Problem and Solution Type

These are sometimes called ‘causes and solutions’ or ‘problems and solutions’
essays. This type of IELTS Task 2 question starts with a statement, then asks you
to discuss the problems or causes and the solutions.

Key tips:

 Don’t list lots of causes and solutions.

 Choose just one or two and develop them fully.

 Be sure to link each problem/cause and its solution. A common

mistake is for candidates to list all the problems/causes and
solutions they can think of, not necessarily linking them
together. They also fail to explain any of them in detail and don’t
include any examples.

Common question words

1.Cause and Solution
2.Problem and Solution

Sample Question
Students are becoming more and more reliant on technology. What are some of
the problems associated with reliance on computers, and what are some of the
possible solutions?

IELTS Essay Structure for this Type

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
 Example – give an example

4) Conclusion

 Summarise the key points and state your opinion

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EXAMPLES:

In many professional sports, there is an increase in the number of

athletes using banned substances to improve their performance. What
are the causes of the phenomenon and what are some of the possible
solutions?

In many professional sports, it is becoming commonplace for athletes to abuse

prohibited substances to boost their overall performance. This essay will discuss
how stiff competition and lax testing systems are the main cause of this problem,
and the most suitable solutions are imposing heavier punishments on violators
and revamping testing facilities.

The main cause of this problem is the fierce competition that exists in any sports.
In other words, most many professional athletes feel that they have to take
substances like steroids to give themselves an advantage over other strong
opponents. Another reason is the lack of strictness in testing procedures. Many
athletes who take advantage of banned substances can still get off scot-free due
to the holes in testing systems. For example, a high-profile mix martial artist
named Jon John who is notorious for using PED described how easy it was to get
away with cheating in an interview in 2015.

A viable solution is to heavily punish lawbreakers. If sports clubs and

establishments raise the fine for using banned substances, many athletes will
think twice before making attempt to cheat. Another the way to deal with this
issue is to upgrade testing amenities. This will eradicate any holes existing in the
system and ensure that the test result is highly accurate. For instance, after the
UFC had made major investments to provide their staff with the latest testing
equipment, many fighters in their organization got caught.

In conclusion, strong competition and ineffective testing systems are the main
cause of this problem, and the most suitable solutions are enforcing harsher
punishments on violators and reforming testing facilities.

In some countries, younger people are neglecting their right to vote.

What problems does this cause and what are some of the possible
solutions?

It is argued that in certain nations youth are not using their right to vote. This
would hinder the political change, and it would also result in policies made that
are not beneficial for these young people. The most viable solutions would be to
create awareness among the younger generation and promote them to
participate in politics.

Not participating in elections would mean that it would be difficult to change the
government which is necessary for some countries across the globe. This is
because, in any functional democracy, the only way to change the ruling party is
by casting votes in the electoral process. Furthermore, if young individuals forge
their right to vote, it would result in policies made that do not benefit them. As a
result, they would feel that the state is not addressing their concerns and end up

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leaving the country. For instance, every year thousands of young adults from
developing countries immigrate to Europe and North America because they are
unhappy with their government’s performance.

One way to tackle these issues is to inform these people about the power of vote.
Campaigns should be held in universities, and colleges to educate youth about
their political rights. Another solution is to promote these young people to come
into politics. Doing this it would ensure their representation and their voices
being heard. For example, Nelson Mandela was a young political activist who
successfully fought against racism and became the first black President of South
Africa.

In conclusion, neglecting to vote by the young generation would delay the

necessary government change, and laws made that are not in their favor.
However, encouraging youth participation in politics and awareness campaigns
can be possible solutions to tackle these problems.

In some countries, younger people are neglecting their right to vote.

What problems does this cause and what are some of the possible
solutions?

In certain parts of the world, the younger generation is not using their right to
vote.

This phenomenon may result in younger people being apathetic toward politics
and election results that do not reflect public opinion, and the most viable
solutions are to educate younger people about the importance of voting and
incentivize them to vote.

One major problem of this is that younger people may adopt an uncaring attitude
toward politics. If younger people do not take part in the election, which is the
most significant political event, they are unlikely to pay heed to anything related
to politics later on. Another issue is that the result of the election might be
undermined. Since only older people give their votes, the winner may not be the
one that the majority want to put in charge. For example, it is commonly seen in
my country that politicians with older supporters tend to win again candidates
that appeal to the young since most of them do not give their votes.

One suitable solution for this is to run a public awareness campaign to emphasize
to younger people the significance of voting. Once they realize that if they
abandon their right to vote, the consequences will be immense, they will change
their minds and begin to vote. Another way to overcome this is to provide them
with certain incentives to start voting. Many younger people find voting a waste
of time and, therefore, if they are given incentives, they are more likely to take
the time to vote. For instance, younger people in my country are often given a
small amount of money as a way of motivating them to vote.

In conclusion, the problems that may stem from this are younger people’s
indifferent attitude toward political matters and an ineffective election, and some
ways to deal with them are educating and incentivizing younger people to vote.

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IELTS Problem / Solution Essay Sample (Corrected)

Even though doctors all over the world agree that fast food is bad for
people's health, more and more people are eating it. Why are more
people eating fast food? What can be done about this problem?

There are a lot of people who have argued over whether fast food is still as bad
as thought and found in the end that dining on healthy food could possibly save
them from upcoming health problems. However, there is another increasing
number of people who do not seem to care so much and consume fast food more
often.
On the one hand, it is understood that life tends to be very busy nowadays. Due
to a huge revolution in technology, it has opened up more choices for many
people and time has become the most valuable resource overall. In order to save
more time and rather progress with work than spending too much time on lunch,
the eating time has become something when many people just want to quickly fill
themselves up and get back to work. This is where fast food comes into play as a
simple, fast and time-saving solution. One reason why people prefer fast food is
that it is fairly easy to obtain. Moreover, it is often cheaper than a proper cooked
meal and the expected level of quality is everywhere more or less the same.
On the other hand, fast food does not equal healthy food. This is a major
drawback, which has made society more concerned about the future of people’s
health. I personally believe that keeping people more informed
about the disadvantages of fast food would help to raise awareness of the
problem. Therefore, advertising a healthy lifestyle could be one of the first
steps for dealing with this issue. Secondly, not only should doctors be the ones
who advise on balanced eating, but famous people, as good examples, may well
contribute to solving this problem.
In order to save people from health problems, a good and balanced diet is the
first thing to concentrate on. Even though many people still prefer fast food, a lot
could be done to influence their decisions starting with advertising a healthy
lifestyle and setting good examples to follow.
(331 words)
Band Score Estimate 6.5
(prior to corrections)