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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?

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100 IELTS Essay Topics for IELTS Writing

Let me start by saying that by far the best resource for authentic IELTS essay topics are the Cambridge 1 – 13 books. These are real past IELTS exam papers and, therefore, provide students with the highest quality questions for all parts of the test. However, what do you do if you have finished the Cambridge books? Or you struggle with one particular type of question and want a lot of that specific type of practise?

Well, until now, people have relied on questions that were “memorised” by test-takers(often incorrectly), or written by well-meaning teachers who have no specific education in test creation. As a result, many of the “IELTS questions” on the Internet are worded incorrectly. And, as a professional exam writer ( yes, I work creating academic exams for universities ), I know how damaging it can be if even one word in a question is changed.

So, today I am sharing my list of 100 IELTS writing topics. Some are taken from old exam papers, a few are from the Cambridge books, but most are from my own course .  More importantly, I can guarantee that each of these questions is as “authentic” as a question can be.  Have fun (and let me know your favourite question in the comments!) 

If you are new to IELTS, then check out my FREE  Introduction to Writing Task 2  👈 video lesson. It contains everything you need to know to get started on your IELTS journey   🚀

IELTS Discuss Both Views and Give your Own Opinion Writing Topics

• Some people think that illegal Internet downloads are having a negative effect on the music   industry . Others feel that they have little or no impact on artists. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
•   Some people think that exams are a good way of assessing a student’s level . Other people believe that they put unnecessary pressure on young learners and tell us very little about their actual ability.  Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
• Successful sportsmen can earn a great deal more than people in other important professions. Some people think this is fully justified while others think it is unfair. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
• Some people feel that there should be a fixed punishment for each type of crime . Others feel that the circumstances of an offence should be taken into account when deciding on a punishment. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
• Some people believe that all children should learn a foreign language  from the time they start school, while others believe it is better to wait until a child is at secondary school. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
• Some people believe that in the near future there will be no borders between countries , while others feel that national borders will always remain. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
• Some people feel that the cost of space exploration  is far too high for the benefits it brings while others argue that we space programmes should continue no matter what the cost. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
• Some people believe that advertising has a strong effect on a person’s decision-making process. Others feel that it has little or no real impact. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
• Some people believe that every human can create art . Other people think that art can only be created by people with special talents. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
• Some people feel that the media has the strongest impact on people’s lives . Others feel that it is politicians who have the most control over the way people lives. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
• Some people feel that the primary function of a university should be to prepare students for the working world. Others argue that the purpose of a university education is to provide knowledge for knowledge’s sake. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
• Some people think that the teenage years are the happiest times of most people’s lives . Others think that adult life brings more happiness in spite of greater responsibilities. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
• Some people prefer to spend their lives doing the same things and avoiding change. Others, however, prefer to take risks and think that change is a positive thing. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
• Some people think that boys and girls should attend school together . Others feel that they should be educated separately. Discuss both sides and give your own opinion.
• Some people feel that  global warming should be dealt with by governments. Others feel that it is the responsibility of individuals in society to solve the problem. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
• Some people think that all university students should study whatever they like . Others believe that they should only be allowed to study subjects that will be useful in the future, such as those related to science and technology. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
• Some people think that a sense of competition should be encouraged in children . Others believe that children who are taught to cooperate rather than compete become more useful adults. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
• Some people think that economic development is the only way to end poverty  while others believe that it is causing damage to the environment and so should be stopped. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
• Some people think that new houses should be built in the same style as the older houses in an area . Others believe that the government should allow people to build houses in the style they want. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
• Some people like to spend their leisure time with their colleagues . Others think it is better to keep their private life separate from their work life. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Want to know how the examiner will apply the band descriptors when marking your IELTS essay?

Th en download a copy of our FREE e-book, which explains how each of the four marking criteria is applied and includes the most common errors made by test-takers. Just click here for your copy.

  T o What Extent Do you Agree or Disagree Writing Topics

• University education s hould be free for all students. To what extent do you agree or disagree
• Men and women are capable of doing all jobs  equally well. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
• Some people believe that nowadays we have too much choice . To what extent do you agree or disagree?
• Advertising that targets children  should be banned from our televisions. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
• Some people say it is important to keep your home and your workplace tidy , with everything organised in the correct place. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
• In some countries it is common for school leavers to take a year off  between finishing school and starting university. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this practice?
• Open plan offices offer a better working environment for staff than a normal office. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
• Universities should accept equal numbers of male and female students  in every subject. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
• The recent popularity of online shopping will result in the end of high street shops. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
• International sporting events promote peace between countries. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
• Some people think it is a good thing for senior managers to have much higher salaries than the other workers in a company. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
• People who read for pleasure in their free time have a better imagination than those who prefer to watch TV. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
• Some people believe that children who are given pocket money every week have less problems managing money when they become adults. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
• Some people believe that eventually all jobs will be done by artificially intelligent robots . What is your opinion?
• Nowadays environmental problems are too big for individual countries or people to solve. We have reached the stage where we need cooperation on an international level to protect the environment. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
• Some people say that  a person’s success is as a direct result of the way they were brought up by their parents. Do you agree or disagree?
• Some people think that plastic shopping bags should be banned because they contribute to land and sea pollution. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
• Some people who have been in prison become good citizens later, and so it is often argued that these are the best people to talk to teenagers about the dangers of committing a crime. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
• Some people believe that children should be taught how to manage money at school. Do you agree or disagree?
• Some people believe that in order for a hobby to be enjoyable , it needs to be difficult. Do you agree or disagree?

Looking for an IELTS school run by native speakers who have a proven track record of helping students achieve their potential in IELTS? Then come join the students at  My IELTS Classroom  who are using our unique video courses, live lessons and marking service to maximise their scores. 

Best Way IELTS Essay Topics

•   One of the biggest problems facing the world today is growing enough food to feed the ever-expanding population .  Genetically Modified foods are the best way to solve this issue . To what extent do you agree or disagree?
•   The main cause of global warming   is pollution from cars.  To what extent do you agree or disagree?
• Playing computer games   only has negative effects on children.  To what extent do you agree or disagree
• The main reason for the high sale of consumer goods in today’s society is advertising .  To what extent do you agree or disagree?
• Good marketing is the key to running a successful business .  To what extent do you agree or disagree?
• The best way to tackle the problem of obesity   is to educate people about healthy eating.  To what extent do you agree or disagree?
• The most important factor in job satisfaction is salary .  To what extent do you agree or disagree?
• Many people use  customer reviews on the Internet to make decisions about what they  buy. A re customer reviews the most useful tool to use when making a purchase ?
• Many governments think that economic progress is their most important goal . Some people, however, think that other types of progress are equally important for a country.  Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
• Some people say that the only reason for learning a foreign language is in order to travel to or work in a foreign country . Others say that these are not the only reasons why someone should learn a foreign language.  Discuss both sides and give your own opinion.

When you are writing an IELTS essay, it is important to always think about how your answer will satisfy the IELTS Band descriptors. Don’t know what they are or how the examiner uses them to check your work?  Watch my free video lesson to find out how you can use the band descriptors to achieve a high score.

Cause / Problem / Solution IELTS Essay Topics

• The increase in the number of privately-owned cars is having a negative impact on both our towns and the environment .  What can individuals and the government do to reduce this problem?
• Many people play sport when they are young, but then stop when they become adults. Why do so many adults stop doing physical exercise ? What can be done to solve this problem?
• Fewer people today visit museums than in the past. Why is this? What can be done to encourage more people to visit museums in the future?
• Many animals today are being hunted to the point of extinction. What can be done to tackle this problem?
• In many countries today,  the average weight of people is increasing . What has led to this situation? What can be done to solve it?
• Global warming is one of the most serious issues facing the world today. What are some of the causes of global warming? What can governments and individuals do to solve the problem?
• The gap between the rich and poor  is growing. What difficulties does this cause? How can these problems be overcome?
• More people are stressed  today than ever before. What are the causes of this stress? What can be done to address this problem?
• Many young people today are leaving their homes in the countryside to move to cities . Why is this happening? What can be done to encourage young people to stay in rural areas?
• Many people today are choosing to stay in rented apartments rather than hotels  when they travel. What led to this change? What problems could it cause the travel industry?
• Children today spend a lot of time on social media . What potential problems could this cause and how could they be addressed?
• Many young people today will never be able to afford to buy a house . What has led to this situation? What can be done to remedy it?
• In many countries, the tradition of having family meals together is disappearing. Why is this happening? What will the effects of this be on the family and society?
• Nowadays we are producing more and more rubbish . Why do you think this is happening? What can the government do to help reduce this amount of rubbish produced?
• In many countries, the level of crime is increasing. What do you think are the main causes of crime? How can we deal with those causes?
• People today are spending more and more time outside of the home . What are the reasons for this trend? What effects is it having on individuals and society?
• 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?
• People today know fewer of their neighbours  than in the past. Why is this? What can be done to solve this problem?
• The quality of life in many large cities is currently becoming worse. Why is this? What measures can be introduced to tackle this issue?
• Many people have jobs that involve working shifts (i.e. working at night). What are some of the problems that shift workers might face? What can be done to solve them?

IELTS Advantages and Disadvantages Essay Topics

• Thanks to low-cost airlines , many people can travel abroad.  What advantages and disadvantages do tourists bring to the countries they visit?
• People today are able to take out loans from the bank or get a credit card very easily. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this practice?
• Many people use the Internet as their main educational resource . What are the advantages and disadvantages of this practice?
• In some countries, teenagers have part-time jobs while they are still at school. What benefits does this bring a child? Are there any drawbacks?
• Schools in some countries require their students to wear a uniform . What are the positives and negatives of this rule?

One of the most important things you should do in an IELTS essay is support your argument with relevant examples. But what are good examples for an IELTS essay ? – well, let me give you a clue: they do NOT include fake statistics and they are NOT personal! 

Outweigh Advantages and Disadvantages Essay Topics

• Being a celebrity – such as a film star or singer – brings problems as well as benefits. Do you think that being a celebrity brings more benefits or more problems?
• As a country develops, more people are able to purchase a car . Do you think that the positive for the individual outweigh the negatives for the environment?
• Many museums charge an admission fee  while others are free. Do you think that the advantages of charging admission to museums outweigh the disadvantages?
• Today, it is common to see famous sports people advertising sports products . Do the advantages of this trend outweigh the disadvantages?
• More and more people are choosing to eat ready-made meals rather than freshly cooked food. Does this trend have more advantages than disadvantages?

