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How to Write the “Overcoming Challenges” Essay + Examples

What’s covered:.

• What is the Overcoming Challenges Essay?
• Real Overcoming Challenges Essay Prompts
• How to Choose a Topic
• Writing Tips

Overcoming Challenges Essay Examples

• Where to Get Your Essay Edited

While any college essay can be intimidating, the Overcoming Challenges prompt often worries students the most. Those students who’ve been lucky enough not to experience trauma tend to assume they have nothing worth saying. On the other hand, students who’ve overcome larger obstacles may be hesitant to talk about them.

Regardless of your particular circumstances, there are steps you can take to make the essay writing process simpler. Here are our top tips for writing the overcoming challenges essay successfully.

What is the “Overcoming Challenges” Essay?

The overcoming challenges prompt shows up frequently in both main application essays (like the Common App) and supplemental essays. Because supplemental essays allow students to provide schools with additional information, applicants should be sure that the subject matter they choose to write about differs from what’s in their main essay.

Students often assume the overcoming challenges essay requires them to detail past traumas. While you can certainly write about an experience that’s had a profound effect on your life, it’s important to remember that colleges aren’t evaluating students based on the seriousness of the obstacle they overcame.

On the contrary, the goal of this essay is to show admissions officers that you have the intelligence and fortitude to handle any challenges that come your way. After all, college serves as an introduction to adult life, and schools want to know that the students they admit are up to the task. 

Real “Overcoming Challenges” Essay Prompts

To help you understand what the “Overcoming Challenges” essay looks like, here are a couple sample prompts.

Currently, the Common Application asks students to answer the following prompt in 650 words or less:

“The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?”

For the past several years, MIT has prompted students to write 200 to 250 words on the following:

“Tell us about the most significant challenge you’ve faced or something important that didn’t go according to plan. How did you manage the situation?”

In both cases, the prompts explicitly ask for your response to the challenge. The event itself isn’t as important as how it pushed you to grow.

How to Choose a Topic for an Essay on Overcoming Challenges

When it comes to finding the best topic for your overcoming challenges essays, there’s no right answer. The word “challenge” is ambiguous and could be used to reference a wide range of situations from prevailing over a bully to getting over your lifelong stage fright to appear in a school musical. Here are some suggestions to keep in mind when selecting an essay subject.

1. Avoid trivial or common topics

While there aren’t many hard-and-fast rules for choosing an essay topic, students should avoid overdone topics.

These include:

• Working hard in a challenging class
• Overcoming a sports injury
• Moving schools or immigrating to the US
• Tragedy (divorce, death, abuse)

Admissions officers have read numerous essays on the subject, so it’s harder for you to stand out (see our full list of cliché college essay topics to avoid ). If events like these were truly formative to you, you can still choose to write about them, but you’ll need to be as personal as possible. 

It’s also ideal if you have a less traditional storyline for a cliché topic; for example, if your sports injury led you to discover a new passion, that would be a more unique story than detailing how you overcame your injury and got back in the game.

Similarly, students may not want to write about an obstacle that admissions committees could perceive as low stakes, such as getting a B on a test, or getting into a small fight with a friend. The goal of this essay is to illustrate how you respond to adversity, so the topic you pick should’ve been at least impactful on your personal growth.

2. Pick challenges that demonstrate qualities you want to highlight

Students often mistakenly assume they need to have experienced exceptional circumstances like poverty, an abusive parent, or cancer to write a good essay. The truth is that the best topics will allow you to highlight specific personal qualities and share more about who you are. The essay should be less about the challenge itself, and more about how you responded to it.

Ask yourself what personality traits you want to emphasize, and see what’s missing in your application. Maybe you want to highlight your adaptability, for example, but that isn’t clearly expressed in your application. In this case, you might write about a challenge that put your adaptability to the test, or shaped you to become more adaptable.

Here are some examples of good topics we’ve seen over the years:

• Not having a coach for a sports team and becoming one yourself
• Helping a parent through a serious health issue
• Trying to get the school track dedicated to a coach
• Having to switch your Model UN position last-minute

Tips for Writing an Essay About Overcoming Challenges

Once you’ve selected a topic for your essays, it’s time to sit down and write. For best results, make sure your essay focuses on your efforts to tackle an obstacle rather than the problem itself. Additionally, you could avoid essay writing pitfalls by doing the following:

1. Choose an original essay structure

If you want your overcoming challenges essay to attract attention, aim to break away from more traditional structures. Most of these essays start by describing an unsuccessful attempt at a goal and then explain the steps the writer took to master the challenge. 

You can stand out by choosing a challenge you’re still working on overcoming, or focus on a mental or emotional challenge that spans multiple activities or events. For example, you might discuss your fear of public speaking and how that impacted your ability to coach your brother’s Little League team and run for Student Council. 

You can also choose a challenge that can be narrated in the moment, such as being put on the spot to teach a yoga class. These challenges can make particularly engaging essays, as you get to experience the writer’s thoughts and emotions as they unfold.

Keep in mind that you don’t necessarily need to have succeeded in your goal for this essay. Maybe you ran for an election and lost, or maybe you proposed a measure to the school board that wasn’t passed. It’s still possible to write a strong essay about topics like these as long as you focus on your personal growth. In fact, these may make for even stronger essays since they are more unconventional topics.

2. Focus on the internal

When writing about past experiences, you may be tempted to spend too much time describing specific people and events. With an Overcoming Challenges essay though, the goal is to focus on your thoughts and feelings.

For example, rather than detail all the steps you took to become a better public speaker, use the majority of your essay to describe your mental state as you embarked on the journey to achieving your goals. Were you excited, scared, anxious, or hopeful? Don’t be afraid to let the reader in on your innermost emotions and thoughts during this process.

3. Share what you learned 

An Overcoming Challenges essay should leave the reader with a clear understanding of what you learned on your journey, be it physical, mental, or emotional. There’s no need to explicitly say “this experience taught me X,” but your essay should at least implicitly share any lessons you learned. This can be done through your actions and in-the-moment reflections. Remember that the goal is to show admissions committees why your experiences make you a great candidate for admission. 

Was I no longer the beloved daughter of nature, whisperer of trees? Knee-high rubber boots, camouflage, bug spray—I wore the g arb and perfume of a proud wild woman, yet there I was, hunched over the pathetic pile of stubborn sticks, utterly stumped, on the verge of tears. As a child, I had considered myself a kind of rustic princess, a cradler of spiders and centipedes, who was serenaded by mourning doves and chickadees, who could glide through tick-infested meadows and emerge Lyme-free. I knew the cracks of the earth like the scars on my own rough palms. Yet here I was, ten years later, incapable of performing the most fundamental outdoor task: I could not, for the life of me, start a fire. 

Furiously I rubbed the twigs together—rubbed and rubbed until shreds of skin flaked from my fingers. No smoke. The twigs were too young, too sticky-green; I tossed them away with a shower of curses, and began tearing through the underbrush in search of a more flammable collection. My efforts were fruitless. Livid, I bit a rejected twig, determined to prove that the forest had spurned me, offering only young, wet bones that would never burn. But the wood cracked like carrots between my teeth—old, brittle, and bitter. Roaring and nursing my aching palms, I retreated to the tent, where I sulked and awaited the jeers of my family. 

Rattling their empty worm cans and reeking of fat fish, my brother and cousins swaggered into the campsite. Immediately, they noticed the minor stick massacre by the fire pit and called to me, their deep voices already sharp with contempt. 

“Where’s the fire, Princess Clara?” they taunted. “Having some trouble?” They prodded me with the ends of the chewed branches and, with a few effortless scrapes of wood on rock, sparked a red and roaring flame. My face burned long after I left the fire pit. The camp stank of salmon and shame. 

In the tent, I pondered my failure. Was I so dainty? Was I that incapable? I thought of my hands, how calloused and capable they had been, how tender and smooth they had become. It had been years since I’d kneaded mud between my fingers; instead of scaling a white pine, I’d practiced scales on my piano, my hands softening into those of a musician—fleshy and sensitive. And I’d gotten glasses, having grown horrifically nearsighted; long nights of dim lighting and thick books had done this. I couldn’t remember the last time I had lain down on a hill, barefaced, and seen the stars without having to squint. Crawling along the edge of the tent, a spider confirmed my transformation—he disgusted me, and I felt an overwhelming urge to squash him. 

Yet, I realized I hadn’t really changed—I had only shifted perspective. I still eagerly explored new worlds, but through poems and prose rather than pastures and puddles. I’d grown to prefer the boom of a bass over that of a bullfrog, learned to coax a different kind of fire from wood, having developed a burn for writing rhymes and scrawling hypotheses. 

That night, I stayed up late with my journal and wrote about the spider I had decided not to kill. I had tolerated him just barely, only shrieking when he jumped—it helped to watch him decorate the corners of the tent with his delicate webs, knowing that he couldn’t start fires, either. When the night grew cold and the embers died, my words still smoked—my hands burned from all that scrawling—and even when I fell asleep, the ideas kept sparking—I was on fire, always on fire.

This essay is an excellent example because the writer turns an everyday challenge—starting a fire—into an exploration of her identity. The writer was once “a kind of rustic princess, a cradler of spiders and centipedes,” but has since traded her love of the outdoors for a love of music, writing, and reading. 

The story begins in media res , or in the middle of the action, allowing readers to feel as if we’re there with the writer. One of the essay’s biggest strengths is its use of imagery. We can easily visualize the writer’s childhood and the present day. For instance, she states that she “rubbed and rubbed [the twigs] until shreds of skin flaked from my fingers.”

The writing has an extremely literary quality, particularly with its wordplay. The writer reappropriates words and meanings, and even appeals to the senses: “My face burned long after I left the fire pit. The camp stank of salmon and shame.” She later uses a parallelism to cleverly juxtapose her changed interests: “instead of scaling a white pine, I’d practiced scales on my piano.”

One of the essay’s main areas of improvement is its overemphasis on the “story” and lack of emphasis on the reflection. The second to last paragraph about changing perspective is crucial to the essay, as it ties the anecdote to larger lessons in the writer’s life. She states that she hasn’t changed, but has only shifted perspective. Yet, we don’t get a good sense of where this realization comes from and how it impacts her life going forward. 

The end of the essay offers a satisfying return to the fire imagery, and highlights the writer’s passion—the one thing that has remained constant in her life.

“Getting beat is one thing – it’s part of competing – but I want no part in losing.” Coach Rob Stark’s motto never fails to remind me of his encouragement on early-morning bus rides to track meets around the state. I’ve always appreciated the phrase, but an experience last June helped me understand its more profound, universal meaning.

Stark, as we affectionately call him, has coached track at my high school for 25 years. His care, dedication, and emphasis on developing good character has left an enduring impact on me and hundreds of other students. Not only did he help me discover my talent and love for running, but he also taught me the importance of commitment and discipline and to approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running. When I learned a neighboring high school had dedicated their track to a longtime coach, I felt that Stark deserved similar honors.

Our school district’s board of education indicated they would only dedicate our track to Stark if I could demonstrate that he was extraordinary. I took charge and mobilized my teammates to distribute petitions, reach out to alumni, and compile statistics on the many team and individual champions Stark had coached over the years. We received astounding support, collecting almost 3,000 signatures and pages of endorsements from across the community. With help from my teammates, I presented this evidence to the board.

They didn’t bite. 

Most members argued that dedicating the track was a low priority. Knowing that we had to act quickly to convince them of its importance, I called a team meeting where we drafted a rebuttal for the next board meeting. To my surprise, they chose me to deliver it. I was far from the best public speaker in the group, and I felt nervous about going before the unsympathetic board again. However, at that second meeting, I discovered that I enjoy articulating and arguing for something that I’m passionate about.

