A problem-solution text structure is organized just as it sounds. First, an author describes a problem, and then he or she explains how the problem was solved or suggests new ways to solve the problem.

For example, suppose a writer wants to raise awareness about polluted lakes in his state and what is being done about them. He may also want to present some more possibilities for addressing the problem before the pollution does any additional harm. This writer may use the first few paragraphs of an article to describe the problem--the characteristics of a polluted lake and its impact on the environment and the community. The writer might also describe the causes of the problem (in this case, how the lakes became polluted). Finally, perhaps in the last few paragraphs of the article, the writer will describe some ways in which one city was able to improve conditions at a nearby lake--in other words, the solution to the problem. At the very end of the article, the writer may ask readers to do something to make the problem less of a problem.

Try organizing some information into a problem-solution text structure. Drag each of these sentences into a structure that introduces or describes a problem, describes the solutions that were tried, and suggests additional solutions.