Positive or Negative Development IELTS Essay Topics

•   Many parents today employ private tutors   to teach their children after school hours.  Do you think this is a positive or negative development?
• Today, more people are waiting until their thirties to get married and have children .  Do you think this is a positive or negative development?
• In recent years, many small local shops have closed   because customers travel to large shopping centres or malls to do their shopping.  Do you think this is a positive or negative development?
• Countries are becoming more and more similar   because people are able to buy the same products anywhere in the world.  Do you think this is a positive or negative development?
• Nowadays  many people communicate using social media .  Do you think this is a positive or negative development?

Most IELTS blog posts are full of advice about how to paraphrase. Me? I’m the opposite – I want to encourage people NOT to paraphrase? Why? Read my blog post on the Dangers of Paraphrasing to find out! ☠️

IELTS Direct Question Writing Topics

• Some students who perform badly at school   go on to have very successful lives as adults. What qualities are needed to do well at school? Are these the same qualities that help people succeed later in life?
• 100 years ago, it was felt that the human race was making progress in all areas of life . Nowadays, there is less certainty that this is the case. In what areas do you think that the most progress has been made so far?  In what area are more things needed to be done?
• Many people believe that globalisation is leading to the culture of individual countries being lost . What can be done to protect a society’s traditional values?
• Children often complain that history lessons are boring because they are about a past that is dead. How can schools bring history alive for pupils?
• Some people think that the government is responsible for looking after the elderly . Others believe that it should be family members. Who do you think should take responsibility?

Don’t know what a complex sentence is or how to write one? Well my friend, you are in the right place! Watch the lesson voted the #1 most useful by my students here (you really don’t need to be afraid!)

IELTS Two-Part Question Essay Topics

• More and more people today are moving from the countryside .  Why is this happening?  Do you think it is a positive or a negative development?
• People spend a major part of their adult life at work, and job satisfaction  is an important part of individual well-being. What contributes to a person feeling satisfied at work? How realistic is it for all people to feel satisfied?
• Many people have problems managing money . What skills does a person need to manage their money well? Who should teach children these skills?
• Technology has changed the way that people interact with each other. In what ways has technology changed the types of relationships that people make? Has this been a positive or negative development?
• Children have to be punished  to learn the difference between right and wrong. To what extent do you agree or disagree? What sort of punishments should parents be able to give their children?
• Thanks to developments in technology, many people today have lost basic skills such as how to repair clothes, etc. Why is this happening? Do you think that this is a negative development?
• Some people think that governments should try to reduce air traffic  by taxing it more heavily, Do you agree or disagree? What other methods could be used to reduce air traffic?
• Some people feel that schools should teach children how to become a good parent.  Do you agree or disagree with this opinion? What skills do people need to be a good parent?
• Nowadays, men’s sport is given far more attention in society than women’s sports. What are the reasons for this? Do you think this is a positive or a negative situation?
• Advances in technology mean that many people today work from home . What has led to this change? Is it a positive or negative development?

So, those were 100 IELTS essay topics you can use to practice your IELTS skills. I hope you found them useful. You can find out how to write every one of these 100 essay in My IELTS Classroom – the interactive writing course with 33-hours of lessons that will prepare you for any IELTS  question 🚀

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An Ultimate Guide to Writing IELTS Problem Solution Essays

Updated On Nov 08, 2023

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Introduction

The IELTS problem solution essays are a type of IELTS writing task 2 essay that asks you to discuss a problem and propose possible solutions. These problem solution essays are designed to assess your ability to identify, analyze, and evaluate problems, as well as your ability to develop and articulate effective solutions.

The IELTS problem solution essay topics can be drawn from a variety of sources and are based on real-world situations and issues. Therefore, to do well in writing task 2, it is important to be familiar with the range of IELTS problem solution essay topics.

Identifying IELTS Problem Solution Essays

Each essay type has a unique structure, so it’s important to identify the type of essay you’re writing before you start. Problem solution essays in IELTS are often worded as follows:

It is important to be able to identify the common synonyms, words, and phrases used in problem solution questions. Here are the key words and their synonyms used in the examples above:

• Problem : issues, resulting, situation
• Cause : reasons, why
• Solution : deal with, addressed, tackled, remedied, improved, measures taken, solved, prevent

However, you will mostly be asked to write about both the problem and its solution. The first part of the question will state the problem or cause, and the second part will ask you to identify solutions.

How to Write a Problem Solution Essay IELTS?

To plan and write a problem solution essay IELTS, you can follow these steps:

• Understand the question

The first step is to carefully read the question and understand what is being asked. You should identify the problem, the cause(s) of the problem, and the required solution(s).

• Brainstorm your ideas

Once you understand the question, take some time to brainstorm your ideas. What are the different aspects of the problem? What are the possible causes? What are the different solutions that could be implemented?

• Organize your ideas

Once you have a good understanding of the problem and its possible solutions, it is time to organize your ideas into a logical structure.

• Write your essay

When writing your essay, be sure to use clear and concise language. Avoid using complex sentences and jargon. You should also support your claims with evidence from credible sources.

• Proofread your essay

Once you have finished writing your essay, be sure to proofread it carefully for any errors in grammar, spelling, or punctuation.

Now that we have understood how to write a problem solution essay, let’s have a look at the structure of a problem solution essay.

Enroll in our free  IELTS online coaching  today and learn how to identify and write problem solution essays like a champ!

Structure of Problem Solution Essay

Let’s do an example problem solution essay to understand the above mentioned structure.

Problem Solution Essay Example with Structure

Introduction:

• Before you begin writing your problem solution essay,  read  the question and  identify  the problem/ solution.
• Note down the ideas that come to your mind naturally. For example, look at the table below.

• Choose one of the  problems  and discuss it in detail. Here’s an example:
• Problem : Dumping of industrial wastes into the nearby water bodies.
• Solution : They must be treated, purified and recycled.
• Wastewater treatment
• Biodegradable products
• Water bodies such as lakes, rivers etc

You should paraphrase the question and outline the problem and solution in your introduction as mentioned below:

Body Paragraph 1:

The body paragraph 1 must be organised as follows:

• Main body paragraph 1:  Letting out of industrial wastes in nearby water bodies
• Central idea:  Industries are increasing in number.
• Explanation : There are no strict rules in place regarding the environment. So industries let out their wastes into the nearby water bodies such as lakes, rivers, etc which affects the respective eco-system and thereby leading to more serious issues.
• Example : As installing a wastewater treatment plant is an additional burden and is costly, it is easier to let the waste water into the nearby water bodies as nobody questions this.

The completed main body paragraph 1 will look like this :

Body Paragraph 2:

The body paragraph 2 must be organised as follows:

• Main body paragraph 2:  Industrial wastewater treatment
• Central idea:  Installing Industrial waste water treatment plants could be beneficial to the environment.
• Explanation : Industrial wastewater treatment illustrates the processes used for treating wastewater that is produced by industries into a by-product. The treated industrial wastewater may be reused or released to a sanitary sewer.
• Examples:  There are proven records for reducing water pollution after wastewater treatment.

The completed main body paragraph 2 will look like this :

Conclusion:

• Make sure to sum up all that has been in the previous paragraphs.
• Use words like in summary, to summarise, to conclude, or as a conclusion, etc.

The final conclusion will look like this:

Therefore, the finished essay will have the following structure:

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Common Mistakes to Avoid in IELTS Problem Solution Essays

Following are some of the Common mistakes that should be avoided in IELTS problem solution essays

• Not understanding the difference between a problem and its causes.
• Trying to include too many ideas in the essay, without developing them fully.
• Not considering both sides of the argument equally.
• Not linking the problems to the solutions.
• Not being specific enough in the discussion of the problems and solutions.

Read:  All Useful IELTS Writing Lessons & Websites

Tips for IELTS Problem Solution Essays

Here are some of the tips to follow while practicing or writing an IELTS Problem Solution Essays:

• Read and understand the instructions given in the question (sometimes the question might ask to write about the cause of the issue as well).
• Follow the word count (no less than 250 words)
• Plan the problems and solutions you wish to write about, before starting to write.
• Start the essay with an introduction paragraph and conclude it with a conclusion paragraph, with the body paragraph between the two.
• If you’re asked to write about both, cause and the solution, then you can write the cause in one body paragraph and the solution in the next body paragraph.

Pro tip:  To avoid a low score in IELTS problem solution essays, focus on one or two problems and identify specific solutions. Explain the problems and solutions in detail, with examples.

Check out some of the  Recent Writing Task 2 Essay Topics for IELTS 2023

Problem Solution Essay IELTS Topics:

Here are some sample IELTS problem solution essay topics:

Get the inside scoop on how to write a high-scoring IELTS problem solution essay from our IELTS expert in our free webinar.  Book your Seat Now !

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• IELTS Writing Answer sheet
• Free IELTS Writing Essay Evaluation and Correction Service
• IELTS Writing Practice Tests 2023

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I write cause and solution in the same paragraph?

How to write a solution paragraph?

What is the difference between a Problem solution essay and a cause solution essay?

How do you analyze a problem solution essay?

How to identify a problem solution essay?

Practice IELTS Writing Task 2 based on Essay types

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Janice Thompson

Soon after graduating with a Master’s in Literature from Southern Arkansas University, she joined an institute as an English language trainer. She has had innumerous student interactions and has produced a couple of research papers on English language teaching. She soon found that non-native speakers struggled to meet the English language requirements set by foreign universities. It was when she decided to jump ship into IELTS training. From then on, she has been mentoring IELTS aspirants. She joined IELTSMaterial about a year ago, and her contributions have been exceptional. Her essay ideas and vocabulary have taken many students to a band 9.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Writing Task 2 Sample

IELTS Writing Task 2 ( also known as IELTS Essay Writing ) is the second task of your IELTS Writing test. Here, you will be presented with an essay topic and you will be scored based on your ability to respond to the topic.

You need to write at least 250 words and justify your opinion with arguments, discussion, examples, problem outlining, proposing possible solutions and supporting your position. You will have approximately 40 minutes to finish your Essay Writing. IELTS Writing Task 2 carries more weights than Writing Task 1.

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IELTS Task 2 Question Types: Problems and Solutions

by Dave | Understanding Task 2 Writing | 0 Comment

I have collected here a variety of problems and solutions essays from the real IELTS test.

Enjoy and consider signing up for my Patreon Ebooks here .

The world has many towns and cities constructed in previous centuries that were more suitable and livable for people in those times than they are now.

What problems will this cause?

What can be done to solve these problems?

Read my full essay here.

Eco-tourism often involves visiting remote and fragile ecosystems, which raises concerns about the impact on local cultures and indigenous communities.