Public speaking resembles a cross country race. Walking to the starting line, you have to trust your training and quell your last minute doubts. When the gun fires, you can’t think too hard about anything; your performance has to be instinctual, natural, even relaxed. At the next board meeting, the podium was my starting line. As I walked up to it, familiar butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Instead of the track stretching out in front of me, I faced the vast audience of teachers, board members, and my teammates. I felt my adrenaline build, and reassured myself: I’ve put in the work, my argument is powerful and sound. As the board president told me to introduce myself, I heard, “runners set” in the back of my mind. She finished speaking, and Bang! The brief silence was the gunshot for me to begin. 

The next few minutes blurred together, but when the dust settled, I knew from the board members’ expressions and the audience’s thunderous approval that I had run quite a race. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough; the board voted down our proposal. I was disappointed, but proud of myself, my team, and our collaboration off the track. We stood up for a cause we believed in, and I overcame my worries about being a leader. Although I discovered that changing the status quo through an elected body can be a painstakingly difficult process and requires perseverance, I learned that I enjoy the challenges this effort offers. Last month, one of the school board members joked that I had become a “regular” – I now often show up to meetings to advocate for a variety of causes, including better environmental practices in cafeterias and safer equipment for athletes.

Just as Stark taught me, I worked passionately to achieve my goal. I may have been beaten when I appealed to the board, but I certainly didn’t lose, and that would have made Stark proud.

While the writer didn’t succeed in getting the track dedicated to Coach Stark, their essay is certainly successful in showing their willingness to push themselves and take initiative.

The essay opens with a quote from Coach Stark that later comes full circle at the end of the essay. We learn about Stark’s impact and the motivation for trying to get the track dedicated to him.

One of the biggest areas of improvement in the intro, however, is how the essay tells us Stark’s impact rather than showing us: His care, dedication, and emphasis on developing good character has left an enduring impact on me and hundreds of other students. Not only did he help me discover my talent and love for running, but he also taught me the importance of commitment and discipline and to approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running.

The writer could’ve helped us feel a stronger emotional connection to Stark if they had included examples of Stark’s qualities, rather than explicitly stating them. For example, they could’ve written something like: Stark was the kind of person who would give you gas money if you told him your parents couldn’t afford to pick you up from practice. And he actually did that—several times. At track meets, alumni regularly would come talk to him and tell him how he’d changed their lives. Before Stark, I was ambivalent about running and was on the JV team, but his encouragement motivated me to run longer and harder and eventually make varsity. Because of him, I approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running.

The essay goes on to explain how the writer overcame their apprehension of public speaking, and likens the process of submitting an appeal to the school board to running a race. This metaphor makes the writing more engaging and allows us to feel the student’s emotions.

While the student didn’t ultimately succeed in getting the track dedicated, we learn about their resilience and initiative: I now often show up to meetings to advocate for a variety of causes, including better environmental practices in cafeterias and safer equipment for athletes.

Overall, this essay is well-done. It demonstrates growth despite failing to meet a goal, which is a unique essay structure. The running metaphor and full-circle intro/ending also elevate the writing in this essay.

Where to Get Your Overcoming Challenges Essay Edited

The Overcoming Challenges essay is one of the trickier supplemental prompts, so it’s important to get feedback on your drafts. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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The Definitive Guide to Writing a Problem Solution Essay

06 February, 2021

13 minutes read

Author:  Josh Carlyle

In this article, we cover the basics of problem solution essay writing. We will explain what a problem and solution essay is in academic and straightforward terms. We shall also cover the four essential components that make this essay coherent. With these four components in mind, we will offer guidance on the outline structure and provide some general writing tips on research and problem solving, as well as some topics and essay samples.

What is a Problem Solution Essay?

A problem solution essay is a staple of humanities and social science subjects. These essays cover a pressing issue, examine how it causes problems, and offer solutions to these problems. The topic for problem solution essay papers can be incredibly diverse. The problem could be local, regional, or global. It could affect a wide range of people or be part of the discourse on an arcane and obscure aspect of computing.

If you are wondering how to write a problem solution essay, look no further than its name. The core of a problem solution essay is in the title. In this type of essay, a problem is presented, and a solution is offered. Doing this well requires presenting the issue in an audience-appropriate way and then offering solutions that thoroughly negate any critiques of those solutions. 

4 Components of a Problem Solution Essay

In a problem and solution essay, the following aspects must be included:  

• The Situation: this opening part is where the foundation of the problem lies. It is not an introduction in the sense that you may be familiar with or an abstract that covers the entirety of your thesis. Rather, it is a short and straightforward briefing that will make a layperson familiar with the situation at hand.
• The Problem: this part provides specifics of the problem. Detailed dissections of evidence take place here; we’ll summarise those later in the evaluation section. 
• The Solution: this component covers push-back specific solutions you may encounter. Part of a correct answer is thinking of your opponents’ perspectives and ensuring that they address their assumptions and points.
• The Evaluation: in this section, it is crucial to write with brevity and wit; this will make your position memorable. Readers will often remember the last part of essays they read, so make sure it represents a microcosm of your essay as a whole. 

These components are the essence of the structure required in a problem solution essay. The actual structure you will work with will require a finer granulation of sections. For instance, in the solution section, the critiques will also need to have a review applied, demonstrating their lack of applicability or irrelevance. 

Problem Solution Essay Outline

The best guide for a problem solution essay outline is the four components mentioned above. Cover the situation, the problem, the solution, and then evaluate both or all sides of the story. 

To drill down further into the outline, you should have an introduction that will set out your paper’s structure. Then you should present the situation. Keep this section free from emotive language. Use it to ensure the reader has all the facts, and imagine that you want everyone reading the paper to be on a level playing field in terms of knowledge and framing of the problem.

In the problem section, you must explain why there is a particular issue. At this point in your essay, ensure that you do not leave the door open to other causes of the problem. Find ways to make the problem something that the reader cares about and wants to solve, but beware of assuming the reader is on your side simply because you’ve said some things and made some points. 

Once the situation has been explained, and the problem elucidated, present your solution. It  should use evidence, and you should be able to explain how it directly relates to the question.  Don’t use ad hominem attacks or go polemic. Unravel the problem with your solution. Take it to step by step and keep your writing composed.

In the evaluation section, you should find your argument’s weaknesses and the views that find fault with your solution.

How To Find Solutions to Your Problems

You can find solutions to your problems by researching them; someone will have asked the question before, or one very similar to it. You can talk to your peers and even conduct polls on social media to gauge the public’s position on various solutions. 

Another way of finding solutions include flipping your perspective. Take the position of the other side and see the world through their gaze. By putting yourself in the opponent’s shoes, you can see weaknesses in your ideas and perhaps adjust them to take on more relevance to more people or factor in an aspect that you had overlooked.

Ultimately, the best way to find solutions is to read and read some more. Try looking in your library if you prefer books to the internet, but don’t leave Google out of it. Using the search engine correctly, you can dig up all kinds of books, papers, and presentations that will be very useful in your studies.

Problem Solution Essay Topics

The list of problem solution essay topics is very long. As mentioned earlier, the problem can be a local issue, affecting a specific demographic or being universal. Regardless of the topic you choose, there are another million waiting for an answer.

To start you off, the climate crisis is an excellent area for debate. 

• How do we deal with stranded assets in the fossil fuel industry and financial sector? 
• What should the laws be surrounding new cars run on petrol and diesel? 
• How should electrification be carried out in developing nations? Is a carbon tax a viable way to reduce emissions? 

Other problem solution essay ideas might include social media’s effect on dopamine levels, gerrymandering in electoral districts, or the working week’s length. 

Problem Solution Essay Examples

Reading previous papers is a fantastic method to improve your grades. Study essays that get top marks and some of the ones which get lower marks. The difference will be apparent in their vocabulary, logic, and evidence. Read a few problem solution essay sample papers but don’t plagiarize them; always cite your sources. Here are a few examples to help you get started: 

https://www.eapfoundation.com/writing/essays/problemsolution/  

https://www.ieltsbuddy.com/problem-solution-essays.html  

Writing Tips for a Problem Solution Essay

An essay is a complex task to complete. That’s why it’s useful to break down the whole into several steps. 

Step one is to conduct some thorough research and planning. If you have free choice over the problem at hand, then start by brainstorming some groups you belong to and decide whether they’re officially mandated ones like a sports team or a club, or broader, like your sex, gender, nationality, or language grouping.

After this, jot down some issues in the groups. Are you struggling to manage the payment plan for your sports hall? Has there been an instance of bullying or shaming in your school? With the topic in mind, move onto research. 

When researching your topic, it’s always useful to remember that there is nothing new under the sun. It is almost definite that similar problems have arisen before, and most solutions already exist.

Then, conduct and compose a literature review on the topic. A literature review is an excellent addition to your essay as a standalone section. It helps to situate your issue within the world and builds relations to other similar problems. 

You may think you have nothing to say about the problem or find it hard to justify your opinion. Well, in the problem solution essay, your voice matters. Always try to back up what you’re saying through evidence and try not to stray into writing a polemic. Yet, passion and emotion are useful tools for framing the problem. Just try not to make these responses the whole essay.

As far as solving problems goes, you can use some general mechanics to come up with solutions. The following paragraphs will present some of these logical mechanics; feel free to use them in your writing:

• Add something new: this solution works when something is lacking. The problem may be a lack of funding, equipment, or motivation. The assumed problem when using this angle of attack is that there is a lack of resources available. Concrete examples of this could include more teaching assistants in education, longer opening hours at a library, or more significant legislation to protect the environment.
• Remove something: this is the inverse of the previous point. Inversing is a useful strategy for thinking about problems in general. If something is too crowded or too busy, it might be a solution to limit exposure to something and devise a solution. 
• Education: learning is a more specific aspect of ‘adding something’; it presupposes that a lack of information and awareness is the cause of the problem. If people had this knowledge, the theory goes that the issue would disappear or reduce because people could make informed decisions and correct their behavior.
• Enforcement: if something like school rules, or even the law, is being ignored, proper enforcement might be a solution. Enforcement has its own sets of problems. This angle is an excellent way to write an unfolding and varied essay as it requires lots of discussion around proper enforcement. Making people do things they don’t want to do is a tricky situation and is riddled with structural and psychological issues.
• Compromising: proposing compromise through mediation or bi-partisan effort is another complex solution. To work effectively, it has to involve people who possess robust negotiation techniques. But settlements happen all the time, so they’re a powerful solution to many problems. It may be useful to learn about zero-sum and relative issues to argue this case correctly.
• A change in leadership: leaders can become stale and cumbersome; they may get weighed down by responsibility and have a low tolerance for change. Although, many problems require systemic changes, such as the climate crisis. With an established leader in charge, progress could be slow as they may be blinkered by their position. In this case, they are proposing an election or vote of confidence as a solution that can break the deadlock and offer people a chance to voice their concerns through voting.

One could surmise that the problem and solution essay is an incredibly relevant style of writing. By dissecting an issue and coming up with solutions, you learn a skill that is useful in many careers and practices. But writing one effectively requires both passion and perseverance; writing about topics that move us, though letting the fire burn too brightly, can put readers off or lead them to ignore their blind spots. 

Follow the structures set out above and make sure to proofread your essays before submission. Finding a good editor is always a positive step; they can help to rephrase your words so that your argument comes across more fluently. 

Writing drafts is good practice, although not always possible due to time constraints. Ideally, you should work through two drafts before submitting a final piece; if the essay makes up a small part of your overall grade, adjust the drafting process accordingly. 

Write a Problem Solution Essay with HandmadeWriting

Problem solution writing has been speaking truth to power for millennia. HandmadeWriting loves seeking solutions as much as it loves a simple academic essay or lab report. It’s hard to become a good essay writer without getting critical at times. That’s why we pride ourselves on producing some of the most compelling content around. So be the next one to enjoy our writing and get an A+ for it.

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A problem-solution essay is a type of academic essay that explores a particular issue or challenge, and presents a potential course of action to address it. The purpose of a problem-and-solution essay is to identify a problem or issue, and to provide a practical solution or strategy for resolving it.

