Prewriting
In the prewriting stage of a researched essay, you will do a lot of reading and information gathering. In this stage of the process, you should keep your information organized carefully so that you can find it when it comes time to write your essay.
Understand the assignment
For this essay, you will choose a specific problem that affects a wide audience and investigate several solutions for it. Your teacher will give you specific requirements for this essay regarding the number of sources you should use and the length of the finished essay.
Research
Remember that after you do enough preliminary research to brainstorm and choose your focus, you should do more detailed research about your topic so that you can make your outline.
Brainstorm
You can use a mind map, a free write, general internet search, or a discussion group if you are having a difficult time thinking of things to write about.
Choose a focus
If you have a general topic, start with a simple internet search about it to find specific ideas you can focus on.
Outline
Also begin an outline for your essay. As you research about your topic, start organizing your findings. Some people begin an outline by listing topics and quotes. Others write topic sentences and supporting sentences. A problem/solution essay follows typical essay organization.
Introduction
Your introduction should start by describing the problem. You should give the reader any background information they need to be able to understand the problem.
Here are some questions that can help you think about background information that the reader needs to be able to understand the problem:
- Where/when/why does the problem occur?
- Who is affected by the problem?
- What will happen if the problem is not solved?
At the end of your introduction paragraph, you should give your thesis. The thesis should respond to the problem by either presenting various solutions that may solve the problem or giving reasons that show why one solution is the best.
Various solutions:
The best ways to manage stress are by learning about it, exercising, and strengthening social ties.
Reasons to defend the best solution:
The best way to manage stress is by exercising because it is natural, simple, and free.
It is also possible to have a thesis that indirectly states the main points: The best way to manage stress is by exercising.
Here are some phrases that are useful for writing a problem/solution thesis:
Government regulations can solve illegal media copying by...
Students who have a lot of stress should....
Getting vaccinated is the best solution to eradicate disease.
The most effective way for universities to assess performance is...
1 Exercise: Revise thesis statements
Revise the thesis statements to be more effective for a problem/solution essay.
- Global warming is a very serious problem.
- Many countries lack clean water because the local wells are contaminated and unsafe to use.
- Some of these solutions are stigma reduction and raising of public awareness; training for health workers; and keep a good Of all these solutions, the last one is the best option for each country for the reasons that will be soon detailed with the other resolutions.
- I will show you why bribery in business is a very serious problem.
- Honesty in politics.
- The most creative and successful innovation solutions for water are purifiers, fog catchers, and air harvesting.
- There are many reasons why self-driving cars are dangerous.
- The solutions for resolve this problem are implement required programs for help the students to recognize and how to respond Established an effective system for report being bullied. Create a program for educated the parents to help their children to learn how to deal with this problem.
Body
Your body paragraphs should respond to the problem by describing the solution(s). If you chose to write about multiple solutions, describe a different solution in each body paragraph. If you chose one solution, describe different reasons why your solution is good in each body paragraph.
Make sure your topic sentences connect to your thesis. Look at the examples below for how the topic sentences should connect to your thesis.
Various Solutions |
One Ideal Solution |
Thesis:
Topic Sentence 1:
Topic Sentence 2:
Topic Sentence 3:
|
Thesis:
Topic Sentence 1:
Topic Sentence 2:
Topic Sentence 3:
|
Conclusion
Your conclusion paragraph should start by restating your thesis. Then you should discuss your problem more generally and apply the solutions to the general context you established in your introduction. You can end with a closing statement that is s suggestion, prediction, or opinion. You can think of this part of a problem/solution essay as encouraging your reader to go make a change.

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