Exposition: Problem and Solution

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Exposition Problem and Solution

• adapted from Writing and Grammar Communication
  in Action, Prentice-Hall, Publishers, 2001

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Problem-and-Solution Essay

• Tackling difficult problems can help you develop
  powerful and effective strategies for daily life.
  
• As the poet Jean Toomer said, We learn the rope
  of life by untying its knots.
• Writing about problems and solutions can help you
  to share your discoveries with an audience.
• You might write a letter to a relative suggesting
  a way to resolve a family conflict or share your
  new solution to a school dilemma in a newspaper
  editorial.

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What is a Problem-and-Solution Essay?

• Exposition is writing that explains or informs.
• A problem-and-solution essay is a specific type
  of exposition that identifies a problem and
  presents one or more potential solutions.

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An Effective Problem-and- Solution Essay

• Clearly states a specific, real-life problem.
• Identifies the most important aspects of the
  problem.
• Presents one or more possible solutions.
• Supports each solution with specific details and
  logical reasons.

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Types of Problem-and-Solution Essays

• Problem-and-solution essays may address a wide
  variety of issues.
• Following are some of the specific types of
  issues they can address

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Types of Issues addressed

• Consumer issues include problems with products or
  services and how they can be remedied.
• Local issues may be problems facing your
  community, such as issues of school funding and
  library staffing.
• Business issues involve problems facing a company
  or business, such as budget shortages or schedule
  delays.

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PrewritingChoosing Your Topic

• Begin by identifying an important problem about
  which you feel strongly.
• Your essay will be more effective if you choose a
  significant and meaningful problem rather than a
  simple one that can be solved easily.
• Use the following strategies to find a topic you
  would like to develop.

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Strategies for Generating Topics

• Talk with a PeerTalking with a partner can help
  you identify important problems in your school
  and community. You can also talk about state or
  national problems.
• Begin by working together to brainstorm for a
  list of problems.
• As you work, use a chart like the one in the next
  slide to gather ideas.
• When your chart is completed, choose the item you
  find most interesting to become the topic for
  your problem-and-solution.

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Topic-generating Chart
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Use Sentence Starters

• Complete the following sentence starters to help
  you come up with a topic.
• Dont stop with one response.
• Try to come up with three or four endings for
  each sentence.
• Then, review your ideas to find a problem that is
  important to you.

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Possible Sentence Starters

• The biggest problem facing students today . . .
• The world would be a much better place if we
  could solve the problem of . . .
• I wish that we could eliminate the problem of . .
  .
• One problem we could solve if we all work
  together . . .

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TOPIC BANK

• Consider these suggestions if you are having
  difficulty coming up with your own topic
• Solution to a Math Problem. Write an essay in
  which you explain a math problem and its
  solution.
• Editorial Addressing a Local Issue. Choose a
  problem that faces your school or neighborhood,
  and write an editorial presenting a solution.
• Responding to Fine Art. A photo such as
  Unloading the Cargo, (see next slide), depicts
  the unloading of a ships cargo. What sorts of
  problems might such a task involve overcoming?
  Write a problem-and-solution essay that describes
  one such problem and details the solution.
  (http//www.coolantarctica.com/Community/FIDS20ga
  llery/signy_unload_cargo.htm)

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Unloading the Cargo
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TOPIC BANK

• Responding to Literature
• In James Thurbers humorous story The Dog That
  Bit People, the characters are confronted with a
  dogs behavior problems.
• Write a problem-and-solution essay proposing
  steps that could be taken to change the dogs
  behavior.
• Ask your teacher about finding this story, or
  others appropriate to the assignment.

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Cooperative Writing Opportunity

• Letter of Petition
• Work with a team to identify a problem that
  affects everyone in your school.
• Brainstorm together to generate a reasonable
  solution.
• Then, have one team member draft the petition,
  another team member edit and proofread it, and
  another team member type it and design it.
• Work as a team to photocopy the petition and get
  as many students as possible to sign it.
• Finally, send the signed petition to decision
  makers who can help you solve the problem.

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Narrowing Your Topic

• If your topic is broad, narrow it so that you can
  focus on presenting a solution to a single
  problem.
• Try looping (see next slide) as a way to help you
  narrow your topic.

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Looping to Narrow Your Topic

• Looping can help you focus on key aspects of your
  topic.
• Begin by writing freely on your topic for about
  five minutes.
• Read what you have written, and circle the most
  interesting or important idea.
• Then, write about that idea for five minutes.
• Repeat this process until you arrive at a topic
  narrow enough to address thoroughly in your essay.

