Problem and solution essays look like the easiest type on the paper. You name what is wrong, then say how to fix it.
They are also where essays quietly fall apart, because the two halves stop talking to each other. The causes paragraph names traffic and pollution; the solutions paragraph proposes education and recycling. Both halves are fine and the essay is incoherent.
One rule fixes it: every solution must fix a cause you already named.
The structure, in short
| Paragraph 1 | Introduction — paraphrase the issue, preview causes and solutions |
| Paragraph 2 | Two causes, or two problems, explained |
| Paragraph 3 | The matching solutions, in the same order |
| Paragraph 4 | Conclusion — restate both halves |
| Words | 270–300. Minimum 250, penalised below it |
| Time | 40 minutes: 5 planning, 30 writing, 5 checking |
| Counting | The computer test shows a live word count; on paper, estimate from your line count |
Cause one is solved by solution one. Cause two by solution two. That pairing is the essay.
What exactly is the prompt asking for?
The wording varies more on this type than any other, and each variant wants different content:
- What are the causes of this, and what solutions can you suggest?
- What problems does this cause, and how could they be solved?
- Why is this happening, and what measures could be taken?
Causes are not problems. A cause explains why something happens. A problem is the harm it does. Given rising obesity: a cause is cheap processed food; a problem is the burden on health services. Answering with the wrong one is a Task Response failure even when the writing is excellent.
If the prompt asks for problems, do not drift into causes. If it asks for causes, do not list harms.
How do you structure it?
- Introduction, about 45 words. Paraphrase the issue and say, in general terms, that there are identifiable causes and workable responses.
- Body one, about 95 words. Two causes (or problems). State each, explain the mechanism, show what it looks like.
- Body two, about 95 words. The solutions, in the same order, each naming the cause it addresses.
- Conclusion, about 40 words. Restate the causes and their solutions together.
Pair them explicitly, in the same order
The examiner should be able to draw a line between paragraph two and paragraph three without effort. Signal it in the wording:
The most direct response to this shortage of housing is…
Addressing the second of these causes requires…
That is Coherence and Cohesion being demonstrated through structure rather than through linking words, which is what band 7 rewards.
Make the solutions specific enough to explain
The weakest sentence in this essay type is governments should raise awareness. It proposes nothing you can picture.
A strong solution has a mechanism. Who acts, what they do, and why that changes the cause. If you cannot explain how it works in two sentences, it is not yet a solution — it is a wish.
Do you need an opinion?
Usually not. Proposing the solutions is your contribution, and most prompts of this type do not ask for a personal position.
If the prompt does add give your own opinion or asks which solution is most effective, then say so plainly and defend it.
Either way, the conclusion is not optional. An essay without one caps Task Response at band 5, because it has not completed the structure. Start it with In conclusion and restate both halves.
Model essay, band 8
In many cities, young people are finding it increasingly difficult to buy their first home.
What are the causes of this problem, and what solutions can you suggest?
Plan: cause 1 supply shortage → solution 1 planning reform. Cause 2 stagnant wages against rising prices → solution 2 targeted deposit support.
Home ownership has moved beyond the reach of many young city dwellers over the past two decades. This situation has two principal causes, and both are open to practical intervention if governments are willing to act.
The first cause is a straightforward shortage of supply. Cities have consistently built fewer homes than their growing populations require, and when demand exceeds supply the price of what exists rises accordingly. The second is that incomes have not kept pace with those prices. A young professional whose salary rises by two per cent while local property values rise by eight per cent falls further behind every year, no matter how carefully they save, because the deposit they are aiming at is retreating faster than they can approach it.
The shortage of supply can be addressed by reforming the planning system so that permission to build is faster and cheaper to obtain, particularly for higher-density housing near existing transport links. Cities that have simplified approval have seen construction rise within a few years, and because the additional homes are concentrated where people already want to live, the effect on prices is felt quickly rather than a decade later. The affordability gap requires a different instrument: government-backed schemes that either match a portion of a first-time buyer’s savings or guarantee part of their deposit, which reduces the sum that must be accumulated before a purchase becomes possible. Such schemes are cheaper for the state than they appear, since a guarantee costs nothing unless the buyer defaults.
