An IELTS problem and solution essay at Band 6, 7 and 8

Band 6

Nowadays a lot of young people use screens for most of their leisure time, and they meet their friends in person less than in the past. Some people think this is only a normal change, but I believe it causes real problems. This essay will discuss two of these problems and then suggest some solutions.

FirstlyA label that joins the paragraph by position, not by an idea, the biggest problem is that young people lose the skill of talking face to face. When they only send messages, they doesn’t learnSubject-verb agreement: should be “do not learn” how to start a conversation or how to listen to another person, so they can feel very nervous in real situations like a job interview or the first day in a new class. For example, a student may not know what to say to a new classmate. SecondlyThe same mechanical label again, with no link to the idea before it, many of them sleep badWrong word form: should be “badly” because they look at their phones in bed late at night. This is also a serious problem for them, because tired students cannot study well and they are often in a bad mood.

There are some solutions for these problems. Schools can organise more clubs where students work together, for example a sport club or a music groupRelevant, but nothing explains why this would fix the first problem. In this way students will practise talking with each other and make new friends. This is a good idea because many students like sport and music. Parents also can put a ruleWord order and collocation: should be “Parents can also set a rule” that phones must stay outside the bedroom at night. I think this is easy to do and it will help young people to sleep better.

In conclusion, screens cause many problems for young people, and schools and parents must do something about themThe conclusion only repeats the introduction and adds nothing. If they do these things, the problems will be solvePassive form: should be “will be solved” in the future.

Band 7

Nowadays many young people give most of their leisure time to screens instead of seeing friends in person. Although this is often treated as a harmless change, I believe it creates two real problems, and both can be addressed through schools and families.

The first problem is that young people lose the habit of talking face to face. Someone who communicates mainly through messages has little chance to practise starting a conversation, listening carefully or coping with awkward silencesLess common, natural collocation, so ordinary situations such as a job interview or a first day in a new class can feel stressful. The second problem is poor sleep. Many teenagers scroll through their phones in bed, and the bright light and constant notifications make it harder to fall asleep, which then reduces their concentration the following dayRelative clause links the cause to its effect without a label.

Schools can respond to the first problem by organising activities that require students to cooperate in personNames the problem being answered, so the solution reads as a reply, for example sports teams, music groups or drama clubs. Because these activities depend on teamwork, students have to speak to each other directlyExplains why the solution fits the first problem, and over time this builds confidence. The second problem is handled more easily at home. If parents agree a rule that phones stay outside bedrooms at night, young people are more likely to fall asleep quicklyConditional structure used accurately, although the rule works only when parents follow it themselves. Together, these two measures address both problems without asking young people to give up their devices entirely.

In conclusion, heavy screen use weakens young people’s conversation skillMissing plural: should be “conversation skills” and disturbs their sleepPrecise verb for the effect. These problems can be reduced if schools provide group activities and parents set clear limits at night.

Band 8

Young people in many countries now give most of their leisure time to screens rather than to meeting friends in person. This is often dismissed as a generational habit, yet it produces two distinct problems, each of which has a practical remedy that schools and families are well placed to provide.

The first problem is a gradual loss of conversational ability. Messaging allows time to compose every reply, so those who rely on it seldom learn to improvise, to read a pause or to recover from a misunderstandingExact, economical wording for a skill rather than a general word; the difficulty becomes visible only in situations such as job interviews, where nobody can wait for them to type. The effect does not appear overnight, which is why it is easy to overlook. The second problem concerns sleep. Phones kept beside the bed invite late-night browsing, and the resulting fatigue undermines attention in class the next dayPrecise verb and noun for the consequence.

Each problem has a remedy that matches itOne sentence hands the reader from problems to solutions without a connector. Schools can address the first by making cooperation part of ordinary school life: a team sport or a school orchestra cannot function unless its members speak to one another continuouslySolution developed by showing the mechanism, not just naming it, so conversational confidence is built without being taught as a separate subject. For sleep, a household agreement that devices stay outside bedrooms overnight removes the temptation altogether, and it is most effective when parents follow the same rule, since children copy what they seeLong sentence with a subordinate clause and a reason, fully controlled.

Screen-heavy leisure therefore weakens both conversation and restConclusion restates the position in new words and weighs it. Because schools can restore the first through shared activity and families the second through a simple night-time rule, the harm is real but far from irreversible, and neither remedy asks young people to give up their devices entirely.