IELTS causes and solutions Essay – Band 9 Guide

IELTS causes and solutions Essay – Band 9 Guide

IELTS causes and solutions Essay – Band 9 Guide

IELTS causes and solutions Essay – Band 9 Guide

How to structure for IELTS Essay causes and solution ?

IELTS causes and solutions Essay – Band 9 Guide

 IELTS examiners want you to discuss the causes or reasons for the problem in one paragraph and the possible solutions to eradicate that problem in the second paragraph separately and at the end, you can provide suggestions or advice on the problem. Therefore, it is important that you find out relevant points of causes (reasons) and solutions respectively after reading the question for IELTS Writing.

The essay of IELTS Writing can be structured mainly in 4 paragraphs as follows:

1: Introduction

2: Causes & Reasons

3: Solutions

4: Conclusion

Further structuring of the paragraphs can be done as follows:

a. – Introduction

1- Paraphrase the Question

2-Outline the sentence

b. 2- 1 (Causes (reasons))

1- State the cause (reason)

2- Now, Explain how it is the cause (reason)

3-Write an example

c. 3- Body Paragraph 2 (Solutions)

1- State the solution

2-Explain how this solution can resolve the problem

3- Write an example

d. 4 – Conclusion

1- Write summary of the main points

2 – Provide suggestion or recommendation
Four paragraphs are sufficient to explain your point of view. You may use any other structure you are comfortable with but this structure is approved by the IELTS examiners to help the students write in an effective and cohesive manner.

For example, this is the question you’ve got for IELTS writing task 2:

Influence of human beings on the world’s ecosystem is leading to the extinction of species and loss of bio-diversity.

What are the primary causes of loss of bio-diversity?

What solutions can you suggest?

Of course, the topics for causes & solutions essay may vary, but the answering strategy is pretty much the same for all essays of causes/solutions type.

Producing ideas

As you know, it’s recommended to spend about 40 minutes on IELTS Writing task 2. But before starting to write your essay, it’s a good idea to dedicate 2-4 minutes to producing some ideas for your essay. This way you’ll know what to write about and your essay will be more structured.

To produce ideas for causes and solutions essay, you have to determine 3 things:

• Problem
• Causes of this problem
• Solutions to this problem

The problem is already given: loss of bio-diversity (in other words, some animals and plants are dying out).

Now let’s think about its causes and solutions. Don’t be afraid of simple ideas! Remember: getting a high score means writing simple things well. Here are some ideas that may come to your mind:

Causes:

• change of the natural habitats When humans artificially transform the environment (build roads, houses etc.), they destroy animals’ natural habitat.
• pollution Pollution negatively changes the flow of energy, the chemical constitution of the environment and the climate in general, so a lot of species cannot live under such conditions and die out.
• overexploitation of resources When the activities connected with capturing and harvesting a natural resource are too intense in a particular area, the resource becomes exhausted. Example: too intense farming exhausts the soil; too frequent fishing, which doesn’t leave enough time for fish to reproduce, makes fish disappear.

After you’ve though of the possible causes, you can use them in your writing. You can invent more reasons of this problem, but usually, it’s enough to give 1-2 causes in your writing.

Possible solutions:

• protect areas
• promote awarenessInforming the general population about the disadvantages of loss of biodiversity will encourage people to be more conscious of the environment.

1-2 solutions are enough for a good essay. Now, after we’ve collected some ideas, it’s time to structure our thoughts into an essay.

Vocabulary:

Useful vocabulary for Causes (Reasons)

Introducing the cause(s)  

• A major cause of …….. is ….
• · One of the causes/The reason is that
• · Because/Since
• · Due to this/Because of/Owing to
• · As a result/Lead to the problem/Can attribute to
• Perhaps the major cause of this is …
• The main/ primary cause of this is …
• A further cause of this is …
• An additional cause of …. is
• …. also plays a role in …
• …… is (often/ usually) responsible for …

If you are uncertain of the cause you can add the modal verbs may / might, which are used to give more information about the main verb and are used for suggestions

For example:

Another cause may / might be …

Introducing the result(s)

For example:

• More vehicles in city centers have resulted in poorer air quality
• Poorer air quality results from the high number of vehicles on our roads.
• Poorer air quality leads to an increased number of residents in the city who suffer from respiratory conditions such as asthma and bronchitis. (lead to is used with results that happened after some time)

How to introduce and propose possible solutions

The question usually asks you to suggest solutions – not just one solution. Therefore, you will need to use linking words to propose other solutions such as:

• First and foremost,  
• Another possible solution is
• In addition, Moreover,
• Finally,
• · As a result/Lead to the problem/Can attribute to
• · To overcome/deal with/handle the situation/Resolve the issue
• · Mitigate the problem/Notable way to solve
• · Can be implemented/Steps can be taken/Measures can be taken

Tip: Checking your work.

