Problem & Solution

Something that causes trouble or harm is...

• A problem
• A solution

Hank came home from school and he was hungry.  He decided to see if there was anything in the cupboard to eat. He checked the shelf and couldn't find any chips or crackers.  He looked in another cupboard and there weren't any snack there either.  Finally he looked in the frig and there he found some apples to eat.
What is the solution?

• Hank found apples to eat.
• Hank likes chips.
• Hank looked for snacks.

Stacey had a lot of fun riding her bike one sunny afternoon.  She was just about home when she hit a patch of loose gravel.  Stacey skidded and then tipped over on her bike, scraping her knee. After cleaning the scrape, Stacey put a bandage on her knee.
What is the problem?

• She hit a patch of loose gravel.
• She had a lot of fun.
• She scraped her knee.

Here is a solution. What could be the problem?
   Ted used glue on his skateboard.

• Ted can't ride a skateboard well.
• Ted fell and broke his glasses.
• Ted snapped a wheel off his board.
• Ted is clumsy and scratched his board on the sidewalk.

I forgot my lunch at home so my mom brought it to me.

The red part of the sentence is the

• problem

• solution

Kevin got sick and went to the doctor. The red part of the sentence is the

• problem

• solution

How can spotting problem and solution structure in a text be helpful?

• You no longer have to read the text.

• It points out cause and effect in a text.

• It teaches you about the Panama Canal.

• It makes it easier to read and helps you better understand the passage.

Signal words

• hint at the cause and the effect.

• signify the problem and solution.

• help you understand the meaning of words.

• do not belong in problem and solution texts.

Which of the following passages has a problem and solution text structure?

• Roberto likes to sing. He is part of the choir and was in a school play. Roberto even enjoys singing in the shower. The only time Roberto doesn't sing is when he's sick and singing hurts his throat.

• Diana's frisbee is stuck in the tree. She's not tall enough to reach it. First, she tries jumping, but she can't jump high enough. It's still slightly out of reach. As a result, Diana uses a ladder. The ladder makes her tall enough to grab the frisbee.

• Jakub's alarm starts ringing. He turns it off. Then, it goes off again. If he doesn't get up, he'll be late for school. His blanket is warm, so he turns off his alarm. Later, Jakub gets detention for being late. He wishes he hadn't turned off his alarm.

• Lisa's favorite holiday is Halloween. Her younger brother Erik doesn't like the holiday because he's afraid of ghosts. Lisa decides to play a prank on Erik. She dresses up in a mask and surprises Erik. Because of Lisa's prank, Erik has nightmares for a week.

Identify the problem in the passage: Lynn has a test tomorrow, but she also has a track meet tonight. She needs to study so she can get an A on the test. Lynn knows she won't be running in every race. Therefore, she concludes that she can study in between her races.

• Lynn needs to study, but she also has a track meet.

• Lynn needs to run fast enough to beat her rival.

• Lynn doesn't want to run her race.

• Lynn will run every race.