cause and effect ielts essay questions

Free IELTS lessons signup

• Academic practice
• General practice
• Task 1 Academic
• Task 1 General
• Task 2 (essay)

How to write cause/effect essays in IELTS?

Cause and effect essay questions in IELTS Writing task 2 give you a problem and ask you to state the main causes of this problem and discuss its possible effects .

In this lesson you will see:

• how to generate ideas for causes and effects
• band 9 answer structure for causes/effects essay
• cause/effect model essay

This is an example of cause/effect IELTS writing task 2 question:

Today more people are overweight than ever before.

What in your opinion are the primary causes of this?

What are the main effects of this epidemic?

Generating ideas

After you’ve read the question, you can clearly determine the problem: growing number of overweight people .

But before you start to write your essay, it’s a good idea to think of 2-3 causes and 2-3 possible effects of the problem.

Causes of obesity :

• inactive lifestyle (relying on cars instead of walking, fewer physical demands at work, inactive leisure activities)
• unhealthy eating habits (eating fast-food, drinking high-calorie beverages, consuming large portions of food, eating irregularly)

Effects of obesity :

• physical health problems
• loss of productivity
• depressions and mental disorders

Now, after we’ve generated the main ideas for causes and effects, it’s time to use these ideas in our essay.

Band 9 answer structure

As you know, there are many ways to structure your essay, but we’ll use a structure that has been approved by many IELTS examiners to be high-scoring and coherent .

Band-9 essay structure :

Introduction

Body paragraph 1 - causes

Body paragraph 2 - effects

Let’s take a look at each of these sections in detail.

Write your introduction in two sentences:

Nowadays the number of overweight people is constantly growing.

This essay will discuss the main reasons of this epidemic and then describe the possible effects of the problem.

In my opinion, the foremost causes of obesity are inactive lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits.

Today more and more people rely on cars instead of walking, have less physical demands at work and prefer inactive leisure activities. This results in burning less calories and gaining weight.

Moreover, the problem is accentuated by the growing number of people, who eat irregularly and consume large portions of high-calorie food. For example, about 50% of the adult population in Europe with so-called disordered eating suffer from obesity.

The possible effects of this problem include physical health problems and loss of productivity.

First of all, obesity results in incorrect functioning of the human body and contributes to the risk of developing some chronic illnesses. For example, as body fat percentage increases, the person’s metabolism worsens, which in turn may result in diabetes or heart diseases.

Secondly, overweight people are very unhealthy and often suffer from stress and tiredness. This lessens their work capacity and results in lower productivity. For example, it has been proven that an obese person needs to put more effort to complete some task than a person with normal weight.

For the conclusion you need simply to restate the problem and sum up the causes and effects that you described in your body paragraphs:

To sum up, obesity is a big problem that affects a lot of people nowadays. It’s mainly caused by inactive lifestyle and eating disorders and results in severe health problems and loss of productivity.

Model essay

Nowadays the number of overweight people is constantly increasing. This essay will discuss the main reasons of this epidemic and then describe the possible effects of the problem.

In my opinion, the foremost causes of obesity are inactive lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits. Today more and more people rely on cars instead of walking, have less physical demands at work and prefer inactive leisure activities. This results in burning less calories and gaining weight. Moreover, the problem is accentuated by the growing number of people, who eat irregularly and consume large portions of high-calorie food. For example, about 50% of the adult population in Europe with so-called disordered eating suffer from obesity.

The possible effects of this problem include physical health problems and loss of productivity. First of all, obesity results in incorrect functioning of the human body and contributes to the risk of developing some chronic illnesses. For example, as body fat percentage increases, the person’s metabolism worsens, which in turn may result in diabetes or heart diseases. Secondly, overweight people are very unhealthy and often suffer from stress and tiredness. This lessens their work capacity and results in lower productivity. For example, it has been proven that an obese person needs to put more effort to complete some task than a person with normal weight.

To sum up, obesity is a big problem that affects a lot of people nowadays. It’s mainly caused by inactive lifestyle and eating disorders and results in severe health problems and loss of productivity.

(251 words)

50 Latest Effects IELTS Topics

• Unlimited Essay Checks: Practice and perfect your skills.
• Detailed Error Analysis: Spot every mistake.
• In-Built Grammar Checker: Say no to grammatical errors.
• Personalized Suggestions: Know how to boost your score.
• Progress Tracking: View your checked essay history.
• Still thinking? We have a 14-day money-back guarantee. Take a leap of faith!

IELTS Writing Task 2  Causes and Effects: Sample Answer

Requirements

This question type is very similar to causes and solutions and requires you to identify causes or reasons of an issue or problem and discuss the effects it has. The topics are usually social and nothing controversial.

The wording of the questions can vary. For example....

“What do you think are the reasons for this?”  “Why is this happening?”

“What are the consequences of this trend?”  “How does this affect the country?”

Sample Answer

Nowadays, professionals from developing countries have a tendency to emigrate to richer countries to find employment. This essay will discuss both the causes of this phenomenon and the issues that affect the nations they are leaving. 

The primary reasons skilled employees from emerging nations seek work in more developed countries are a higher standard of living along with professional development. For instance, the average monthly salary for a white-collar worker, such as a teacher, in a developing country pales in comparison to their counterparts in so-called first world nations even though they perform identical duties and responsibilities. Additionally, outdated facilities and equipment in poor states hampers the ability of professionals such as doctors to practice contemporary medicine and improve their skills.      

