Writing handout 8 problemsolutionparagraph

Writing Handouts for TAB1

PROBLEM- SOLUTION PARAGRAPH
I. Definition
A problem-solution paragraph identifies a problem or an issue, and/or suggest a plausible
solution(s) to solve it.
There are 3 question types:
Question type 1
In many countries, parents are concerned about the amount of time their children spend with
electronic devices.
Write a paragraph to discuss this problem.
Question type 2
Obesity has become a major health issue in many countries.
Write a paragraph to suggest solutions to this issue.
Question type 3
Traffic jam is one of the biggest traffic problems in big cities.
Write a paragraph to discuss this problem and solutions to it.
II. Structure for a problem-solution paragraph
a. Question type 1: simply asks us to discuss the problem, either causes or negative effects of
children’s spending too much time with electronic devices. “Problem paragraph” may differ from
“cause- effect paragraph” in the way that the former mainly focuses on negative impacts whereas
the latter can discuss both positive and negative impacts of an issue. Therefore, this kind of
paragraph can be called “Problem paragraph”, whose structure is as follows:
Topic Sentence
✔
✔

✔

Supporting sentences about negative effects of an issue. (Refer to « Cause and Effect
paragraph » )

Concluding sentence

b. Question type 2: simply asks us to suggest solutions to the problem. It is called “Solution
paragraph”, which consists of:
Topic Sentence
✔
✔
✔

Supporting sentences about solutions to the problem.
Concluding sentence

c. Question type 3: asks us to both discuss the problem and suggest solutions as well. It is called
“Problem- Solution paragraph”. The structure of this paragraph can be developed as follows:
Topic Sentence
✔

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Writing Handouts for TAB1

✔
✔
✔

Supporting sentences 1 : discuss the problem
Supporting sentences 2 : suggest solutions
Concluding sentence

III. Language of “problem and solution” paragraph
1. Topic sentence
Type 1: The issue of…..has led to several consequences.
⮚
⮚

Type 2: There are several measures to address (combat/ tackle/ overcome) this problem

⮚

Type 3: The issue of……...has brought about negative impacts and it can be solved by several

solutions/measures.
2. Discussing the problem: either causes or consequences (refer to cause and effect paragraph)
3. Suggesting solutions
The first solution is that…../ The first solution is for sb to do…..
⮚
⮚
⮚

A further step (solution) is that people should ……/Another measure is that…..
It is highly recommended/suggested that….

4. Concluding sentence
In my opinion, this issue is………..and the solutions are……….
⮚
IV. Sample Problem- Solution paragraphs
Task 1: Read the following sample paragraphs and state the type.
Topic Sentence Many parents are increasingly concerned about the fact that their children
are spending a great deal of time watching TV, which can be tackled by a

number of following measures. First, it is the parents themselves who must
Supporting
take action to reduce the amount of time their children spend in front of the
sentences
television. The most obvious way is to have parents and their children agree on a
‘screen limit’, for instance one or two hours a day. Another solution is for
children to have their free time arranged in a useful way, including a variety of
physical and social activities. This would mean children would play more
outside and become healthier, as well as interact with other children. In
Concluding
conclusion, having implemented these solutions, parents will be able to alleviate
sentence
their concerns about their growing children.
=> Paragraph type: ………………….
Topic Sentence Obesity, one of the main health issues among young people, has been caused
by several factors and can be solved by some following measures. The
problem of obesity is attributed by lack of physical activities since they seem to
Supporting
get involved in sedentary activities such as watching TV or sitting in front of the
sentences
computer for too long. Another factor causing obesity is unhealthy diets which
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Writing Handouts for TAB1

Concluding
sentence
Topic Sentence
Supporting

sentences
Concluding
sentence

involve too much fatty and sugary food. One solution to this health issue is for
young people to do exercise on a regular basis. It is also suggested that the
consumption of fast food and sweetened one should be limited. In conclusion,
this health issue is concerning and needs dealing with for the sake of people’s
health.
=> Paragraph type: ………………….
One problem faced by almost every large city is traffic congestion, which
has been caused by several factors. First, during rush hours, too many cars in
use for roads to accommodate would probably cause heavy volume of traffic and
traffic jams seem unavoidable. Additionally, lack of awareness to obey traffic
rules among vehicle owners is one of the factors that compound traffic
congestion. For example, many people are found passing red traffic lights, which
may cause traffic accidents, and therefore lead to traffic jams for a few hours. In
short, traffic congestion is one of the most concerning issues in big cities and it
needs dealing with as soon as possible.
=> Paragraph type: ………………….

Task 2. Language of giving solutions
Another
tackle
More importantly
need
such as
should
urgent
first

suggested
so that
To (1)…………………..the problem of traffic accidents, several timely actions must be taken. The
(2)……………………….solution is that the government (3)…………………..to reduce the number
of private vehicles by encouraging people to use public transport (4)……………….bus, metro,
train, etc. It is also highly (5)………………………..that this number could be limited with high
taxes on private cars as well as on energy. (6)……………………….., those who break traffic rules
must be strictly punished. (7)………………………..measure to reduce traffic accidents is that
campaigns of propagandizing (8)………………………be advertised widely on mass media (9)
………………….. people are more aware of traffic safety. In short, it is (10)…………………..that
these measures should be taken to improve the current situation of traffic accidents.

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Writing Handouts for TAB1

WRITING PRACTICE
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
In our society, the rate of divorce is getting higher and higher due to lack of partner communication
and financial pressure.
Write a paragraph to suggest some solutions to this issue.
YOUR ANSWER
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