In conclusion, young people struggle to buy homes because too few are built and because wages trail prices. Reforming planning tackles the first, and targeted deposit support tackles the second.
281 words — inside the 270 to 300 range this guide recommends.
What that essay is doing
The causes and solutions pair in order. Cause one is supply; solution one is planning reform. Cause two is the affordability gap; solution two is deposit support. Paragraph three even signals the pairing — The shortage of supply can be addressed by…, The affordability gap requires a different instrument.
Each cause has a mechanism. “The deposit they are aiming at is retreating faster than they can approach it” explains why a two per cent raise does not help. Band 6 writing stops at “houses are too expensive.”
The solutions are specific. Not “governments should help young people”, but faster planning permission for higher-density housing near transport, and deposit matching or guarantees. Both can be pictured.
The figures are illustrative, not invented statistics. Two per cent against eight per cent is offered as an example of a gap, not as a claim about a real country.
The conclusion restates both halves in two sentences. Causes, then solutions, and nothing new.
Sentence frames you can reuse
Introducing
- This situation has two principal causes, and both are open to practical intervention.
- Several factors have contributed to this trend, though two stand out.
Naming a cause or problem
- The first cause is [cause].
- A second and equally significant factor is [cause].
- The most damaging consequence of this is [problem].
Introducing the matching solution
- The most direct response to [cause] is [solution].
- [Cause] can be addressed by [measure].
- Tackling the second of these requires a different approach: [solution].
Concluding
- In conclusion, [issue] arises from [cause one] and [cause two]. [Solution one] addresses the first, and [solution two] the second.
Avoid governments should raise awareness and people should be educated about this unless you can say precisely how. Avoid Since the dawn of time and With the development of modern science and technology entirely — they mark a script as recited.
What caps this essay at band 6
The Task Response ladder:
- Band 5 — “Some main ideas are put forward, but they are limited and are not sufficiently developed.”
- Band 6 — “Main ideas are relevant, but some may be insufficiently developed or may lack clarity.”
- Band 7 — “Main ideas are extended and supported.”
Solutions that do not match the causes. The defining failure of this type. Two halves that never connect read as two short essays, and it costs Coherence as well as Task Response.
Vague solutions. “Raise awareness”, “the government should take action”, “people must change their behaviour” — none can be developed, so none earn the extension band 7 asks for.
Answering causes when asked for problems. Or the reverse. Read the prompt twice.
Informal register. Kids, lots of, and contractions like don’t cap you at band 6 on their own.
Mechanical linking. Firstly, Secondly, Finally at the head of every paragraph is the most recognisable band 6 signature there is.
Practise it
Plan this essay as pairs, not as two lists. Write your two causes down the left, and a solution beside each one before you start writing. If a solution has no cause next to it, it does not belong in the essay.
You can practise Task 2 with AI band feedback on IELTS Studio. It marks all four criteria separately, so you can see which one is capping your band.
Related: two-part question essays cover prompts with two direct questions, opinion essays cover agree or disagree, discussion essays cover “discuss both views”, and how the writing band scale works explains each criterion.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you structure an IELTS problem and solution essay?
- Four paragraphs: an introduction, one body paragraph giving two causes or problems, one body paragraph giving the matching solutions, and a conclusion. Each solution should address a cause you have already named.
- How many problems and solutions should I write about?
- Two of each, paired. Two causes with two matching solutions, each explained, scores better than four unconnected points, because Coherence rewards the link between them.
- What is the difference between a cause and a problem in these essays?
- A cause explains why something happens; a problem is the harm it does. Read the prompt carefully: 'what are the causes' and 'what problems does this create' ask for different content.
- Do I need an opinion in a problem and solution essay?
- Not usually. Proposing solutions is itself your contribution. Only state a personal position if the prompt explicitly asks for your opinion.
- How many words should a problem and solution essay be?
- Aim for 270 to 300 words. The minimum is 250 and going under is penalised under Task Response. Beyond about 320 words you gain nothing and risk more errors.
- Can I suggest solutions that governments would never implement?
- Solutions should be realistic and specific enough to explain. A vague call for governments to 'raise awareness' is weak; a measure you can describe the mechanism of is much stronger.