The effect this trend has on developing countries is invariably negative, particularly with regards to the nation’s social and economic development. According to Scientific American magazine, every year, more than 4,000 foreign graduates of international medical schools come to the United States for a residency program and very few return home to take up employment in their native countries. This brain drain denies countries the talents of their brightest and best and limits a country’s ability to progress as they are continuously faced with the challenge of retaining the most able professionals.

In conclusion, a comfortable material lifestyle coupled with the opportunity to advance one’s career are the main reasons why professionals migrate to richer countries. The countries they leave behind struggle to find suitably qualified replacements and thus suffer from social and economic stagnation.

Sample: Causes and Effects. PDF

How to Write ‘Causes (Reasons) and Effects’ Type of Essay in IELTS Writing Task 2

In “causes and effects” type of essay, IELTS examiners want you to discuss the causes or reasons of the problem in one paragraph.The likely effects of that problem in the second paragraph separately. Therefore, it is important that you find out relevant points of causes (reasons) and effects for IELTS Writing . Please note that in this question, you should not make any paragraph about solutions.

Let’s look at an example:

Obesity in children is a serious problem in a number of countries..

What are the causes of obesity in children?

Discuss the possible alarming effects of this problem in the future.

With this type of essay, you have two points to be discussed: 1. Causes of obesity in children in developed countries.

2. Effects of obesity in the future in developed countries.

You must discuss both of them by giving reasons and support them with examples.

If you do not discuss any of the above two points in the essay, you will lose marks.

So, in this type of essay, you must explain both the points.

How to structure it?

The essay can be structured mainly in 4 paragraphs as follows:

Introduction

Causes & Reasons

Further structuring of the paragraphs can be done as follows:

a. Introduction

Paraphrase the Question

Outline the sentence

b. -Body Paragraph 1 (Causes (reasons))

State the cause (reason)

Explain how it is the cause (reason)

Write an example

c. (Effects)

State the likely effect

Explain how this can be the possible effect

d. Conclusion

Sentence 1- Write summary of the main points Here, Four paragraphs are sufficient to explain your point of view. So,You may use any other structure you are comfortable with.This structure is approved by the IELTS examiners to help the students write in an effective and cohesive manner.

Sample Question:

Also, You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Here, Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer:

Here, Over the past few years, developed countries have encountered various cases of children suffering from the problem of obesity. This essay will discuss the possible causes for this increasing problem among children and also suggests the possible consequences that may result in case of negligence.

Furthermore, To embark upon, one of the main causes of obesity among children is poor diet as they are often seen eating junk food. At almost every corner of the street, one can found restaurants offering mouth tempting fast foods. Kids at home also are found to eat processed food because their parents do not find sufficient time for preparing the food. For example, packaged foods are purchased and kept in fridge for days. This food is not fresh and healthy. Hence affects their health, leading to build up of fat and compromising their fitness.

As a result, there are many possible consequences faced by the children. One such ill-effect is the risk of developing health related severe diseases like diabetes. So,This kind of debilitating illness implies that the child would need to be injected with insulin for the whole life. Moreover, overweight children are often found to be bullied . For example, many overweight kids are found disturbed facing the negative stigma of being obese

Here,On the whole, it is evident that there are various causes responsible for obesity among children and can lead to serious consequences in the future. Also, It is the duty of their parents and relatives to ensure that appropriate steps are taken to prevent this problem from getting worst in the future.

(279 words)

Vocabulary and Phrases:

Useful vocabulary for causes (reasons).

• One of the causes/The reason is that
• Because/Since
• Due to this/Because of/Owing to/Lead to
• As a result/Lead to the problem/Can attribute to

Useful vocabulary for Effects

• Consequence of/As a result of/Because of/Due to
• Make/Create/Change/Effect/Affect/Result
• Risk of/Leading to

Write an essay of about 250 words on the following topics. Use the vocabulary mentioned above. 1. Also,There are a number of skin-whitening products available in the market. State the reasons why people are using these products? Discuss the possible negative outcomes of using these products.

2. Here,With the advancement of technology, social interaction among people has affected to a greater extent. What are the reasons of reduced social interaction? Suggest whether this would lead to a positive or negative effect in the future.

3. So,Almost everybody nowadays is found using personal vehicle for travelling purpose. What are the reasons of this increasing trend? Explain what negative outcomes may be faced in the society due to this.

Share with friends

Scan below qr code to share with your friends, related ielts tips.

How to Write a 7.5 Band Essay in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1

How to Write a 7.5 Band Essay in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 The...

How to Do IELTS Writing Task1 With Only Two or More Charts?

  In the IELTS writing task 1, you find question with only one chart...

IELTS Writing Task 2 (Essay) Model Answer Band 8

Some international companies are very powerful now and many people believe...

IELTS Writing Task 1 Analysis (UK Graduates Choosing Full-Time Employment) – Band 7

Let us try to do thorough analysis of IELTS writing task 1 of a...

How to Organize the Essay Well in IELTS Writing Task 2?

Some students do not give preference to organising the essay well...

Thank you for contacting us!

We have received your message.

We will get back within 48 hours.

You have subscribed successfully.

Thank you for your feedback, we will investigate and resolve the issue within 48 hours.

Your answers has been saved successfully.

Add Credits

You do not have enough iot credits.

Your account does not have enough IOT Credits to complete the order. Please purchase IOT Credits to continue.

Press ESC to close

How to write ‘causes (reasons) and effects’ type of essay in ielts writing task 2.

