Why vocabulary matters in problem-solution essays
The biggest vocabulary weakness in this essay type is vague proposals. "The government should do something" is not a solution — it is a wish. The examiner wants to see specific, actionable language that connects each solution to the problem it addresses. The phrases below teach you how.
The patterns and their phrases
Common vocabulary mistakes
"The government should do something about traffic."
"Local governments could invest in expanding bus and metro networks to provide affordable alternatives."
"Do something" is not a solution. The examiner wants to see what specifically should be done, by whom, and how it addresses the problem.
"Traffic is caused by too many cars. The government should build more schools."
"Traffic is caused by too many cars. To address this, governments could invest in public transport as a viable alternative."
Every solution must respond to a specific cause. Use linking phrases like "To address this," "In response to," or "To tackle the issue of" to make the connection explicit.
"The problem is that people buy too many cars."
"The cause is the rapid growth of car ownership. The resulting problem is severe congestion during peak hours."
Causes and problems are different. Causes are reasons why something happens. Problems are the negative effects. If the question asks for causes, give causes. If it asks for problems, give effects.
The secret to a high-scoring problem-solution essay is the linking phrases between your paragraphs. When you start Body 2 with "To address the over-reliance on private cars," the examiner immediately sees you are connecting your solution to your cause. That single phrase can lift your Coherence score by half a band.