What problems can this cause?

How can these problems be resolved?

Get the full EBook here on Patreon.

In some parts of the world traditional festivals and celebrations have disappeared or are disappearing.

What problems is this causing?

What measures could be taken to counter this situation?

Read my essay here.

A rise in the standard of living in a country often only seems to benefit cities rather than rural areas.

How might these problems be reduced?

Today, many people do not know their neighbors in large cities.

What problems does this cause?

What can be done about this?

Nowadays more and more older people who need employment have to compete with younger people for the same jobs.

What are the solutions?

Many people who care for the elderly do not have enough time to look after them.

What are the problems related to this?

What are some possible solutions?

More and more people in developing countries are purchasing cars for the first time.

What do you think are the possible solutions?

Many people try to balance work and other parts of their life. However, this is very difficult to do.

What are the problems associated with this?

What is the best way to achieve a better balance?

Living in large cities today poses many problems for people.

What are these problems, should governments encourage more people to live in smaller towns, 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

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• 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.

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

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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?

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!

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.

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Problem Solution Essay IELTS: Sample Topic Questions

Introduction

Mastering the issue solution essay is critical for doing well on the International English Language Testing System ( IELTS ). This essay evaluates the linguistic skills and the ability to analyze complex problems and provide effective solutions. To succeed in the exam, one must grasp its structure and arrangement. This article will look at a range of problem solution essays from the IELTS examination, including environmental concerns, societal difficulties, and technical obstacles. By deconstructing these issues and proposing alternative answers, we hope to give readers the abilities and knowledge they need to approach problem-solving essays successfully. Let us dig into the domain of Problem Solution Essay IELTS and linguistic clarity required by the IELTS exam.

Understanding Problem Solution Essay IELTS

The Problem Solution Essay IELTS is essential, as it tests language competency and analytical and problem-solving ability. This essay style encourages applicants to identify essential concerns, provide possible remedies, and assess their efficacy. Mastering this essay style is critical for earning a good grade since it indicates a candidate's ability to handle real-world issues with clarity and coherence. Understanding the framework and subtleties of issue solution essays gives test takers the tools to excel in this exam section. Join  Yocket today to engage in a vibrant exchange of ideas and experiences, empowering your IELTS preparation journey.

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Sample Topic Questions for Problem Solution Essays IELTS

Here are a few sample of Problem Solution Essay Topics:

Environmental Issues

• What are the primary sources of air pollution in metropolitan areas?
• How do vehicle emissions contribute to metropolis air pollution?
• How can industrial operations exacerbate air quality issues?
• How do building and infrastructure development affect air quality in metropolitan areas?
• What are the health effects of extended exposure to air pollutants?
• How do air pollutants impact ecosystems and biodiversity?
• What are the economic fees of air pollution-associated illnesses and environmental degradation?
• What steps may be made to promote sustainable travel while lowering vehicle emissions?
• How can society move to renewable energy to reduce air pollution?
• What laws and regulations are needed to enforce emission restrictions and monitor pollution levels properly?

Social Problems

• What constitutes several brand new maximum tremendous societal problems?
• How does homelessness affect people and communities?
• Which variables contribute to the continuation of urban poverty?
• How does unemployment impact social well-being and financial stability?
• What are the implications of uneven access to schooling and healthcare?
• How does prejudice against race, gender, or religion emerge in society?
• What barriers do marginalized groups experience while seeking jobs and social services?
• How does substance addiction impact people, families, and communities?
• How does psychological stigma impede people from getting help?
• How can societies foster social inclusion while addressing systemic inequalities?

Health and Lifestyle

• What are the number one reasons for lifestyle-related health troubles in contemporary society?
• How do eating regimens and vitamins affect your trendy health and well-being?
• How can physical exercise contribute to the prevention of chronic diseases?
• How can stress damage mental health and lead to lifestyle-related illnesses?
• What sociocultural influences impact smoking and alcohol drinking habits?
• What effect does healthcare service accessibility have on a person's health outcomes?
• What are the hurdles to addressing mental health concerns and raising awareness?
• What role does socioeconomic status play in influencing health inequalities and lifestyle choices?
• What measures may be used to encourage healthy habits and avoid disease?
• How can communities help individuals make beneficial lifestyle changes?

Technological Challenges

• What are the rising technological issues confronting society today?
• How does the fast growth of artificial intelligence affect career opportunities?
• What are the moral consequences of using biometrics and surveillance technologies?
• What consequences does cyberbullying have on human beings's intellectual health and well-being?
• What are the dangers of disinformation and deceptive records online?
• In what ways does the digital divide increase disparities in information and technological access?
• What steps may be taken to preserve data privacy and personal information online?
• How can climate change and environmental damage stem from technology?
• What obstacles do governments confront when regulating emergent technologies like blockchain and cryptocurrency?
• How can civilizations adapt to technological breakthroughs while minimizing their negative consequences for individuals and communities?

Tips for Writing Problem Solution Essays IELTS

Here are some helpful suggestions for writing Problem Solution Essay Topics:

Tip 1: Understand the Question

Carefully examine the essay prompt to determine the problem and the precise answers requested. Before you begin writing the essay, understand what is being requested.

Tip 2: Brainstorm Ideas

Spend some time brainstorming potential solutions to the challenge described in the assignment. Consider a variety of viewpoints and techniques to solve the issue successfully.

Tip 3: Structure Your Writing

Separate your writing into clean, cohesive paragraphs. Problem-answer essays often start with creation, then body paragraphs that discover the problem and possible solutions, and conclude with a precis of the principle factors.

Tip 4: Introduction

Start your article with a short advent that describes the subject and gives the historical past. Clearly explain the problem and briefly describe the remedies, an excellent way to be presented for the duration of the essay.

Tip 5: Body Paragraphs

Write one paragraph for each recommended solution. Present each solution clearly, with supporting information or examples to demonstrate its usefulness. Use transition words to provide a seamless flow between paragraphs.

Tip 6: Evaluate Solutions

Provide a critical examination of each offered solution. Discuss its viability, possible effect, and any disadvantages or restrictions. Wherever possible, compare and contrast various options.

Tip 7: Provide Evidence

Use pertinent data, such as case studies, statistics, or professional judgment, to support your claims. It enriches your writing and shows a deep comprehension of the subject.

Tip 8: Employ Formal Language

Throughout your article, have a formal tone using proper syntax and terminology. Avoid slang and too informal phrasing.

Tip 9: Conclude Effectively

Summarize the fundamental ideas of your essay in the conclusion. Restate the issue and stress the significance of executing the recommended remedies. Avoid including fresh information in the end.

Tip 10: Proofread

Proofread and revise your essay to ensure there are no grammatical or spelling problems and that your writing is clear. Make any required changes to ensure your essay is well-written and cohesive.

By mastering these principles, you may show off your analytical abilities and valuable solutions in your IELTS problem-solution essay. Are you looking for more help? Check out Yocket for professional advice and study tools to help you prepare!

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IELTS Sample Problem Solution Essay Topics

With an improved reliance on automobiles, many cities suffer widespread visitor congestion and environmental troubles. What steps can be taken to remedy this problem?

IELTS Problem Solution Essay

The growing reliance on vehicles has had a negative effect on cities, resulting in debilitating site visitor congestion and expanded pollution tiers. To deal with these crucial challenges, a multifaceted technique must be used.

To start, enhancing public transit infrastructure is a critical approach. Cities can also inspire commuters to use general delivery instead of personal motors by investing in extending and upgrading bus and subway networks. Further techniques to improve visitor flow and discourage automobile usage include implementing special bus lanes and visitor pricing plans.

In addition to enhancing public transit, encouraging exchange types of mobility is critical. Congestion is lessened, and a more fit, extra sustainable urban environment is promoted by encouraging foot and bicycling by constructing motorcycle lanes and pedestrian-pleasant infrastructure. Furthermore, boosting carpooling and ridesharing programs can considerably reduce the number of cars on the street, easing the congestion of site visitors.

Adopting strict environmental legislation is crucial in fighting pollutants and fixing transportation infrastructure. Implementing emission regulations for automobiles and industry and investing in renewable electricity alternatives can help lessen air pollution and the lousy fitness effects caused by vehicle emissions.

Furthermore, promoting a societal exchange closer to sustainable transportation behaviors is essential. Educating the public about the detrimental outcomes of excessive driving on the environment and human health can foster a feeling of duty in human beings and encourage them to regulate their conduct.

In precis, improving public transportation infrastructure, encouraging opportunity transportation, implementing environmental laws, and fostering a sustainable mindset among many of the population are all essential additives of a comprehensive method to reduce site visitor congestion and pollution in urban regions. By implementing those steps, cities can create cleaner, greener, and more liveable metropolitan surroundings.

With the growth of fast fashion, the style enterprise is under fire for its environmental and ethical implications. What efforts can be applied to mitigate the harmful effects of quick fashion?

The growth of fast style has fueled unheard-of consumerism, resulting in detrimental environmental and ethical consequences for the fashion enterprise. Concentrated attempts must be made to regulate the existing fashion paradigm to address these critically demanding situations.

One viable solution is to promote sustainable style methods. Encouraging clients to select ethically synthetic, ecologically friendly clothing labels can lessen the fashion industry's environmental effects. Furthermore, enacting laws that praise environmentally friendly materials, ethical labor requirements, and different sustainable production methods can promote a more excellent conscientious method to introduce garb.

Aside from selling sustainable fashion, increasing customer attention is essential. Educating customers about rapid style's environmental and social outcomes through educational tasks and evident labeling may help them make extra knowledgeable purchasing decisions. Furthermore, organizing a tradition of aware consumerism and assisting thoughtful dressers in restoring clothes, upcycling, and swapping can help lessen the demand for immediate fashion and create a sustainable style enterprise.

Furthermore, regulatory measures can play an essential role in mitigating the damaging consequences of rapid fashion. The environmental harm produced using the style industry can be lessened by implementing stronger laws governing pollutant control and waste control in fashion manufacturing facilities. Furthermore, shielding garment people's rights and enhancing their fashionable dwelling may be finished by imposing legal labor guidelines and advocating for fair pay and working conditions.

In the end, addressing the environmental and ethical issues created with a speedy style necessitates a multidimensional method consisting of sustainable manufacturing strategies, customer schooling, and legal guidelines and guidelines. The style of commercial enterprise may additionally flow toward a greater ethical and sustainable destiny by imposing those fixes, shielding the welfare of humans and the surroundings.