With so many unsolved issues, it’s easy to find some good questions for consideration. All you need is to look around or read the news.  Writing a problem and solution essay won’t take much time and effort if you know what details to cover and what order you should follow. By using our ultimate guide, you will be able to compose an excellent and convincing essay with minimal effort. Close social networks and YouTube, spend 5 minutes reading our article to take to any problem solution essay topics like a duck to water. Have a tough deadline? Consider paying someone to write your essay . StudyCrumb experts will deliver a perfect problem and solution essay tailored to your requirements.

What Is a Problem Solution Essay: Definition

A problem and solution essay is a type of academic writing that defines some specific issue and provides steps to solve it. This kind of essay is aimed at assessing a student's ability to find some controversial problem and offer a clear problem-solving strategy.  Your topic should be relatively simple to write about. It’s good if it meets the general public's interests. Some popular topics for this essay include such issues:

• Environmental pollution
• Internet addiction
• Infrastructure
• Religious issues
• Social movements.

No matter what topic you choose, it should motivate you to think and look for ways of solving the problem. You should analyze it, study various strategies, and choose which one fits best.  In a problem and solution essay, you can write about more than one problem. However, your solution is only efficient when several subjects in question fall into the same field. Otherwise, it will be difficult to focus on the right solution.

Problem Solution Essay Outline

One of the most important steps of your writing process is creating a problem solution essay outline . Without it, your paper will be unstructured and poorly organized. This is not the case when there is an efficient well-thought-out plan. Writing an outline is crucial on the way to composing a brilliant essay. It will help you stay on point without deviating from the issue. This way, you can save time and effort.  Unlike any other type of writing, a problem and solution essay provides some room for flexibility. You can create an outline using two different methods:

• Block method
• Chain method.

Each of these methods have their advantages and can be applied depending on the situation that will be covered. Let’s look at each of these approaches more in detail.  The block outline has the following structure:

Introduction – presents the topic and contains 4-5 short sentences. 

Main body – contains 2-3 paragraphs, each of them beginning with a topic sentence.

Body paragraph  

Body paragraph 

Conclusion – sums up all main points. 

Block method allows you to look at multiple problems or solutions using separate paragraphs. However, mastering this approach at first may be somewhat difficult.    The chain method is more appropriate if you want to focus on some unified idea within one body paragraph. Here’s an example of chain outline:

Introduction

Body paragraph 1

Body paragraph 2

This approach helps you explore an issue step-by-step. For this reason, it may be easier for beginners. 

How to Write a Problem Solution Essay

Now, it’s time that we learn how to write a problem and solution essay. Further, we will tell you about the best way of doing it. Below, you will find detailed information on perfecting each section of your essay. We will specifically shed more light on:

• Acquaintance with the problem’s background
• Description of the issue’s specifics
• Explanation why it should be solved
• Suggested solution and assessment
• Call to action .

Let’s learn the secrets of writing a successful essay firsthand! 

How to Start a Problem Solution Essay: Introduction

The first section is a problem solution essay introduction. It should include such components:

• Thesis statement.

Your opening paragraph should specify an issue, as well as provide some background information. Think over the first sentence that will captivate your readers. Everything must be clear from the very first lines. If one gets your idea at once, it’s almost in the bag. It may take some time to come up with a catchy hook, but you will be rewarded with an A+. Consider rare statistics, any little-known fact, or some hype information.  Remember that your second and third sentences should naturally flow into further discussion. Develop your idea by introducing some context. By the way, you can write an introduction after the rest of your essay is complete. Just make sure you have a thesis statement. After all, it’s the ground of your essay. All main points should be related to your thesis.

How to Write an Outstanding Problem Solution Essay Body

The next part in the problem and solution essay is the main body. Here, you should suggest ways of solving the issue. It would be great if you analyzed probable consequences of problem-solving actions. You should support why you think the specific measures are necessary and what they will result in.  Usually, the main body of a problem and solution essay includes 3 paragraphs. Every body paragraph focuses on different aspects:

• Discuss an issue and offer your solution
• Explain why your strategy will work
• Provide some counter argument and refute it.

Argumentation is essential. By using it, you can convince readers that your strategy is correct. There is a good way to make powerful arguments. You should start with a statement, followed by an explanation. Back up your point of view with supportive examples. Then comes your final judgment. You can create transitions between paragraphs to make it easier for readers to follow a train of thought.

How to Write a Conclusion for a Problem Solution Essay

Congratulations! You’ve reached the last stage – a problem and solution essay conclusion. It usually contains 4-5 sentences summarizing your reasoning. In this part, you can make a general conclusion. It should include strong statements about what has been written.  You can rephrase your thesis statement and share your final thoughts. The goal of the last part is to draw a complete picture and make readers think. Your last paragraph shouldn’t contain any fundamentally new facts – only a general summary of points mentioned above. Try StudyCrumb’s summarizer tool if you have challenges ending your problem and solution writing. Your writing style in conclusion must always correspond to the style of your entire essay. Don’t try to stay on the safe side by using such phrases as “in my humble opinion”, “I am not an expert, but”. Readers will see them as excuses and uncertainty, which you definitely don’t want. What they should understand is that your essay is over and there is a logical conclusion.

Problem Solution Essays Examples

It is important to study a problem solution essay example before writing your own work. This way, you will be able to assess all the aspects and see how other authors coped with a similar task. You can borrow an exact structure or method of handling the situation.  Our examples won’t replace your essay. You shouldn’t copy or assign them to yourself. Focus on creating unique and useful content.

Problem and Solution Essay: Writing and Proofreading Tips

You will be able to become a master of writing a problem and solution essay by following these great tips:

• After finishing your work, leave your paper for a while. Later, you will be able to return to it and assess it with a fresh approach.
• Check whether you’ve used all the above-mentioned components.
• Make sure that your thesis clearly states your paper’s topic.
• Perform in-depth research on your issue and explore existing resolutions.
• Ensure that your solutions are realistic and can be implemented.
• Use special tools to “grade my essay” and check whether your spelling and punctuation are correct.
• Ask your relative, family member, or friend to proofread your work. A couple of extra eyes will ensure that there are no logical and grammatical errors.

You should also pay attention to the paper formatting style. Use the same font and text style throughout your essay.

Problem/ Solution Essay: Bottom Line

As you can see, there is nothing super hard about writing a problems and solution essay. Hopefully, our detailed guide will help you complete your assignment. Of course, you should be ready to test which approach works best for you. After all, you should strive for continuous improvement. 

You can always rely on our top-notch academic writing service. We guarantee high quality, efficiency, affordable prices, and timely delivery. Order your paper now to succeed tomorrow!

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Problem Solution Essay Topics

Table of Contents

Academic writing usually pursues a broad goal – identifying how well the student embraced the learning material and how accurately they can apply theory to practical events, phenomena, and processes. That’s exactly what you can do in a problem-solution essay, which is meant to test your skill of problem identification and scholarly evidence evaluation. You will need to find an issue in your area of study and scan the literature to find appropriate solutions to it. As a result, you should display a variety of analytical skills in this writing piece, proving to your professor that you can determine a problem, dissect it to realize its causes, and evaluate external evidence to find effective remedies to that issue. 

So, you should understand how to write analysis paper first and then proceed to the problem-solution type of academic writing. 

Problem Solution Topics for College Students 

Problems and solutions vary by discipline and academic level. High school students typically face the need to resolve some basic-level problems, while college students face the need to dive deeper into the essence of things and find non-obvious solutions to complex issues. Here are a couple of suggestions to inspire your writing effort. 

• The dark side of the body positivity movement. 
• Driving under the influence: incidence rates, causes, and solutions to the problem. 
• Ways of addressing police brutality and abuse of power.
• Solutions to the problem of racial violence in the USA. 
• Solutions to the ever-present problem of white-collar crime in European corporations. 
• Effective remedies to cybercrime and hacker attacks. 
• Solutions to the problem of body shaming. 
• Ways of improving privacy in the increasingly digitalized society. 
• Solutions to loosen the intimate relationship between poverty and criminality. 
• Solutions to concealed domestic violence. 
• Ways to encourage more families to adopt children from orphanages. 
• Reasons for wrongful sentencing and solutions to this problem. 
• Long-term remedies to the unemployment issue. 
• Ways to effectively promote the development of CMEs in the developing states. 
• Tech-savvy solutions to the problem of increasing waste and improper waste management in cities. 
• Solutions to the post-COVID-19 decrease in tourism industry’s popularity. 
• Workable solutions to the looming hyperinflation danger. 
• Ways to promote cultural diversity in the modern workplace. 
• Solutions to the harmful impact of perfect body images promoted on social media. 
• Addressing the increasing consumerism in modern society. 
• Effective solutions to help people exit abusive relationships. 
• Rising ageism and ways to address it in society and in the workplace. 
• Effective approaches to cultural exchange promotion. 
• Working solutions for promoting support for the elderly at the community level. 
• Reducing military tensions and risks across the globe via diplomatic means. 
• Efficient methods for curbing the global human trafficking industry. 
• How can humanity stop child labor practices in developing countries? 
• Using legislative means to limit the political candidates’ use of taxpayer money for their campaign financing. 
• Improving the quality of disabled individuals’ lives. 
• Solutions to the rising costs of education. 
• Problems that immigrants come across during assimilation and solutions to these challenges. 
• Possible solutions to the mounting substance abuse rates across the globe. 

University-Level Problem Solution Topic List 

Undergraduate writing about problems and their solutions is a distinct area of academic activity for which you should be sufficiently prepared. It engages students in a fascinating journey of problem identification, which is usually more complex than college-level writing. It would help to make sure that the problem is original – nobody has researched it in depth before. After that, you should construct genuinely new knowledge by analyzing the existing scholarly evidence, connecting the dots in theory, and finding brand-new solutions to the problem. 

The task may seem daunting at first, but it is highly rewarding as an independent scholarly effort in the end. Here are some suggestions for directions you can take in the process of working on such papers. 

• The magnitude of the STD problem in African countries and possible solutions to the STD spread. 
• Electricity-powered cars as a solution to the deteriorating air quality in North America. 
• Approaches to individual education on recycling practices. 
• Why is deforestation remaining at high levels?
• Workable solutions to reducing the volume of plastic waste disposal. 
• Landfill problem: an international comparison of the problem’s severity and regional approaches to addressing it. 
• School bullying: scope of the problem, causes, and solutions. 
• Effective educational techniques that may help resolve the problem of racial discrimination. 
• Workable methods for resource depletion minimization. 
• Is the problem of production process externalities acute in third-world countries? What can be done to curb it? 
• What can be done to reduce children’s exposure to illegal drugs? 
• Possible solutions to high divorce rates’ prevention. 
• Efficient approaches to reducing the number of school dropouts among students from low economic status families. 
• Educational techniques to ensure safe teenage driving.
• A variety of approaches to teen pregnancy reduction. 
• Best ways to help victims of home violence. 
• Effective methods of reintroducing ex-prisoners to society so that they integrate smoothly and don’t return to crime. 
• Effective approaches to curbing illegal immigration to the USA. 
• What can be done to make third-world countries safe for tourists? 
• How can humanity address illiteracy on a global level? 
• A variety of approaches to balancing free speech with individual protection against abuse and insults. 
• Workable techniques to help people transition to a healthy lifestyle. 
• Solutions to the problem of substance abuse. 
• Effective methods for seizing smoking. 
• Making large cities more pedestrian- and cycler-friendly. 
• The best solutions to the problem of joblessness in the tech era. 
• Effective methods of overcoming one’s limits in sports. 
• Solutions for harsh injury prevention in professional athletics. 
• How can students choose courses more effectively and avoid costly career changes early in their lives? 
• Possible solutions to dealing with a nasty roommate. 

Problem and Solution Ideas for all Study Levels and Subjects 

At times, you might only need to compose a short essay about a problem relevant to your field of study. Here are some topic ideas for various academic subjects that you can consider and choose a good, fresh idea for your homework task. 