In “causes and effects” type of essay, IELTS examiners want you to discuss the causes or reasons of the problem in one paragraph.The likely effects of that problem in the second paragraph separately. Therefore, it is important that you find out relevant points of causes (reasons) and effects  for IELTS Writing . Please note that in this question, you should not make any paragraph about solutions.

Let’s look at an example:

Obesity in children is a serious problem in a number of countries..

What are the causes of obesity in children?

Discuss the possible alarming effects of this problem in the future.

With this type of essay, you have two points to be discussed: 1.   Causes of obesity in children in developed countries. 2.   Effects of obesity in the future in developed countries. You must discuss both of them by giving reasons and support them with examples. If you do not discuss any of the above two points in the essay, you will lose marks. So, in this type of essay, you must explain both the points.

How to structure it?

The essay can be structured mainly in 4 paragraphs as follows:

 Introduction

Causes & Reasons Effects Conclusion Further structuring of the paragraphs can be done as follows:

a. Introduction

Paraphrase the Question Outline the sentence

b. -Body Paragraph 1 (Causes (reasons))

State the cause (reason) Explain how it is the cause (reason) Write an example

c.  (Effects)

State the likely effect Explain how this can be the possible effect Write an example

d.  Conclusion

Sentence 1- Write summary of the main points Here, Four paragraphs are sufficient to explain your point of view. So,You may use any other structure you are comfortable with.This structure is approved by the IELTS examiners to help the students write in an effective and cohesive manner.

Sample Question:

Also, You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic:

Here, Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words. Sample Answer: Here, Over the past few years, developed countries have encountered various cases of children suffering from the problem of obesity. This essay will discuss the possible causes for this increasing problem among children and also suggests the possible consequences that may result in case of negligence. Furthermore, To embark upon, one of the main causes of obesity among children is poor diet as they are often seen eating junk food. At almost every corner of the street, one can found restaurants offering mouth tempting fast foods. Kids at home also are found to eat processed food because their parents do not find sufficient time for preparing the food. For example, packaged foods are purchased and kept in fridge for days. This food is not fresh and healthy. Hence affects their health, leading to build up of fat and compromising their fitness. As a result, there are many possible consequences faced by the children. One such ill-effect is the risk of developing health related severe diseases like diabetes. So,This kind of debilitating illness implies that the child would need to be injected with insulin for the whole life. Moreover, overweight children are often found to be bullied . For example, many overweight kids are found disturbed facing the negative stigma of being obese Here,On the whole, it is evident that there are various causes responsible for obesity among children and can lead to serious consequences in the future.  Also, It is the duty of their parents and relatives to ensure that appropriate steps are taken to prevent this problem from getting worst in the future. (279 words)

Vocabulary and Phrases:

Useful vocabulary for causes (reasons).

• One of the causes/The reason is that
• Because/Since
• Due to this/Because of/Owing to/Lead to
• As a result/Lead to the problem/Can attribute to

Useful vocabulary for Effects

• Consequence of/As a result of/Because of/Due to
• Make/Create/Change/Effect/Affect/Result
• Risk of/Leading to

Write an essay of about 250 words on the following topics. Use the vocabulary mentioned above. 1. Also,There are a number of skin-whitening products available in the market. State the reasons why people are using these products? Discuss the possible negative outcomes of using these products. 2. Here,With the advancement of technology, social interaction among people has affected to a greater extent. What are the reasons of reduced social interaction? Suggest whether this would lead to a positive or negative effect in the future. 3. So,Almost everybody nowadays is found using personal vehicle for travelling purpose. What are the reasons of this increasing trend? Explain what negative outcomes may be faced in the society due to this.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Share Article:

You might also like

Writing High-Scoring IELTS Essays: A Step-by-Step Guide

Common IELTS Writing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Describe Something Important that has been Kept in Your Family: A Cue Card Sample Topic for IELTS Speaking

Other stories, how to write ‘problems and solutions’ type of essay in ielts writing task 2, common errors made while using prepositions..

IELTS Writing Task 2: Causes/Solutions Sample Essay

The “cause and solution” style of IELTS Writing Task 2 question presents a common social problem; your job is to identify the causes of the problem and propose ways the problem could be solved. For more information on this type of Writing Task 2 question, including tips and tricks, you can go to Magoosh’s guide to the different kinds of IELTS Writing Task 2 questions . And here in this post, we’ll go through a full causes and solutions model question and sample response.

The response itself is written at the band 9 level. After you read the essay, there is more explanation as to why this essay gets top marks. And to write a similarly high scored essay, check out our IELTS Writing Task 2 template .

Causes/Solutions Model Essay

This essay is a response to the sample prompt immediately below.

Sample Task

Many large cities around the world lack affordable housing. What problems does a lack of affordable housing cause? How can these problems be overcome? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Sample Essay (Band 9)

In almost every part of the world, expensive housing is closely associated with urban life. This is the underlying cause of many different problems, and civic planners are struggling to find solutions. I believe that the biggest, most important problem caused by high housing prices is homelessness. In my opinion, this problem can be addressed through rent control and welfare payments to low-income people.

Expensive urban housing leads to homelessness both directly and indirectly. The housing costs themselves cause some people to lose their homes, but such costs also drive up general prices, which can indirectly cause homelessness. For example, if a grocery store itself pays high rent, it must charge everyone more for food. This in turn forces landlords to charge more for rent in order to feed themselves. Once that happens, their tenants may have trouble paying the higher rent while also paying for more expensive food.

