Ms Nguyen Kieu Trinh

Causes, effects and solutions

I. Essay structures
Typical questions: Fact / Trend

 In many countries, there is a problem with declining quality of air and water from both industry and
construction. What measures can be taken to prevent this?
 In the developed world, average life expectancy is increasing. What problems will this cause for individuals and
society? Suggest some measures that could be taken to reduce the impact of ageing populations.
 Explain some of the ways in which humans are damaging the environment. What can governments do to address
these problems? What can individual people do?
 In many countries schools have severe problems with student behavior. What do you think are the causes of this?
What solutions can you suggest?
 In many countries people are living in a “throwaway society” where things are used for a short time and thrown
away. What are the causes of this and what problems does it lead to?

Introduction
 Background sentence
 Thesis statement

Body paragraphs
Causes and effects Causes/Effects and solutions
Body 1. Causes Body 1. Causes/Effects
Body 2. Effects Body 2. Solutions

Conclusion: Restate the idea

II. Useful languages
Synonyms for Causes
 the factors/issues responsible for …
 the reasons behind/for …
 the factors/issues which have contributed to …
 the causes of …
 the issues which have resulted in/led to…

Synonyms for Effect

Real consequences

 consequences/effects/impacts
 the issues it has resulted in/ which have resulted from …
 the problems which follow/ have followed

Possible consequences

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 Ms Nguyen Kieu Trinh
 the problems/issues that could/ may/ might/ be likely to result in/ lead to
 the problems/issues which could/ may/ might/ be likely to result from/ follow
 …’s possible/ potential/ probable/ prospective consequences/ effects/ impacts

Synonyms for Solutions

 solutions for …
 means/ways to solve …
 means/ways to resolve/ deal with/ tackle/ improve

Suggested structures for each type of essays:

Causes & effects

Introduction:
Background sentence: It is true/clear/undeniable that …/ It is a fact that…
Thesis statement: This essay will analyse the root causes of … and then suggest remedies to …

Body paragraphs
Topic sentences: State the causes/effects
 The main causes/effects of the problem include
 … brings about severe effects on …
 The foremost causes/effects of … are
 There are a number of causes of this pressing/ alarming issue…
 There are two primary/ some reasons for A/ why + clause

Supporting sentences: List the causes/effects + give explanation/ examples/ alternative

 Firstly/Secondly,…
 The first/second one is …
 One of the main causes/effects is …
 For example/ For instance/ Take A as an example
 Consequently/ As a result / As a consequence
 Firstly, …/ Secondly, …
 A is ascribed/ attributed/ due to B
 A stems from / results from / leads to B

Conclusion: Restate the ideas

 In conclusion/ To conclude, … is an existing problem that affects a lot of people nowadays. It is mainly
caused by … and results in …

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 Ms Nguyen Kieu Trinh
Causes/Effects and Solutions

Introduction:
Background sentence: It is true/clear/undeniable that …
Thesis statement: The essay will discuss … this phenomenon/tendency/trend/view and the measures (that
governments and individuals can take/ adopt) to address these problems/ improve the situation.

Body paragraphs
Body 1: State the causes/effects
Topic sentence:
 The main causes/effects of the problem include
 … brings about severe effects on …
 The foremost causes/effects of … are
Supporting sentences: List the causes/effects + give explanation/ examples/ consequence/ alternative
 Firstly/Secondly,…
 The first/second one is …
 One of the main causes/effects is …
 For example/ For instance/ Take A as an example
 Consequently/ As a result / As a consequence

Body 2: State the solutions

Topic sentence:
 However, there are various steps that governments and individuals could take to solve the problems.
 In order to address the aforementioned issues, several actions can be taken …
Supporting sentences: List the solutions + give explanation/ examples/ consequence/ alternative
 Firstly/Secondly,…
 The first/second one is …
 One of the most effective solutions is …
 For example/ For instance/ Take A as an example
 Consequently/ As a result / As a consequence
 Firstly/ The first measure would be to …
 Second/ Another efficacious way is to …

Conclusion: Restate the ideas

 In conclusion/ To conclude, governments and individuals could certainly implement a range of measures
to enhance …
 In conclusion, A can be ascribed to a number reasons which are A and B, and this issue can be dealt with
by a joint effort of both X and Y.

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 Ms Nguyen Kieu Trinh
III. Sample

More and more people are migrating to cities in search of a better life, but city life can be extremely difficult. Explain
some of the difficulties of living in a city. How can governments make urban life better for everyone?

Cities are often seen as places of opportunity, but there are also some major drawbacks of living in a large metropolis. In
my opinion, governments could do much more to improve city life for the average inhabitant.

The main problem for anyone who hopes to migrate to a large city is that the cost of living is likely to be much higher
than it is in a small town or village. Inhabitants of cities have to pay higher prices for housing, transport, and even food.
Another issue is that urban areas tend to suffer from social problems such as high crime and poverty rates in comparison
with rural areas. Furthermore, the air quality in cities is often poor, due to pollution from traffic, and the streets and
public transport systems are usually overcrowded. As a result, city life can be unhealthy and stressful.

However, there are various steps that governments could take to tackle these problems. Firstly, they could invest money
in the building of affordable or social housing to reduce the cost of living. Secondly, politicians have the power to ban
vehicles from city centres and promote the use of cleaner public transport, which would help to reduce both air pollution
and traffic congestion. In London, for example, the introduction of a congestion charge for drivers has helped to curb
the traffic problem. A third option would be to develop provincial towns and rural areas, by moving industry and jobs to
those regions, in order to reduce the pressure on major cities.

In conclusion, governments could certainly implement a range of measures to enhance the quality of life for all city
residents.