Writing Task 2: Problem & Solution Essay: Question 1
Syllabus W.task2
In many countries, people are replacing their smartphones, laptops and other electronic devices more frequently than ever before, and the volume of discarded electronic equipment (e-waste) is rising sharply as a result.
What problems does this cause, and what measures could be taken to tackle them?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words.
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Worked solution
Examiner notes: why this is a band 9 response
Task Response
The introduction paraphrases the trend and outlines the two-part structure the prompt requires. Both problems (toxic contamination and lost resources) are explained with a mechanism rather than asserted, and each is matched by a specific, corresponding measure in the second body paragraph, so the essay addresses “what problems” and “what measures” in comparable depth before the conclusion draws the two halves together.
Coherence & Cohesion
Topic sentences clearly flag each new idea (“The most serious problem is…”, “A second problem is…”, “Two measures could tackle these problems effectively”), and the numbering (“First,… Second,…”) in the solutions paragraph keeps the two measures easy to follow. Reference chains such as “these chemicals” and “this policy” tie sentences back to what precedes them.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is precise and topic-appropriate: “contaminate”, “virgin resources”, “take-back schemes”, “licensed recycling plants”. Near-synonyms avoid repetition (e.g. “discarded devices”, “unwanted equipment”, “e-waste” all referring to the same thing), and collocations are accurate (“strip virgin resources”, “expose workers… to toxic fumes”).
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
The response shows confident control of complex structures: a non-defining relative clause (“a result linked to workers burning circuit boards…”), a semicolon joining two closely related clauses, and a passive construction (“valuable materials… are simply thrown away rather than recovered”). There are no errors of tense, agreement or word form anywhere in the response.
Common pitfalls specific to this task
See commonMistakes above: the most damaging is treating this as a generic “pollution” essay rather than naming the two distinct problems e-waste actually causes, toxic contamination and the loss of recoverable materials, and proposing a measure that clearly answers each one.