Adult ESL/ELL High Beginner Quiz: Describing Problems And Solutions
10 questions · exam conditions
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Describing Problems And SolutionsQuestion 1 of 10

Maria's car would not start one morning. She was going to be late for work. She called a mechanic, but he could not come until the afternoon. Then she remembered her neighbor had jumper cables. She asked her neighbor for help, and together they started the car.

Which sentence BEST describes how Maria solved her problem?

Maria called a mechanic, so she waited at home until the afternoon and missed her work shift completely.
Maria found a faster solution by asking her neighbor for help with jumper cables instead of waiting for the mechanic.
Maria decided the car was broken beyond repair and took the bus to work that morning instead.
Maria solved the problem by buying new jumper cables from a store near her house before work.
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Adult ESL/ELL High Beginner Quiz

Adult ESL/ELL High Beginner Quiz: Describing Problems And Solutions

Practice Describing Problems And Solutions in Adult ESL/ELL High Beginner with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Describing Problems And Solutions, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for Adult ESL/ELL High Beginner.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

Maria's car would not start one morning. She was going to be late for work. She called a mechanic, but he could not come until the afternoon. Then she remembered her neighbor had jumper cables. She asked her neighbor for help, and together they started the car.

Which sentence BEST describes how Maria solved her problem?

  1. Maria called a mechanic, so she waited at home until the afternoon and missed her work shift completely.
  2. Maria found a faster solution by asking her neighbor for help with jumper cables instead of waiting for the mechanic. (correct answer)
  3. Maria decided the car was broken beyond repair and took the bus to work that morning instead.
  4. Maria solved the problem by buying new jumper cables from a store near her house before work.
Explanation: When a reading question asks how a character "solved" a problem, your job is to match the solution described in the passage — not guess or add details that aren't there. Focus on what actually happened, in the order it happened. In the passage, Maria's car wouldn't start, and she needed to get to work. She first called a mechanic, but he couldn't come until the afternoon — too late. Then she remembered her neighbor had jumper cables, asked for help, and together they started the car. This means she found a quicker solution by using her neighbor's help rather than waiting hours for the mechanic. That makes B the best answer — it accurately captures both the problem (waiting too long for the mechanic) and the solution (asking her neighbor for help with jumper cables). A is incorrect because it says Maria waited at home and missed her work shift entirely. The passage never says this happened — she actually solved the problem before needing to wait. C is wrong because Maria never decided the car was "beyond repair," and she never took a bus — that detail is completely made up and not in the passage. D is also incorrect because Maria did not buy jumper cables from a store. She borrowed her neighbor's cables, which is an important difference the passage clearly states. A helpful strategy: when answer choices include details not mentioned in the passage, eliminate them immediately. Wrong answers on reading comprehension questions often add or change small facts to trick you. Always go back to the text and ask, "Did this actually happen?"

Question 2

Carlos had a problem at work. He could not understand the instructions his manager gave him in English. He was afraid to ask his manager to repeat them. Instead, he asked a coworker who spoke both Spanish and English to explain the instructions to him.

What was Carlos's MAIN problem, and what did he do to solve it?

  1. Carlos did not speak Spanish, so he asked his manager to write the instructions in English for him.
  2. Carlos was afraid of his manager, so he decided to quit his job and find work somewhere else.
  3. Carlos did not understand the English instructions, so he asked a bilingual coworker to help explain them. (correct answer)
  4. Carlos forgot to read the instructions, so his coworker reminded him to check his email for details.
Explanation: When a reading question asks about a character's "main problem" and how they "solved it," you need to find two things in the passage: what went wrong, and what action the character took to fix it. Both parts must match the text exactly — not what you might expect someone to do, but what the passage actually says. In this passage, Carlos's problem is clearly stated: he could not understand his manager's English instructions. His solution is also clearly stated: he asked a bilingual coworker — someone who speaks both Spanish and English — to explain them. Answer C captures both parts accurately, making it the correct choice. Now look at why the other options miss the mark. Choice A gets the problem backwards — Carlos already speaks Spanish; that is not his difficulty. The passage never mentions his manager writing anything down. Choice B introduces the idea that Carlos was afraid of his manager, but the passage only says he was afraid to ask his manager to repeat the instructions — not that he feared his manager personally, and certainly not that he quit his job. Nothing about quitting appears anywhere in the text. Choice D is entirely invented. Carlos did not forget to read instructions, and there is no mention of email or reminders in the passage. A useful strategy for questions like this: after identifying what you think the answer is, go back to the passage and ask yourself, "Does the text actually say this?" If a detail is not in the passage, it cannot be the right answer, no matter how logical it sounds.