To reduce homelessness and make it easier for people to afford housing, I propose a twofold solution: limits on rent prices and increased welfare payments to the poor. Legally limiting rent fees will make housing much more affordable, while welfare payments can help people deal with the high costs of other goods. To give an example, if the government provides low-income people extra money for food, those people, in turn, have more room in their budget to pay rent. By employing both approaches, rent costs are directly reduced, and costs that compete with rent also go down.

In short, while expensive housing and homelessness are serious problems in cities, regulations and public assistance can help. The right kind of regulations will not only reduce the price of housing but also reduce general cost of living. This kind of government action is a win-win for everyone, whether they are homeless or not.

Word count: 300

Explanation of the Score

This essay meets all of the requirements for Band 9 in Task Achievement, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy; these are the categories seen in the official IELTS Writing Task 2 band descriptors . To understand this essay’s strengths, carefully read the level 9 descriptors in that document. And to further understand why an essay might receive a band 9, see the detailed score report at the bottom of Magoosh’s sample band 9 discussion essay for IELTS Writing Task 2 .

Additional Model Essays for Task 2

Would you like to see sample essays for all of the most common Writing Task 2 question types on the IELTS? At the links below, Magoosh has you covered!

• Advantage/Disadvantage Essay
• Two-Part Question Essay
• Discussion Essay
• Agree/Disagree Essay

David is a Test Prep Expert for Magoosh TOEFL and IELTS. Additionally, he’s helped students with TOEIC, PET, FCE, BULATS, Eiken, SAT, ACT, GRE, and GMAT. David has a BS from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and an MA from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. His work at Magoosh has been cited in many scholarly articles , his Master’s Thesis is featured on the Reading with Pictures website, and he’s presented at the WITESOL (link to PDF) and NAFSA conferences. David has taught K-12 ESL in South Korea as well as undergraduate English and MBA-level business English at American universities. He has also trained English teachers in America, Italy, and Peru. Come join David and the Magoosh team on Youtube , Facebook , and Instagram , or connect with him via LinkedIn !

View all posts

More from Magoosh

2 responses to “IELTS Writing Task 2: Causes/Solutions Sample Essay”

Before reading this, i was not able to understand that how do i write advantage and disadvantage essay. After reading this, i came to know, this is a piece of cake.

So glad to hear that the article helped! 😀

Thanks for letting us know, and good luck to you!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Join us at My IELTS Classroom today for our video courses, marking service, 1-2-1 lessons and so much more…

IELTS Cause Effect essays: Stop exaggerating your arguments

A lot of IELTS teachers tell students that their “ideas don’t matter”, but this is simply NOT true. Yes, you are free to agree or disagree with any question (so there is no “right” opinion) but if you need a high IELTS score, then it is extremely important that your ideas are both relevant and convincing. In this week’s blog, I want to show you how to drastically improve the quality of the arguments in your essay by giving ideas that are less dramatic, which can be a real problem in IELTS Cause Effect essays in particular!

IELTS ideas that are relevant and convincing

I expect most of you know that “relevant” just means having ideas that address the question, but what does “convincing” mean? Well, it means having arguments that make the examiner nod his or her head in agreement because they are REALISTIC. The mistake that students make again and again is giving arguments that are just too DRAMATIC (and, therefore, not convincing at all).

Often, this is because students try to give BIG reasons for trends, rather than focusing on more subtle explanations. As I said, this is usually a problem in IELTS Cause Effect Essays. Take this question  for example:

In many countries, the tradition of having family meals together is disappearing. Why is this happening? What will the effects of this be on the family and society?

Most students are able to cope with the first question fairly well. Why are people eating together less? Often I am given these very good arguments:

• In most households today, both parents work and simply do not have enough time to prepare a meal that can be eaten around a table. 👏👏👏
• People tend to eat more often outside the home i.e. children eat at school / parents in a canteen 👍👍👍
• Children take part in after school activities and so coordinating one meal that can be eaten by everybody at the same time is hard. 👌👌👌

Great – all of these arguments are relevant and convincing i.e. I accept that these are REAL reasons for this trend. The problems start when students have to think of the effects of this problem. Most are able to see that not eating as a family can have a negative impact on family structures. However, when it comes to explaining what that negative effect is, almost all students come up with EXTREME arguments:

• Children of families who do not eat together turn to crime and often commit murder . –  REALLY? 😳😳😳
• Children from families that have disintegrated usually end up being drug addicts . – REALLY? 🤔🤔🤔
• Parents who do not eat together get divorced . – REALLY? 🤯🤯🤯

These are real arguments given by my students in recent weeks but, I want you to ask yourself, ARE THESE TRUE?  Do you really think that the main reason for youth crime is not having a family meal? Or that children who eat in front of the TV always become addicted to drugs? Or that the divorce rate is affected by a lack of family meals? I don’t! I think that these are over-simplified arguments that are far too extreme to be convincing (and therefore won’t score more than a 6.0 for Task Response).

The really sad thing here is that these students are actually on the right path to a good idea – they have just gone way too far. All they need to do is bring their arguments one or two steps back to something more realistic and widely accepted. To do this, ask yourself “why” you think these arguments are true:

• Why do children “commit crimes”? Well, probably because they weren’t supervised closely enough by their parents and so problems weren’t spotted.
• Why do people get divorced? It is probably because they don’t spend enough quality time with each other and so start to drift apart.
• Do you see? Once we move a step back from the DRAMATIC ideas of crime and divorce and start digging a bit deeper into why these problems could come about, we actually arrive at some very good more subtle arguments. Let’s turn these ideas into a paragraph:

Unfortunately, this trend can lead to a number of negative outcomes. Firstly, when families sit down and eat together every day, it is easy for the parents to see subtle changes in their children’s behaviour that could be warning signs of an underlying problem. For example, they might be experiencing some difficulties at school such as bullying, or they may have fallen out with friends. Once family members eat separately, the opportunity for daily observation is lost and, as a result, younger family members’ problems can go unrecognised. Over time, this can lead to them becoming depressed or acting out in other ways, which could affect their schoolwork or their ability to interact with others in society in general. In the same way, if the adult members of the family both work long hours, then a shared meal might be the only time that they have to really connect each day. Thus, not having this meal can result in them becoming distanced. In the worst cases, this might lead to the breakdown of communication and even, eventually, in divorce.

