Write About a Problem in Your Local Area B1 Writing Practice Tests Rules & Examples

How to Write About a Problem in Your Local Area

Have you ever noticed something wrong in your neighbourhood — a broken road, a lack of green spaces, or too much litter on the streets? Writing about a local problem is a very common task in English examinations and in real life. You might write an article for a school magazine, a letter to a local newspaper, or a post on a community website.

In this type of writing, your goal is to describe the problem clearly, explain why it matters, and suggest what should be done to improve the situation. This lesson will help you write a well-organised, interesting, and accurate piece of writing at B1 level.

Essential Writing Rules and Sentence Structure

1. Organise Your Writing into Clear Paragraphs

A strong piece of writing about a local problem should have three or four paragraphs:

• Paragraph 1 — Introduction: Introduce the problem and where it occurs. Grab the reader's attention with a question or a surprising fact.
• Paragraph 2 — Describe the problem: Give details about what the problem is, how long it has been happening, and who is affected.
• Paragraph 3 — Explain the effects and causes: Why is this a problem? What happens as a result of it?
• Paragraph 4 — Conclusion and suggestions: What should be done? End with a clear recommendation or call to action.

2. Use Complex Sentences with Relative Clauses

Instead of writing short, simple sentences, combine your ideas using relative clauses with who, which, that, and where.

❌ There is a park in our area. It is in very bad condition.
✅ There is a park in our area, which is in very bad condition.

❌ Many residents are angry. They have complained several times.
✅ Many residents, who have complained several times, are still waiting for action.

3. Use the Present Perfect to Show Ongoing Problems

When a problem started in the past and is still happening now, use the present perfect with for, since, already, and yet.

• This problem has been getting worse for several years.
• The council has not yet repaired the road.
• Residents have already written several letters of complaint.

4. Use Modals to Make Suggestions and Recommendations

At B1 level, you should use a variety of modal verbs to give advice and suggestions, rather than simply writing "the council must fix this."

• The local council should definitely take action immediately.
• Perhaps more bins could be placed around the town centre.
• It might be a good idea to involve local volunteers.
• Why don't residents organise a clean-up campaign?

5. Use the Passive Voice to Sound Objective

When writing about community issues, the passive voice sounds more formal and factual.

• Litter is dropped on the streets every day.
• The old playground equipment has not been replaced for over ten years.
• A new recycling centre was promised by the council two years ago.

6. Punctuation with Linking Adverbs

When you use linking adverbs such as However, Therefore, and In addition at the start of a sentence, always place a comma after them.

❌ However the situation has not improved.
✅ However, the situation has not improved.

❌ Therefore residents are frustrated.
✅ Therefore, residents are frustrated.

Useful Linking Words (Connectors)

Use a variety of connectors to link your ideas smoothly and avoid repetition. Study this table carefully.

Model Writing Sample: "The Litter Problem in Our Town"

Word count: 115 words | Genre: Article for a school or community website | Register: Neutral/semi-formal

[Opening — Introduce the problem with a question to engage the reader]
Have you ever walked down a street and felt embarrassed by how dirty it looked? Unfortunately, litter has become a serious problem in our town, and the situation has been getting worse for the past two years.

[Body — Describe the problem and its effects]
Every day, rubbish is dropped on the pavements and in the park, which is a popular place for families. Although the council has placed extra bins around the area, many people still do not use them. As a result, the streets look unattractive, and some residents feel too uncomfortable to go outside.

[Body — Explain causes and who is affected]
The problem is particularly bad near the shopping centre, where large crowds gather at weekends. Even though local volunteers have already organised two clean-up campaigns, the litter returns within days.

[Closing — Recommendation and call to action]
The council should definitely introduce stricter fines for littering so that people think twice before dropping rubbish. If everyone made a small effort, our town could become a much cleaner and more enjoyable place for all.

Model Text Annotation

• Opening question: "Have you ever walked down a street..." — grabs the reader's attention immediately.
• Present perfect for ongoing problem: "has been getting worse for the past two years" — shows this is a continuing issue.
• Relative clause: "the park, which is a popular place for families" — adds detail without a new sentence.
• Contrast connector: "Although the council has placed extra bins... many people still do not use them" — shows contrast within a single sentence.
• Result connector: "As a result, the streets look unattractive" — comma correctly placed after the connector.
• Passive voice: "rubbish is dropped", "bins around the area" — sounds objective and factual.
• Modal for suggestion: "should definitely introduce stricter fines" — strong, confident recommendation.
• First conditional: "If everyone made a small effort, our town could become..." — suggests realistic positive change.