Candidates often forget or run out of time and don’t edit their writing carefully which can result in a lower band.

Make sure you:

•         Check for mistakes in spelling
•         Subject + verb agreement
•         Capitalisation i.e. using capital letters on proper nouns
•         Grammar – Especially the use of the definite and indefinite articles a/an/ the

Writing the introduction of a Problem/ Solution Essay

In the introduction, you should first make a general statement related to the problem.

Band 9 Answer : Structure for Causes & Solutions Essay

There may be many possible answering strategies, but we’ll use this good and time-tested essay structure:

1. Introduction
2. Body paragraph 1 – causes
3. Body paragraph 2 – solutions
4. Conclusion

Introduction

Write the introduction in 2 sentences:

• Sentence 1 – paraphrase the question (restate the problem): “Despite knowing about biodiversity’s importance for a long time, human activity has been causing massive extinctions of different species.”
• Sentence 2 – tell the examiner what you’re going to describe in your essay: “This essay will examine the main causes of loss of biodiversity and possible solutions of this problem.”

Body paragraph 1 – causes

• Sentence 1 – state 2 main causes: “The two main causes of species extinction are change of their habitats and overexploitation of natural resources.”
• Sentences 2-4 – explain the first cause + give an example: “When humans artificially transform the environment, they destroy vegetation and animals’ natural habitat. For instance, to build new roads people are cutting down the trees and cementing the soil, altering the environment. Because of that, a lot of species are dying out.”
• Sentences 5-7 – explain the second cause + give an example: “Also, when the activities connected with capturing and harvesting a natural resource are too intense in a particular area, the resource becomes exhausted. For example, too frequent fishing doesn’t leave enough time for fish to reproduce and makes them disappear.“
• The last sentence – give a short summary (if needed) “In other words, human activities often deplete local flora and fauna and cause loss of bio-diversity.”

Body paragraph 2 – solutions

• Sentence 1 – give 1-2 possible solutions: “Some possible solutions to this problem are protecting natural areas and promoting awareness among people.“
• Sentences 2-4 – explain how each of the solutions solves the problem (you may give an example if you wish): “By protecting areas where human activity is limited and avoiding overexploitation of its resources, we can save the untouched environment and prevent species from dying out. Moreover, the next step in fighting bio-diversity loss is informing the general population about the dangers of this problem. This way, people will be more conscious of the environment and won’t overuse or destroy its resources.“

Conclusion

• Sentence 1 – restate the causes of the problem: “To conclude, people’s activities that change the environment have a negative impact on the world’s ecosystem.”
• Sentence 2 – remind the reader of possible solutions: “However, we can significantly lessen the extinction of species by protecting natural areas and enlightening people as to this problem.”

Model essay for IELTS Writing causes/solutions question

The model band-9 essay for this question will look as follows:

Despite knowing about biodiversity’s importance for a long time, human activity has been causing massive extinctions of different species. This essay will examine the main causes of loss of biodiversity and possible solutions of this problem.

The two main causes of species extinction are change of their habitats and overexploitation of natural resources. When humans artificially transform the environment, they destroy vegetation and animals’ natural habitat. For instance, to build new roads people are cutting down the trees and cementing the soil, altering the environment. Because of that, a lot of species are dying out. Also, when the activities connected with capturing and harvesting a natural resource are too intense in a particular area, the resource becomes exhausted. For example, too frequent fishing doesn’t leave enough time for fish to reproduce and makes them disappear. In other words, human activities often deplete local flora and fauna and cause loss of bio-diversity.

Some possible solutions to this problem are protecting natural areas and promoting awareness among people. By protecting areas where human activity is limited and avoiding overexploitation of its resources, we can save the untouched environment and prevent species from dying out. Moreover, the next step in fighting bio-diversity loss is informing the general population about the dangers of this problem. This way, people will be more conscious of the environment and won’t overuse or destroy its resources.

To conclude, people’s activities that change the environment have negative impact on the world’s ecosystem. However, we can significantly lessen the extinction of species by protecting natural areas and enlightening people as to this problem.

(263 words)

Exercise:

Write an essay of minimum 250 words. Use the vocabulary mentioned above.
1. Global warming has become one of the major issues the world is facing today. What are its causes? solutions.

2. In recent times, stress has emerged out to be the major challenge faced by people nowadays. What are the causes of this problem? Suggest some effective solutions for the same.

3. Furthermore, Many youngsters find it difficult to pay attention and concentrate in their classes. What are the reasons behind this? How this problem can be dealt with?

4. Also, the Crime rate against women is increasing day by day. What are the reasons for this? Discuss some possible solutions for dealing with this problem.