• What can people do to help animals cope with the consequences of climate change and the loss of their natural habitats? 
• Financial fraud is flourishing today. How to make people more financially literate and protected against scams and criminals? 
• Working in a multinational company is a cultural challenge. How can a company help its employees integrate better? 
• Remote work is the new reality of the post-COVID world. What are the best solutions to communication hurdles in remote teams? 
• Pets are a great responsibility for people of all ages. What solutions can be found to reduce the number of abandoned pets on the streets? 
• Manufacturing gets costlier, and producers often resort to unethical cost-saving techniques that are reflected in product quality. What are the optimal solutions to maintaining the profit margin while at the same time keeping the manufacturing pipeline ethical? 
• Eating disorders are a growing global health concern. What are the possible solutions to this problem, and what causes should be addressed to minimize its scope? 
• Depression is a common occurrence among teenagers coming of age. What can parents do to help their children overcome depressive episodes with minimum harm to their mental and physical health? 
• Unethical advertisers often resort to people’s fears and prejudice to produce a convincing effect. What regulations should be implemented to guarantee rigorous consumer protection from such practices? 
• The elderly worldwide often suffer from loneliness and isolation, which causes their premature cognitive deterioration. What are the possible solutions to this problem on a community level? 
• Gender role education still follows many age-old stereotypes and prejudices that harm people at an adult age. How can these stereotypes be dropped across all educational levels to free the growing generation from their limiting nature? 
• Water is increasingly polluted with industrial waste across the globe. What effective regulations can be put in place to prevent the problem from aggravating? 
• Some countries are more successful in responding to climate change challenges, while others have failed in their efforts. How can successful states educate the less successful ones to ensure global progress toward curbing climate change? 
• Monarch butterflies, as well as hundreds of other species, are on the verge of extinction. How can we help preserve them? 
• People need transportation to move globally, but vehicles pollute the atmosphere. What are the alternative solutions to sustaining economic activities without so much pollution? 

What should I write my problem-solution essay about? 

As the name of this essay type suggests, you should compose a writing piece with an actual problem in focus. It’s vital to choose a serious topic that covers a really existing problem instead of making a problem out of nothing. Once you delineate the issue’s scope and magnitude with figures and significant stats, you may proceed to a range of possible solutions you’ve identified in scholarly literature. 

What is a problem-solution topic? 

There are tons of worthy topics for your problem-solution essays, and the choice primarily depends on your academic subject and the area of your interest. This way, you can work on the problem topical for your community, your research subject, or the broader science. If you’re a biologist, you may study the problems that flora and fauna may experience in your neighborhood and use academic evidence to suggest workable solutions. Otherwise, if you’re an MBA student, it may be a good idea to study a concrete managerial issue in a particular organization and propose data-backed solutions. 

What are some good topics for essays? 

Again, it’s hard to determine the topic’s quality without understanding your subject and area of research interest. However, in a nutshell, a good topic for problem-solution essays should be debatable and realistic. In other words, your identified problem should indeed exist and offer no self-obvious solutions.

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Published on: Feb 1, 2022

Last updated on: Jan 31, 2024

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Are you facing difficulties when it comes to writing problem solution essays? 

You're not alone!                          It's a critical skill to master, as these essays provide opportunities to address real-world issues and propose practical solutions.

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In this blog, we will provide you with invaluable insights, expert tips, and a step-by-step guide to help you navigate the challenges of problem solution essays.

With our comprehensive strategies and examples, you'll learn to craft powerful essays that propose innovative solutions and captivate your readers.

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What is a Problem Solution Essay?

A problem-solution essay is a type of academic writing that requires the writer to analyze a problem, propose a viable solution, and support their ideas with relevant evidence. 

The primary objective of this essay is to address real-world issues and provide practical solutions to those problems.

In a problem-solution essay, the writer typically begins by describing the problem, highlighting its severity and impact. The writer then proposes a solution to the problem, providing a detailed explanation of how the solution will work. 

The essay may also include a discussion of the potential challenges or limitations associated with the proposed solution.

Importance Of Problem Solution Essays

Problem-solution essays play a crucial role in academia and beyond. Here are some reasons why these essays hold significant importance:

• Critical Thinking and Analytical Skills

Writing a problem-solution essay enhances critical thinking abilities by requiring the writer to deeply analyze and understand complex problems. It encourages the development of analytical skills to assess the root causes, consequences, and potential solutions to a given problem.

• Practical Application of Knowledge

Problem-solution essays provide an opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world issues. By researching and proposing solutions, students bridge the gap between theory and practice, making their education relevant and meaningful.

• Problem-Solving Mindset

Engaging in problem-solution essays cultivates a problem-solving mindset. It encourages individuals to identify problems, think creatively, and propose effective solutions. This mindset is highly valuable in various academic disciplines, professional settings, and everyday life.

• Awareness And Social Impact

Problem-solution essays promote awareness of social, environmental, or political issues. By addressing pressing problems and proposing solutions, these essays contribute to raising consciousness and fostering positive change within society.

• Persuasive Communication

Crafting a compelling problem-solution essay hones persuasive communication skills. Writers must effectively communicate their ideas, present logical arguments, and convince readers of the feasibility and effectiveness of their proposed solutions.

• Empowerment and Personal Growth

Successfully tackling problem-solution essays instills a sense of empowerment and personal growth. As students overcome challenges and present innovative solutions, they gain confidence, expand their knowledge base, and develop essential skills for future endeavors.

Features of Problem Solution Essay

A problem-solution essay possesses distinct features that set it apart from other essay types. Let's explore some key features of a problem-solution essay:

Problem Identification

The essay begins by clearly identifying and defining the problem . It is essential to provide a comprehensive understanding of the problem, its scope, and its impact on individuals or society. 

The writer should establish the urgency and significance of the problem to capture the reader's attention.

Solution Proposal

The heart of a problem-solution essay lies in proposing a feasible solution.

The writer must present a well-reasoned and practical solution that directly addresses the identified problem. The proposed solution should be logical, realistic, and supported by evidence or expert opinions.

Evidence-Based Approach

A strong problem-solution essay relies on evidence to support the proposed solution. This may include statistical data, research findings, case studies, or expert testimonies. 

The writer should provide convincing evidence that demonstrates the effectiveness and viability of the proposed solution.

Consideration of Limitations

Acknowledging and addressing any potential limitations or challenges associated with the proposed solution is crucial. This demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of the problem and a realistic approach to solving it. 

By acknowledging limitations, the writer shows a balanced perspective and invites further discussion or alternative solutions.

Call to Action

A problem-solution essay often concludes with a call to action, urging readers to take steps toward implementing the proposed solution or supporting related initiatives. This call to action encourages readers to reflect on the problem and motivates them to contribute to positive change.

Problem Solution Essay Format

Like other essays, problem-solution essays also follow a format. Creating a problem-solution essay outline will make the essay writing process smoother. 

Have a look at the problem-solution essay structure:

H3- Introduction

An introduction is important because you will not be able to write a good essay without one. You need to describe the problem and then show why it is important. If it is a new or uncommon problem, you will need to explain how it works and its consequences. 

If it is a common problem, you will need to tell us about what happens when the problem isn't solved and how people feel about that. Whatever the case may be, you want to convince readers of its importance.

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• Brief Thesis Statement

The thesis statement serves as a concise and informative sentence that outlines the main focus of your essay. It provides the readers with an understanding of the knowledge they will gain by reading it.

For example, if you're writing an essay about how to solve a problem, your thesis statement should be: 

"This essay explores the impact of social media on mental health and proposes strategies to promote a healthier digital environment, enabling readers to understand the potential risks and empowering them with effective solutions for maintaining their well-being in the digital age."

You can also add other solutions that did not work before explaining your solution in detail.

An essay usually has three paragraphs, one for each problem and solution. When working on each solution, it is important to review these things:

• Explain the problem in detail
• Propose your solution and explain it properly
• Explain how this will help solve that problem
• If you want to show why your solution is best, use an expert or personal experience, statistics, other people's work, or examples.

Conclusion 

The last part of an essay is as important as the first. It is often the strongest part, and many people think it doesn't matter because it comes at the end. But that's wrong! 

If you don't do a good job on your conclusion, you might fail to earn a good grade. Here are some tips for writing a strong conclusion for your essay: 

• Make sure that you summarize what was said in your introduction 
• List the main points of your argument 
• Give advice to someone who has similar problems

This was all for the Problem solution essay format. Now it’s time to get started to write an essay. 

How to Write a Problem Solution Essay? 5 Easy Steps

A good problem-solution essay should propose a solution that is easy to implement, reasonable, and solves the problem. Make sure your essay stays focused on the main topic. 

Below are steps for writing a good and impressive problem-solution essay.

1. Choose the Topic

Think about the issues that are bothering you. These could be anything, but they need to be big enough for them to affect people. Make a list of these issues or problems that are facing some groups or your community.

2. Think How to Implement Solution

To make a great solution, it needs to be easy to understand and do. Good solutions can be done easily, solve the problem well, and are not expensive.

One of the common ways people try to solve problems is by getting rid of what is causing the problem. 

For example, if someone does drugs, they may stop doing them. It can also help if you educate people about how it works or use advertising to motivate them. 

Final ly, you might be able to change something that is not working, like an old law, or introduce new ones. Of course, there are other solutions too, so think about all of them!

3. Create an Outline

An outline is important in writing. It helps you to remember what you were going to say, and it also tells your readers what they will learn from the essay. When you write an outline, divide the information into sections or paragraphs.

Pick a topic and then add all of your points in order to make the essay easier for the reader.

Here’s a generic outline for a problem solution essay.

4. Start Writing Your Essay

Now the outline is created, it’s time to fit in the extensive detail. A problem-solving essay follows the structur e of having an introd uction paragraph, three supporting body paragraphs, and a concluding one. 

Start adding the details as discussed in the outline section. 

5. Revise Your Essay

The last step in the process of writing an essay is to proofread it. Proofreading means that you go through it a lot of time to ensure there are no mistakes or errors in your essay. 

Ensure that the vocabulary, grammar, spelling, citation, facts, syntax, and format are accurate and appropriate. If you find any errors during this step, then correct them before submitting your essay to your instructor.

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Problem Solution Essay Examples

We know that it can be hard to write this kind of essay. We have a sample essay below to help you understand.

Below are additional examples of problem solution essays that can serve as sources of inspiration for your writing.

Problem Solution Essay Sample pdf

Garbage Problem Solution Essay

Problem Solution Essay Topics

When you write about a problem solution topic, make sure it is something important to you. Usually, people write about things that are happening around them or in the world.

Below are some topics to choose from when writing your essay.

• What can be done to stop body positivity from going too far?
• How can we encourage people to adopt children in real life?
• How can we reduce domestic violence in our society?
• How to prevent people from drinking alcohol while driving?
• What are ways to reduce racial violence? 
• What is the best way to solve cybercrime? 
• What are the best ways to reduce fraud in real estate deals?
• How can the government solve the problem of immigrant assimilation in the United States?
• What steps should the government take to increase voter turnout?
• What legislation can be used to limit sources of campaign financing for political candidates?

If you're still having trouble writing this type of essay, check out this informative video below.

In conclusion , a problem-solution essay is an effective way to address and propose solutions to issues that affect individuals or society. 

By identifying a problem and presenting supporting evidence, you can inspire readers to take action and contribute to positive change. 

However, if you still think that you could benefit more from professional essay writing aid, we've got your back!

Our team of experienced writers provides a reliable problem solution essay writing service . They will ensure to deliver you a well-written and compelling essay that effectively addresses the identified problem. 

For deadlines that are too close for comfort, consider seeking assistance from our AI essay writing tool . 

So, what are you waiting for? Hire our online essay services  today.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to start the solution paragraph in an essay.

The best way to start a solution paragraph in an essay is by explaining the problem and then suggesting people to try it. 

How should I start the first paragraph of a problem-solution essay?

Start your first paragraph by following the below steps: 

• Telling a story about the problem 
• Then, describe what happened or your experience with it 
• End with how you solved it. 

