Proposing a Solution Essay

so you have a problem solution essay or

a proposing a solution essay to write

here's the gist of what you're supposed

to be doing

basically you have to prove two things

first you need to prove that a problem

actually exists

and it's important to solve it after

that you need to prove that you have

identified the best solution to the

problem

when you state that a problem exists

it's important that you recognize you

are making a claim

even if it seems really really obvious

to you that this problem exists

you have to prove it's important and

needs to be fixed

and remember anytime you make a claim

you have to back it up with evidence

for example you might say that your

teacher gives too much homework and you

believe that's a problem

but your teacher or even other students

might not see the homework as a problem

maybe they think the homework is helping

them learn maybe they think there's a

manageable amount of homework don't just

assume everyone will agree with you or

see it from your perspective

you have to show them why it's a problem

so as you're thinking about the problem

be sure that you define

and explain what the problem is and how

it came to be

from there prove that the problem is a

big deal

provide examples statistics quotes from

people who know about or suffer from the

problem

or other types of evidence to help show

the reader what a big problem there is

if you can prove to your readers that

there is a big problem you will get them

motivated to fix it

so in the case of the homework maybe you

need to prove that students are feeling

overwhelmed or stressed

that they aren't learning the material

or that they're giving up on class

because of the hours of homework

after you've taken the time and provided

the evidence to prove that the problem

exists

move on to the solution you have chosen

keep in mind that there is almost always

more than one solution to a problem

for example if you're arguing that there

is too much homework one solution might

be to cut the homework in half

another argument will be to get rid of

all the homework

another solution might be to make

homework optional

other people might say the teacher

should keep the same amount of homework

but give students time in class to work

on it

the point is there are lots of different

ways to solve a problem

and none of them is the right solution

every solution has some upsides and some

downsides

your job however is to think creatively

about all kinds of solutions

and then pick the solution that you

think is the best and most effective way

to solve the problem that you have

identified

i also recommend that you indicate to

your reader that you've thought through

these other solutions

so the reader isn't sitting there

thinking but hey what about

go ahead and tell the reader hey listen

i considered these other solutions but i

didn't choose them

and here's why however once you've

picked a solution

stick to it explain in detail what it is

and how it will work and then provide

plenty of evidence

to support why it will solve the problem

just like you had to argue that your

problem was actually a problem

you have to argue why your solution will

help fix the problem

so let's say you decide the best

solution to the homework issue

is that your teacher should allow

students 30 minutes each day to work on

homework in class

great you've defined a clear solution

now your job is to explain how that

solution will solve the issues you

raised earlier

how that solution will relieve students

stress how it will help them

better learn the material and how this

extra in class time will motivate them

to continue in the class

maybe you'll also argue that this

additional in-class time

will allow the teacher to better connect

with her students especially if she

helps

them by walking around the room and

helping them with their homework

and of course you'll need to use plenty

of evidence to support any of these

claims

one last thing be sure you're thinking

about your audience when you provide the

problem and solution

make your arguments relevant to them and

assume they need to be convinced

so you probably don't want to say that

the reason you want less homework is

because you want more time to play

basketball

unless of course that would be a

compelling argument to your audience

like if your teacher is also your

basketball coach

so remember two things in writing a

problem solution essay

first you have to prove the problem is

actually a real important problem that

needs fixing

then you have to identify and argue for

the solution that you think will best

fix the problem