Question 3

Ana needed to describe a problem she had at home. She wrote: 'The kitchen sink was clogged. Water could not go down the drain. I bought a special liquid cleaner at the store. I poured it into the drain and waited one hour. After that, the water drained normally.'

Which part of Ana's writing is the SOLUTION to her problem?

  1. The kitchen sink was clogged and water could not go down the drain.
  2. She bought a special liquid cleaner, poured it in the drain, and waited one hour. (correct answer)
  3. She went to the store and came back home to find the water had already fixed itself.
  4. The water drained normally, which means the sink was always working fine.
Explanation: When reading a short story or paragraph about a problem, it helps to look for two key parts: the problem (what went wrong) and the solution (what someone did to fix it). Questions like this test whether you can tell those two parts apart. In Ana's writing, the problem is clear: her kitchen sink was clogged and water couldn't drain. The solution is everything she did to fix that problem. She bought a liquid cleaner, poured it into the drain, and waited an hour. Those three actions worked together to solve the clog — which makes B the correct answer. A solution describes the steps taken to fix the problem, not just the result. Answer A describes the problem itself — the clogged sink and the water that couldn't drain. This is what went wrong, not what Ana did to fix it. Answer C is not in the passage at all. Ana did not come home to find the water had fixed itself — that detail was invented. Always be careful with answer choices that add information the passage never says. Answer D misreads the ending. "The water drained normally" confirms the solution worked — it does not mean the sink was never broken in the first place. This is a common trap: confusing the result of a solution with proof there was no problem. A useful strategy: when looking for the solution, ask yourself, "What did the person DO to fix the problem?" Action words like bought, poured, and waited are strong clues that you've found your answer.

Question 4

David wrote this paragraph: 'I had a problem at the grocery store. I forgot my wallet at home. I did not have any money to pay. My sister was nearby, so I called her. She came to the store and paid for my food. I paid her back the next day.'

A classmate says David's paragraph is weak because it does not explain the solution clearly. Is the classmate correct?

  1. Yes, because David never says what he bought at the store or why he needed the food.
  2. Yes, because David does not use the word 'solution' anywhere in his paragraph.
  3. No, because David clearly explains the problem and describes the steps he took to solve it. (correct answer)
  4. No, but David should have explained the problem in more detail before describing any solution.
Explanation: When a question asks you to evaluate a paragraph's strength, focus on what the paragraph actually does — not on specific words it uses or extra details it could include. A strong paragraph explains a problem and its solution clearly through the events described. David's paragraph does exactly that. He identifies the problem (forgetting his wallet), explains why it mattered (no money to pay), describes the steps he took (calling his sister), and shows the resolution (she paid, and he repaid her the next day). That is a complete, clear solution — making C the correct answer. A is wrong because whether David mentions what he bought is irrelevant. The paragraph's purpose is to show a problem and solution, not to list grocery items. Adding that detail would not make the solution clearer. B reveals a common trap: thinking a paragraph needs certain vocabulary words to communicate an idea. A writer does not need to say the word "solution" to clearly describe one. Good writing shows ideas through events and details, not required labels. D is tricky because it agrees with the correct answer ("No") but adds an incorrect criticism. David actually does explain the problem before describing the solution — he uses two full sentences to set it up. This choice tries to sneak in a false weakness. Study tip: When evaluating a paragraph, ask yourself: "Does the reader understand what happened and how it was resolved?" If yes, the writing is doing its job — regardless of specific wording or extra details a reader might want.

Question 5

Rosa described a problem in class: 'My English class started at 8 a.m., but my bus came late every day. I was always five minutes late to class. My teacher marked me absent three times. I talked to my teacher and explained the bus problem. She said it was okay and changed my absences to tardiness. I also started taking an earlier bus after that.'

Rosa's description includes TWO solutions to her problem. Which answer correctly identifies BOTH solutions?