In conclusion, understanding the problem solution essay topics for the IELTS exam is critical for success and a good score. Understanding the framework, brainstorming alternatives, and successfully arranging your essay allow you to approach complicated challenges and give realistic answers. Remember to support your points with proof, critically assess solutions, and write your essay formally. With careful practice and preparation, you can successfully tackle any issue and essay subject that may arise on the IELTS exam. Consider using sites such as Yocket  to help you prepare more. Yocket's professional assistance and extensive study tools may help you flourish in your IELTS endeavors and reach your target score.

FAQ's on Problem Solution Essay IELTS

What is the IELTS examination?

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is a standardized exam used to decide the language competency of a non-local English audio system. It is widely diagnosed using universities, businesses, and immigration officers internationally.

What are the numerous modules of the IELTS exam?

The IELTS exam has four sections: listening, studying, writing, and talking. Different language skills, including writing capability, spoken English competence, reading comprehension, and listening comprehension, are assessed in every module.

How are IELTS exams graded?

The IELTS exam is evaluated on a scale of 0 to 9. Each module is assessed separately, and the total band score is derived by averaging the results from all four modules. Band scores are rounded to the closest half-band (6.5, 7.0, or 7.5).

What is the best way to be ready for the IELTS?

Preparing for the IELTS exam includes being familiar with the take-a-look-at-layout, practicing sample questions, and strengthening your English language abilities. You may join IELTS coaching instructions, get an entry to review materials from reputable IELTS websites, and take sample assessments to record your progress.

Where can I take the IELTS examination?

The IELTS examination gives an authorized look at facilities in cities globally. The official IELTS or authorized take-a-look-at-center websites offer a listing of take-a-look-at facilities and permit you to sign up for the examination online.

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Problem Solution Essay IELTS: Topics & Sample Questions

• Updated On December 12, 2023
• Published In IELTS Preparation 💻

Problem and solution essay IELTS or cause and solution essay IELTS is a common type of essay question asked in 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 Contents

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 and solution essay IELTS 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

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Problem Solution Essay 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 organization 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 is 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 an IELTS Problem Solution Essay Structure

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

Analyze the question thoroughly

Analyzing the question is a crucial part of answering any IELTS writing essay questions. You can analyze 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 emphasizing 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.

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 IELTS Essay Pattern

A basic four-paragraph structure should be used to structure the problem solution IELTS essays. 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.

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Problem Solution Essay IELTS: Key Points to Remember

Some of the main points to remember while attempting the problem solution essay 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 solution essay IELTS is 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 generalized 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 are steadily rising 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?

IELTS Problem Solution Essay

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 summarize, 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 the solutions through a logical flow of thought. 40 minutes are given to complete the 250 words essay writing task. The structure of the essay for a problem-solving question includes an introduction, 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 summarizes 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.

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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 regards 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?  

Ans. Problem solution essay and cause solution essay are highly similar. However, there is a subtle difference between the two. A problem solution essay question asks about the problem with regards to a particular topic, whereas the cause solution essay asks about the causes behind an issue. The problem is to be mentioned in both the 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 then, 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.

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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.

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Problems with the IELTS Essay Topics

Hi Chris,

It's really difficult for anyone to tell you if your specific essay was off topic without seeing it.

But yes, a persons score will be lower if they do go off topic. If you take a look at the IELTS Task 2 band descriptors (available online or from your local IELTS centre) you can see that you are graded on this for 'Task Response'.

There are things like 'the answer is tangential' or 'addresses the task only partially'.

If you go badly off topic your vocabulary could also be wrong i.e. not related to the task.

So you could get penalised with these if you do go off topic, but it really depends how off topic you go so it is not possible to generalise. Someone would need to look at the essay you did to be able to tell you.

If what you wrote was related then you may not have gone off topic.

Thanks

Feb 20, 2016

Hi there I did my test today, I was writing very fluently, and when I re-read the assignment in the last few minutes, I noticed that I didn't fully answer the question. The topic was something like this: I wrote an introduction to this by talking about how I think it is true that some animals should be kept safe. Then I wrote two paragraphs on why some animals are in danger and in need of protection (human interference - climate change) I wrote one paragraph on how to keep them safe. I was able to fix my conclusion to match the task more and wrote that some people might consider it unfair to only focus the protection on the endangered animals but due to what I have written in the paragraphs above, that is not my opinion. Do you think I will be marked poorly because of this mistake?

Feb 21, 2016

Hi, It's difficult to tell you if you answered correctly as the essay question you posted did not really make sense. You must have remembered it incorrectly. I'd really need to see the proper question to assess your answer.

May 21, 2016

Hello, I made a big mistake in my ielts writing task2. The question was about if it's better or not for you countries to spent their money on children sport. I understood the question, but the problem is that instead of writing about countries I wrote about companies.. how much will the examiner going to deduct marks from it??

May 23, 2016

Hi, If you look at what I wrote below, you will see that if you write about the wrong topic it can bring the score down quite a bit for 'task response', maybe to a 4 or 5, but it is difficult to say for sure without seeing what you actually wrote.

Aug 13, 2016

Hello, Today I was asked to write on social skills and good education: I have written a decent essay, but I got confused in the middle, I was going good with communication and interaction skills, but suddenly i went of the topic and I also included about computer skills too........... I mentioned along with good communication skills an employee should also possess good computer skills too. Please let me know your opinion.

Aug 14, 2016

Hi Navi, It really is too difficult to comment on a point like you make without actually seeing your essay. You can get knocked down to a band 5 for task response for providing 'irrelevant detail' but I don't know if what you did would cause it to come down to a 5. It could also affect coherency. But it depends on the context and how it fits in with the overall essay. So you really just have to wait for your result and hope it is ok.

Oct 10, 2016

Hi, I did my IELTS exam last day. I got writing task 2 about successful life can be achieved by university education only and some thing that it has changed nowadays. But what I wrote as response was going to community college can also make an individual successful if he has true desire. And then the teaching quality has also increased to a good level in community college now than earlier times. I compared university education with community college education. But I have a doubt whether I misinterpreted the question. Whether the question was about higher education. Will my score get affected by this?? Please reply.

Oct 10, 2016

Unfortunately it's really too difficult to answer your question without seeing what the actual question you had to answer was. You explained the question, but knowing EXACTLY how it was worded is important to know if you answered it or not. Really you will just have to wait for your result.

Nov 19, 2016

Writing task 2 was: Unfortunately my response was about advantages of hotel stay versus in the tent. I added some discription about cultural effect and economical effect. What would you say regarding my essay? Thanks

Nov 20, 2016

To be honest you must have remembered the essay question wrong because what you wrote does not really make sense. You said 'hotels will not meet the local people', but hotels can't meet people. Only people can meet people. I'm not quite sure what you mean. So with not being able to understand the essay question it's a bit difficult to be sure if you went off topic. However, if staying in a tent was a main part of your essay and it was nothing to do with the question, then your score could be reduced for Task Response i.e. answering the question properly. For example, someone would get a band 5 for TR if they only answered the question 'partially', band 4 if it was answered in a 'minimal' way, and 3 if the whole essay was absolutely nothing to do with the question (you can see all that in the IELTS public band descriptors). Without seeing your answer and the proper question it is really too difficult to know, so you will just have to wait for your score. Good luck

Dec 10, 2016

Hi Thank you for the great help I got from this website and the , they are the best and have improved my writing significantly. I had this question in my test: I had a health problem which compelled me to leave the test room for 10 minutes, so I was extremely nervous because I was running out of time thus I couldn't think of any relevant ideas. I strongly agree with this idea and I therefore suggest solutions. I mentioned that people are responsible for most of the world's problems such as global warming, and I expanded on its causes and I suggested solutions. Was horrible! I started it with: Another example is the widespread of health problems like obesity and how it becomes an alarming issue worldwide. I expanded on its consequences and how to prevent it. For instance, I said all the world should be avoiding fast food and ban its adverts because they are manipulating our thinking and forcing us to buy it. In addition, I said we should encourage exercise. I paraphrased the introduction. Was I off topic, and approximately what band should I get? Thank you

Dec 11, 2016

Firstly it's completely impossible to tell you what band you could get without seeing your essay. As regards to being on topic, again, it's always difficult to tell when someone explains briefly what they wrote instead of actually seeing the essay. They key thing to write about is why countries should work together (international collaboration) if you agree, or why they should not (if you disagree), or both as of course you can discuss both sides of the argument. As an example, you could in your first paragraph explain why some problems are international. Like you say, obesity as a world wide problem for instance, but other things that come to my mind more readily as clearly international problems are things like global warming (you mention this) and terrorism - they clearly affect everyone. Then in the next paragraph you could explain how international collaboration helps to solve these problems (as opposed to countries working alone. For example in the case of terrorism there is the need to share information between intelligence agencies or in the case of global warming for scientists to share their research or for countries to agree levels of CO2 reduction. From what you said about your essay, you may have answered the question as you discussed those kinds of things, but my concern is that it's not clear in what you said whether you focused on the aspect of international collaboration and why it's necessary. For example you said you suggested solutions to global warming but you didn't explain whether you related this to international collaboration. As I said I'd really need to see your answer to be sure. Good luck anyway.

Jan 12, 2017

Hi my essay task 2 was: But I understood the question in the wrong way and answered it, will I be receiving scores.

Jan 13, 2017

Without seeing your essay answers it's impossible to predict how your score may (or may not) have been affected. But generally speaking, yes your score will be reduced for Task Response Criteria if you go off topic. But it could be reduced to 3, 4 or 5, depending on to what extent it was off topic so it's difficult to say.

May 25, 2017

My topic was: But I wrote about parents. Like if one is going out another one stays in the house for care. How many marks can I get?

May 28, 2017

It's really impossible to give you any indication about your score without seeing your essay and you gave very little information to explain what you actually wrote about. You said you wrote about one parent staying at home while the other goes out. That's the topic so I'm not sure what your concern is.

Jun 08, 2017

I have attempted Task 2 on task 1 sheet and task 1 on task 2 sheet. Will my paper get disqualified?

Jun 09, 2017

They should still mark it.

Jun 19, 2017

Hi good day. I took the ielts exam last saturday and the question in writing part 2 was "the emergence of space exploration can lead to the possibility that space tourism is possible in tje future. Do you think it is a positive or negative development?" My anwer was it is a positive development for some reasons: 1. It will allow us to see a fascinating beauty of other heavenly bodies 2. It can strengthen relationship ties with other nations. Since only developed countries have the capacity to send people to space, third world countries can invest and establish relationship with them to allow their citizens to visit space as well. 3. It will allow us to check if other planets are habitable and ideal for survival. My concern is with my 3rd reason. Do you think it is a little bit off topic? Since we're talking about space tourism? Thank you for any response.