Key Phrases and Sentence Starters

Opening Lines and Stating the Problem

• Have you ever noticed how much litter there is on the streets of...?
• One of the biggest problems in my local area is...
• For many years, residents in [place] have been dealing with the problem of...
• It is hard to believe that in [year/today], we are still struggling with...
• The issue of [traffic / pollution / litter / crime] has become a serious concern for many people who live in...

Describing the Problem and Giving Details

• The problem is particularly bad in/near/around...
• Every day/week, [rubbish is dropped / noise can be heard / cars block the road]...
• This has been happening for [two years / several months], and the situation has not improved.
• Many residents, who have lived here for years, feel that...
• Although the authorities are aware of this issue, very little has been done so far.
• Even though [action has been taken], the problem continues to get worse.

Explaining Effects and Causes

• As a result, many people feel [unsafe / frustrated / disappointed].
• This has a negative effect on [local wildlife / tourism / residents' quality of life].
• Since [the factory opened / the new road was built], the level of [noise / pollution] has increased significantly.
• Because of this problem, many families have stopped [visiting the park / using the town centre].
• On the one hand... On the other hand...

Making Suggestions and Recommendations

• The council should definitely...
• It might be a good idea to...
• Perhaps more [bins / streetlights / cycle lanes] could be installed so that...
• Why don't local residents organise...?
• If the authorities took action immediately, the situation would improve considerably.
• We could also encourage people to... by...

Concluding Your Writing

• In conclusion, it is clear that this problem needs to be addressed as soon as possible.
• To sum up, the [litter / traffic / noise] problem in our area is getting worse, and urgent action is needed.
• I strongly believe that if we all work together, we can make our local area a better place.
• I hope that the relevant authorities will take this matter seriously and act without further delay.

Common Writing Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Although the road is broken, however the council has not fixed it.
✅ Although the road is broken, the council has not fixed it.
Explanation: Never use 'although' and 'however' together in the same sentence. They both show contrast. Choose one or the other.

❌ However the situation is getting worse.
✅ However, the situation is getting worse.
Explanation: When 'However' begins a sentence as a linking adverb, it must always be followed by a comma.

❌ Despite the council knows about the problem, nothing has been done.
✅ Despite knowing about the problem, the council has done nothing.
Explanation: 'Despite' must be followed by a noun or an -ing form — never by a full clause with a subject and verb. Use 'Although' if you want to use a full clause: "Although the council knows about the problem..."

❌ The problem is very bad since two years.
✅ The problem has been very bad for two years.
Explanation: Use 'for' with a period of time and the present perfect tense. Use 'since' with a specific starting point: "The problem has been bad since 2021."

❌ I think the goverment should definitly do something about this enviroment problem.
✅ I think the government should definitely do something about this environmental problem.
Explanation: Check the spelling of these commonly misspelled B1 words: government, definitely, environment, environmental, necessary, recommend.

❌ While some people complained, the council was not doing anything.
✅ While some people were complaining, the council was doing nothing.
Explanation: Use 'while' with two past continuous actions happening at the same time: was/were + -ing.

Writing Checklist and Practice Task

Writing Checklist

Before you submit your writing, go through this checklist carefully:

• ✅ Did you write between 100 and 120 words?
• ✅ Did you organise your writing into 3 or 4 clear paragraphs?
• ✅ Did you use an engaging opening (a question or a surprising statement)?
• ✅ Did you use the present perfect to show an ongoing problem (has been, have not yet, has already)?
• ✅ Did you include at least two different linking words or connectors (e.g. Although, However, As a result, In addition)?
• ✅ Did you put a comma after However, Therefore, In addition, and As a result when they begin a sentence?
• ✅ Did you use at least one relative clause (who, which, that, where)?
• ✅ Did you make at least one suggestion using a modal verb (should, could, might, would)?
• ✅ Did you write a clear conclusion with a recommendation or call to action?
• ✅ Did you check the spelling of: definitely, government, environment, necessary, recommend, disappointed?

Your Practice Task

Read the following writing task carefully and write your answer.

You have seen this notice on an English-language community website:

"We want to hear from people around the world! What is a problem in your local area? Describe the problem, explain how it affects local people, and suggest what could be done to improve the situation. Write an article for our website."

Write your article in 100–120 words.

Use the following checklist to guide your planning before you write:

• What is the problem? (traffic, litter, noise, lack of parks, poor public transport, crime, pollution...)
• How long has it been a problem? (Use the present perfect: has been happening for...)
• Who does it affect? (elderly people, children, families, tourists, local businesses...)
• What are the effects? (Use: As a result... / Because of this... / Therefore...)
• What should be done? (Use: should, could, might, Why don't...)

Now test your writing mechanics and sentence skills in the exercises below.