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In this chapter you will write a problem/solution essay. To write a problem/solution essay, think about a problem that you have experienced and how it could be fixed.

A problem/solution essay is written to explain the solution(s) for a problem. This essay can describe multiple solutions or one “ideal” solution to the problem you describe.

This content is provided to you freely by BYU Open Learning Network.

Access it online or download it at https://open.byu.edu/academic_a_writing/problemsolution_essa .

Composition Type: Problem-Solution Essays

• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

In composition , using a problem-solution format is a method for analyzing and writing about a topic by identifying a problem and proposing one or more solutions. A problem-solution essay is a type of argument. "This sort of essay involves argumentation in that the writer seeks to convince the reader to take a particular course of action. In explaining the problem, it may also need to persuade the reader concerning specific causes" (Dave Kemper et al., "Fusion: Integrated Reading and Writing," 2016).

The Thesis Statement

In many types of report writing, the thesis statement is posed front and center, in one sentence. Author Derek Soles writes about how the thesis statement in a problem-solution paper differs from a straight "report of findings" type of text:

"[One]  expository  mode is the problem-solution essay, topics for which are typically framed in the form of questions. Why did fourth-graders from poor families score low on a nationwide math test, and how can educators improve math education for this group? Why is Iran a threat to our national security, and how can we reduce this threat? Why did it take the Democratic Party so long to select a candidate for the 2008 presidential election, and what can the party do to make the process more efficient in the future? These essays have two parts: a full explanation of the nature of the problem, followed by an analysis of solutions and their likelihood of success."

("The Essentials of Academic Writing," 2nd ed. Wadsworth, Cengage, 2010)

Readers need additional context before you get to your thesis, but that is not to say that the thesis has to be posed as a question in the introduction:  

"In a problem-solution essay, the thesis statement usually proposes the solution. Because readers must first understand the problem, the thesis statement usually comes after a description of the problem. The thesis statement does not have to give details about the solution. Instead, it summarizes the solution. It should also lead naturally to the body of the essay, preparing your reader for a discussion of how your solution would work."

(Dorothy Zemach and Lynn Stafford-Yilmaz, "Writers at Work: The Essay." Cambridge University Press, 2008)

Sample Introductions

It can be helpful to see completed examples before writing in order to examine what makes for an effective piece. See how these introductions give some context before posing the topic and lead naturally into the body paragraphs, where the evidence will be listed. You can imagine how the author has organized the rest of the piece.

"We buried my cousin last summer. He was 32 when he hanged himself from a closet coat rack in the throes of alcoholism, the fourth of my blood relatives to die prematurely from this deadly disease. If America issued drinking licenses, those four men—including my father, who died at 54 of liver failure—might be alive today."

(Mike Brake, "Needed: A License to Drink."  Newsweek , March 13, 1994)

"America is suffering from overwork. Too many of us are too busy, trying to squeeze more into each day while having less to show for it. Although our growing time crunch is often portrayed as a personal dilemma, it is, in fact, a major social problem that has reached crisis proportions over the past twenty years."

(Barbara Brandt, "Whole Life Economics: Revaluing Daily Life." New Society, 1995)

"The modern-day apartment dweller is faced with a most annoying problem: paper-thin walls and sound-amplifying ceilings. To live with this problem is to live with the invasion of privacy. There is nothing more distracting than to hear your neighbors' every function. Although the source of the noise cannot be eliminated, the problem can be solved."

(Maria B. Dunn, "One Man's Ceiling Is Another Man's Floor: The Problem of Noise")

Organization

In "Passages: A Writer's Guide, " how to organize a problem-solution paper is explained:  

"Though to some extent [your organization of the paper] depends on your topic, do make sure that you include the following information:

Introduction: Identify the problem in a nutshell. Explain why this is a problem, and mention who should be concerned about it.

Problem Paragraph(s): Explain the problem clearly and specifically. Demonstrate that this is not just a personal complaint, but a genuine problem that affects many people.

"Solution Paragraph(s): Offer a concrete solution to the problem, and explain why this is the best one available. You may want to point out why other possible solutions are inferior to yours. If your solution calls for a series of steps or actions to be followed, present these steps in a logical order.

"Conclusion: Reemphasize the importance of the problem and the value of your solution. Choose a problem that you have experienced and thought about—one that you have solved or are in the process of solving. Then, in the essay itself, you may use your own experience to illustrate the problem. However, don't focus all the attention on yourself and on your troubles. Instead, direct the essay at others who are experiencing a similar problem. In other words, don't write an I essay ('How I Cure the Blues'); write a you essay ('How You Can Cure the Blues')."

(Richard Nordquist, Passages: A Writer's Guide , 3rd ed. St. Martin's Press, 1995)

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• What Is Expository Writing?
• Definition and Examples of Analysis in Composition
• How to Write a Solid Thesis Statement
• Definition and Examples of Body Paragraphs in Composition
• Beef Up Critical Thinking and Writing Skills: Comparison Essays
• An Introduction to Academic Writing
• Thesis: Definition and Examples in Composition
• Understanding Organization in Composition and Speech
• How to Write a Good Thesis Statement
• The Ultimate Guide to the 5-Paragraph Essay
• How to Structure an Essay
• Examples of Great Introductory Paragraphs
• 2020-21 Common Application Essay Option 4—Solving a Problem
• Understanding What an Expository Essay Is

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Problem Solving Essays: Overview

Questions to consider:

• How can determining the best approach to solve a problem help you generate solutions?
• Why do thinkers create multiple solutions to problems?
• How do writers translate these approaches and solutions into writing?

When we’re solving a problem, whether at work, school, or home, we are being asked to perform multiple, often complex, tasks. The most effective problem-solving approach includes some variation of the following steps:

• Determine the issue(s)
• Recognize other perspectives
• Think of multiple possible results
• Research and evaluate the possibilities
• Select the best result(s)
• Communicate your findings
• Establish logical action items based on your analysis

Determining the best approach to any given problem and generating more than one possible solution to the problem constitutes the complicated process of problem-solving. People who are good at these skills are highly marketable because many jobs consist of a series of problems that need to be solved for production, services, goods, and sales to continue smoothly.

Think about what happens when a worker at your favorite coffee shop slips on a wet spot behind the counter, dropping several drinks she just prepared. One problem is the employee may be hurt, in need of attention, and probably embarrassed; another problem is that several customers do not have the drinks they were waiting for; and another problem is that stopping production of drinks (to care for the hurt worker, to clean up her spilled drinks, to make new drinks) causes the line at the cash register to back up. A good manager has to juggle all of these elements to resolve the situation as quickly and efficiently as possible. That resolution and return to standard operations doesn’t happen without a great deal of thinking: prioritizing needs, shifting other workers off one station onto another temporarily, and dealing with all the people involved, from the injured worker to the impatient patrons.

DETERMINING THE BEST APPROACH

Faced with a problem-solving opportunity, you must assess the skills you will need to create solutions. Problem-solving can involve many different types of thinking.

• You may have to call on your creative, analytical, or critical thinking skills—or more frequently, a combination of several different types of thinking—to solve a problem satisfactorily.
• When you approach a situation, how can you decide what is the best type of thinking to employ? Sometimes the answer is obvious; if you are working a scientific challenge, you likely will use analytical thinking; if you are a design student considering the atmosphere of a home, you may need to tap into creative thinking skills; and if you are an early childhood education major outlining the logistics involved in establishing a summer day camp for children, you may need a combination of critical, analytical, and creative thinking to solve this challenge.

What sort of thinking do you imagine initially helped in the following scenarios? How would the other types of thinking come into resolving these problems? Write a one- to two-sentence rationale on scrap paper or notepad that explains why you chose the answers to the questions below.

• Analytical thinking
• Creative thinking
• Critical thinking

GENERATING MULTIPLE SOLUTIONS

Why do you think it is important to provide multiple solutions when you’re going through the steps to solve problems? Typically, you’ll end up only using one solution at a time, so why expend the extra energy to create alternatives? If you planned a wonderful trip to Europe and had all the sites you want to see planned out and reservations made, you would think that your problem-solving and organizational skills had quite a workout. But what if when you arrived, the country you’re visiting is enmeshed in a public transportation strike experts predict will last several weeks if not longer? A back-up plan would have helped you contemplate alternatives you could substitute for the original plans. You certainly cannot predict every possible contingency—sick children, weather delays, economic downfalls—but you can be prepared for unexpected issues to come up and adapt more easily if you plan for multiple solutions.Write out at least two possible solutions to these dilemmas:

• Your significant other wants a birthday present—you have no cash.
• You have three exams scheduled on a day when you also need to work.
• Your car breaks down and requires an expensive repair and you need bus fare home—your cell phone is dead and you only have an ATM card with a max withdrawal limit of $200.
• You have to pass a running test for your physical education class, but you’re out of shape.

Providing more than one solution to a problem gives people options. You may not need several options, but having more than one solution will allow you to feel more in control and part of the problem-solving process.

Writing Effective Problem Solving Essays

When someone’s purpose is to describe a problem and evaluate possible solutions, they will write a problem solving essay.  In academic writing, the problem solving essay is very common and useful. For example, students would use it in a ecological class if they were asked to discuss solutions to the problem of endangered species. Students also can write this type of essay in an computer science class if they needed to suggest some ways to solve the inefficient performance of a system.

Once someone has decided to write a problem solving essay, there are several techniques should be pay attention. First, he/she should carefully investigate if a problem exists and describe the problem clearly. While describing a statement of problem, he/she should mentions  why it is serious . Second, the solutions recommended for the problem should be convincing and effective. They must prove his viewpoint by  supporting it with persuasive facts and evidences . Finally, the essay must be able to influence the readers that the proposed solutions are practical and valuable.

Introduction

• Describe the problem and state why it is serious.
• Write a thesis statement that identifies possible solutions.

Supporting Paragraphs

• Discuss one solution in each supporting paragraph.
• Provide details to support each solution.
• Organize the paragraphs according to order of importance.
• Summarize the solutions.
• Draw a conclusion or make a prediction based on your suggestions.

Sources Used to Create this Chapter

The majority of the content for this section has been adapted from the following OER Material:

• Strategic Information Literacy: Targeted Knowledge with Broad Application by Kristin Conlin and Allison Jennings-Roche, which was published under a CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.

A Guide to Problem Solving Essays by Ken Lang, which was published under the CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 International License.

Starting the Journey: An Intro to College Writing Copyright © by Leonard Owens III; Tim Bishop; and Scott Ortolano is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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• Knowledge Base
• How to structure an essay: Templates and tips

How to Structure an Essay | Tips & Templates

Published on September 18, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

The basic structure of an essay always consists of an introduction , a body , and a conclusion . But for many students, the most difficult part of structuring an essay is deciding how to organize information within the body.

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Table of contents

The basics of essay structure, chronological structure, compare-and-contrast structure, problems-methods-solutions structure, signposting to clarify your structure, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about essay structure.

There are two main things to keep in mind when working on your essay structure: making sure to include the right information in each part, and deciding how you’ll organize the information within the body.

Parts of an essay

The three parts that make up all essays are described in the table below.

Order of information

You’ll also have to consider how to present information within the body. There are a few general principles that can guide you here.

The first is that your argument should move from the simplest claim to the most complex . The body of a good argumentative essay often begins with simple and widely accepted claims, and then moves towards more complex and contentious ones.

For example, you might begin by describing a generally accepted philosophical concept, and then apply it to a new topic. The grounding in the general concept will allow the reader to understand your unique application of it.

The second principle is that background information should appear towards the beginning of your essay . General background is presented in the introduction. If you have additional background to present, this information will usually come at the start of the body.

The third principle is that everything in your essay should be relevant to the thesis . Ask yourself whether each piece of information advances your argument or provides necessary background. And make sure that the text clearly expresses each piece of information’s relevance.

The sections below present several organizational templates for essays: the chronological approach, the compare-and-contrast approach, and the problems-methods-solutions approach.