Can you see the difference? I have taken the same ideas (crime and divorce) but have developed them in a much more realistic and convincing way! Notice that I have kept “divorce”, but I have shown that it is the final worst case scenario rather than the inevitable end. Honestly, I still think that this argument is a bit too dramatic, but at least now it is more convincing as I have given a REASON for this idea.

So, if you are struggling for ideas for your IELTS Cause Effect Essays, my advice is don’t fall back on EXTREME arguments to support your ideas. Try to take a step back and offer the examiner an opinion that is more reasoned and less dramatic. If you can do this, you will be far more likely to get a 7.0 or even an 8.0 or 9.0 for Task Response.

Plus, the lessons are interactive, so you will pause and participate in every lesson. But that’s not the best part! Once you become my student, you will be able to message me with any questions you have at any time , so you won’t be on the IELTS journey on your own anymore! And, every writing package now includes access to our free daily live lessons for reading, speaking, and listening.  🚀

Posts navigation

• All Posts , 
• Writing , 
• Speaking , 
• Listening , 
• Reading , 
• Grammar , 
• General Advice , 

Real experts, real lessons, real success!

If you like my blog, you'll love our IELTS Writing packages

• 45 hours of video lessons with a genuine IELTS expert that prepare you for ANY IELTS question
• Integrated grammar and writing skills lessons to help you reach 7.0+
• Hundreds of downloadable practice activities and model answers

Try our free video lessons today!

Free IELTS Advice?

Subscribe to our mailing list to receive regular tips, tricks and special offers!

• A Beginner’s Guide to IELTS
• Common Grammar Mistakes [for IELTS Writing Candidates]

Writing Correction Service

• Free IELTS Resources
• Practice Speaking Test

Select Page

How to Structure a Cause and Solution Essay [IELTS Writing Task 2]

Posted by David S. Wills | Mar 30, 2021 | IELTS Tips , Writing | 0

Today, we are going to look at the process of writing an answer to a cause and solution IELTS essay . This is a common question type that will generally ask you to describe a cause (or reason) for an issue and then suggest some solutions.

What are Cause and Solution Essays?

In IELTS writing task 2, you may be asked to discuss the cause of a problem and then suggest some solutions to solve it. There are a wide array of possibilities and sometimes the words “cause” and “solution” are not actually used, so it can be a little difficult to spot these.

Here is an example:

Some people get into debt buying things they don’t need and can’t afford. What are the reasons for this behaviour? What action can be taken to prevent people having this problem?

In the first part, it does not say “what is the cause?” Instead, it says “What are the reasons…?” This is why it is important to read carefully and to think in terms of synonyms. In the second question, it does not say “solutions,” but instead says “What actions can… prevent…?” Again, if you read carefully you will realise this means “What are the solutions to the problem?”

Structure for Cause and Solution Essays

Thankfully, it is very easy to structure a cause and solution essay for IELTS. You simply need to write four paragraphs, with one body paragraph about the causes and one body paragraph about the solutions:

• Introduction – introduce the topic
• Body paragraph #1 – explain the causes of the problem
• Body paragraph #2 – explain the solutions to the problem
• Conclusion – summarise briefly

This is very, very easy to do. However, today I would like to show you a little more. In fact, I am going to discuss some complicated issues to help you produce a more advanced essay structure.

How Many Causes and How Many Solutions?

When I talk about IELTS essay structures, I often tell people to write just one main idea per paragraph. This is because for IELTS it is really important to give development and if you write too much then it can end up more like a list than an essay.

However, with cause and solution essays, you can get into multiple causes and multiple solutions if you are careful. Whilst it is fine to write one single cause and one single solution, you might find it easier to list many. However, I would suggest that you must structure this more carefully because you need to link the causes and solutions clearly.

For each cause, you could find one direct solution and link them in the following way:

I would recommend using a maximum of three problems and solutions for the aforementioned reason of development. If you wrote a list of five or six, you would not realistically be able to explain them properly.

To understand this better, let’s look at an example cause and solution question:

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

When I read this question, I first thought, “Wow! It’s really hard to answer it because it’s such a vast issue!” Thus, I would want to mention many factors. Rather than listing them, I’ll boil them down to three causes and three direct solutions:

The benefit of this method is that I can include three big ideas about the problems and then counter each of them with a specific solution. The drawback of course is that I cannot go into much detail. This will be more of a problem for the solution section because obviously issues like “ending deforestation” are incredibly complex and require a lot of discussion. However, you cannot say everything for IELTS.

In order to put across the complexity of the situation and show my understanding of it, I will mention several times that it will be difficult to solve and that the problem is very serious. I will conclude my “solutions” paragraph with a note about the unlikeliness of any real change happening because it is true and also in order to counter any complaints about my ideas being unrealistic.

