WRITING GUIDE 8: TASK 2

WRITE TWO BODY PARAGRAPGS

DESCRIBING SOLUTIONS TO A PROBLEM OR AN ISSUE
A. PREPARATION

The topic for the first model essay is:

In the world today, there is a problem with food production. As a result, some people
do not have enough to eat. Suggest some ways that farmers can solve this problem.

Exercise 1: Read Model 1 and find the answer to this question.

Which is more expensive to produce, grain or meat?

Model 1
One way to increase food production is for people to eat grain such as barley, oats, or
maize instead of feeding it to animals. More food is produced when farmers grow crops
instead of animals on their land. While animals constantly need a lot of grass or grain,
water, and space in which to move, crops need only water and fertiliser. Also, it costs
money to turn the grain into meat, by feeding it to animals and then killing the animals.
Therefore, the food yield per unit of land is far greater with crops than with animals.
Another way to increase food production is by improving the technology that farmers
use. Firstly, better methods for irrigating land need to be developed. In countries which
have little or no rain, such as parts of Africa, improved irrigation could lead to a big
increase in food production. Secondly, if better seeds are developed, this could lead to
stronger and healthier plants, which would provide more food yield per unit of land.
B. LANGUAGE IN USE
I. Vocabulary
Exercise 2: Choose the correct word forms for the paragraph below.
World population has increased significantly over the last century. As a result, there
is a (short/shortage) of food throughout the world. One way of (solve/solving) this
problem is by (increase/increasing) food (production/producing). Techniques such
as (irrigating/irrigation) and the development of (improved/ improving) seeds will
help solve these problems. Another (solving/solution) is to (grow/growing) crops on
land instead of animals. This will greatly (increase/increasing) the yield of food
(produced/producing) per hectare and will help to feed hungry (person/people).

II. Grammar
1. The passive voice

In English, we use the passive voice when we don't know or care who is doing the
action. The important information is the action, not the doer.
'Someone produces grain.' We don't know which farmer produced the grain, and it isn't
important. So this becomes 'Grain is produced.'

Example
New technology is used to improve the yield of crops from farmland.
Exercise 3: In Model 1, three verbs are in the passive voice. Find and underline them.
Exercise 4: Insert the correct form of the verb be and the past participle (to make
passive verbs) into the sentences below.
a. More food ____________ (produce) when farmers grow crops rather than raise
animals.
b. Irrigation is a way of ensuring that plants ____________ (give) enough water.
c. Fertiliser ____________ (use) to improve the soil for the growing of crops.
d. Productivity ____________ often ____________ (increase) by the use of new farm
equipment.
e. Yields are greater when farming techniques ____________ (improve).
Exercise 8: Look at this paragraph. Decide if the verbs should be active or passive and
then write in the correct form of the verbs.
(Note: After can and other modals, use the base form of the verb, for example,
‘something can be done.’)
There are many ways in which food production can ____________ (improve) throughout
the world. Firstly, productivity can ____________ (increase) by developing new
techniques such as irrigation. Farmers can ____________ (provide) more water for their
land if irrigation systems ____________ (supply) to the local area. Secondly, countries
can ____________ (change) their farming style so that they ____________ (grow) crops
rather than animals. If crops ____________ (grow) instead of animals, this greatly
____________ (increase) yield per hectare.

2. Gerunds

A gerund is a word that acts as a noun. It is formed by adding -ing to the base form of a
verb, for example, 'produce'  'producing'.

Example
Growing crops can be very productive for small farmers.
Notice that gerunds are often preceded by prepositions, such as for, by, and on.
Example
We can increase food production by improving our technology.
Exercise 6: In the sentences below, use a gerund and, if necessary, one of these
prepositions:

for by on

f. Many farmers concentrate ____________ (grow) crops.

g. Governments are responsible ____________ (support) their own country’s farmers.
h. (Improve) ____________ the condition of the soil leads to increased productivity.
i. (Make) ____________ sure that their crops have enough water is a concern for all
farmers.
j. (Raise) ____________ animals for their meat is a common style of farming in many
countries.
k. World hunger will be reduced ____________ (improve) seed quality.
l. (Produce) ____________ more food is a universal concern.
m. (Distribute) ____________ food to those who need it most is also a major concern.
n. A major issue in the world today is (feed) ____________ the millions of people who
are hungry or starving.