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The chronological approach (sometimes called the cause-and-effect approach) is probably the simplest way to structure an essay. It just means discussing events in the order in which they occurred, discussing how they are related (i.e. the cause and effect involved) as you go.

A chronological approach can be useful when your essay is about a series of events. Don’t rule out other approaches, though—even when the chronological approach is the obvious one, you might be able to bring out more with a different structure.

Explore the tabs below to see a general template and a specific example outline from an essay on the invention of the printing press.

• Thesis statement
• Discussion of event/period
• Consequences
• Importance of topic
• Strong closing statement
• Claim that the printing press marks the end of the Middle Ages
• Background on the low levels of literacy before the printing press
• Thesis statement: The invention of the printing press increased circulation of information in Europe, paving the way for the Reformation
• High levels of illiteracy in medieval Europe
• Literacy and thus knowledge and education were mainly the domain of religious and political elites
• Consequence: this discouraged political and religious change
• Invention of the printing press in 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg
• Implications of the new technology for book production
• Consequence: Rapid spread of the technology and the printing of the Gutenberg Bible
• Trend for translating the Bible into vernacular languages during the years following the printing press’s invention
• Luther’s own translation of the Bible during the Reformation
• Consequence: The large-scale effects the Reformation would have on religion and politics
• Summarize the history described
• Stress the significance of the printing press to the events of this period

Essays with two or more main subjects are often structured around comparing and contrasting . For example, a literary analysis essay might compare two different texts, and an argumentative essay might compare the strengths of different arguments.

There are two main ways of structuring a compare-and-contrast essay: the alternating method, and the block method.

Alternating

In the alternating method, each paragraph compares your subjects in terms of a specific point of comparison. These points of comparison are therefore what defines each paragraph.

The tabs below show a general template for this structure, and a specific example for an essay comparing and contrasting distance learning with traditional classroom learning.

• Synthesis of arguments
• Topical relevance of distance learning in lockdown
• Increasing prevalence of distance learning over the last decade
• Thesis statement: While distance learning has certain advantages, it introduces multiple new accessibility issues that must be addressed for it to be as effective as classroom learning
• Classroom learning: Ease of identifying difficulties and privately discussing them
• Distance learning: Difficulty of noticing and unobtrusively helping
• Classroom learning: Difficulties accessing the classroom (disability, distance travelled from home)
• Distance learning: Difficulties with online work (lack of tech literacy, unreliable connection, distractions)
• Classroom learning: Tends to encourage personal engagement among students and with teacher, more relaxed social environment
• Distance learning: Greater ability to reach out to teacher privately
• Sum up, emphasize that distance learning introduces more difficulties than it solves
• Stress the importance of addressing issues with distance learning as it becomes increasingly common
• Distance learning may prove to be the future, but it still has a long way to go

In the block method, each subject is covered all in one go, potentially across multiple paragraphs. For example, you might write two paragraphs about your first subject and then two about your second subject, making comparisons back to the first.

The tabs again show a general template, followed by another essay on distance learning, this time with the body structured in blocks.

• Point 1 (compare)
• Point 2 (compare)
• Point 3 (compare)
• Point 4 (compare)
• Advantages: Flexibility, accessibility
• Disadvantages: Discomfort, challenges for those with poor internet or tech literacy
• Advantages: Potential for teacher to discuss issues with a student in a separate private call
• Disadvantages: Difficulty of identifying struggling students and aiding them unobtrusively, lack of personal interaction among students
• Advantages: More accessible to those with low tech literacy, equality of all sharing one learning environment
• Disadvantages: Students must live close enough to attend, commutes may vary, classrooms not always accessible for disabled students
• Advantages: Ease of picking up on signs a student is struggling, more personal interaction among students
• Disadvantages: May be harder for students to approach teacher privately in person to raise issues

An essay that concerns a specific problem (practical or theoretical) may be structured according to the problems-methods-solutions approach.

This is just what it sounds like: You define the problem, characterize a method or theory that may solve it, and finally analyze the problem, using this method or theory to arrive at a solution. If the problem is theoretical, the solution might be the analysis you present in the essay itself; otherwise, you might just present a proposed solution.

The tabs below show a template for this structure and an example outline for an essay about the problem of fake news.

• Introduce the problem
• Provide background
• Describe your approach to solving it
• Define the problem precisely
• Describe why it’s important
• Indicate previous approaches to the problem
• Present your new approach, and why it’s better
• Apply the new method or theory to the problem
• Indicate the solution you arrive at by doing so
• Assess (potential or actual) effectiveness of solution
• Describe the implications
• Problem: The growth of “fake news” online
• Prevalence of polarized/conspiracy-focused news sources online
• Thesis statement: Rather than attempting to stamp out online fake news through social media moderation, an effective approach to combating it must work with educational institutions to improve media literacy
• Definition: Deliberate disinformation designed to spread virally online
• Popularization of the term, growth of the phenomenon
• Previous approaches: Labeling and moderation on social media platforms
• Critique: This approach feeds conspiracies; the real solution is to improve media literacy so users can better identify fake news
• Greater emphasis should be placed on media literacy education in schools
• This allows people to assess news sources independently, rather than just being told which ones to trust
• This is a long-term solution but could be highly effective
• It would require significant organization and investment, but would equip people to judge news sources more effectively
• Rather than trying to contain the spread of fake news, we must teach the next generation not to fall for it

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Signposting means guiding the reader through your essay with language that describes or hints at the structure of what follows.  It can help you clarify your structure for yourself as well as helping your reader follow your ideas.

The essay overview

In longer essays whose body is split into multiple named sections, the introduction often ends with an overview of the rest of the essay. This gives a brief description of the main idea or argument of each section.

The overview allows the reader to immediately understand what will be covered in the essay and in what order. Though it describes what  comes later in the text, it is generally written in the present tense . The following example is from a literary analysis essay on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein .

Transitions

Transition words and phrases are used throughout all good essays to link together different ideas. They help guide the reader through your text, and an essay that uses them effectively will be much easier to follow.

Various different relationships can be expressed by transition words, as shown in this example.

Because Hitler failed to respond to the British ultimatum, France and the UK declared war on Germany. Although it was an outcome the Allies had hoped to avoid, they were prepared to back up their ultimatum in order to combat the existential threat posed by the Third Reich.

Transition sentences may be included to transition between different paragraphs or sections of an essay. A good transition sentence moves the reader on to the next topic while indicating how it relates to the previous one.

… Distance learning, then, seems to improve accessibility in some ways while representing a step backwards in others.

However , considering the issue of personal interaction among students presents a different picture.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

College essays

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• Write a College Essay
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• College Essay Format & Structure
• Comparing and Contrasting in an Essay

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The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

An essay isn’t just a loose collection of facts and ideas. Instead, it should be centered on an overarching argument (summarized in your thesis statement ) that every part of the essay relates to.

The way you structure your essay is crucial to presenting your argument coherently. A well-structured essay helps your reader follow the logic of your ideas and understand your overall point.

Comparisons in essays are generally structured in one of two ways:

• The alternating method, where you compare your subjects side by side according to one specific aspect at a time.
• The block method, where you cover each subject separately in its entirety.

It’s also possible to combine both methods, for example by writing a full paragraph on each of your topics and then a final paragraph contrasting the two according to a specific metric.

You should try to follow your outline as you write your essay . However, if your ideas change or it becomes clear that your structure could be better, it’s okay to depart from your essay outline . Just make sure you know why you’re doing so.

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Personal Problem Solving Reflective Essay

Recognize and define problems, gather relevant evidence, interpret data, make accurate conclusions, merge new competencies with my problem solving skill set.

Problem solving is a powerful practice because it addresses different challenges in life. My problem solving skill set can make it easier for me to deal with various obstacles and difficulties. However, the skill step has a major gap that requires immediate improvements.

The gap that required some improvements is “Defining and Gathering Evidence”. This paper develops an actionable plan that can be useful towards improving the above gap in my problem solving skill set.

The first step towards a successful problem solving practice is being able to understand the targeted issue. My first objective is learning how to recognize various problems. This strategy makes it easier for individuals to find the most appropriate means for addressing every challenge.

This step also analyzes the nature of the targeted problem. The person solving the problem must prioritize the issues surrounding the problem. It becomes easier to solve a clearly understood problem. This strategy will become a critical aspect of my future problem solving skill set.

The next action plan is gathering the correct evidence based on the identified problem. Individuals must analyze every underlying assumption. Professionals should use appropriate languages in order to improve their levels of communication.

This step will focus on the facts and issues associated with the problem. Individuals should gather the required information using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Such methods will present the required data and facts. The practice will become a critical aspect of my future problem solving strategy. The targeted evidence and information will determine the success of every problem solving process.

The other useful step is learning how to interpret data accurately. This practice determines the success of different problem solving processes. Proper data interpretation makes it easier for individual to appraise different evidences. They also evaluate various arguments before finding the best solution to a specific problem. These new skills will become a critical part of my problem solving strategy.

The next step is making accurate decisions and conclusions based on the collected data. The gathered evidence must be relevant, accurate, informative, and meaningful. These new skills will make it easier for me to understand the nature of different problems.

I will use such skills to make accurate assumptions and conclusions throughout every problem solving process. People must render precise verdicts about various things in life. This strategy can be useful whenever dealing with various problems.

The above competencies will improve the above gap in my problem solving skill set. This action plan will encourage me to undertake more problem solving exercises. The strategy will equip me with new skills and competencies. I will use these competencies to define and analyze several problems.

The next step is to define and gather relevant evidence for every problem. Another good practice is gathering the required evidence using various systematic methods. Professionals can collate the gathered information using the PICOC (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, and Context) Method. This strategy will be critical towards supporting my career objectives.

Effective communication, negotiation, persistence, logical reasoning, and persuasion can address various problems. Practice makes it easier for individuals to achieve their goals and potentials. My goal is to undertake more problem solving exercises in order to put my new competencies into practice. The above action plan will make my problem solving skill set complete.

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IvyPanda. (2019, December 24). Personal Problem Solving. https://ivypanda.com/essays/personal-problem-solving/

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Problem Solving Essay

Facing problems and obstacles on a smaller or larger scale happen to most people. It could be a day-to-day problem affecting only an individual. On the other hand, it could also be a problem that affects numerous people. That said, people must hone their ability to provide solutions to problems. One way to do this is to incorporate it in your essay writing by composing a detailed problem solving essay.

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What Is a Problem Solving Essay?

A problem solving essay is a piece of writing where you provide detailed information about a problem and include paragraphs proposing solutions to the topic. The subjects in this type of academic essay  include personal issues and organizational difficulties. Also, those that are contributing to global warming. Universities and business corporations require you to write this paper.

How to Compose a Thorough Problem Solving Essay

An essay providing solutions to a problem is a necessary document. That is why various schools let you practice it as early as middle school. They also further enhance your skill during college by letting you compose numerous college essays . That said, it is not something you can do in a rush. For this kind of paper to be effective and serve its purpose, you need to undergo a lengthy and meticulous crafting process. 

1. Study Your Problem

Your professor or superior may provide you with a problem statement . If not, you have the freedom to choose from existing problems in our community. Before brainstorming about the possible responses to your problem topic, you should ensure that you know enough about it. That said, you must first conduct intensive educational research . Consider all factors to avoid having loopholes in the solutions that you will propose. 

2. Construct a Checklist of Possible Solutions

After knowing enough about your topic, now is the time to create a checklist of the solutions you generated. Your topic checklist will act as a form of a draft. Detail your ideas on your list and omit the ones that show a sense of ambiguity. After this, write down your thoughts on a topic outline to decide your problem solution essay flow.

3. Compose a Powerful Introduction

When reading a piece of writing, people often doubt whether or not the composition is worth their time. To persuade them, you should begin your paper with a captivating introduction. Secure their attention by incorporating a hook. Also, do not forget to state your thesis statement in your introductory paragraph. This sentence should give an overview of the content of your whole document.