Sample Band 9 Answer

It is apparent nowadays that humans have had a devastating effect on the environment, and in particular we have caused the extinction of countless species of animals. This essay will explore the reasons for this and mention some possible solutions.

To begin with, there are various causes for the reduction in animal populations around the world. Perhaps the main cause is the destruction of their environment. Humans have cut down rainforests and polluted the seas, which has meant that animal no longer have their natural habitat and thus cannot survive. Beyond that, they are poached in order to satisfy the demand for fake medicines in Asia. Every day, elephants and rhinos are killed in Africa and then sent to China. Beyond that, the growing demand for fish has meant that vast fleets of fishing boats trawl the seas, causing the eradication of wildlife there. Many whales and dolphins, for example, are caught up in these nets as a tragic by-product of the industry.

Fixing this problem will be difficult and for many species it is already too late. The most important factor will be the cessation of deforestation in places like Brazil and Malaysia. Humans have to recognise the value of nature rather than focusing on obtaining more land for farming or housing. Education needs to be drastically improved in Asia and also punishments strictly enforced to end the sadistic trafficking of animals for these so-called medicines. Finally, ethical fishing needs to be practised, with limits on trawl nets and ranges for fishing boats. Sadly, none of this is particularly likely due to a lack of concern amongst most of the citizens of the world, and so of course education must be improved before it is too late.

In conclusion, there are various factors that have caused the tragic loss of biodiversity in this world, but there are some steps that could be taken to mitigate the damage.

About The Author

David S. Wills

David S. Wills is the author of Scientologist! William S. Burroughs and the 'Weird Cult' and the founder/editor of Beatdom literary journal. He lives and works in rural Cambodia and loves to travel. He has worked as an IELTS tutor since 2010, has completed both TEFL and CELTA courses, and has a certificate from Cambridge for Teaching Writing. David has worked in many different countries, and for several years designed a writing course for the University of Worcester. In 2018, he wrote the popular IELTS handbook, Grammar for IELTS Writing and he has since written two other books about IELTS. His other IELTS website is called IELTS Teaching.

Related Posts

How to Prepare for the IELTS Reading Test

October 28, 2017

IELTS Topics and How to Prepare for Them

November 8, 2017

Improve Your IELTS Writing With Parallelism

March 29, 2016

The Countryside [IELTS Topics]

December 6, 2018

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Download my IELTS Books

Recent Posts

• Past Simple vs Past Perfect
• Complex Sentences
• How to Score Band 9 [Video Lesson]
• Taxing Fast Food: Model IELTS Essay
• Airport Vocabulary

Recent Comments

• Daisey Lachut on IELTS Discussion Essays [Discuss Both Views/Sides]
• David S. Wills on Describe a Historical Period
• Siavash on Describe a Historical Period
• fabliha on IELTS Speaking Partners
• tufail khan on IELTS Discussion Essays [Discuss Both Views/Sides]
• Lesson Plans
• Model Essays
• TED Video Lessons
• Weekly Roundup

• Practice Test
• Useful Tips – Tricks
• Full Writing Review
• General Writing Task
• Writing Task 1
• Writing Task 2
• Writing Exercises
• Writing Sample – Topics
• Writing Vocabulary
• Speaking Vocabulary
• Intro Question
• Speaking Part 1
• Speaking Part 2
• Speaking Part 2 – Audio
• Speaking Part 3
• IELTS Books
• Recent Exams
• IELTS Vocabulary
• Essay from Examiners
• IELTS Ideas

IELTS App - For Mobile

Ready for the IELTS exam with our IELTS app. Over 2 million downloads

Popular Last 24h

In many countries，today there are many highly qualified graduates without employment., ielts speaking part 1 : hometown, village, living place, city, tourism, country, [ebook] 32 sample ielts writing – task 2 – band 9.0, 138 common linking words for the ielts test, describe an interesting neighbour you know, ielts speaking part 1: animals, describe a time when you searched/looked for information from the internet.

• IELTS Test/Skills FAQs
• IELTS Scoring in Detail
• Forecast Speaking – 2023
• List IELTS Speaking Part 3
• List IELTS Speaking Part 1
• IELTS Writing 2023 – Actual Test

Our Telegram

Join our community for IELTS preparation and share and download materials.

The information on this site is for informational purposes only. IELTS is a registered trademark of the University of Cambridge ESOL, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia. This site and its owners are not affiliated, approved or endorsed by University of Cambridge ESOL, the British Council, or IDP Education Australia.

Latest Articles

Ielts speaking part 3: topic relax, describe a place | where you go to relax, ielts speaking part 1: advertisements (audio), describe a place where you like to go shopping  , describe an event you attended, most popular, describe a film that made you laugh, describe a person whom you met for the first time and made you happy, topic: experience is the best teacher, describe something difficult you would like to succeed in doing.

ieltspracticeonline All Rights Reserved

IELTS Cause/Effect Essay Sample 1 – Crime

In this post, we will look at a cause/effect essay example from the IELTS writing task 2 test. Students often ask if the questions are repeated year after year and the answer is no, but the topics are. There are so many questions written each year, you may find your practice answering various questions on different topics. For example, you could write essays to answer questions about education or the environment, which benefits you because you learn vocabulary associated with those topics and develop ideas that can help you in your writing test.

Practising writing IELTS task 2 essays on a range of topics is a great way to learn new vocabulary for those topics, but also to practice your essay structures. You begin to develop your ideas around those topics, thinking of examples and giving your opinions.