  1. She talked to her teacher AND she started taking an earlier bus to arrive on time. (correct answer)
  2. She talked to her teacher AND she switched to a different English class with a later start time.
  3. She took an earlier bus AND she asked the bus company to change the bus schedule for her.
  4. She talked to her teacher AND she stopped attending the class to avoid more absences.
Explanation: When a question asks you to identify two solutions in a passage, your job is to find two specific actions the person took to fix the problem — not just any actions mentioned in the story. In this passage, Rosa has one main problem: she keeps arriving late to class because her bus is late. Read carefully and ask yourself, what did she actually do to fix this? The passage gives you two clear answers: she talked to her teacher and explained the bus situation (which got her absences changed to tardiness), and she started taking an earlier bus so she could arrive on time going forward. Those are two real solutions — one fixes the past problem, one prevents the future problem. That makes A the correct answer. Choice B is wrong because Rosa never switched to a different English class with a later start time — the passage never mentions this. Choice C gets one solution right (the earlier bus) but invents a second one: Rosa never contacted the bus company or asked them to change their schedule. Choice D is wrong because Rosa did not stop attending class — she stayed enrolled and worked to resolve the issue responsibly. A useful strategy for "two solutions" questions: go back to the passage and underline every action the person takes. Then ask yourself, does this action directly address the problem? If the answer is not clearly stated in the text, it's wrong — even if it sounds logical. On reading comprehension questions like this, the passage is your only source of truth.

Question 6

Which transition word or phrase BEST connects a problem to its solution in a short spoken or written description?

  1. For example, I missed the bus, and the driver was very rude to the passengers.
  2. In addition, I missed the bus, and there was no shelter at the stop.
  3. However, I missed the bus, so I decided I should wake up earlier from now on.
  4. Because of this, I missed the bus, so I asked a neighbor for a ride to school. (correct answer)
Explanation: When you see a question about connecting a problem to its solution, focus on the relationship between the two ideas. Transition words are like road signs — they tell the reader what kind of connection is coming. Your job is to find the transition that signals "here is the problem, and here is what was done to fix it." "Because of this" is a cause-and-effect transition that means "as a result of the problem, something happened." In choice D, missing the bus is the problem, and asking a neighbor for a ride is a direct, practical solution to that problem. The transition "because of this" clearly links cause to effect, and the response shown is a real fix. D is the correct answer. Choice A uses "for example," which introduces an illustration or additional detail — not a solution. The second part of A ("the driver was very rude") just adds another negative detail, not a fix. Choice B uses "in addition," which means you are adding more information of the same type. Again, "there was no shelter" is just another problem, not a solution. Choice C uses "however," which signals a contrast or surprise. While C does mention a future plan ("wake up earlier"), "however" doesn't correctly signal a problem-to-solution link — it implies something unexpected, and the two parts don't actually contrast with each other logically. A good study tip: when checking for problem-solution transitions, ask yourself two questions — Does the first part describe a problem? and Does the second part describe an action that fixes it? If both answers are yes, you likely have the right connection.

Question 7

A student writes: 'I had a problem. I fixed it.' A teacher says this description is incomplete. What is the MOST important information the student should ADD to make the description complete?

  1. The student should add what the specific problem was and explain the steps taken to fix it. (correct answer)
  2. The student should add the date and the exact time when the problem happened.
  3. The student should add more adjectives to describe how difficult and stressful the problem felt.
  4. The student should add a sentence about whether the same problem might happen again in the future.
Explanation: When you write or read a description of a problem, think about what makes it truly useful and clear. A complete description needs to answer the most important questions: What exactly happened? and How was it resolved? Without those details, the reader learns almost nothing. That's why A is correct. The original sentences — "I had a problem. I fixed it." — are vague shells. They tell us that something happened, but nothing meaningful about it. Adding the specific problem and the steps taken to fix it gives the reader real information they can understand, learn from, or act on. This is the core of clear, complete writing. B is a common trap. Dates and times can be useful details, but they are secondary. If you still don't know what the problem was or how it was fixed, knowing it happened at 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday means nothing. Time details support a complete description — they can't replace one. C focuses on adjectives describing emotions like stress or difficulty. While feelings can add depth to personal writing, they don't make a description complete. Saying the problem was "very stressful" still doesn't explain what it was or how you solved it. D asks about the future — whether the problem might happen again. That's a separate topic entirely and goes beyond what a description requires. A description explains what did happen, not what might happen. Strategy tip: When a question asks what makes a description complete, always look for the answer that addresses the what and how — the essential content, not extra details or emotions.

Question 8

A student writes: 'Last week I have a problem with my internet. I called the company and they fixed it.' Which revision BEST improves this description of a past problem and solution?