4. Structure Your Essay

Most literature essays follow proper formatting and structure. Aside from your introduction, you should also organize a body and your conclusion. If your assignment did not require a fixed number of paragraphs, you should go for at least three essay paragraphs for the content of the body. Detail your solutions in each of them and support them with reliable evidence. In your conclusion statement, you should opt for a sentence that would make the readers want to take action and take part in solving the problem. 

What are examples of topics for a problem-solving essay?

Choosing your topic depends on what issues you want to tackle the most. If you select to resolve political troubles or social problems, you can choose from a numerous list of subjects. Some topics that will be compelling include bullying issues, water pollution, and ways to make classrooms more conducive for learning. The key to choosing the perfect topic sentences is to talk about subjects that make you passionate.

What are the elements of an impressive problem topic?

Even when given the freedom to select a topic, you can’t just choose anything that comes to mind. You should consider several elements beforehand. First, you should ask yourself it’s timely and relevant. In addition, you should also narrow it down and ensure it addresses a specific issue. Also, don’t forget to clarify the cope of the problem you’re proposing to resolve. Take note of these elements on your evaluation checklist. This list will be helpful in the process of analyzing your topic.

What are the steps to problem-solving?

The first step in the process is to identify and analyze your problem. You should highlight necessary information and facts about that particular issue. The next step involves researching the root of these problems and developing an action plan for your response. It is also helpful to include a budget plan if it is possible.

The readers of your paper will read your essay with a critical eye, especially if it is a teacher or a superior evaluating the quality of your writing. That said, you should secure that your problem solving essay does not have a weak spot. When crafted well, you can expect to receive an award certificate recognizing your efforts and skills in solving problems. 

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Write a Problem Solving Essay on addressing climate change at a community level.

Discuss strategies to improve mental health awareness in schools in your Problem Solving Essay.

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Home — Essay Samples — Sociology — Community — Me as Part of My Community: Our Problems and Preferred Solutions

Me as Part of My Community: Our Problems and Preferred Solutions

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Words: 1139 |

Published: Aug 14, 2023

Words: 1139 | Pages: 3 | 6 min read

Table of contents

The nature and problems in my community, causes and effects linked to current problems, few possible solutions to address or solve community problems.

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• Essay on Education

My Personal Problem And Its Solution Essay

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Education , Workplace , Finance , Security , Study , Sleep , Students , Employment

Published: 12/11/2019

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Personal Problem

I am currently struggling with my studies due to financial constraints. As I am having to earn money to support myself and pay for my tuition fees, I am left feeling very tired and with little time to spend on my studies, meaning that my grades have suffered. If I could secure a scholarship I would be able to dedicate much more time to my education and achieve the grades of which I am capable. I work a great deal, both night and day shifts, in order to pay for my studies and in order to live. I have no regular sleep pattern as I am constantly switching from day shifts to night shifts, and sometimes working both in one day. Consequently I often feel tired and unwell due to this absence of a healthy routine. Due to my busy working schedule, and the related lack of sleep, I find it difficult to have enough time to study. As I am an international student I am required to pay full tuition fees in order to attend college. In addition to this, I need to pay to support myself with rent and food etc. All of this adds up to a large amount of money and it has forced me to take on paid employment for many hours each week. The reason I came into the country was to study for a better future but, because of my working hours, I am left with very little time to study and this has resulted in my decreased Grade Point Average. I would like to continue my studies at college as I feel the institution will enable me to achieve to my highest potential. The college is a wonderful place to study; I find the staff to be friendly and approachable, and the campus provides a perfect setting in which to learn. Furthermore, during my time so far studying, I have found a real sense of stability. This has been my first experience of feeling this way since moving to the USA from my home country. Additionally, the cultural diversity at the college has made it easy for me to fit in with the community and to form lasting friendships. The best solution to this problem would be if I could secure some financial assistance via an educational scholarship. A scholarship would enable me to work less hours in paid employment and, therefore, dedicate much more time to my studies. Furthermore, if I was working less hours in my job I would be able to sleep properly at night and feel refreshed for college every day. With more time to concentrate on my education and to regain a healthy sleeping pattern, I am confident that my grades at college would quickly improve. I am one hundred per cent dedicated to my studies, but due to financial constraints I am struggling to achieve the grades I am capable of. Currently, I am both studying at college and working in paid employment, as I am unable to afford the costs associated with being a student. Therefore, if I were to secure some financial assistance, I feel I could spend more time on my studies and would be able to complete my education with a degree of a high class.

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Many writers suffer from the occasional writer’s block. Writer’s block can easily affect students who need to complete academic writing assignments as well. 

However, this is only one of the many issues they may need to deal with in the essay writing process. Many students face other challenges as they strive to complete their writing assignments. 

Knowing the common essay writing issues can help you rectify the situation as you complete your essay. 

• 1. Top Essay Writing Problems Students Deal With
• 2. Other Writing Problems You May Face

Top Essay Writing Problems Students Deal With

Below are the top five common problems that can stop students dead in their tracks, as they begin or complete their essay writing assignments, and tips to overcome them.

#1 Lack of Confidence

The inability to believe in one’s capabilities and skills is one of the most common problems in essay writing that students have to face.

Students who think they are not good at writing will have trouble starting their papers. They doubt their capability to complete it as well. And with this self-doubt, they may never even try to start working on their paper.

As a result, these students end up not submitting an assignment or simply handing in a poorly-written one, fully accepting and expecting that they will get a low or failing grade.

How to Overcome This

There are various ways students can improve their writing skills. There are online courses they can take and they also have the option to take up traditional classes offered by local schools or tutorial centers.

Additionally, students should practice writing daily even if they make mistakes. As long as these mistakes are corrected, they will become better writers in the future.

Lastly, students who don’t know  how to start an essay  can always ask for assistance from their teachers, peers, and other people who are more knowledgeable and experienced in writing.

#2 Insufficient Knowledge

Many students will also have difficulties writing an essay about a topic taken up in school. The main reason is that they don’t have enough knowledge about the subject matter.

This difficulty can be caused by the student failing to take notes in class or not attending classes at all. He or she may not even understand the topic completely. This will cause anyone to have poor knowledge of any topic.

This is a problem that students can easily trounce. Students simply need to put in some extra time to study whatever notes they have. They can also do extra research to understand the topic.

Students can also ask their teacher to explain the topic to them again if they are having a hard time understanding it.

#3 Lack of Writing Skills

Although some students are confident about writing and have enough ideas to write their papers, if they lack language proficiency, they won’t submit an impressive essay.

Using the wrong words, misleading language, misplacing words, phrases, and punctuation will result in a poor paper. Some students may even resort to using technical words and jargon with the hope of impressing their teacher. Of course, this technique usually backfires.

Students should learn to use simple words and construct short, concise sentences to get a good mark on their papers. Students also need to read more since this is a good exercise for becoming a better writer.

They can also get help from the best assignment experts if they need help with polishing their papers. These writers will ensure students turn in good essays, reflective of their knowledge and abilities.

#4 Plagiarism

When all else fails, plagiarism is something that many students end up doing just so they can submit a paper. This is also their last resort if they are rushing to complete their essay at the last minute.

Teachers today check each paper for plagiarized content. Students who submit essays that contain copied paragraphs from published material will find themselves in a lot of trouble.

Students need to learn how to paraphrase the content they use for their essays. They should know when and how to use references as well.

Finally, they should make it a habit to run their essays through online plagiarism tools to ensure that they submit an original paper.

#5 Getting Stuck

Lastly, students are given a topic that has been discussed numerous times already. This can get the student stuck and unable to write anything about it. They think that there is nothing left to explore and they can’t have their own say on such topics.

Because of this, they are unable to start writing their paper, much less finish it.

Conducting more research will help students find an angle they will be interested in exploring, analyzing, and discussing. Students can also ask their peers, parents, and other people about the topic.

#6 Time Management

Time management is another main problem that students face. Some students think they can get away with working at the last minute. They might be in a big hurry or simply don't know what needs to be done yet. Because of this, they will submit bad-quality work.

How to Overcome This:

If you plan ahead, you can avoid having to spend a lot of time editing your paper.

Planning ahead will help you do better research, so your analysis of the issue is stronger. This will also help you set the paper aside and come back to it later with a fresh perspective, which means you can revise it more effectively.

#7 Awkward Structure

The structure of your sentences should be clear and understandable to allow the reader to follow what you are saying. Each sentence needs a meaningful connection with the topic so they can understand it fully without confusion, ultimately making them enjoy reading more.

Structure is key to making an essay readable. You should know the proper essay structure. Every sentence should be related and meaningful for your target audience.

Other Writing Problems You May Face

College students are constantly under pressure to produce high-quality work. In addition, there is the issue that low-quality papers appear because they do not have enough time or resources for their studies and so on.

Despite these problems, there are many other writing problems that students face.

• Lack of time:  If you want to save time, you need to plan properly. One way to do this is by writing down all the information about your sources. This will help you avoid wasting time later on.
• Lack of inspiration:  If you are having trouble coming up with an idea for your essay, try reading essays about the same topic. This can help you get your thoughts in order and come up with a good idea.
• Unclear analysis:  If you want to know more, you need to study. There is no way to shortcut this process. You will have to learn everything you can about the topic if you want to be an expert.
• Poor editing and proofreading skills:  People sometimes find it hard to edit and proofread their own writing. A trick to make it easier is to read the text backward, from the last word to the first. Another way is to read the paper aloud. This way, you can find where the transitions between paragraphs are not smooth.

So these are the common problems encountered by students in writing an essay. Keep in mind that essay writing is not something that comes naturally to many students. If you are stuck in the writing process, pinpoint the cause and follow the tips shared and the writing practice will definitely help you overcome it.

If you are still confused, whether you are still starting your essay or need help polishing it, get in touch with our top writing service . 

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10 Essay Writing Problems and their Easy Solutions

Essay Writing Problems and solutions

Writing skills are crucial in every student’s life. They are essential in life after school, but most of them cannot fully develop those skills after completion. Below are some common essay writing problems for most students and their solutions.

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Common Essay Writing Problems for Students and their Solutions

While writing is necessary for college and professional life, there are a number of challenges that students face.

Here, we explore students’ common essay writing problems in colleges and universities and evaluate ways to get through them successfully.

Let’s delve into each in detail.

1. Inadequate Development of Cognitive and Analytical Skills

The development of cognitive and analytical skills is crucial in writing. Students have to develop such skills to improve their writing abilities, enabling them to understand and think better.

Writing requires high school students to read and understand their writing prompts and develop their writing based on them. This understanding also shows the importance of college writing since it involves evaluation.

An easy way to solve such essay writing problems related to the skill you have to learn argumentative methods and practice them. You have to develop well-organized arguments. This requires analytical and cognitive skills and is seldom implemented in the high school curriculum.

2. Inadequate Writing Mechanics and Word Stock

Understanding the writing process and structure is also important. This means that students should understand the language they are writing, for example, English.

Written English comprises complex sentences, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, etc. It has punctuation and other elements that make it communicative or understandable.

An essay way to overcome this problem is by learning basic writing mechanisms. For a student to effectively learn how to write, he or she must understand such mechanisms. This will also enable them to proofread and correct errors.

3. Inadequate or Lack of Feedback on Students’ Writing

High school teachers may give writing assignments to their students and fail to provide feedback after reviewing students’ work.

It is not enough for the teachers to give their students writing tasks grades.

It is important for teachers to provide comprehensive feedback to their students so that they can identify areas they have made writing errors or the sections they need to improve on.

To solve this problem easily, as your teacher for marking feedback on your previous essay.

Feedback is crucial in ensuring that students improve their skills with time. It is important to note that positive feedback promotes better writing skills than negative feedback.

4. Lack of Reading Exercises

Most students fail to write well because they lack any reading practice; they simply do not read. If you cannot read, you will definitely not have the content to write in college or anywhere. Lack of such content leads to poorly done essays and papers.

To solve this problem, you need to emphasize reading exercises. For high school students to be good writers, they should also be good readers.

