IELTS Writing Task 2 Problem-Solution Essay – Template and Band 9 Example

IELTS Writing Task 2 Problem-Solution Essay – Template and Band 9 Example

IELTS Writing Task 2 has five main types of essays. The Problem-Solution Essay is one of the most useful and easy to use on the test. It wants you to explain a problem, think about how to solve it, and give some good ideas.

With this in-depth guide, you’ll learn:

• How to find an essay question with a problem and a solution
• Structure that has been used before
• Words and sentences that are useful
• Avoid making these mistakes
• A full example essay for Band 9 with answers

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• Pick out at least one issue
• (Optional) Describe what caused or led to them
• Offer at least one workable option

 

What Is an Essay That Solves a Problem?

For this kind of writing, you need to:

Important tip: You need to not only describe the problem, but also clearly explain and give examples of your solution(s).

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How to Find an Essay with a Problem and a Solution

Look for words like these in the prompt:

• What makes something happen, and how can it be fixed
• What problems does something cause, and what are some ways to fix them
• Talk about problems and make suggestions for how to fix them

As an example:
Stress-related diseases affect a lot of people these days. What makes this problem happen What options do you have

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The Best Way to Structure an Essay (4 Paragraphs)

Goal of the Paragraph	Description
The Beginning	Rewrite the topic and list issues and ways to fix them
Part 1	Describe the problem(s) in detail and give some cases
Part 2	Suggest a solution or solutions with reasons and evidence to back them up
In conclusion	Write down the main points and stress the answers

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Breaking Down Each Sentence

Beginning
What is the question again
Say that the article will talk about issues and ways to fix them

In the past few years, there has been a big rise in health problems caused by worry in the general population. This essay will look at the main reasons for this trend and offer useful ways to stop it.

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Part 1 of the Body: The Problem
Make the main problem(s) very clear
Describe the cause and/or result
Give an example from real life

The fast-paced nature of modern life is a big reason why more people are getting sick from stress. Working long hours and not knowing if they’ll have a job tomorrow make it hard for many people to keep a good work-life balance. For example, a recent poll in the UK found that more than 60 percent of full-time workers say they feel too busy to do all their work.

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Body Paragraph 2: The Answer(s)
Come up with at least one reasonable answer
Describe how it solves the issue
If you can, give an example

To deal with this problem, businesses should support mental health by giving employees access to counselling services and flexible work hours. In addition, people should be urged to do things like exercise and practise mindfulness. For instance, many tech companies in Silicon Valley now offer yoga and meditation rooms for their workers, which has led to less stress and more work getting done.

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In the End
List the issues and their answers in brief
Add one last thought or idea

In conclusion, the main reason why stress-related health problems are becoming more common is that people don’t have enough time to relax. Society can successfully deal with this growing concern by making changes to the workplace and promoting healthy habits for personal well-being.

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Words You Can Use in Problem-Solution Essays

Problem Words:
A big problem
A growing worry
Causes and effects
Effects that are bad or undesirable
The main reason or root cause
Going up rates of

Words for Solutions:
To solve the issue
Implement methods that work
Offer incentives
Make people more aware
Spend money on healthcare, education, and facilities

Phrases to Connect:
One approach that could work is
Another thing that makes a difference is
You can deal with this by
Because of this
In order to clear this up

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Common Mistakes You Should Not Make

• Not giving any reasons or examples for the problems and answers you list → Always back up your ideas with reasons and examples
• Offering answers that aren’t possible → Don’t just say “We should stop pollution” but explain how you’ll do it
• Focusing too much on one side (only problems or only answers) → Keep both sides in balance
• Reusing words or phrases → Use different words or phrases and rewrite them
• Not connecting issues with solutions → Make sure each answer directly addresses an issue that was raised

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Sample Problem-Solution Essay for Band 9

Question:
More and more people are driving cars in many places, which is bad for the environment. What are the main problems that driving a car causes How are we going to fix this

Essay for Band 9

Beginning:
More and more cars in cities have caused big problems for the environment. This essay will talk about the main issues that come with more people using cars and suggest ways to fix them.

Body Paragraph 1: The Problems
Air pollution is one of the most important problems that comes from using cars too much. Greenhouse gas levels are largely caused by cars that use fossil fuels. These gases are bad for people’s health and speed up climate change. An increase in traffic jams also means more wasted time and fuel use, which puts even more stress on city facilities. Because there are so many cars in cities like New Delhi and Beijing, the air quality is often dangerous.

Body Paragraph 2: The Solutions
To make these issues better, states should put money into making public transport systems bigger and more up-to-date. Alternatives like electric buses and metro rails that are stable and don’t cost a lot of money can help people depend less on their cars. Adding congestion charges and car-free zones can also stop people from moving needlessly. For example, London’s congestion charge has cut down on traffic and made the air quality in the city centre better.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the rise in car use is bad for the environment because it causes smog and traffic. These problems can be solved, though, with smart spending in public transport and good rules and regulations.

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The Reason This Essay Gets a 9 on the Rubric

Criteria	Score	Reason
Task Achievement	All parts of the prompt are answered, and the thoughts are well-developed
Cohesion and Coherence	Clear organisation with links and a sensible flow
Lexical Resource	A lot of words, like “mitigate,” “congestion,” and “hazardous”
Range and Accuracy of Grammar	There are complex patterns and precise grammar all over

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A Way to Practise Writing Problem-Solution Essays

• Learn to spot common issues that need to be solved, like pollution, crime, schooling gaps, and public health
• Try coming up with problems and answers on your own
• Five minutes to write down two problems and two ways to solve them
• Make use of themes and sentence starters, in particular for beginnings and endings
• Look over sample writings and break them down. Give each sentence a purpose, such as topic, support, example, etc
• Time yourself to write one to two full articles each week
• Then make changes based on band descriptions

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It’s a Practice Task for You
A lot of young people are moving to towns from the country these days. What issues does this bring up, and how can they be fixed

Plan:
Problem 1: Fewer people living in rural areas means less money for small towns
Problem 2: Cities with too many people put a strain on homes and public services
Solution 1: Incentives from the government to create work in rural areas
Solution 2: Give towns better roads and internet access

Time yourself for 40 minutes and try to write a full answer

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Thoughts for Now
Problem-solving Part 2 of the IELTS Writing Test is easy to write if you know what the question is. Use academic language, keep your structure simple, and back up each point with logic and examples.

Don’t forget:

• Be clear about the problem(s)
• Give practical, doable answers
• Give proof with data or examples
• Keep things professional, on track, and even

You’ll be well on your way to getting a Band 8 or better if you keep practicing.

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Call to Action
What kinds of problem-solution questions do you need examples of Are they about crime, health, education, or the environment
Leave a comment, and I’ll talk about it in future posts
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