Jun 28, 2017

Hi, It does seem a bit off topic. They must all be directly related to space tourism. But it's difficult to say for sure without seeing your actual essay because it depends how you worded it and whether you somehow linked that point into space tourism.

Jul 31, 2017

Hi, I am extremely sad since I made a big mistake on writing part 2. The questions is: I did not know the meaning of "one's own family". After searching internet, I realised that it means about "their own family history." However, I responded about why people want to know about "another people's family" What score will I obtain on task response criteria if I answered like that? 1,2,3,4 or 5? It is my 4th attempts *cry* Please help me

Aug 01, 2017

It is possible a mistake like that could limit you to a 5, or at worst a 4, but it's really not possible to have a real idea without seeing what you actually wrote. The way you worded it will affect the way your ideas are interpreted and whether they seem to answer the question or not. So really you'll just have to wait till you get the result and hope it was ok.

Mar 10, 2018

I wrote my task 1 on the task 2 paper and vice versa i told the examiners and they said just write this is for task 1 and this is for task 2 . I'm worried they might give me a zero on them. Does this happen often? Will i score a zero or a 1? Or it will be graded normally ? Thank you

Mar 17, 2018

It does sometimes happen. No you will be fine, they will still mark them as normal.

Apr 21, 2018

In task 2, I gave my opinion after stating disadvantages and advantages, but I now realise that the question was a discussion question and did not ask for my opinion. I had been achieving quite high marks in practice writings, both tasks 1 and 2. Do you think I will lose a lot of marks for this? I need a 7.

Apr 27, 2018

It's really impossible to give score predictions without seeing a person's essay. But if you still wrote a very good essay and that was your only error it shouldn't necessarily prevent you from getting a 7. The important thing is that you clearly answered the question. If you asked for your opinion and you give it, that is more of a problem as that error is specifically addressed in the marking and could bring your score down.

Jun 04, 2018

My Essay question is: I have written taken consideration into women much rather than more on parents. Of course i mentioned parents at couple of places in the essay. Do u think this will affect my score

Jun 07, 2018

The question seems slightly odd so I'm not sure you have remembered it exactly as it was. But anyway, it's really too difficult to say if you were on-topic or not without seeing your essay. The woman is of course one of the parents so you may well have been on-topic, but it depends on what you said and how, and we can't know that.

Sep 29, 2018

Today in my ielts exam writing part 2 the question was: I think I went off topic. I wrote about animals emotion and harm on ecosystem. Will it affect my score?

Oct 01, 2018

It's not possible to really comment on your essay without seeing it, but going off topic affects your score for Task Response. It can limit your score for that criteria from anything to band 3 to band 5 depending on the extent to which you went off topic. For example, if you still partially answered the question you could still get a band 5, but if you were writing on a subject connected to the topic but it wasn't answering the question, it could be a band 4. If your answer bore no relation to the topic at all then band 3. Of course your final score would depend on how you did in the other three criteria.

Oct 13, 2018

Hi I appeared in IELTS today. In writing task 2 question was: But i misinterpreted question as: Pls advise any chances to get band 5.5

Oct 14, 2018

It's impossible to give you any kind of prediction without seeing what you wrote to know to what extent you answered the question. But yes it's still possible to get a 5.5 as your overall score depends on other factors, not just the interpretation of the question.

Dec 02, 2018

In exam they ask educated people eat less junk food. My replies. I wrote because they have enough information about junk food which cause some health insurance problem so they avoid food Is it ok or I loose marks

Dec 04, 2018

It's too difficult to know that on the small bit of information you have given. Also I don't really understand the health insurance point you are making.

Dec 15, 2018

Hello there ,I appeared in December 13 ielts exam by British council. I was asked opinion led essay in writting task 2. I had to discuss both views and give my opinion but unfortunately I discusedd only one.i suppored that view gave examples and used good vocabulary. But I'm afraid if I will be marked with low band for not discussing both views...how will I be marked forthe discussion one one view ?

Mar 14, 2019

In this essay in first body paragraph i write about energy is easily available to people, such as electricity and that's why they didn't much care about it's usage and due to this environment problem occurs. In body paragraph 2 i write government should lower the amount of electricity every human can use and also wilrite government should start compains related to environment awareness to every part of the country. And also write government should encourage public transportation instead of public transportation so that air pollution lowers and giver example if Dehli. I think i have to use another energy instead of electricity. Should i get 6 bands?

Mar 18, 2019

It looks like you properly addressed the question but it's impossible to speculate on whether you got band 6. There are many criteria you are marked on, not just whether you answered the question - how you extended and explained your ideas, coherence and cohesion, grammar, vocabulary. It's impossible to know how you did in any of those without seeing your essay.

Mar 24, 2019

Hello, I just has my IELTS test yesterday and here is the task 2 topic I had: My question is what does waste mean here? Does it mean garbage produced? I perceived it as industrial waste and as part of solution added points like they must be treated before they are let go in our oceans and so on. With regards to pollution, I gave examples on how pollution can cause several health issues and provided solutions like use of cleaner fuels like natural gas and use of electric cars. Now it is implied that this needs to be done by individuals though I have not specifically used the word individuals. Do you think I am missing something here and if I will loose any points for task response?

Mar 31, 2019

It means general garbage rather than industrial waste. It can't be industrial waste because the second part asks you what individuals can do about it. Individuals can't really do anything about industrial waste - companies need to deal with that properly. It sounds like from the solutions you mention they are more things to do with government policy and companies than individuals. So it is possible your task response score was affected, though you may not have been completely off topic. Without seeing your actual essay it's very difficult to say apart from the give you general advice on how the scoring works.

Apr 13, 2019

Hi, Here is the topic of the writing test I took today: I know this seems crazy but I misread the topic so my writing was about people tend to eat food from other countries. And my whole writing was talking about the disadvantages because that’s what I state from the introduction: I wrote about how national and local culture can be expressed by its cuisine as well as people’s chance to learn history behind the dishes (I used the words nations and countries in this paragraph) I wrote that food from other nations can be expensive to import and this problem also affects a country’s manufacturing industry. (this is when I realize that my topic can be off so I avoided writing the word nation or national as less as possible) I restated that the disadvantages of this problem outweighed the advantages and if people can be aware of their eating habit maybe this problem can be solved in the future. I must admit that I didn’t tend to develop the ideas in this way from the beginning but then I think that local area can be used to describe the country people are living in and regions can be used to talk about some part of the world, which can be other countries. Do you think there is any chances for me to get at least 5 or up in this test? I am expected to get a 6.5 or up in overall score 😢

Apr 13, 2019

It's impossible to predict your overall band score. You are talking about whether you answered the question or not (Task Response) which is only 25% of the mark. The other 75% is about other criteria such as grammar and cohesion. Also, regarding TR it's also about how you extend your ideas etc, not just what they are, and we don't know about that . But even if you knew your score for TR (which we don't) we don't know how you did on the others. However, from what you said, it does look like your first paragraph may have been off-topic but it's difficult to know without seeing it. Discussing the pros of knowing about the culture of the local cuisine could be relevant to the question. The second paragraph looks relevant. So you could still get over 5 anyway but it's impossible to know what you did get or if you could still have got to 6.5. If you did answer the question and get 6 for TR and get 7 for the other three criteria then that is 6.5.

May 22, 2019

Hi IELTS buddy, Here is the topic in task 2: I think my intro is ok, but my P1 and P2 is about the advantage of elderly learning the computer, can improve their quality of life and reduce their feelings of loneliness. I use these two facts as my reason why I agree with this statement. In conclusion, I wrote that to improve the quality of life and care about the emotion of citizens is the obligation of the goverment, and therefore it would be the best way to spend the money of government to teach aged 65 or above to use the computer. How off topic did my essay was? did I still have a chance to get band 6? thank you

May 26, 2019

It's very difficult to know if it was on topic and will get a 6 for TR without actually seeing it but your ideas seem as if they would have answers the question. Also I don't think you have remembered the question properly as it was a bit confusing the way you have presented it. But anyway 6 is not just based on the ideas you presented - there are other factors in TR such as how you extended and explained your ideas and whether your opinion was clear. Also coherence and cohesion, lexis, and grammar are important. From reading your submission to this site you do seem to have some issues with grammar which could affect you getting a 6. Really you just have to wait for your result as it's impossible to predict it without seeing your essay.

Jun 22, 2019

I just sat my ielts writing test today. Here's the topic: More tourists visit museums and historical sites than local people do. Why is that? What can be done about this? Give reasons and include relevant examples. I forgot to include any example. Will I get a low score? Can I still get a 7.0?

Aug 08, 2019

I had ielts today...the topic was should school education be mandatory till 18 years....in intro part i wrote i agree with the above view but didn't write completely...but made sure i was clear in my conclusion that i agreed with the topic completely...will i get a less score ???

Aug 12, 2019

I don't know what you mean by 'didn't write completely'. But anyway, it's virtually impossibe to tell anyone how they may have done without seeing the essay they wrote.

Sep 29, 2019

Hey! Please help me with clarifying one thing! My task was: I wrote about advantages and disadvantages, but I also gave opinion in conclusion. The vocabulary was diverse and sticked to the topic. I used examples and explained ideas. The grammar was also very strong What score can I reckon on? Thank you in advance !)

Oct 03, 2019

It's impossible to predict or guess an essay score without seeing the essay. Giving an opinion in the conclusion for that type of essay isn't really an issue. If you have to discuss the pros and cons of an issue you could give some sort of opinion in the conclusion. As I say though, to be sure about anything we would have to see your essay.

Oct 04, 2019

Hello, Today I made the biggest mistake ever. I was asked to write about: Radio will be replaced by other media such as internet or television. I got it so wrong !! Started writing about radio as a device!! I realized too late to change it so I kept going!! I feel I did a really good essay but completely OFF the topic !! My whole performance was doing great !! What will happen to my score ?? 😔😔

Oct 05, 2019

If you go off topic or don't answer the question properly then that gets penalised under Task Response. As a very rough guide, partially answering the questions can limit you to a band 5 for TA, writing about the broad topic but where you have clearly misunderstood the question and no part of your essay directly relates to it would be band 4, and nothing at all related would be 2 or 3. It's really impossible to say to what extent you may fall under any of those without seeing your essay but it sounds like a band 4 is possible as you wrote around the topic but appeared to completely misinterpret the question. If by chance you did partially answer it then it could be 5. As for the other three marking criteria (CC, Lexis, and Grammar) the second two can also be affected as obviously the progression of the essay may not fit the question and your lexis (vocab) may not completely relate to it.

