you must discuss reasons for urban solo living and evaluate its positivity or negativity.

Lack of Examples

Merely stating points without elaboration or examples weakens your essay. After presenting a reason like career-focused urbanites living alone, you must provide an explanation followed by a concrete example.

Unclear Expression of Opinion

Failing to state your opinion in the introduction and conclusion lacks coherence. Make your stance evident throughout the essay to make the reader understand your viewpoint. This clarity is crucial for higher band scores.

Poor Organization and Linking of Ideas

Essays lacking clear paragraph structure or logical transitions confuse readers. Each paragraph should have a distinct theme and connect logically to the next using appropriate connectors.

Limited Vocabulary and Sentence Structure

Over-reliance on a narrow vocabulary or repetitive sentence structures can hinder the sophistication of your essay. Aim for lexical variety and diverse sentence structures to demonstrate language proficiency and avoid monotony.

Lack of Proofreading

Review your problem-solution essays for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors to maintain their quality. Spend the last few minutes to check and correct any mistakes to ensure your essay is polished and error-free.

Sample 1 on IELTS Problem Solution Essay

Let us now look at some staples for better understanding of how IELTS problem-solution essays must be dealt with.

Sample 1 on IELTS Problem-Solution Essay

A lot of professionals like doctors and engineers are leaving their poor countries to settle down in developed countries. What are the problems? What can be done to control the situation? 

The immigration of talented young citizens negatively affects the economy of the native country. Brain drain has been a serious concern for poor countries. Young IT professionals, doctors, and engineers are looking out for opportunities with the top employers in developed economies of the world. It has even become a matter of pride to leave one’s country to contribute to a foreign economy. As a result, poor countries are getting poorer, and developed ones are reaching new heights. This can be solved by implementing various measures, such as offering competitive pay.

The impact of brain drain is alarming and has caused an economic downturn in poor countries. The conditions created by the phenomenon have led to critical economic degradation and low living standards. It affects not only the economy but also the education and the healthcare sectors. Skills in fields like engineering, medicine, and IT are crucial for maintaining the key economic sectors like food production, business, healthcare, employment, and education in a country. Lack of basic facilities keeps poor countries from developing and encouraging investment.

The best way to tackle and restrict the brain drain from poor countries is to convert  push factors into pull factors. The government needs to create strategies and employment opportunities to increase the retention of talent. Poor countries can put a check on this by offering better work conditions, better pay, and a promising job market. The young generation is likely to stop immigrating if they can access a developed job market with better pay in their native country. This is one way of retaining the skills that the country needs to grow and develop.

Another approach is to develop infrastructure for training and research programs, helping doctors and engineers work in their home countries after completing their courses.

Lastly, better living standards should be offered in order to retain young talents. It is a positive way to inspire the talents to stay back and work for their own economy and develop it.

Another key reason for choosing Canada is the country’s welcoming nature as Canada is a melting pot where people of different ethnicities live together without fear of racial discrimination. Canada greets overseas students in a safe environment and offers the best quality of life and job opportunities.

I would like to conclude by saying that the solutions offered above will be financially demanding, and the poor countries have to look for financial aids to implement these strategies.

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Sample 2 on problem solution IELTS Essay 

Many countries do not show enough respect towards the elderly. What are the problems associated with this? List the possible solutions.

Being respectful towards the elderly is not in fashion, it is a fast eroding culture in developed countries, causing serious troubles both on individual and societal levels. Personal priorities are important in modern society but at the cost of what? This is an alarming aspect, but it can be tackled if proper solutions and strategies are adopted. 

Joint families are gradually losing their hold over modern societies. The changing in our lifestyle and daily priorities make it difficult to stay connected. There are a lot of issues emerging due to this change in the approach towards the elderly.

Work patterns and lifestyle are undergoing significant changes. A close look at a corporate worker’s life reveals that they hardly have time for themselves,  let alone others. Work pressure and competition have affected moral values and the race to earn money almost takes away a major portion of the life of the younger generations. After meeting strict deadlines and targets, individuals come home drained both mentally and physically. This need for financial stability has taken a toll on morality in Individuals.

However, what is sad amid all this is the fact that the elderly at home are neglected. They do not have anyone to talk to. Even after having a full-fledged family, they are alienated. Not only this. The health conditions of older generations deteriorate as they do not get adequate care. The number of suicides among the elderly has seen a rise. Some even abandon their homes to live a lonely life.

The elderly generation is suffering from physical abuse and assault as well. Many such cases happen daily in developed economies, and it is depressing. It is also common these days to find elderly homeless seeking shelter in government camps, and their numbers are only rising. The idea of a family seems to be a myth as the older generations, the pillars of the family carrying values and traditions face neglect.