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Considering Your Audience and Purpose

• The type of language you use will depend on the
  audience for your problem-and-solution essay.
• Some audiences, such as a group of friends, will
  relate best to informal language.
• Many other audiences, however, will respond
  better if you use formal language to communicate
  your ideas.
• See the following chart to help you with this.

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Considering Your Audience and Purpose
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Gathering Information

• To develop a successful essay, you need a strong
  set of facts, statistics, and other types of
  support.
• Most likely, youll find it necessary to conduct
  research in the library or on the Internet to
  gather the material you need.

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Gather Various Types of Details

• As you gather details, look to find those that
  fully explain the problem you are proposing to
  solve and the steps or aspects of the solution.
• Cite examples Give examples from research or
  real life to explain the problem and its history.
• Interview Talk to people who have a deep
  knowledge of the problem or who have definite
  ideas on how to solve.
• Survey Create and distribute a survey that
  probes the ideas about the problem and possible
  solutions. Tabulate the responses, and cite the
  results in your essay.

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DraftingShaping Your Writing

• Start With the Problem. As inventor Charles
  Kettering once said, A problem well stated is a
  problem half solved.
• Your problem-and-solution essay should begin with
  a detailed description of the problem.
• Make sure your audience understands all of the
  important aspects of your problem.
• Once the problem is clear, you can write about
  the solution or solutions you propose.

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Using an Outline

• An outline can help you organize your ideas
  before you begin to draft.
• Look at the examples following.
• The first example shows how to organize an essay
  presenting a single solution to a problem.
• The second example shows how to organize an essay
  proposing more than one solution.
• Use the organization that fits your topic.

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Problem/Solution

• I. Description of Problem
• A. Factor one
• B. Factor two
• II. Description of Solution
• A. How it solves factor one
• B. How it solves factor two
• III. Personal Evaluation

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Problem/Solution/Solution

• I. Description of Problem
• A. Factor one
• B. Factor two
• II. First Solution
• A. Advantages
• B. Disadvantages
• III. Second Solution
• A. Advantages
• B. Disadvantages
• IV. Personal Evaluation

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Providing Elaboration

• Following your outline, begin writing your first
  draft.
• Support each major point in your outline by
  adding facts and other details, expanding on
  ideas, and discussing important related concepts.
• This elaboration will help you convince readers
  of the soundness of your solution.
• It will also help them understand and accept the
  solution you are proposing.

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Revising

• As you review your first draft, you will find
  many ways to improve your writing.
• You might begin by focusing on the overall
  structure to make sure the whole essay hangs
  together.
• After that, look at each paragraph, sentence, and
  word to sharpen your work.

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Revising Your Overall Structure

• The success of a problem-and-solution essay
  depends on two things
• You need to clearly define the problem,
• And you need to describe a specific and effective
  solution.
• The structure of your essay should make it easy
  to see how y our solution answers every aspect of
  the problem.

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Revision Strategy connecting ideas

• Use a highlighter to connect parts of the problem
  to related parts of the solution.
• Highlight or underline each problem or part of a
  problem and label it P.
• Highlight or underline each solution. Label it
  S.
• Connect related problems and solutions.
• If you find a problem that has no matching
  solution, you need to expand your solutions,.
• If you find a solution that doesnt fit part of
  the problem, it is probably unnecessary. You
  should consider cutting it.

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Connecting Problems to Solutions
A primary cause of the pollution is restaurants
that use phosphates in their dishwashing liquids.
Acid rain also contributes to the poor water
quality. . . . Requiring all local businesses to
use phosphate-free detergents will greatly
improve the water quality of Hawkins Stream.
These detergents are slightly more expansive but
clean equally well. . . .
P
S
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Revising Your Paragraphs

• Focus each Paragraph on a Single Topic
• Every paragraph in your problem-and-solution
  essay should develop a single idea or topic.
• You can test each paragraph by asking questions
  as you revise

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Revision Strategy Questioning Your Paragraph
Choices

• Review your essay, and evaluate each paragraph as
  a separate unit.
• When you come to the end of a paragraph, pause to
  ask yourself why you grouped these sentences
  together.

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Questions on Paragraphs

• Does the paragraph focus on one idea? State the
  idea, and describe how each sentence expands on,
  supports, or clarifies that idea.
• Does every sentence relate to the main idea? If
  you find sentences on different topics, consider
  cutting them or moving them to other, more
  appropriate paragraphs.
• Do two paragraphs discuss the same topic?
  Consider combining the paragraphs to improve the
  flow of ideas.