Jan 23, 2020

Hello sir, In exam, i wrote about the effects of television and computer on children such as detached from studies, obese and eye sight problems instead of violence inside games and television programme. I realised this mistake when it was too late. How much band i will get and penalized? TOPIC I followed the structure and wrote solutions also. At the exam time i was not able to relate the word violence with rest of topic so this mistake happened.

Jan 23, 2020

Unfortunately it is quite possible you will get restricted to a band 4 for task response. That happens when you write about the broad topic area but you misunderstand the question so you don't actually answer the question, not even partially. If you did happen to partially answer the question then it would be 5. I can't say for sure though what happened of course without seeing your essay.

Jul 11, 2020

so basically i really didnt understand the statement in task 2 which was about (Some people think the main benefit of international cooperation is in the protection of the environment, while others think that the main benefit is in the world business. Discuss both views and give your opinion.) and I thought that they meant how international cooperation helped in preventing wars between countries and that's how they kept the environment safe. what band will I be restricted to?

Oct 24, 2020

Hi, my writing essay part 2 is as follows: Some people say that supermarkets and manufacturers should reduce the amount of products which include lot of packaging. Others say that we should be responsible and avoid the products which have a lot of packaging. Discuss both the views and give your opinion. I have writen the Essay in terms of packaging, quality of the package, importance of quality packaging, branded products packaging,advantages and disadvantages rather than plastics, wastage, environmental issues caused by packaging. I'm really worried about the result. Can you provide me your view.

Nov 16, 2020

My topic gave me a picture and told me to talk about it in any way I can with any format. So I went off topic by writing my own topic and talking about it. What grade am I getting?

Jan 23, 2021

I have written over traffic rules and child labour, How i will be graded?

Aug 12, 2021

The question was it is expected that higher proportion of older people than younger people in many countries in future is it a positive or negative development? But, unfortunately I have stated reasons for General topic and answered postive or negative in conclusion with some elaboration.i am good at other three criterias how much it effects my tr score?

Aug 13, 2021

I actually understand topic totally different way and i wrote a totally different things from question in task 2 but task 1 was ok .. how may bands can i score ??

Aug 15, 2021

You get penalised on Task Response if you do not answer the question properly. The penalty really depends on how off topic you are - it can get reduced from anything between band 5 and band 3. So really it's impossible to say how your overall score will be affected because of course it also depends how well you did in the other criteria.

Aug 23, 2022

On 20 august i got a esaay that many students face difficulty to concentrate what are its cause and give solution But i write effects and solution of this situation how i going to effect my task 2 overall band

Sep 25, 2022

Hi Today in my essay writing advertisement aiming to childern should banned. Agree or disagree with example. But I had written childern aiming for advertisement should banned. Written agree and dis agree with examples. How it will effect my score here.

Jan 19, 2023

The first man to walk on the moon claimed it was a step forward for mankind. However, it has made little difference in most people’s lives. To what extent do you agree or disagree? This is my IELTS exam question and I think I go out off topic a little. Please confirm and tell me that it's really happen. My intro is correct.i fully agree with this. In BP1 I give first reason that was .... misconception of people regarding space travel. Greatly influenced by astrologers that we should not disturb natural things. BP2..... unnecessary money invest on space infrastructure..... Please tell me is it correct or out Off topic

Jan 22, 2023

I don't really understand what you are saying you wrote in the first body paragraph. The key thing is whether you related your points to making a difference to people's lives. If you just wrote about how it's a waste of money in body 2 but you did not connect relate this then you haven't answered the question. For instance, you could say it wasted money that could have be spent on improving health care, which would improve people's lives. Because this was not done, people did not see any improvement. Something like that is connecting your point to the question.

Feb 13, 2023

My essay was that in many cities, planners have located shops, offices, schools and homes in specific areas separated from each other. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? I misunderstood the idea and wrote that buildings were constructed separated from each other. For example, we now can see that shops, offices and homes are in one building if there is an earthquake every building could collapse together. It was something like that, will my essay get less than 6?

Feb 27, 2023

I took IELTS examination and on the writing task the theme: Television new and newspapers dont provide information that are not important to people thats way they can be considered a waste of time. it was an advantages and disadvantages with opinion Intro : I presented both sides and then my opinion which was somewhere in the midle 1st: paragraph: Celebrity lifestyle which is one of the main subjects on the news and people canot relate and it doesnt provide any significant information for most citizens life so it is a waste of time. 2st: A minority of the news share vital information ( for example with covid outbreak without watching the news no info about proper sanitizing, protection and avoid areas with many infected individuals) Conclusion: while the majority of the news useless there are a few subjects that eveyone needs to keep up for their own good Do you consider this out of topic? Obviously the paragraphs were much bigger with better structure and vocabulary

Apr 04, 2023

what would happen if i wrote off the topic in writing task 2?. ex: the main topic is about young people commit crimes but i wrote about adults commit crimes on young people. Does it effect my score alot? could be possible for me to fail writing?

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How can I have knowledge on all the possible IELTS Writing Task 2 topics?

by stuti goyal

Essay may come on any of the various topics such as crime, education, food. how can i have knowledge about each so as to write precisely about any kind of topic that may come

Hi Stuti, To have knowledge on anything you need to read and learn. So you need to firstly make sure you know about the kind of topics that come up in IELTS (for example you won't get questions on things like politics or religion). You have already shown you have an idea of the types of topics that can come up - crime, education, food etc. So you then need to find some sources, such as on the internet, and then read about those topics. However, they are very broad topics so you want to narrow them down to make sure you don't have too much to read. So the next thing is to make sure you know what kind of questions will come up that refer to the topics, look at . Also look at . These again will give you an idea of what you will need to write about and study. Ideally you should also make notes as you read on the key points otherwise you will forget what you have read. You are often asked to discuss opinions on the topics, problems, solutions, causes etc. (you will see this if you look at essay questions). So make notes to answer these types of questions. This will also help with your speaking as the speaking is around similar topics. Good luck

Jun 27, 2018

Hi, Last weekend ı took IELTS and yesterday when my friend and ı were speaking about exam, ı realized that the question asked discuss both views and give your opinion about zoos ,which is some people think that zoos are cruel for animals and they should be closed; however;others claims that zoos are useful for protecting rare animals. Yet ı wrote just good sight of zoos and ı had never written bad things about zoos.Also my vocabulary was perfect which is all suitable for the zoos and animals.So ı would like to ask my task achievement how effect my overall writing score.

Jun 29, 2018

You would need to have written about two things: 1) Zoos being cruel (you could disagree but you would still need to discuss the opinion) 2) Zoos protecting animals (again you may agree or disagree with this but you'd need to discuss it). If you did not do both those things you'll be penalised on Task Response. You could get a 5 for it if you completely missed one half the question.

Apr 08, 2019

Hi I wrote completely disagree essay but one mistake I did that is in introduction I wrote pro the statement after that I wrote related disagree therefore It will affect my band score and also I had vocab as well as grammer variety give me reply

What do we do if we don't know anything about the IELTS essay topic?

by jugojyoti kar (INDIA)

Hello Everybody, Wish You all a very warm Afternoon. I do not have prior experience in appearing IELTS exam. So I am not fully aware of the way to write essays. How to proceed specially in that cases where a topic is given in the exam for which we have to write at least 250 words including all valid points inside that and more over if we have minimal or no idea about that topic then what should be our approach? I am asking this question as in IELTS We can expect any types of subjects to be a part of our assignment. Please do me a favor on that. Thanks Jyoti

Hi, The essays are based around current topics that you are expected to have some knowledge of given that you are intending to study at a university. For example, this is what it states on the official IELTS site: So you do need to be reading as much as you can about the kinds of topics that appear in IELTS, and you can find out about these topics on sites such as this or other IELTS sites. Look at past for example, then do some reading around those kinds of topics. Of course a topic may come up that you do not know much about. If that happens then you really do just have to do your best to brainstorm some ideas that are relevant to the question. Remember it is not necessarily the quality of your ideas that will let you down. Even if the idea is not great, if it is relevant to the question and you support it with evidence and/or examples and present it coherently then it will still likely be a good answer. In order to learn more about writing IELTS essays, check out Task 2 section in the and also take a look at . The model answers will also give you an idea of which type of topics arise in the test.

Oct 29, 2016

Hello, Today my topic was that people should get a job in multinational companies in order to learn the culture, and I answered unfortunately different type of cultures employees have to interact and have to manage, and if they manage well companies appreciate that and even employees get an appraisal, and spoke about few cultural aspects with examples.

Oct 30, 2016

To be honest it's too difficult to really understand from what you have said how you answered the question. You'll really just have to wait for your result.

Feb 11, 2017

In task 2 - writing, the question asked to write cause and effect essay (which I misunderstood and ended up writing a problem solution essay). To what extent will it affect my scoring??

Feb 14, 2017

I'd really need to see they essay to be sure, but if you look at the IELTS public band descriptors for Task Response in Task 2 you'll see for a band 5 it says: "addresses the task only partially". If you only addressed half the question it may be a partial answer which could limit your score for this criteria to 5 (there are three other criteria of course and you get an average across them) so it doesn't mean you would get a 5, you could get higher if you did well in the other criteria. But as I say it's impossible to know for sure without seeing your answer so really you just have to wait for your result. Good luck

Jun 17, 2017

What to do if the topic was about space tourism but I wrote about overseas tourism? What band scores can I get?

Jun 18, 2017

It's not possible to know your score as your final writing score is a an average of four criteria that you are marked on. But writing about the wrong topic comes under the 'Task Response' criteria. If you answered the question in a minimal way your Task Response could come down to as low as 4. But it's not really possible to know for sure without seeing your essay.

Jul 08, 2017

My task 2 topic is Everybody should stay at school until the age of eighteen. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Everybody writes about the schooling and dropouts, but I thought it was about staying at dormitories or home. I know I will get penalty for being off-topic but how many scores?

Jul 11, 2017

Hello! Even I misinterpreted the question, but in another way. Being from India, I was under the assumption that school literally meant school, just up to grade 10. As we have a 10+2+3 year education system in India, I went on to justify the benefits of leaving school at the age of 16 and moving to junior college (typically 16-18 years) in India. So my whole essay was like a comparison between a sheltered life in school and a more rigorous and holistic learning atmosphere in college. I concluded that students should move from school to college at the age of 16, as opposed to 18. Not sure what to expect but this ambiguity is frustrating!!

