BEGINNERS COURSE

WRITING LESSON 8
- Cause – Effect/Solution essay
Lesson focus
- Two-part questions

I. HOW TO WRITE A CAUSE – SOLUTION / EFFECT ESSAY?

A cause/effect and solution essay is an essay that asks you to discuss the causes and
solutions/effects of a given issue, for example the causes and solutions/effects of overpopulation.
DO NOT give any opinions if you are not asked to.

*Examples of cause/solution questions:

 People nowadays are using too much packaging, and this can have negative effects on
the environment.
What effects can a large amount of packaging cause to the environment?
What can be done to solve this problem?

 People are having more and more sugar-based drinks. What are the reasons? What are
the solutions to make people drink less. (01-02-2020)

 More and more wild animals are on the verge of extinction and others are on the
endangered list. What are the reasons for this? What can be done to solve this problem?

 Some people believe that young people know about international pop and movie stars
but know very less about famous people from the history in their own country.
Why is this? How can more interest be created in young people to gain more knowledge
about their own famous people from history? (23-11-2019)
*Examples of two-part questions:

 Today, TV channels provide man’s sport shows more than women’s sport shows, why?
Should TV channel give equal time for women’s sport and men’s sport? (04-01-2020)

 Online shopping is becoming more popular. How could this trend affect our
environment/ and the kinds of work required? (22-02-2020)

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*Structure:

 Background statement: paraphrase the topic

 Thesis statement: Answer the question
There are 2 possible ways to write your answer:
Introduction - Directly: Give a general outline of the main causes
& effects/solutions
- Indirectly: Inform the examiner what the essay is
going to discuss.

 The first paragraph:

- Sentence 1: Topic sentence (the causes of the given
issue)
- Sentence 2 – 5/6: Explain in detail 2 causes

Body
 The second paragraph:
- Sentence 1: Topic sentence (the effects/solutions of the
given issue)
- Sentence 2 – 5/6: Explain in detail 2 effects/solutions

Conclusion  Restate your answer

Notes: In the second body paragraph, write about two effects or solutions that directly relate to
each cause that is discussed in the first body paragraph.

LANGUAGE
*Thesis statement:

My essay below will analyze both causes/reasons and feasible solutions to this
problem/issue/concern.

*Body 1: S is caused by several factors/contributors

First, firstly, to begin with, first and foremost Second, Secondly, another reason is…

*Body 2: There are two main solutions/measures/remedies

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 First, firstly, to begin with, first and foremost  to be more specific/Specifically,

Second, Secondly, another remedy is…

*Conclusion:

There are two main contributors to the problem and several measures are suggested/given to put
an end to the situation.

*Language for causes and effects

Noun phrases Verbs

To be the cause of something/The cause of To cause something

something is
To contribute to something
To be the reason for something/The reason for
something is To lead to

To be the contributor to something/The To result in

contributor to something is

To be the root of something/The root of

something is

To be the effect of something/ The effect of To come from

something is
To result from
To be the result of something/The result of
something is

To be the consequence of something/ The

consequence of something is

*Language for solutions:

Noun phrases Verbs

To be the solution to something/The solution To (partly) solve/tackle/address the problem
of something is
To alleviate/improve the situation
To be the remedy for/to something/ The
remedy for/to something is To mitigate/reduce/relieve/minimize the
problem/ negative effects of sth

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Tips:

Solutions that require governments’ involvement are usually about:

1. To implement/carry out new regulations or policies/enforce existing law more strictly

2. To have punishments such as imprisonment and financial punishment

3. To provide funding for/ allocate financial resources to / spend money on/invest in / use
money for

4. To heighten/raise social awareness of something/somebody (by conducting a campaign)

/educate

Examples: Solutions to current environmental problems

- The government could implement new regulations or policies to monitor the process
of purifying waste in industrial factories. This would relieve the amount of harmful
chemical substances causing the severe water pollution.

