Problem and solution essays

Also framed as "what are the causes and what can be done?". The two framings are marked the same way, but they ask you to explain different things — a cause is why something happens, a problem is what harm it does. Read carefully which one is wanted.

The pairing rule

This is the whole type in one sentence: every solution must solve a problem you actually named.

The most common failure looks like this. Body 1 lists three problems: cost, congestion, pollution. Body 2 offers three solutions: better public transport, cycle lanes, and a public awareness campaign. Read closely and the third solution answers nothing that was raised, while cost is never addressed at all. The essay looks organised and is not.

Fix it by writing in pairs. One problem, one solution that meets it, one sentence on why it would work.

Depth beats coverage

Two well-matched pairs score better than four loose ones. A developed pair states the problem, gives one concrete consequence, proposes a specific remedy, and concedes a limit. That last part — acknowledging that a solution is partial — is a strong Band 7-plus move, because real solutions are partial.

Be specific

"The government should take action" is not a solution; it is a placeholder. "The government should subsidise off-peak fares" is a solution. Specificity is what Task Response rewards here, and it is also what gives you something to develop.

Useful language

The most pressing problem is, this stems largely from, one workable response would be, this would not eliminate the problem, but it would, the difficulty with this approach is that.