Writing an Impressive Problem-Solution Essay: Recommendations for Students

A problem-solution essay should be helpful first and foremost. This is the most important consideration you need to make when looking for a suitable topic for your paper. The problem you focus on must be relevant for society as a whole or for your targeted group of readers. The solutions you offer must be realistic and easy to understand.

The following tips should help you create a truly impressive problem-solution essay:

• Convince the readers that the problem is indeed important.

You should do this at the very beginning of your paper. Present your problem and describe it in detail. Every reader must understand what exactly makes this issue a real problem that requires an efficient solution. While you do this, you should highlight the relevance of the whole issue. This will help your readers understand why this problem is important enough to write a paper on it.

• Explain why your solution is the best.

In the vast majority of cases, there is more than one way to solve a problem. You will present only one solution in your essay, so a part of your task is to persuade the audience that this one is the best solution there is. Provide your arguments in a logical order, starting with the strongest one. Use facts and statistics to support your position on this matter.

• Destroy the opposition’s arguments.

In order to make your paper stronger, you must not only offer an efficient solution to a problem and sound arguments that prove it is the best way to go; you must also crush your opposition before it gets a chance to strike. List most relevant arguments presented by the opposing side and use logic and factual data to break them. Be very careful to keep your tone neutral when you do this. Even if you are very passionate about the subject, you must never offend your opposition.

• Identify the reason for the problem.

Don’t forget this extremely important detail. Without this, you will not be able to come up with an efficient solution. While you are at it, you can also try to find a way to prevent this problem in the future.

• Show your readers a glimpse of the future.

Describe how the situation will change if your solution to the problem is adopted. Insert this part into your conclusion to enforce the idea that your offered plan of action is indeed the best one. If you can, support these claims with a real-life example.