In addition, teachers should encourage their students to read well-written works such as published essays, nonfiction works, or newspaper editorials to know the qualities of good works. It boosts their skills and vocabulary.

5. Writing Strong Introductions and Conclusions

Many students write poor introductions and conclusions for their essays and papers. Introductions are conclusions are very important in college essays. Introductions contain the introductory points of the essay and the thesis.

Conclusions, on the other hand, provide a summary of the essay. Most college students fail to observe this and mess up their essays.

6. Inability to Structure Coherent Arguments

Another common problem is the inability to structure coherent arguments. College students get bad grades because of their inability to use structured and coherent arguments.

Such arguments persuade the reader concerning the position of the essay. A good example is writing argumentative essays on animal testing, the death penalty, and related topics. For such, you have to create strong arguments. Check our guide on writing animal testing essays and learn how to do it.

To solve this essay writing problem of structuring coherent arguments, you must research how to write essays. College students should conduct adequate research, identify main issues and themes, and develop viable arguments backed by evidence.

7. Plagiarism

This is a major challenge for college students. Students may write their essays and fail to cite the sources of information. This results in plagiarism, and its penalty is very stiff.

To easily solve the essay writing problem of plagiarism, you need to research, then write, and not copy from other sources. Also, cite and reference your work well.

Students should learn how to cite sources of information appropriately. If students adhere to the guidelines, they can be excellent writers.

8. Awkward Constructions, Trite Expressions, and Clichés

Many students find themselves making sentence constructions that are not readily understandable. Their message may lose meaning due to how it is constructed, the expressions and words used, and its length.

Again, students may find themselves using trite expressions and clichés. This makes the content appear and sound unprofessional.

To solve these problems, practice and look for example samples and study them to see how experts have written them. We offer such expert example essays for free; check them out.

9. Use of Passive Voice

Most students find themselves overusing passive voice in their works. A passive voice is a sentence structure in which the subject receives the action instead of performing or initiating the action.

For example, students might write: “The ball was caught by the girl” (passive). It should be: “The girl caught the ball” (active voice).

The best way to solve this problem of writing essays is to practice and learn how to apply different voices in a sentence. Write sentences in both passive and active voice and ask your friend to evaluate you, and soon you will be heading to success in essays.

10. Inadequate Practice and Poor Revision in Writing

This essay writing problem comes from a lack of experience and practice. It is said practice makes perfect.

This applies to essay writing too. For students to improve in their writing, they have to practice.

This is because writing is a skill, and students have to work on the skill to develop and perfect it. High school students cannot advance their skills to higher levels without adequate practice.

To easily solve this problem, practice and do more practice. It is important for students to revise their written essays after being returned to them by their teachers.

This will give them an opportunity to correct their mistakes.

Revised work gives students an impression of how their work should always be. This encourages them to improve their writing.

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Problems that Students have in Writing in English

Some common problems face most students when it comes to writing in English. They include:

1. Agreement

Some students may find themselves shifting their writing person style when writing. If they started with the third person (she, she, or it), they shift to the second person (you).

They also find themselves changing the tenses or numbers. If they have started using the singular, they find themselves using the plural later in their work.

2. Combining Sentences

Most students writing in English find themselves combining sentences into extremely long sentences. This may result in the awkwardness of the sentence. Others may opt to use extremely short sentences that result in a choppy effect.

3. Generalizations

Students writing in English will often have a tendency to generalize issues. This undercuts their authority as writers. Readers are forced to question the writer’s judgment on the issues he or she is writing about.

Other mistakes English writers make include wrong punctuation, repetition, redundancy, run-on sentences, and use of the subjective mood.

Students’ Problems in General Academic Writing

The common problems students face in academic writing include:

1. Organization

Students involved in academic writing fail to organize their work in a format that adheres to academic guidelines.

There should be an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

All the ideas and arguments are to be organized in the body paragraphs. Students may also use informal language, which is unacceptable.

2. Thesis Statements and Topic Sentences

Students also fail to include a thesis statement in their academic writing. This statement appears in the last sentence of the introduction. It should reflect what is to be discussed in the rest of the paper.

Students also fail to include strong topic sentences at the beginning of their body paragraphs (for academic writing) and anywhere within the paragraph in informal essays.

3. Evidence and Citation

Some students may also fail to provide evidence in their academic writing. They fail to provide proper citations to the source of information. This is academically wrong and a plagiarism case.

This may be a problem that forces students to look for help or essay writing tips when faced with academic writing tasks.

Problems ESL Students Face in Writing

There are several problems faced by English as a Second Language (ESL) students. The most common problems are:

• Inadequate linguistic proficiency

ESL students lack enough linguistic proficiency to write. This is because writing requires students to know English enough for them to transform their ideas into written text.

• Lack of ideas and anxiety in writing

ESL students cannot formulate ideas related to the English context. It is difficult for them to transform their original ideas into writing.

This also creates anxiety because they lack confidence in writing. It is worth checking some writing fears and anxieties to know how to face them.

• Reliance on L1

ESL students rely heavily on L1 (their first language) while writing. This results in writing issues because their L1 structure may differ from English. Directly translating from their L1 results in wrong word and sentence formations.

If you have such problems as discussed above, apply some suggested solutions to beat the challenge and get the right grades in your academic writing. If you cannot, worry not, we have comprehensive essay help services that will help you get that grade. All the best!

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Jessica Kasen is experienced in academic writing and academic assistance. She is well versed in academia and has a master’s degree in education. Kasen consults with us in helping students improve their grades. She also oversights the quality of work done by our writers.

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My husband has suggested we both go on Tinder for fun – but will this open a can of worms?

I’ve never dated online before and am open to the idea. But I’m worried that what starts with light flirting could lead to big problems

My husband and I have a very happy relationship but lately he has been suggesting that we go on Tinder to speak to other men “just for fun”. He doesn’t mind if I go on alone or we go as a couple (though I’m sure he would like that), but he says it would be fun to flirt online with other gay men. I can see how it would be fun and I’m open to the idea, but worried that it will open a can of worms. My main concern is that a friend would see me on there and wonder what’s going on. We are a little older and have never dated online before, which is part of the appeal for him. I’m very secure in our marriage and I don’t think he is looking around or doesn’t think I’m enough for him, and we are very honest with each other. Do you think this could be something fun or will it lead to too many problems?

It doesn’t sound like it would be fun for you. Tinder is not just for flirting, so it seems likely that your husband may be interested in having sex with other men. Would you be open to that? Or is that the “can of worms” to which you were referring? You say you are very honest with each other, so why not address that frankly? You don’t have to worry about someone seeing you on the app because if so, they are doing the same thing. Many couples seek additional sex partners on online platforms, and some do experience problems; even when there is agreement about it jealousies can arise – and there can be safety issues as well. Don’t venture into this arena unless you feel you can handle it. And, if you decide to go ahead with it make sure you and your husband first establish clear ground rules.

Pamela Stephenson Connolly is a US-based psychotherapist who specialises in treating sexual disorders.

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New York Takes Crucial Step Toward Making Congestion Pricing a Reality

The board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority voted to approve a new $15 toll to drive into Manhattan. The plan still faces challenges from six lawsuits before it can begin in June.

By Winnie Hu and Ana Ley

New York City completed a crucial final step on Wednesday in a decades-long effort to become the first American city to roll out a comprehensive congestion pricing program, one that aims to push motorists out of their cars and onto mass transit by charging new tolls to drive into Midtown and Lower Manhattan.

The program could start as early as mid-June after the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the state agency that will install and manage the program, voted 11-to-1 to approve the final tolling rates, which will charge most passenger cars $15 a day to enter at 60th Street and below in Manhattan. The program is expected to reduce traffic and raise $1 billion annually for public transit improvements.

It was a historic moment for New York’s leaders and transportation advocates after decades of failed attempts to advance congestion pricing even as other gridlocked cities around the world, including London, Stockholm and Singapore, proved that similar programs could reduce traffic and pollution.

While other American cities have introduced related concepts by establishing toll roads or closing streets to traffic, the plan in New York is unmatched in ambition and scale.

Congestion pricing is expected to reduce the number of vehicles that enter Lower Manhattan by about 17 percent, according to a November study by an advisory committee reporting to the M.T.A. The report also said that the total number of miles driven in 28 counties across the region would be reduced.

“This was the right thing to do,” Janno Lieber, the authority’s chairman and chief executive, said after the vote. “New York has more traffic than any place in the United States, and now we’re doing something about it.”

Congestion pricing has long been a hard sell in New York, where many people commute by car from the boroughs outside of Manhattan and the suburbs, in part because some of them do not have access to public transit.

New York State legislators finally approved congestion pricing in 2019 after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo helped push it through. A series of recent breakdowns in the city’s subway system had underscored the need for billions of dollars to update its aging infrastructure.

It has taken another five years to reach the starting line. Before the tolling program can begin, it must be reviewed by the Federal Highway Administration, which is expected to approve it.

Congestion pricing also faces legal challenges from six lawsuits that have been brought by elected officials and residents from across the New York region. Opponents have increasingly mobilized against the program in recent months, citing the cost of the tolls and the potential environmental effects from shifting traffic and pollution to other areas as drivers avoid the tolls.

A court hearing is scheduled for April 3 and 4 on a lawsuit brought by the State of New Jersey, which is seen as the most serious legal challenge. The mayor of Fort Lee, N.J., Mark J. Sokolich, has filed a related lawsuit.

Four more lawsuits have been brought in New York: by Ed Day, the Rockland County executive; by Vito Fossella, the Staten Island borough president, and the United Federation of Teachers; and by two separate groups of city residents.

Amid the litigation, M.T.A. officials have suspended some capital construction projects that were to be paid for by the program, and they said at a committee meeting on Monday that crucial work to modernize subway signals on the A and C lines had been delayed.

Nearly all the toll readers have been installed, and will automatically charge drivers for entering the designated congestion zone at 60th Street or below. There is no toll for leaving the zone or driving around in it. Through traffic on Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive and the West Side Highway will not be tolled.

Under the final tolling structure, which was based on recommendations by the advisory panel, most passenger vehicles will be charged $15 a day from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. The toll will be $24 for small trucks and charter buses, and will rise to $36 for large trucks and tour buses. It will be $7.50 for motorcycles.

Those tolls will be discounted by 75 percent at night, dropping the cost for a passenger vehicle to $3.75.

Fares will go up by $1.25 for taxis and black car services, and by $2.50 for Uber and Lyft. Passengers will be responsible for paying the new fees, and they will be added to every ride that begins, ends or occurs within the congestion zone. There will be no nighttime discounts. (The new fees come on top of an existing congestion surcharge that was imposed on for-hire vehicles in 2019.)

The tolls will mostly be collected using the E-ZPass system. Electronic detection points have been placed at entrances and exits to the tolling zone. Drivers who do not use an E-ZPass will pay significantly higher fees — for instance, $22.50 instead of $15 during peak hours for passenger vehicles.

Emergency vehicles like fire trucks, ambulances and police cars, as well as vehicles carrying people with disabilities, were exempted from the new tolls under the state’s congestion pricing legislation .

As for discounts, low-income drivers who make less than $50,000 annually can apply to receive half off the daytime toll after their first 10 trips in a calendar month. In addition, low-income residents of the congestion zone who make less than $60,000 a year can apply for a state tax credit.

All drivers entering the zone directly from four tolled tunnels — the Lincoln, Holland, Hugh L. Carey and Queens-Midtown — will receive a “crossing credit” that will be applied against the daytime toll. The credit will be $5 round-trip for passenger vehicles, $12 for small trucks and intercity and charter buses, $20 for large trucks and tour buses, and $2.50 for motorcycles. No credits will be offered at night.

Grace Ashford contributed reporting.

Winnie Hu is a Times reporter covering the people and neighborhoods of New York City. More about Winnie Hu

Ana Ley is a Times reporter covering New York City’s mass transit system and the millions of passengers who use it. More about Ana Ley

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