در این بخش به شیوه نوشتن پاراگرافی می پردازیم که یک مساله و یک یا چند راه حل برای آن را بیان می کند. اغلب برای این نوع نوشتار به بیش از یک پاراگراف نیاز داریم. این الگوی پاراگراف نویسی را problem-solution می گویند.

در پاراگرافی که قرار است مساله را بیان کند، تاپیک سنتنس یا جمله موضوعی به همان مساله می پردازد. سایر جملات باید نشان دهند که چرا چنین موضوعی به یک مساله یا مشکل تبدیل شده است.

برای مثال متن زیر را ببینید:

Problem paragraph

Deforestation is a serious problem because forests and trees aren’t just pretty to look at, they do an important job making the earth’s environment suitable for life. They clean the air, store water, preserve soil, and provide homes for animals. They also supply food, fuel, wood products, and paper products for humans. In the past fifty years, more than half of the world’s rainforests have been destroyed. Today, the forests of the world are being cut down at a rate of fifty acres every minute! Scientists say that if deforestation continues, the world’s climate may change, floods may become more common, and animals will die.

Solution Paragraph

One solution to the problem of deforestation is to use less paper. If you use less paper, fewer trees will be cut for paper making. How can you use less paper? One answer is to reduce your paper use by using both sides of the paper when you photocopy, write a letter, or write an essay. A second answer is to reuse old paper when you can, rather than using a new sheet of paper. The backs of old envelopes are perfect for shopping lists or phone messages, and when you write a rough draft of an essay, write it on the back of something else. A final answer is to recycle used paper products instead of throwing them away. Most schools, offices, and districts have some kind of recycling center. If you follow the three Rs – reduce, reuse, and recycle –, you can help save the world’s forests.