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Problem and Solution

Writing Problem-and-Solution essays is an important part of Year 1 writing.

You should be able to discuss a problem and suggest some solutions.

Here are some possible topics.

Water Shortages: Gapfill exercise from TJ Everest. Try it online (Hot Potatoes exercise), or open in Acrobat, or in Word. Check your answers here (Acrobat, or in Word)
Domestic waste: problem and solution. new
TV Addiction: how much is too much? Gapfill exercise from TJ Everest, a bar chart, and links.
Global Warming is threatening our climate and possibly our lives. How can this problem be solved?
Read this short article on Global Warming from Gulf News, with discussion questions.
The UAE has a shortage of water. How can we solve this problem?
Many people are obese, or very overweight. Why is this? What can be done?
World population growth is a major concern. What difficulties can the rise in the number of people have?
Why do construction accidents occur in the UAE? How can they be prevented?
Why do some young people take drugs? How can this problem be solved? Try this hot potatoes gap-fill exercise, and see some other links.
Why do some young people drop out of school? How can this problem be solved?
Many people die each year on UAE roads. How can this problem be reduced?
Many marriages end in divorce. What can we do about this problem?
Vehicles and factories produce harmful gases. How can we minimize this problem?
There are very few Emirati nurses working in the UAE. How can we encourage more Emiratis to become nurses?
Many families employ maids. What problems can this cause? Suggest some possible solutions.

Drag-and-drop Hot Potatoes exercise: What are the steps involved in writing a Problem & Solution essay.

Match headings to paragraphs - exercise based on Recyling, Rudiments of Wisdom, p78, Focus on First Certificate. (PDF or Word) New!

Activity - running dictation exercise on Global Warming from TJ Everest. New!

Key vocabulary and partner gap-fill exercise for Problem/Solution vocabulary. Microsoft Word - right-click and save to your desktop.

Problem Solution Presentations: Class activity and notes for students, by Frankie Sutton. Microsoft Word - right-click and save to your desktop.

Problem-Solution PowerPoint Presentations. By T.J. Everest. Click here for a note-taking grid (pdf, 42 kb), and PowerPoint model on Students Not Doing Homework (227 kb). Flash examples from CHL: Divorce, Drug Addiction, Jet-skiing, Noise Pollution new

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