- Law enforcement would be a feasible solution to some growing environmental

concerns of the air and water. Stricter punishments such as prison and finance
sentences could act as a deterrent against those who fail to comply with the existing
law.

- The government could provide funding for the protection of the environment as such
financial resources would enable organizations responsible for the preservation of the
environment to operate smoothly.

- The government should conduct campaigns to heighten social awareness of the

severity of the air and water pollution by propagation in the media. This would help
people understand the importance as well as the urgency to protect the environment.

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II. SAMPLE ESSAYS

Essay 1

Air pollution has become a big issue in many cities.

What are the causes? What are the solutions?

Sample answer

The problem concerning the pollution of land has drawn much

attention from the public. My essay below will analyze both the The introduction
causes and solutions to this concern.

Air pollution is caused by several factors. The first one is traffic

congestion. Because of the increasing amount of traffic volume on the
roads, especially in countries with a high number of private vehicles
such as Vietnam or China, traffic jam occurs on a daily basis. The
emission of exhaust gases on congested roads, in turns, severely
polluted the air. The second reason is that rising number of factories. Giving 2 causes for
Due to industrialization, more industrial plants are constructed and air pollution
the toxic smoke released from these buildings are one of the biggest
contributors to the pollution of the surrounding atmosphere.

There are two main solutions to the problem of air pollution.

Firstly, the governments could implement some certain regulations to
restrict the excessive use of private vehicles. This would relieve the
pressure on city’s road system, and therefore, reduce traffic jam. In Giving 2 solutions
addition, local authorities should make sure that factories clean up the to air pollution
toxic gases emitted from industrial smoke probably and have
financial punishment for those who violated. This would force
factories to be more responsible, which significantly improves the
situation of polluted air.

In conclusion, there are two main contributors to air pollution The conclusion
and several solutions are suggested to put an end to the situation.

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Essay 2

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 aging populations?

Sample answer
It is true that people in industrialized nations can expect to live longer
than ever before. Although there will undoubtedly be some negative The introduction

consequences of this trend, societies can take steps to mitigate these

potential problems.
As people live longer and the populations of developed countries
grow older, several related problems can be anticipated. The main
issue is that there will obviously be more people of retirement age
who will be eligible to receive a pension. The proportion of
youngsters and working adults will be smaller, and governments will Giving 2 problems
therefore receive less money in taxes in relation to the size of the
population. In other words, an aging population will mean a greater
tax burden for working adults./ Further pressures will also include a
rise in the demand for healthcare since the elderly is more vulnerable
to the diseases. Thus, young adults will increasingly have to look
after their old relatives instead of spending time in their own pleasure.
Moreover, the large aging population will put strains on the public
healthcare system.

There are several actions that governments could take to solve the
problems described above. Firstly, a simple solution would be to
increase the retirement age for working adults, perhaps from 65 to 70.
Nowadays, most people of this age tend to be healthy enough to Giving measures
continue a productive working life. A second measure would be for
governments to encourage immigration in order to increase the
number of working adults who pay taxes. Finally, money from
national budgets will need to be taken from other areas and spent on
vital healthcare, accommodation and transport facilities for the rising
numbers of older citizens.

In conclusion, various measures can be taken to tackle the problems The conclusion
that are certain to arise as the populations of the countries grow older.

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III. PRACTICE

Practice 1

In recent years, some countries have experienced very rapid economic development.
This has resulted in much higher standards of living in urban areas but not in the
countryside. This situation may bring some problems of the country as a whole.

What are these problems? How might they be reduced?

Introduction
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Problems

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Practice 2

Although it is widely recognized that cars damage the environment, their

manufacture and use continue to increase. Why is this the case? How could this
increase be controlled?

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Causes

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Solutions

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HOMEWORK

Nowadays, more and more women decide to have children later in their life?
What are the reasons for this development? What are the effects on society and
family life?

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