Problem and Solution Essay — Step-by-Step Guide

You can easily identify a problem and offer a solution to it, but it may not be easy to write an essay about it. But the biggest trouble is that finding a good online writing guide which can help you create a top-notch essay may prove to be quite a challenge. Our goal is, therefore, to provide you with an easy to follow online tutorial which will help you sort out all questions related to problem/solution essay writing. Here, we will answer the most frequent questions and provide you with some useful tips on how to prepare a good problem-solution paper.

What is problem and solution essay? What structure should you follow? What techniques will help you speed up the writing process? Our primary goal is to create a straightforward and informative guide for university or college students which will help them fill in gaps in their knowledge.

Problem and Solution Essay Definition and Purpose

The problem and solution essay requires students to identify a particular issue and offer a solution to it by using argumentation. In other words, the writer needs to convince the target audience that their solution is the only accurate one.

Usually, the topics for such essays are framed in the form of simple questions, for instance: Why is the greenhouse effect a threat to modern society and how do we prevent it? You see that the essay’s topic consists in identifying a problem and its solution. When your readers know the topic, they should immediately understand what particular issues you are going to discuss.

So, what is the usual purpose of a problem and solution essay? Its primary goal is to inform the target audience of a problem and offer a solution to it. You are allowed to share your viewpoint and persuade the readers that your solution is the best, cheapest or easiest one.

In a problem-and-solution essay, one way to strengthen your position is to use information from trusted resources. If you are going to offer a solution to a problem without providing your own opinion, you should also search for viewpoints of experts in this area.

Effective Problem and Solution Essay Structure Tips

You can be a talented writer and offer a great solution to a problem, but if your objective is to get a good grade, you need to structure your essay in accordance with certain rules. Let’s find out how a problem solution essay structure might look like:

  • Introduction highlighting the general problem.
  • Body paragraphs offering a solution to the discussed problem.
  • Conclusion wrapping up your essay.

If you have no idea how to do the introduction, you can skip this section and move on to the main sections instead. After that, you can create great introductory sentences.

Nevertheless, your problem solution essay introduction is the most crucial essay component. To make it informative and catchy, check out the ideas below:

  • You can tell an interesting story related to the situation.
  • You can make up a story which will grab the reader’s attention.
  • You can add some thought-provoking statistical data.
  • If the problem was raised in popular films or TV shows, you can add this information to your introductory section.
  • You can start with a joke to put a smile on the reader’s face.

If your goal is to focus the reader’s attention to your problem, you shouldn’t make your introduction too dull. This paragraph should be short but informative and engaging. After that, you can move on to offering a solution in the body parts.

Keep in mind that you should always provide solutions in chronological order. Your body paragraphs should be interconnected and informative, and persuade the audience that your solution will really solve the issue.

So, how to write a conclusion for a problem solution essay? The average length of your conclusion should be no more than several sentences. If the topic is too broad, you can divide it into two paragraphs. The fundamental purpose of this section is to bring your ideas to fruition and draw a conclusion. It would be great if you describe the future of the discussed situation by implementing your solution.

Another important aspect of this section is that you shouldn’t state new ideas in your final part. The main goal of this section is to wrap up your essay, so keep that in mind while writing.

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