  1. Last week I am having a problem with my internet. I called the company and they fixed it.
  2. Last week I had a problem with my internet. I called the company and they fixed it. (correct answer)
  3. Last week I have a problem with my internet. I will call the company and they fixed it.
  4. Last week I was have a problem with my internet. I called the company and they fixed it.
Explanation: When describing completed events in the past, English uses the simple past tense — a verb form that shows something happened and finished at a specific time. Words like last week, yesterday, and in 2020 are strong signals that simple past is required. In the original sentence, "I have a problem" uses present tense, which creates a mismatch with "last week." The fix is simple: change "have" to had, giving you "Last week I had a problem." This is exactly what choice B does, and it's the correct revision. The second sentence ("I called the company and they fixed it") was already correct — both verbs are in simple past — so no changes were needed there. Choice A replaces "have" with "am having," which is present progressive tense. This describes something happening right now, not last week — the opposite of what you want. Choice C keeps the incorrect "have" and then introduces "will call," which is future tense. You can't describe a past solution using future tense — that's two errors instead of one. Choice D uses "was have," which is grammatically impossible in English. You can say "was having" (past progressive) or simply "had," but mixing "was" and the base form "have" creates a non-existent verb structure. A quick tip: whenever you see a time expression like last week or yesterday, scan every verb in the sentence and ask yourself, "Is this in simple past?" Each verb describing a completed past action should follow the same rule — and they should all be consistent with each other.

Question 9

A student is speaking about a past problem. Which response MOST clearly describes both the problem and what the student did to fix it?

  1. I have a problem sometimes with my keys, and losing things is very frustrating for many people.
  2. One time I lost my apartment keys. I called my building manager, and he let me in and gave me a new key. (correct answer)
  3. Keys are important, and you should always keep them in the same place so you don't have problems.
  4. My friend also lost her keys once, and she had to wait outside for a long time before someone helped.
Explanation: When someone asks you to describe a past problem and how you fixed it, you need to include three things: what happened, what you did, and a clear beginning and end to the story. This is called a complete narrative — it has a problem and a resolution. Choice B does this perfectly. It tells you exactly what happened ("One time I lost my apartment keys"), what action was taken ("I called my building manager"), and how it was resolved ("he let me in and gave me a new key"). The story is specific, personal, and complete. The other choices each miss part of the task. Choice A mentions keys and losing things, but it uses vague language like "sometimes" and never explains what the speaker actually did to solve the problem. It also sounds more like a general opinion than a personal story. Choice C gives advice ("you should always keep them in the same place"), which is helpful in the right situation, but it doesn't describe a past problem or a solution at all — it skips the story entirely. Choice D is about a friend's experience, not the speaker's own. The question asks the student to speak about their past problem, so shifting to another person's story doesn't answer the prompt. A good strategy to remember: when a question asks for a personal past experience, look for answers that use "I" with a past-tense verb and include both the problem and the fix. If an answer only has one of those parts — or talks about someone else — it's incomplete.

Question 10

A student wants to write about a problem and its solution. Which sentence uses the CORRECT structure to describe the problem first and then the solution?

  1. I fixed my broken phone screen, and then it cracked while I was at school yesterday.
  2. Because I was happy, my computer stopped working and I called a technician for help.
  3. My landlord repaired the leak, so the ceiling in my apartment was dripping water last week.
  4. My bike had a flat tire, so I took it to a repair shop and they fixed it the same day. (correct answer)
Explanation: When writing about a problem and its solution, the order matters: the problem comes first, and the solution comes second. A helpful connector word is "so," which signals that what follows is a result or response to what came before. Think of it as: problem → so → solution. Answer D does this perfectly. "My bike had a flat tire" is the problem, and "so I took it to a repair shop and they fixed it the same day" is the solution. The timeline is logical, the order is correct, and "so" connects them naturally. Answer A has the order completely reversed — it describes the fix first ("I fixed my broken phone screen") and then mentions the problem ("it cracked"). That's backwards. The problem must come before the solution. Answer B uses "because I was happy" as the reason for a computer breaking down, which makes no logical sense. A problem like a broken computer is not caused by happiness. The sentence is logically confused, not just structurally wrong. Answer C is the trickiest distractor. It mentions a leak being repaired and then describes the ceiling dripping — again, the solution comes before the problem. The word "so" here implies the repair caused the dripping, which is the opposite of what actually happened. A good strategy: before choosing your answer, ask yourself two questions — What is the problem? What is the solution? Make sure the problem appears first in the sentence. If the solution comes before the problem, the sentence is out of order, no matter how grammatically clean it looks.