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Revising Your Sentences

• Fix Unnecessary Shifts in Tense
• Your sentences should use verb tenses to indicate
  clearly when an event occurred.
• It is often best to stay with a single tense.
• For example, if you are writing about a problem
  in the past, make sure that all your verbs are in
  the past tense.

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Grammar in Your WritingThe Six Tenses of Verbs

• There are six verb tenses, Each tense has a basic
  form, as shown in this chart

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Progressive Forms

• Each tense also has a progressive form, ending in
  ing.

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Find it in Your Writing

• Identify the tense of each verb in your draft.
• Highlight paragraphs that have more than one verb
  tense.
• Evaluate whether or not each shift in tense is
  necessary.
• If notchange it.

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Revising Your Word Choice Creating a Tone

• The words you select help set the tone of your
  writingthe attitude toward your subject that you
  convey to your readers.
• Decide on a tone you would like to convey, and
  revise your choice of words to help you achieve
  that tone.
• The following chart shows how an alteration in
  word choice can affect the tone of a piece of
  writing.

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Tone Chart
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Revision Strategy Highlighting Key Words

• Changing just a few words can adjust or heighten
  the tone you want to develop.
• Highlight two or three key words in each
  paragraph, and brainstorm for ideas for words
  that might replace them.
• Weigh your choices carefully, and then make any
  desired changes.

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Peer Review Key Questions

• The actor Robert Redford has said that problems
  can become opportunities when the right people
  come together.
• Revising your problem-and-solution essay with a
  partner is an excellent way to use teamwork to
  make effective changes.
• Have a partner or group read your
  problem-and-solution essay.
• Use the questions on the following slide as a
  starting point for your discussion
• After listening to your classmates, consider
  using their suggestions to improve your work.

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Key Questions

• How complete is the description of the problem?
• How well does the solution match the problem?
• Are there any important parts of the problem that
  are not discussed?
• Are there any important parts of the problem that
  are not discussed?

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Editing and Proofreading

• Because spelling and grammar errors can make your
  writing confusing and distract your readers
  attention, make sure that your essay is
  error-free.
• It is often helpful to read your writing aloud to
  check for errors.
• If you stumble over words while reading, look to
  see whether you have come across a typographical
  error or an error in punctuation.

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Focusing on That and Which

• The words that and which are often misused, even
  by experienced writers.
• As you check your essay for errors, look to see
  whether you have used that and which correctly.
• Highlight each use of both words, and decide
  whether or not you have chosen the appropriate
  word.
• Use the following information to help you
  determine whether your use of that and which is
  correct.

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Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses

• Adjective clauses often begin with that or which.
  
• You can decide which word to use by deciding
  whether the clause is restrictive or
  nonrestrictive.
• As you proofread, locate instances in which you
  used that and which. Then check to be sure
  youve used those words correctly.

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Restrictive Clauses

• A restrictive clause contains information that is
  essential to the meaning of the noun it modifies.
  
• It can expand, limit, or define the noun.
• Begin a restrictive clause with that
• The essay that I wrote was published in the
  school newspaper.
• I found a solution that was simple and effective.

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Nonrestrictive Clauses

• A nonrestrictive clause contains information that
  is not essential to the meaning of the noun it
  modifies.
• Begin a nonrestrictive clause with which.
• Set off a nonrestrictive clause with commas
• The mayors speech, which was about crime, was
  quite rousing.
• how to Stop Litter, which I wrote last year,
  won first prize in an essay contest.

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Publishing and Presenting

• Once you have polished and completed your
  problem-and-solution essay, share your final
  draft with an audience.
• Your readers will enjoy learning ab out your
  solutions, and you will have the satisfaction of
  knowing that you have made a helpful proposal.

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Building Your Portfolio

• Encourage Responses
• Sponsor a group read-aloud of several
  problem-and-solution essays.
• Take time to discuss the proposed problems and
  solutions in each essay.
• Submit Your Essay
• Send your essay to the editors of a magazine or
  Web site that accepts student writing.
• Use writers directories to help you locate
  addresses.

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Reflecting on Your Writing

• Reflect on your writing experience by answer
  these questions. Save your responses in your
  portfolio.
• Which was more difficult to write about, the
  problem or the solution? Why?
• What strategies did you use to make sure that
  your solution was complete and effective?

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Rubric for Self-Assessment