If you would like to purchase a 30 page PDF download that is easy to read and print out please take a look at the bookshop >

If you would like to learn how to structure a cause/effect essay  please click the button below >

Take a look at the IELTS essay example below >>

Numerous ex-convicts re-offend soon after they have been freed from jail. This essay will first discuss why this is happening and secondly the negative impact it has on society.

On the one hand, the primary cause of ex-prisoners committing crimes as soon as they are out of prison is because they think that this could be the fastest way to earn money. Having a criminal record means that it is hard to find employment, which means that ex-cons cannot find suitable jobs. Most employers would be very hesitant to hire someone who has a criminal record, even though the person might have the right skills for the position. For example, an ABC 5 documentary in 2016 reported that 90% of employers would not hire an employee if they had committed criminal offences.

On the other hand, this has a detrimental effect on society, because new offences will be committed and the taxpayers will keep paying for these criminals. This will also indicate the need to have bigger prisons to accommodate prisoners, which furthermore affects the budget of a city. If more prisons are required, taxes will rise and the community will pay for these people to stay incarcerated. For example, in 2016, the Caloocan City municipality reported that they allocated 80 million pesos to extend their city jails, and this was funded by taxpayers.

In conclusion, the lack of opportunities for ex-convicts to restart their lives is the reason why they tend to commit the same mistakes. The effect is immense not only for the individual but for the whole country as well, for this can affect the economic stability.

(Word count – 270 / Band score 8)

The following video will give you contains sample Essay in audiovisual format.

Instructor Feedback on IELTS CAUSE AND EFFECT Question Essay: Crime

• Task Achievement  – The essay provides an answer to the question asked, supported by relevant examples.
• Coherence and Cohesion  – The answer has been divided into clear logical paragraphs and each main body paragraph only has one main idea. There are cohesive links between the main body paragraphs .
• Lexical Resource  – There is evidence of a wide range of vocabulary, with no errors in the text.
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy  – The answer has no grammatical errors. The sentences have a wide range of structures. 

Want to check more Cause and Effect Essay Samples? Check the IELTS Cause/Effect Question Essay Examples

We hope you found this post useful in helping you to study for the IELTS Test . If you have any questions please let us know in the comments below or on the Facebook page.

The best way to keep up to date with posts like this is to like us on Facebook , then follow us on Instagram and Pinterest . If you need help preparing for the IELTS Test, join the IELTS Achieve Academy and see how we can assist you to achieve your desired band score. We offer an essay correction service, mock exams and online courses.

Related Posts

150+ IELTS Academic Essay List

It is more important to have a good family than to have friends. Family can…

How To Write An Agree Or Disagree Essay?

In writing task 2 you will be asked to write a discursive essay (250 words…

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• IELTS Scores
• Life Skills Test
• Find a Test Centre
• Alternatives to IELTS
• Find Student Housing
• General Training
• Academic Word List
• Topic Vocabulary
• Collocation
• Phrasal Verbs
• Writing eBooks
• Reading eBook
• All eBooks & Courses
• Sample Essays
• Cause & Effect Essay

IELTS Cause and Effect Essay: Skin Whitening

This cause and effect essay is about the issue of skin whitening products: why people are using them and their possible dangers for health and society.

Take a look at the question:

In many parts of the world today there is a profitable market for products which lighten or whiten people’s skin. Outline the reasons for using such products and discuss what effects they have in terms of health and society.

There are three things you must discuss:

• The reasons why they are used
• Their effects on health
• Their effects on society

This causes and effects essay has been organized into two body paragraphs. The first dicussing the reasons, and the second discussing the effects on health and society.

There are other ways to organize it of course. For example, you could have three paragraphs, each discussing one of the points above.

Cause and Effect Essay

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

In many parts of the world today there is a profitable market for products which lighten or whiten people’s skin.

Outline the reasons for using such products and discuss what effects they have in terms of health and society.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge.

Write at least 250 words.

Cause and Effect Essay - Model Answer

In many countries, particularly places like Asia, skin whitening products are incredibly popular and provide huge profits for the companies involved in their sale. This essay will examine the reasons why people use these products and the effects this has on people’s health and on society.

The principal reason that people use skin whitening products is because whiter skin is seen to be more desirable than darker skin. To understand why, we need to firstly look at history. In ancient times, those people of a higher status tended to stay indoors, whilst people of a lower status worked outside, usually farming. As a result, those people who were indoors had much lighter skin, which means that whiter skin is now associated with having a higher status than dark skin. Another reason, which is partly related to this, is the desire for the ‘Western’ look. For example, plastic surgery to creat western eyelids and noses is common in Asia, and the white skin is part of this. These beliefs and images are also perpetuated in the media, with adverts showing people with white skin as more successful and attractive.

However, despite the fact that having whiter skin may improve a person’s self-esteem, these products can have negative effects. Regarding health, there are reports that people are harming their skin permanently as some products bought over the counter have prescription-strength ingredients. For instance, some contain steroids or toxins which can severely damage the skin and other parts of the body. In terms of society, there are also detrimental effects. Such behaviour perpetuates the belief that ‘white’ is better than ‘black’, and thus those with darker skin may experience discrimination.

In conclusion, people use whitening products due to the fact that white skin, usually through the media, is portrayed as more desirable. However, steps should be taken to change this image as the drawbacks of this are clear, with potentially dangerous consequences for people’s future health and society as a whole.

(328 Words)

<<< Back

Next >>>

More Cause & Effect Essays:

Family Size Essay: Why is there a trend towards smaller families?

Family Size Essay: Learn how to write and structure excellent essays for IELTS. There are two parts that need to be answered: Why there is a trend towards smaller family sizes in countries that are developing and how this affects society in those countries.