Jul 14, 2017

It's never possible to say for sure how off-topic an essay is without seeing it, but according to the scoring, for Task Achievement you could get around a band 3 if it is completely off-topic and nothing to with the question. You may get a 4 if it's connected to the topic, say education, but you wrote about the wrong thing, but a 5 if you partially answered the question.

Jul 17, 2017

Hi, So first this is the ielts writing task 2 question: So my writing had 2 main ideas: First, i wrote that it was because of the lack in people's awareness about natural preservation and the solution for this is to add more schooling programs to raise the awareness. Secondly, it was because the animal species has some precious value when it comes to medication as some parts of its body can help to cure some severe diseases. And the solution is to create more strict laws and build national parks. So i was wondered whether my essay was off topic or addresses the task only partially. Because I didn't mention anything about the sea. And how much my score will be lowered. Thanks

Jul 20, 2017

I'm not really sure if you answered the question. I don't know what you mean by "the lack in people's awareness about natural preservation". It depends how you explained it. And it's not really clear how "animal species has some precious value when it comes to medication as some parts of its body can help to cure some severe diseases" is a reason. It could be related if you went on to explain how people are killing animals for experimentation which is leading to extinction, though animals are specifically bred for experimentation so I can't see how this relates to extinction. So it may be that your ideas did not clearly answer the question but really it is very difficult to say without seeing your full essay. There are several things you could discuss to answer that essay question. For example on land the destruction animal's habitats through deforestation or hunting (such as has been the case with elephants for their tusks). For sea you could talk about over-fishing, the hunting of wales, or maybe climate change as the heating of the oceans kills off marine animals.

Jul 20, 2017

Well to classify my writing, i'd like to add some more details: - the first reason is because of the lack in people's awareness about natural preservation. Then I support this idea by showing that nowadays a lot of people have nefarious needs as they want to make a fortune by hunting for animals. This is the consequence of poor education because many schools don't teach their students about protecting endangered animals species. - Secondly, some animals body part has precious values when it comes to medication. For instance, deer's horns can cure a lot of severe diseases when it's grounded and mixed with some herbs ingredients. So people try to hunt animals as it can help humans to cope with diseases. I'm really afraid that my writing is so off topic :( please help me to answer the question whether my score get lowered if I wrote like this? Thanks.

Jul 20, 2017

Now you have explained further it does look like you were on topic, though like you say you did not mention anything about the sea. It is possible it could be viewed as partially answering the question by an examiner, in which case Task Response could get limited to a band 5 (but you are marked on 3 other criteria as well). But I really can't prejudge what another examiner might do or know for sure as I've not seen your essay. I mean your first point about hunting could refer to wales as well which are hunted for their meat. So this would cover sea. So you really just have to wait for your result unfortunately. It's too difficult to predict any kind of score or penalty.

Jul 29, 2017

Today my writing task 2 topic was something like this: However, because I didn't read the question carefully, I wrote about the topic like "people try to find out other's family history" So what band score do you think I will receive?

Jul 29, 2017

It's really impossible to predict scores without seeing what you wrote. I can only refer you to what I said to the previous person who asked a similar question. If it is viewed as partially answering the question by an examiner, the Task Response could get limited to a band 5 (but you are marked on 3 other criteria as well - that's why scores can't be predicted based on whether you answered the question or not). That score for TR could go lower if you were very off topic. But as I say it's really difficult to judge without seeing your essay.

Jan 11, 2018

I wrote about creativity and diversity of humans in general without bonding this to fashion as an example. I wrote about people having different cultures and religions and so on which contradicts copying and immitation as an innate human character. Is this response off topic and how it can lower my score?

Jan 14, 2018

It's really impossible to know if you were on topic without seeing your actual essay. Your ideas though would need to relate to fashion in clothes and consumer goods. If they were not connected to that then your score would be affected for 'Task Response'. But the penalisation varies a lot according to what extent you answered it. For instance if your response only partially answered the question then you could be limited to a band 5 for TA.

Mar 24, 2018

Hi! I just wrote my IELTS today. Task 2 writing question was about the increasing use of mobile phones and emails for communication. Then it says letter-writing will soon disappear. To what extent do u agree or disagree and what are the importance of letter-writing. I wrote about traditional letter-writing that is writting by hand and said that it might eventually disappear due to preferential use of technology. You thoughts pls... Thanks!

Discussing Two Opinions Essay

Hi everyone, I am seriously worried about my writing Task 2. The essay topic was: Some people think that making a detailed plan of activities should be made during free time. Others do not think the this is important. Discuss both sides and give your opinion. I couldn't get the exact idea and got confused with "during free time". I thought that people should plan when they are free. But my essay was looking much related to planning of activities and event. In introduction I wrote general about the importance of planning the activities and events in life, then two views and my perspective. In the first paragraph I wrote about the people who following planning the events and activities but it was not specific to the free time activities. Similarly in the second paragraph I wrote about ideology of the people who don't plan their activities and how they face some problems, but still not exactly for the free time activities. In conclusion I supported the idea of planning of activities and events and benefits of following this concept. Is my essay off topic? How much my score can be effected? Thanks for your valuable comments.

Firstly it's impossible to predict your score or say how it could be impacted without seeing your actual essay. But I'm confused where you say this: You make it seem like you should have done only one of these things but the essay is about both of these things. You were asked to write about how people organise themselves when they are free or have free time i.e. nothing else to do, and whether they should plan what to do when the free time is coming up or just decide when it arises. So you would have one body paragraph discussing the advantages of making plans for free time and another giving the disadvantages of this (or in other words the advantages of not making a plan - the same thing). But yes it does have to be in relation to 'free time' but without seeing your essay it's impossible to see whether it looked like what your wrote did refer to this or not. If it did not and your essay appears off topic you would lose grades for 'Task Response', but how much you would lose would depend how off-topic it was. You were clearly on topic to an extent.

Apr 07, 2018

Hi I had my LRW today. In writing part the statement was: I got confused and introduced the statement as nuclear and joint family. Rest of the essay I wrote the positives negatives on the basis of living independent or with family. Will I lose marks?

Apr 07, 2018

Hi, Today I took my exam. The topic was "In some societies more and more people choose to live on their own. Reasons? Is it a positive or negative trend?" I understood the phrase "living on their own" as living alone, not getting married and built my essay on it. But I know that it can be interpreted also as "separate from parents". Is it off topic? Will I have a low score for that?

Apr 09, 2018

It's really difficult to tell you if or to what extent you were off topic without seeing your actual answer. Living along means as a single person and with no other people in the home. If you wrote about that you were on topic. If you wrote about anything else, such a nuclear families, you were not. That means the Task Response score could get reduced to a 5 or even 4 at worst.

Sep 08, 2018

Hi, I just did my ielts and I thougnt I did well on all until I reliazed I made big mistake So the topic is about Primary and secondary education. However I misunderstood them as Formal and Informal education since in my country primary education mean something like formal education. Will it affect my score so bad? I did well on other aspect except for the task response score Thanks Cheers

Sep 08, 2018

It may well do. If you have written about the wrong topic, although related, it can limit your score to a band 4 or 5 for Task Response. It's not possible to know for sure though without seeing your answer.

Jun 20, 2019

Hi, My topic is about Traveling alone to other countries allow people to experience the culture and explore the country more than travelling with people you know. Discuss both views and give an opinion. Ideas I wrote about travelling alone is flexible and free. But on the other side, I think I discussed group travelling is safer, but I couldn't give examples related to how that affect explore country and culture. How badly this can hurt my score?

Jun 22, 2019

Hi my in writing task 2. My topic was about whether to choose student on academic abilities or different abilities students should study together. But i wrote about all students with different abilities in academic should study together.how much marks should be deducted

Jul 20, 2019

The task says to discuss both views that sports is important to the society as others say its only a leisure activity. I discuss the first view properly i focused on health and social skills (interaction and the values sports can give esp to children) On the second view, I only realized now that I did not really focused on leisure activity. I wrote on my essay that there are more pressing issues to focus on to aside from sports. And for children that this will become distraction to them on their studies. How will this affect my score. I am aiming for at least 6.5. I am hopeless now. Been taking the exam for couple of times and writing is always my loophole. :(

Aug 17, 2019

My writing task 2 question was, research suggests that many criminals have a lower education. Many people believe that we should educate criminals in prison, so that they can find jobs. Do you agree or disagree with the statement? I wrote about how educating criminals can help them and how it will help them find jobs. I'm so sad because I misunderstood the question.😭 How badly will this effect my score?

Aug 19, 2019

YOUR FRIEND WROTE A LETTER TO YOU ASKING ADVICE ON THEIR PARENTS VISITING YOUR ARE IN YOUR LETTER SUGGEST THE PLACES FOR VISIT RECOMMEND A PLACE OF STAY INVITE THEM TO DO SOMETHING WITH YOU I GAVE IELTS EXAM ON 17.8.19 IN LETTER WRITING I WROTE MY FRIEND AND HIS PARENT ARE COMING TO VISIT MY PLACE INSTEAD OF ONLY PARENTS ARE COMING HOW MUCH MARKS WILL BE DEDUCTED OVERALL FOR THIS MISTAKE

Sep 28, 2019

Today, I had my IELTS exam. I went off topic in task 2. The topic was like... So I had to write about why people buy branded products. But I misinterpreted it and ended up writing about why people buy the company. As the question said people want to own brands of.... I know I went off topic... So how much I'm likely to score in ielts?

Oct 03, 2019

It's impossible to predict your total writing score because you are marked on lots of things, not just the factor you mentioned. Also the score is added to your Task 1 score. But going off topic can limit your Task Response from anything from Band 3 to Band 5, depending on how off-topic you were. What you said sounds like it could possibly limit you to a band 4 for TA as it sounds tangential, meaning your answer was related to the topic but you misunderstood it and did not answer the question. Really it is impossible to say for sure without seeing your essay so you'll just have to wait for your score.

Dec 09, 2019

Hi, I got my general exam on saturday, the task was: In some societies more and more people tend to love bye their own. I understand that i had to tal about people who lives away from the society instead of just living alien in a house. Of curse i didn't achieve the task. However, when i noticed this i tried to the best in the other 75% (grammar, coherence and cohision). I know that nobody can predict my band without seen the writing, but there is any posibilitie to have a 4.5 band ?

