IELTS Writing Task 2 – Problems and Solutions / Causes and Solutions Complete Guide (2026)

Key facts at a glance: 250 words minimum  ·  40 minutes  ·  Worth 67% of your total writing score  ·  Appears after Task 1  ·  One of the most common question types in IELTS Academic

Problems and solutions question: "Many cities around the world are facing a housing crisis. What problems does this cause and what solutions can you suggest?"

Causes and solutions question: "Air pollution in major cities is reaching dangerous levels. What are the causes of this problem and what solutions can you suggest?"

Key difference: "problems" asks what issues the situation creates. "Causes" asks why the situation exists. The solution paragraph is required in both.

Important: Each solution must directly address a problem you raised in Body Paragraph 1. A common examiner complaint is "solutions seem disconnected from causes." Avoid this by planning your essay before writing — match each solution to each problem explicitly.

In many cities around the world, traffic congestion has become a serious problem. What problems does this cause and what solutions can you suggest?

Write at least 250 words. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Introduction

Traffic congestion has emerged as one of the most pressing urban challenges of the modern era, affecting millions of commuters across the globe. This essay will examine the key problems caused by this issue and propose practical solutions to address them.

Body Paragraph 1 — Problems

One major problem caused by severe traffic congestion is air pollution. When vehicles idle in slow-moving traffic for extended periods, they emit significantly higher levels of carbon dioxide and other harmful gases, contributing to deteriorating air quality. Cities such as Delhi and Beijing have recorded dangerously high pollution levels linked directly to vehicle emissions. Furthermore, traffic congestion has a considerable economic impact. Workers who spend hours stuck in traffic lose productive time, and businesses face increased costs due to delays in the delivery of goods and services. Studies have estimated that congestion costs major economies billions of dollars annually in lost productivity.

Body Paragraph 2 — Solutions

To tackle the problem of air pollution, governments could invest heavily in expanding public transport networks. If reliable, affordable, and frequent bus and rail services were available, more commuters would be encouraged to leave their private vehicles at home, thereby reducing the total number of cars on the road and cutting harmful emissions significantly. Regarding the economic cost of congestion, cities could introduce congestion charging schemes in busy urban areas. London's congestion charge, for example, has been credited with reducing traffic volumes in the city centre by approximately 30%, demonstrating that financial incentives can effectively modify commuter behaviour and ease gridlock.

Conclusion

In conclusion, traffic congestion creates serious environmental and economic problems for modern cities. However, by investing in public transport and implementing congestion pricing, governments can address both issues effectively and create more sustainable urban environments.

Task Response: Both problems are clearly identified and explained with specific examples. Both solutions directly address the problems raised — air pollution is answered by public transport, and economic cost is answered by congestion charging. This direct matching is what separates band 7 from band 6.

Coherence and Cohesion: Clear four-paragraph structure. Linking phrases used naturally — "furthermore", "regarding", "however", "thereby". The conclusion summarises without introducing new ideas.

Lexical Resource: A variety of vocabulary is used — "pressing urban challenges", "idle in slow-moving traffic", "deteriorating air quality", "modify commuter behaviour", "ease gridlock". No word is repeated excessively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Mix of simple and complex sentences. Conditional structure ("if...were available"), passive voice ("have been credited"), and relative clauses ("cities such as...") demonstrate grammatical range.

Sample causes and solutions question: "Air pollution in major cities is reaching dangerous levels. What are the causes of this problem and what solutions can you suggest?"

Body Paragraph 1 — Two causes:

Cause 1: The rapid increase in private vehicle ownership — as more people can afford cars, the volume of exhaust emissions in cities has risen dramatically.

Cause 2: Industrial activity and manufacturing — factories located near or within urban areas release pollutants continuously, particularly in developing nations where environmental regulations are less strict.

Body Paragraph 2 — Two solutions (matching the causes):

Solution 1 (for vehicle emissions): Governments could incentivise the adoption of electric vehicles through tax reductions and invest in expanding public transport.

Solution 2 (for industrial pollution): Stricter environmental legislation and emission caps for factories, combined with penalties for non-compliance, would force industries to adopt cleaner production methods.

Time management tip: Spend 40 minutes on Task 2. Use the first 5 minutes planning — identify your two problems/causes and match a solution to each before writing. This prevents the most common mistake of disconnected solutions and saves time during writing.

Practice tip: For each question above, write your plan first — two problems/causes in one column and two matching solutions in the other. Only start writing when your plan is complete. This 5-minute investment prevents the most common Task 2 mistake of disconnected solutions.