Causes and Effects Essay: Why is obesity in children increasing?

Causes and effects essay: This causes and effects model essay is about obesity in children. You specifically have to talk about the causes (reasons) of the increase in overweight children, and explain the effects (results) of this.

Having Children Later in Life Essay: What effects does this have?

Having Children Later in Life Essay: This IELTS essay is on causes (or 'reasons') and effects. You have to explain why men and women are deciding to have children later on in their life, and then explain how this can impacts those families and society.

Time Away from Families Essay: What are the reasons and effects?

In this time away from families essay you have to discuss the reasons why people have to spend more time away and how this effects the family and the individual.

Any comments or questions about this page or about IELTS? Post them here. Your email will not be published or shared.

Before you go...

Check out the ielts buddy band 7+ ebooks & courses.

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

• Click on the HTML link code below.
• Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

Band 7+ eBooks

"I think these eBooks are FANTASTIC!!! I know that's not academic language, but it's the truth!"

Linda, from Italy, Scored Band 7.5

IELTS Modules:

Other resources:.

• All Lessons
• Band Score Calculator
• Writing Feedback
• Speaking Feedback
• Teacher Resources
• Free Downloads
• Recent Essay Exam Questions
• Books for IELTS Prep
• Student Housing
• Useful Links

Recent Articles

Decreasing House Sizes Essay

Apr 06, 24 10:22 AM

Latest IELTS Writing Topics - Recent Exam Questions

Apr 04, 24 02:36 AM

IELTS Essay: English as a Global Language

Apr 03, 24 03:49 PM

Important pages

IELTS Writing IELTS Speaking IELTS Listening   IELTS Reading All Lessons Vocabulary Academic Task 1 Academic Task 2 Practice Tests

Connect with us

Copyright © 2022- IELTSbuddy All Rights Reserved

IELTS is a registered trademark of University of Cambridge, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia. This site and its owners are not affiliated, approved or endorsed by the University of Cambridge ESOL, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia.

• Skip to main content

IELTS Podcast

Pass IELTS with expert help.

IELTS Advanced Speaking: Cause and Effect

In this tutorial, you will learn:

• the definitions of cause and effect
• the language phrases needed to talk about cause and effect
• when and how to use this language in your IELTS speaking exam

IELTS Speaking: Using Cause and Effect Language in your IELTS Speaking Test (part 3).

To express cause and effect in English, we use certain words and phrases.

• as a consequence of
• as a result of

To express cause and effect, these words or phrases will either be followed by a noun or a verb.

IELTS Speaking

When we talk about a situation that makes another situation happen, we talk about cause and effect. We use certain expressions such as because, due to, since, and as to talk about causes and effects. In this lesson, you will learn the meanings of cause, effect, and affect. You will also learn how to express cause and effect in English.

Followed by a noun

These cause/effect phrases are followed by a noun or noun phrase.

In the following examples, the noun or noun phrase will be in green . The cause always comes after the cause/effect signal word or phrase.

Signal word/phrase + Cause , + Effect Effect + Signal word/phrase + Cause

1. Due to Sara’s procrastination , she did not pass the IELTS exam . Signal phrase: Due to Cause: Sara’s procrastination Effect: She did not pass the IELTS exam Signal word/phrase + Cause , + Effect

2. He failed the test because of his poor preparation strategy. Signal phrase: Because of Cause: His poor preparation strategy Effect: He failed the test Effect + Signal word/phrase + Cause

3. As a result of the traffic , we canceled the group study session. Signal phrase: As a result of Cause: The traffic Effect: We canceled the group study session Signal word/phrase + Cause , + Effect

4. Donald could not attend owing to his impeachment . Signal phrase: Owing to Cause: Donald’s impeachment Effect: Donald could not attend Effect + Signal word/phrase + Cause

5. He was fired as a consequence of lies . Signal phrase: As a consequence of Cause: Lies Effect: He was fired Effect + Signal word/phrase + Cause

Followed by a verb

These cause/effect signal words are followed by a subject + verb or verb phrase.

In these examples, the subject + verb or verb phrase is in purple . The cause comes after the cause/effect signal word or phrase. Signal word/phrase + Cause , + Effect Effect + Signal word/phrase + Cause

1. Because Jared was dishonest , he ended up in jail. Signal word: Because Cause: Jared was dishonest Effect: He ended up in jail

2. He lost a lot of money because the court proved he was guilty. Signal word: Because Cause: the court proved he was guilty Effect: He lost a lot of money

3. The student passed her exam since she had improved with honest feedback. Signal word: Since Cause: improved with honest feedback Effect: student passed her exam These cause/effect signal words are followed by a subject + verb or verb phrase.

In your IELTS exam, learn with caution ! Try to learn these structures so they sound natural. The first time you use these you may need to recall the grammar structure (this ok!). But in the exam only use these structure if you can use them without having to recall the grammar structure. Learn them to such a level they become automatic and fluent… how? Repetition is the mother of all learning!

You can download or listen to the audio version here:

| Direct Download Here | Stitcher | iTunes | Spotify | Soundcloud |  Transcript |

More helpful IELTS speaking tutorials:

• IELTS Speaking Idioms
• How to give your opinion in the speaking exam
• Making notes for speaking part 2
• How to speak about your hobbies in part 1
• How to get band 9 in your IELTS Speaking
• Tips for IELTS Speaking Part
• IELTS Speaking vocabulary to help you prepare
• Band 9 pronunciation for IELTS Speaking