Solutions need to be implemented both at societal and individual levels to address this concern. There should be awareness programs on family values and the roles played by the elderly. Companies should offer work-life balance to employees so that they can have more family time. The elderly deserve attention, care, and respect. The government should implement strict laws and punishment for those that harm the elderly. Lastly, education will play an important role. The school curriculum should also include sessions and programs on elderly care and importance so that the child grows up with the right values. 

As per my opinion, the cycle of life keeps moving and if we are disrespectful today, we will receive the same in the future. Elderly generations are the pillars of the family. We do not have the right to disrespect those that have made uncountable struggles and sacrifices just to bring us up. Elderly concerns need to be dealt with priority.

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Tips to Write Problem-Solution Essay

• Word Count and Timing: Aim for a minimum of 250 words in your Task 2 essay. While there is no maximum word limit, you get only 40 minutes to complete the task, without any extensions.
• Essay Structure: Divide your essay into four parts: introduction, problem, solution, and conclusion. The introduction should provide an overview of the essay. The problem section will outline the issues, while the solution section will offer measures to address them. The conclusion should summarize our opinion and the essay.
• Focus on Problem and Solution: Address the core questions: what are the problems, and what are the possible solutions? Expand on 2-3 problems and their corresponding solutions, without listing them as bullet points.
• Stay Relevant: Ensure your problems and solutions are directly related to the question. For example, if discussing overpopulation, don’t include problems caused by globalization.
• Keywords: Identify and focus on keywords in the question.Link problems to solutions clearly for a higher band score.
• Realistic Solutions: Offer practical and achievable solutions. Avoid unrealistic or impractical suggestions.
• Paraphrasing: Increase readability by paraphrasing effectively. This keeps the essay engaging and avoids repetition.
• Conclusion: The conclusion should not have any new problem or new solution. It should be a summary of all that you have already stated in the essay.  Use concise language to wrap up your essay in 4-5 lines.
• Use of Idioms: Use idioms appropriately to enhance your essay, ensuring they are relevant and correctly placed. 
• Grammar and Proofreading: Ensure your essay is grammatically correct. Avoid punctuation, spelling, and tenses errors. Proofread in the last 1-2 minutes to catch any mistakes.
• Sentence Structure: Use short, crisp sentences over lengthy ones for better clarity and impact.
• Question Analysis: Carefully read the question to understand whether it asks for reasons and solutions or problems and solutions. Answer all parts of the question equally.
• Tone: Maintain a semi-formal tone. Avoid informal or overly personal language.
• Practice: Write various problem-solution essays on different topics to build confidence and skill.
• Use of Facts: Only include valid facts or statistical data if you are certain of their accuracy. Avoid hypothetical numbers.
• Language Tools: Utilize collocations, linking words, and phrases to make your essay coherent and dynamic.

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Problem Solution Essay IELTS topics 

Some topics for task 2 problem-solution essays are provided here to start your practice. Choose any one of the topics and follow the instructions laid out in the article above for better preparation:

Q. Nowadays, many people complain that they are struggling with sleep. What problems can cause insomnia in people? What can be done for a good night's sleep?

Q. Average life expectancy is increasing in developed nations. What problems will it cause for individuals and society? Mention some steps that can be taken to reduce the impact of aging populations.

Q. Stress has become a big problem in many countries across the globe. What are some of the elements in modern society that lead to stress? How can we mitigate stress?

Q. Global warming is one of the grave problems that the world is encountering today. What are the causes of it and what measures can be taken to tackle the issue?

Q. The quality of air and water is declining due to industrial effluents and construction sites. What steps could be taken to mitigate this?

Q. Nowadays, many people are struggling with obesity. What are the factors that contribute to this problem? What are the effects?

Problem Solution Essay Structure

By now, you must have understood the problem-solution essays

Here is a reference structure to write an excellent essay. The structure will vary depending on what the question demands., but generally, the essay will have four elements if it requires you to write about the problem, its causes, and its solutions.

Here is the general problem- solution essay structure:

1. Introduction

• Paraphrase the question
• Cite one key problem and its cause

2) Main body Paragraph 1 (Problem or Cause)

• Cite the problem or cause
• Support the statement with suitable examples 

3) Main body paragraph 2 (Solution)

• Cite the solution
• Give details about the problem and write about the remedial measures
• Provide examples

4) Conclusion

• Summarize your essay by enlisting all the important information in conclusion.

Tackling  an IELTS problem-solution essay can be challenging, but with the right approach and practice, you can get the hang of it. Focus on clearly linking problems to solutions, and remember to keep your essay well-structured. With the tips mentioned in the article, you’ll be ready to ace your IELTS essay and boost your score!