Question

In many countries, young people are finding it increasingly difficult to afford their own homes. What are the causes of this problem? What solutions can be offered?

Band 8 Model Answer

The inability of younger generations to purchase property has emerged as a significant socioeconomic challenge across much of the developed and developing world. This essay will examine the principal causes of this trend and propose viable solutions to address it.

A primary cause of housing unaffordability is the sharp and sustained increase in property prices relative to wage growth. Over recent decades, real estate values in major cities have risen dramatically, driven largely by speculative investment and limited housing supply, while salaries — particularly for entry-level workers — have failed to keep pace. A young professional in cities such as London, Sydney, or Kathmandu may need to save for a decade or more simply to accumulate a sufficient deposit. Compounding this issue is the widespread use of short-term employment contracts, which makes it considerably harder for young people to secure mortgage approval from lending institutions, as banks typically require proof of stable, long-term income.

To tackle the affordability crisis, governments could introduce targeted housing assistance schemes for first-time buyers, such as subsidised deposit loans or shared-ownership programmes. Such initiatives would lower the financial barrier to entry without requiring a complete overhaul of the property market. Regarding employment instability, policymakers could introduce stronger regulations protecting workers on temporary contracts, ensuring they receive greater financial security and are better positioned to meet mortgage eligibility criteria. Countries such as Germany, where tenant protections are robust and social housing is widely available, demonstrate that proactive government intervention can meaningfully improve housing accessibility for younger citizens.

In conclusion, rising property prices and precarious employment conditions are the two most significant barriers preventing young people from owning homes. Targeted financial assistance and stronger employment protections offer practical pathways to address both causes effectively.

Why this scores band 8

• Task Response: Both causes are fully developed with detailed explanations — not just stated but explained precisely. Both solutions match the causes directly.
• Lexical Resource: Sophisticated vocabulary throughout — "socioeconomic challenge", "speculative investment", "mortgage eligibility criteria", "proactive government intervention". No word is repeated unnecessarily.
• Grammar: Wide range of structures — "having failed to keep pace", relative clauses, passive voice, conditional structures, and a real-world example integrated naturally.
• Coherence: "Compounding this issue" links the two causes seamlessly. "Regarding employment instability" signals the move to the second solution cleanly.

Question

In many parts of the world, the amount of waste produced by households is increasing. What are the causes of this problem and what solutions can you suggest?

Band 9 Model Answer

Rising household waste is a global environmental concern that shows little sign of abating despite growing public awareness of its consequences. This essay will explore the underlying causes of this trend and put forward practical measures to reverse it.

The most significant driver of increasing household waste is the proliferation of single-use packaging in the consumer goods industry. As convenience culture has taken hold across both developed and developing nations, manufacturers have come to rely heavily on disposable plastics, cardboard, and polystyrene to package everything from food to electronics. The vast majority of this material is discarded immediately after purchase, overwhelming municipal waste management systems. A further cause is the culture of planned obsolescence embedded in modern consumer electronics and fast fashion, which encourages individuals to replace still-functional items with newer models at an ever-increasing rate, generating substantial volumes of solid waste that are difficult or impossible to recycle.

To address the packaging problem, governments could introduce extended producer responsibility legislation, compelling manufacturers to take financial responsibility for the collection and recycling of their own packaging materials. This would create a powerful economic incentive for companies to reduce unnecessary packaging at source rather than passing the environmental cost onto consumers and local authorities. With regard to planned obsolescence, stricter regulations requiring manufacturers to guarantee spare part availability and repairability for a minimum of ten years — a policy already piloted within the European Union — would significantly extend product lifespans and reduce the volume of prematurely discarded goods entering the waste stream.

In conclusion, excessive packaging and a throwaway consumer culture are the principal causes of rising household waste. Legislative action targeting manufacturers, rather than individual consumers, represents the most impactful and sustainable path to reducing waste at scale.

Why this scores band 9

• Task Response: Both causes are original, specific, and fully explained. Both solutions are precise legislative measures that match the causes exactly — not vague suggestions.
• Lexical Resource: Precise, sophisticated vocabulary used naturally — "planned obsolescence", "extended producer responsibility", "proliferation", "polystyrene", "municipal waste management". No errors.
• Grammar: Full range of structures with no errors — reduced relative clauses, passive voice, nominalisations ("the proliferation of"), conditional structures, and real-world policy examples.
• Coherence: "A further cause is", "with regard to", and "rather than" all used precisely. The conclusion introduces a fresh analytical point ("targeting manufacturers rather than consumers") without adding new information.