A Simple Guide To Writing Well On IELTS Writing Task 2 - Type 3: Problem-Solution Essays (Including Example Essays)

Problem-Solution Essays suggest solutions to problems and analyse the problems and their possible solutions. Also, expected results or consequences are presented.
The writer’s opinion may be mentioned, directly or indirectly, in the introduction and/or conclusion.

If you see the following key words in the prompt:
- problems
- reasons
- solutions
- advice
- steps
- recommendations

How To Plan And Organize Problem-Solution Essay?
Below is the plan. Follow it in order to write coherently.

Introduction
Paragraph 1
State the problem and its cause(s)/consequence(s)
Main Body
Paragraphs 2&3 or 2&3&4 or 2&3&4&5 (depending on the number of the ideas you have)
Suggestions & results
Conclusion
Final Paragraph
Summarise your opinion

Useful Expressions: Problems & Solutions


Example Essays:
(All essays presented below would obtain Band 8&9)

1. What could be done to improve the lives of the elderly?
For many elderly people the latter part of their life is not a time to relax and enjoy retirement, but rather a difficult and unhappy period, owing to financial worries, falling health and loneliness. As life expectancy increases, the average person lives well beyond the age of retirement. As a result, the elderly make up an ever-increasing percentage of society, which makes it more important than ever for a real effort to be made in improving the lives of senior citizens.
One way to deal with the situation would be to ensure that the elderly have enough money on which to live. Obviously, when a person stops working, they still require a source of income to cover their basic needs such as food, accommodation and heating. A clear solution to the problem is for the government to make sure that the state pension is adequate for these needs. Furthermore, free financial advice should be made available to retired people so that the stress of worrying about money could be reduced as far as possible.
Steps should also be taken to overcome problems the elderly face as a result of deteriorating health due to old age, and inadequate health-care provisions. Again, the responsibility should fall to the government to provide access to the best health care available, which may necessitate paying for residential homes where the elderly can have round-the-clock nursing, or, at the very least, providing medication free of charge to all people over a certain age. As a result, old people would enjoy not only better health, but also peace of mind from the knowledge that they need not fear falling ill and being unable to pay for treatment.
The lives of old people could also be improved if attempts were made to address the problem of social isolation, which so many of them face. If we organised trips for the elderly to community centres, visits from social workers or free bus passes to allow pensioners greater mobility, the effect would be to alleviate the problem of loneliness which marks the lives of so many old people living alone and far from their families.
One final suggestion, which would help enormously, is to change the attitude of the community towards its older members, who are all too often seen as a burden on society and dismissed as having little to do with modern life. We need to be taught from an early age to respect the views of old people, and appreciate their broader experience of life. This would help society as a whole, and encourage the appreciation of the role that old people can still play today.
To sum up, there are several measures which could be taken to improve the lives of old people. If the government and individuals alike were to help, it would make retirement and old age a time to look forward to, rather than dread.

2.Crime in developed countries is one of the biggest problems in society. It is often said that crime is one of the main things that makes their quality of life poorer. What are the causes of the problem and what measures can be taken to reduce it?
In this essay, I will outline the mains reasons why crime is still a problem even in developed countries, and suggest some measures which might be taken to control it.
In my opinion, most people commit crimes because they want something they cannot have. If everyone in society had an equal amount of money, there would be no need for people with lower incomes to be envious of those who drive fast cars and live in big houses. Advertising intensifies the desire for luxury goods and celebrity lifestyles, and although it is necessary to promote sales and improve the economy, it can encourage feelings of greed and jealousy. In addition to this, young people are particularly vulnerable to peer pressure. They may be influenced by their friends to start taking drugs or stealing cars for fun. Nevertheless, some rebellious behaviour in young people is normal and perhaps even healthy. It needs to be channelled into other types of activities.
I feel that there are three ways in which crime can be reduced. Firstly, most developed countries have a large and well-paid police force. However, that force spend most of their time in cars. They need to be more visible on the street. Secondly, young people need to be educated about how they can contribute to society. Finally, parents should be more responsible. They have children, yet they do not control their behaviour. Consequently, children grow up without learning the rules of society.
On the whole, I do not believe that we can ever rid our society of all crime, but if the measures I have suggested here were taken, I am convinced that we would see an improvement. What is more, none of these suggestions would be expensive to apply.

3. Giving aid to poorer countries does not work. The richer nations have given billions of dollars to poorer nations, but while some nations have benefited, many more are still poor. What are the causes of the problem and what measures can be taken to reduce it?
It is true that money given to developing nations rarely seems to have any effect in the long term. In this essay, I will give some reasons why this happens, and suggest ways the situation can be improved.
As I see it, the main reason aid money is ineffective is corruption. In developing countries, civil servants, teachers and policemen are paid so little that they are unable to live on their salaries. For this reason, they are forced to take money for favours, and as a result, those who cannot afford to pay bribes will not receive fair treatment, justice or a good education. Because of this corrupt administration system, money goes missing before it can reach the people it is intended for. Consequently, the gap between the rich and the poor become wider, and so we see tyrants and dictators living in palaces while their people starve.
It seems to me that poorer nations would benefit more from education and training than financial aid. Professionals from all fields can donate some of their time to teaching local people new skills, and as a consequence, they will be able to teach others in turn. As poverty is caused by ignorance, so education is the key to prosperity. When financial donations are made, foreign governments need the money does not disappear. Thus, it is more likely to be used for the development of the country’s infrastructure, and for helping the poor and needy.
All in all, the problem of world poverty cannot be solved by money alone. Nations need to work together on long-term projects, sharing their knowledge and skills so that each person has something valuable to offer to their community.