Did I answer the question?

by suja_Ravi

Hey there! Yesterday I have done with my IELTS EXAM, but sadly i’m Really worried about my writing task 2. The topic was: Some people believe that arts and music DO NOT DIRECTLY improve the quality of humans lives, therefore government should invest money on other things than arts and music. So here, I did not considered about DO NOT DIRECTLY. Instead I wrote benefits of investing in other things in body para 1 and the benefits of investing money in arts and music in para 2 and finally I concluded “even though investing in other things helps to improve the humans living standards, it will be good to invest in arts and music” like that. So will this mistake reduce my score?? I’m really worried about it. Can you please give me an opinion?

I don't the think the 'directly' is necessarily that important. It just means that it's not so obvious as it would be if you invested in, for example, health. So the way you answered it sounds ok if as you say in the first body paragraph you discussed how investing elsewhere could help people (you didn't say what you talked about), but then you noted in the second body paragraph how arts etc can also be of benefit. So you discussed two varied ways of spending. Of course without seeing your essay it's impossible to know what kind of score you may get as there are lots of other criteria that can bring your score up or down.

Mar 18, 2021

my T2 was " more and more people are going towards cities from countryside, this type of development is more advantage or disadvantage on environment ?" My intro was all about merits and demerits of migration stating job opportunities and availability of resources in cities and inaddition my view saying decreasing the health care facility in countryside. Bp1 was advantage ( job opportunities and resources towards environment ) Bp2 was disadvantage ( non availability of health cares in country sides ) And conclusion was mixture of bp1 and bp2 where i was neutral. and yea a simple example in Bp2 Whats your view on this ? Thank You.

Jul 24, 2021

Hello sir, I asked question about .. Some people think that in the modern world, getting old is entirely bad. Others, however, think that life of elderly in the modern world is much better than it was in the past. Discuss both views and give your opinion. I've written whole essay, with good grammar with complx sentences and used vocabulary. But, i wrote second view about younger generation instead of older, I'm so worried, can i get 6 ?

Aug 23, 2021

Hi my topic was Some people believe that climate affects people way of life while others believe that climate has more impact on economy. Discuss both views and give your opinion I misunderstood the task and went off topic I thought the que was climate has more impact on people s way of life or economy has more impact on people s way of life And I wrote whole task 2 on this . How many bands can I get ?

Jan 05, 2022

Hello sir , My topic was in some countries familiy members and friends who take care of the elderly people find less time for them . What are the problem and solutions . But i undestood it wrong and wrote for topic in sime countries family members and friends who take care of the elderly people find less time for oneself and the problems and solutions regarding it . Was i too much off topic can i get a score of 6.5 in writing ?

Aug 20, 2022

In statement it was asked what are the causes of this and give solutions but i wrote effects and solution. How can this impact my score can i get 6 bands plzzzz tell me.

Aug 21, 2022

If you only answered part of the prompt then your score for Task Response will get limited to a band 5. But it's not possible to say if you could still get a 6 - in theory you still could if you did very well on the other three criteria (CC, Lexis and Grammar) as this would push your overall score up.

Jul 23, 2023

The topic was Some people believe that in order for a hobby to be enjoyable, it needs to be difficult in some way. Do you agree or disagree? And I wrote about why people can not enjoy hobbies. Could you please advice if I need to book another test I need band score 6

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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?

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IELTS Daily Essay Topic: Being successful is a question of luck.

• Updated on  
• Jul 1, 2024

Brainstorming Ideas

• Success also stems from hard work and perseverance.
• Education and skill development also play an important role in achieving success.
• Professionals who engage in lifelong learning and continually enhance their skills tend to remain competitive and successful in their fields.
• Strategic decision-making and seizing opportunities play a crucial role in the path to success.

Q. Being successful is a question of luck. Agree or disagree?

Ans . Success is a multifaceted concept influenced by various factors. While some attribute it to luck, I firmly disagree. In my view, success stems from hard work, determination, and the strategic utilization of opportunities.

Firstly, hard work and perseverance are indispensable on the path to success. Historical figures like Thomas Edison, who famously said, ‘Genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration,’ exemplify this principle. Edison’s relentless effort and dedication led to groundbreaking inventions like the light bulb, achievements that were not merely the result of luck.

Secondly, education and skill development play pivotal roles in achieving success, especially in professions like medicine. Professionals invest significant time in rigorous training and education before practising, demonstrating that success in such fields is shaped not only by luck but also by the thorough acquisition of knowledge and expertise.

Moreover, professionals who engage in lifelong learning and continually enhance their skills tend to remain competitive and successful in their fields. Strategic decision-making and seizing opportunities play crucial roles in the path to success. Figures like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, renowned for their success in the technological industry, did not rely solely on luck. They identified market needs, took calculated risks, and made strategic decisions that propelled their organizations to the forefront. Their achievements stem from vision, meticulous planning, and the ability to capitalize on emerging opportunities.

In conclusion, success primarily arises from diligent effort, continuous learning, and the intelligent use of opportunities rather than mere chance. While luck may provide opportunities, without adequate preparation, hard work, and strategic actions, those opportunities are likely to be squandered.

Paraphrased Statement: Success is a multifaceted concept influenced by various factors. 

Thesis Statement:  While some attribute it to luck, I firmly disagree. In my view, success stems from hard work, determination, and the strategic utilization of opportunities.

Body Paragraph 1-Topic Sentences: Firstly, hard work and perseverance are indispensable on the path to success.

Body Paragraph 1- Supporting Reasons and Explanations: Historical figures like Thomas Edison, who famously said, ‘Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration,’ exemplify this principle. Edison’s relentless effort and dedication led to groundbreaking inventions like the light bulb, achievements that were not merely the result of luck.

Body Paragraph 2- Topic sentence: Secondly, education and skill development play pivotal roles in achieving success, especially in professions like medicine. 

Body paragraph 2- Supporting Reasons and Explanations:   Professionals invest significant time in rigorous training and education before practicing, demonstrating that success in such fields is shaped not only by luck but also by the thorough acquisition of knowledge and expertise.

Body Paragraph 3- Topic sentence: Moreover, professionals who engage in lifelong learning and continually enhance their skills tend to remain competitive and successful in their fields.

Body paragraph 3- Supporting Reasons and Explanations:   Strategic decision-making and seizing opportunities play crucial roles in the path to success. Figures like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, renowned for their success in the technological industry, did not rely solely on luck. They identified market needs, took calculated risks, and made strategic decisions that propelled their organizations to the forefront. Their achievements stem from vision, meticulous planning, and the ability to capitalize on emerging opportunities. 

Conclusion: In conclusion, success primarily arises from diligent effort, continuous learning, and the intelligent use of opportunities rather than mere chance. While luck may provide opportunities, without adequate preparation, hard work, and strategic actions, those opportunities are likely to be squandered.

Vocabulary in Use

Multifaceted	Having many sides.
Perseverance	Steady persistence.
Indispensable	Essential.
Relentless Effort	Unyielding work.
Rigorous Acquisition	Thorough obtaining.
Seize	Grab quickly.
Squandered	Wasted.

Linkers and Connectors Used

Following are the linkers and connectors used:

• For instance
• Furthermore
• In conclusion

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Purti is a CELTA, British Council, and IDP-certified language trainer. Having worked as a Study Abroad Test Prep Expert for the past 7 years, she has guided thousands of students towards their desirable scores in IELTS, TOEFL, GRE, GMAT and other language proficiency tests to study abroad. She is adept in molding learning strategies according to the needs of the learners and has built multiple courses at Leverage IELTS with result-oriented strategies. Proficient in test prep courses such as IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, and Duolingo, she loves to explore different classroom teaching methods, keeps continuously improving her own skills, and stays abreast with the latest teaching methodologies. She is a master trainer at Leverage Edu and aims to help thousands more through her expertise.

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Guest Essay

A Year on Ozempic Taught Me We’re Thinking About Obesity All Wrong

By Johann Hari

Mr. Hari is a British journalist and the author of “Magic Pill: The Extraordinary Benefits — and Disturbing Risks — of the New Weight Loss Drugs.”

Ever since I was a teenager, I have dreamed of shedding a lot of weight. So when I shrank from 203 pounds to 161 in a year, I was baffled by my feelings. I was taking Ozempic, and I was haunted by the sense that I was cheating and doing something immoral.

I’m not the only one. In the United States (where I now split my time), over 70 percent of people are overweight or obese, and according to one poll, 47 percent of respondents said they were willing to pay to take the new weight-loss drugs. It’s not hard to see why. They cause users to lose an average of 10 to 20 percent of their body weight, and clinical trials suggest that the next generation of drugs (probably available soon) leads to a 24 percent loss, on average. Yet as more and more people take drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro, we get more confused as a culture, bombarding anyone in the public eye who takes them with brutal shaming.

This is happening because we are trapped in a set of old stories about what obesity is and the morally acceptable ways to overcome it. But the fact that so many of us are turning to the new weight-loss drugs can be an opportunity to find a way out of that trap of shame and stigma — and to a more truthful story.

In my lifetime, obesity has exploded, from being rare to almost being the norm. I was born in 1979, and by the time I was 21, obesity rates in the United States had more than doubled . They have skyrocketed since. The obvious question is, why? And how do these new weight-loss drugs work? The answer to both lies in one word: satiety. It’s a concept that we don’t use much in everyday life but that we’ve all experienced at some point. It describes the sensation of having had enough and not wanting any more.

The primary reason we have gained weight at a pace unprecedented in human history is that our diets have radically changed in ways that have deeply undermined our ability to feel sated. My father grew up in a village in the Swiss mountains, where he ate fresh, whole foods that had been cooked from scratch and prepared on the day they were eaten. But in the 30 years between his childhood and mine, in the suburbs of London, the nature of food transformed across the Western world. He was horrified to see that almost everything I ate was reheated and heavily processed. The evidence is clear that the kind of food my father grew up eating quickly makes you feel full. But the kind of food I grew up eating, much of which is made in factories, often with artificial chemicals, left me feeling empty and as if I had a hole in my stomach. In a recent study of what American children eat, ultraprocessed food was found to make up 67 percent of their daily diet. This kind of food makes you want to eat more and more. Satiety comes late, if at all.

One scientific experiment — which I have nicknamed Cheesecake Park — seemed to me to crystallize this effect. Paul Kenny, a neuroscientist at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, grew up in Ireland. After he moved in 2000 to the United States, when he was in his 20s, he gained 30 pounds in two years. He began to wonder if the American diet has some kind of strange effect on our brains and our cravings, so he designed an experiment to test it. He and his colleague Paul Johnson raised a group of rats in a cage and gave them an abundant supply of healthy, balanced rat chow made out of the kind of food rats had been eating for a very long time. The rats would eat it when they were hungry, and then they seemed to feel sated and stopped. They did not become fat.

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