Most problem-solving essays frame the problem in a way that prepares readers to accept the proposed solution. The problem of skyrocketing fuel prices, for example, might be framed so that the best solution would seem to involve the development of new technologies, while the problem of a growing national debt might be framed so that the best solution would appear to rely on changes in tax laws.

After you introduce a problem to your readers, you can present a thesis statement that summarizes your proposed solution. Your thesis statement should be closely tied to your problem definition, and it should suggest a logical and reasonable means of addressing the problem. Because your thesis statement will frame readers’ understanding of your solution in a certain way, it serves as a powerful tool for influencing your readers. Consider the differences among the following thesis statements addressing the problem of low salaries for teachers who leave college with high levels of debt:

Thesis statement 1: If we are to ensure an adequate supply of qualified teachers, we must increase their starting salaries.

Thesis statement 2: The most promising approach to ensuring an adequate supply of qualified teachers is paying the tuition and fees for college students who promise to spend at least five years teaching in our public schools.

Thesis statement 3: A public-private partnership designed to identify and support promising new teachers is the key to ensuring an adequate supply of qualified teachers in our public schools.

Each of these thesis statements calls attention to a different solution to the problem. The first focuses on salaries, suggesting that the promise of higher salaries will lead more students to consider a career in teaching and perhaps will encourage those who do become teachers to stay in the profession. The second thesis statement focuses on the cost of attending college, borrowing an approach used successfully to attract new doctors to rural parts of the country. The third focuses on recruiting students into the teaching profession. Each thesis statement offers a reasonable solution to the problem as it has been defined, yet each would also lead the writer to produce a significantly different essay.