Exercise 7: Use the words given to fill in the gaps in this paragraph. Use passives and
gerunds where appropriate. You may need to add prepositions such as by, in, into the
two-word gaps.

educate, encourage, exhaust, implement, improve, manage,

replace, rotate, suitable, teach, understand, yield

One way to help people to grow more food is by educating farmers about the highest
____________ food production for their area. For example, farmers can ____________
____________ to grow high yield crops that are ____________ for the local climate and soil
type, and they can ____________ ____________ about ____________ crops so that the soil is not
____________. Yield can ____________ ____________ by ____________ agriculture in this way and
____________ ____________ meat production with suitable, high yield crops. If farmers are
supported ____________ ____________ and ____________ ____________ the best farming methods
for their local climate, this will help to increase food production.
3. ‘WHILE’ AND ‘WHEREAS’
‘While’ and ‘whereas’ are often used as linking words to show contrast. They may be
used at the beginning or in the middle of sentences.
Example
While animals constantly need a lot of grass or grain, water, and space in which to
move, crops need only water and fertiliser

Exercise 8: Match the clauses so that they form meaningful sentences. Write the letter
beside the corresponding number.

1. While there is a lot of food in some a. while in other countries, people rarely
countries, eat fish.
2. While many people eat a lot, b. in other countries, food is scarce.
3. While it is good to eat a variety of c. they don’t always eat the right types of
food, food.
4. While more and more food is being d. food prices are actually going up.
produced,
5. Fish is plentiful in some island e. in some countries, it is not possible.
nations,
6. Whereas animals need a lot of space, f. others believe there may be unforeseen
harmful effects.
7. Whereas some people believe that g. whereas others have only hand tools.
the genetic modification of plants is the
answer to food shortages,
8. Many farmers have tractors, h. whereas others eat too much.
9. Animals tend to be expensive to grow, i. crops can be grown closely together.
10. Many people do not eat enough j. whereas crops are quite cheap.
food,
Exercise 9: Join these ideas together, using while and whereas. Try to add extra words
to make longer sentences.
a. some farmers — old-fashioned equipment — others — modern technology
b. crops — efficient use of farmland — meat — inefficient
c. some people — healthy diet — others — too much fat and sugar
d. some companies — responsible food production methods — others — cheap
alternatives
e. there is too much food in some countries — not enough in others
f. climate is suitable for wheat in Canada — farmers — grow beef
g. genetic modification — solve some problems — create others
h. sugar, fat — unhealthy — grains, fruit, vegetables — healthy

4. LINKING WORDS
Look at the words in Model 1 that link the two paragraphs:One way … (Para. 1)
Another way … (Para. 2)
There are many ways of showing the links between paragraphs, depending on the
type of essay. We can use the ones above to discuss solutions to a problem.

C. GUIDED WRITING PRACTICE

Topic
In some developed countries, people eat a lot of processed food which is bad for their
health. Suggest some ways that governments and food companies can encourage
people to eat a healthy diet.
Here are some ideas for this topic.

Exercise 10: Write two paragraphs, using the notes above and the structure below.
Some gaps need several words.

One way to ____________________________ is by ____________________________.

One way: educating people

• processed food — high in fat, sugar, salt
• better eating habits
• schoolchildren — main target — bodies still growing
Another way: promoting healthy food
• mark packaging — smiley face or tick for healthy foods
• show ingredients on packaging
• government — make healthy food cheaper

____________________________________ the dangers of unhealthy eating. If

____________________________ that processed food is high in ____________________________, they
might ____________________________. ___________________________people about the problems of
____________________________ too much ______________________food ______________________ better
eating habits. ____________________________, it is important to ____________________________,
schoolchildren should ___________________________ because
________________________________________. __________________________ is by
___________________________ healthy food. ____________________________, the packaging on
____________________________ should ____________________________ to show that it is friendly,
with ____________________________, and the ingredients ____________________________. This
would help people to ____________________________ when they are
____________________________ daily food. ____________________________, the government could
____________________________ by ____________________________ cheaper so
____________________________ could afford to ____________________________ .

Exercise 11: Check your answer with Model 2. It does not have to be exactly the same,
but your grammar should be accurate.

Exercise 12: Find the topic sentences of all the paragraphs in Model 2 and mark them.

Model 2
One way to promote a healthy diet is by educating people about the dangers of
unhealthy eating. If people are taught that processed food is high in salt, fat, and sugar,
they might choose healthier meals and snacks. Educating people about the problems of
eating too much processed food could lead to better eating habits. While it is important
D. AUTHENTIC WRITING PRACTICE
Use the models in this unit to help you write two solution paragraphs for this topic.

In some developed countries, people become fat because they eat too much junk food
and processed food. Suggest some ways that governments and food companies can
encourage people to stay fit and eat a healthy diet.