Problem-solution writing begins with a defined problem and develops one or more responses that could realistically address it. Strong problem-solution essays do more than complain about a difficulty and propose an attractive idea. They diagnose the problem, identify relevant causes and constraints, establish criteria for a workable response, compare alternatives and explain trade-offs.
This SETC guide explains problem definition, scope, causes, stakeholders, criteria, solution design, feasibility, costs, benefits, risks, implementation, comparison, counterarguments, evidence, recommendations and exam-time problem-solution structure.
The governing rule is diagnose before prescribing. A solution is only as strong as the writer’s understanding of the problem it is supposed to solve.
What is Problem-Solution Essays?
A problem-solution essay is an organised piece of writing that explains a meaningful problem and evaluates one or more responses according to evidence and explicit criteria.
Problem-Solution Essays is best understood as a structured writing process rather than a fixed school formula. The writer identifies what the reader needs, chooses an organisation that makes the relationship visible, develops the necessary support and checks whether the finished piece can be followed without unnecessary reconstruction.
Why problem-solution essays matters
Problem-solution writing develops practical reasoning. Readers need to know what is wrong, why it persists, who is affected, which constraints matter and whether the proposed response addresses causes rather than symptoms.
The deeper goal is transfer. A student who can perform problem-solution essays only on one familiar topic has learned the surface pattern. A student who can rebuild the same quality on a new topic, with different evidence and a different audience, has learned the underlying decision system.
What problem-solution essays is not
- a complaint followed by a wish
- a list of solutions with no criteria
- a proposal that ignores causes
- a single preferred solution presented as the only possibility
- an unrealistic plan with no implementation details
- a recommendation supported only by personal preference
These boundaries protect writers from formula without purpose. A piece may look organised because it contains headings, transitions or examples, yet still fail if the relationships among ideas are unclear or if the evidence does not support the claims.
The operating sequence
- Clarify the task, audience, scope and purpose.
- Identify the central relationship or process the reader must understand.
- Generate more material than the final draft will use.
- Group and order material by a deliberate principle.
- Draft enough to test the structure.
- Revise for relevance, explanation, hierarchy and reader usability.
- Proofread only after the larger architecture is stable.
This sequence prevents writers from spending valuable time polishing sentences that may later be moved or deleted. Once the larger route is clear, sentence-level choices become easier because each sentence has a defined local purpose.
Defining the problem
The problem should be specific enough that readers know what condition needs to change, who is affected and what evidence shows the problem exists.
A useful diagnostic question is: what should the reader understand after this part that was not clear before it? If the writer cannot answer that question, defining the problem may have become mechanical. The repair is to return to purpose and evidence before adding more language.
For deliberate practice, draft two short versions that handle defining the problem differently. Compare which version makes the relationship easier to understand and identify the exact reason: clearer category boundaries, stronger sequence, more useful sensory selection, better causal logic, or more precise reader orientation.
For transfer, change topic, genre and audience while keeping the underlying writing problem stable. Mastery appears when the learner can recreate the same structural quality on unfamiliar material without copying wording or paragraph shapes from the original model.
Setting scope
A manageable essay defines boundaries such as population, place, time period or aspect of the problem rather than attempting to solve everything at once.
A useful diagnostic question is: what should the reader understand after this part that was not clear before it? If the writer cannot answer that question, setting scope may have become mechanical. The repair is to return to purpose and evidence before adding more language.
For deliberate practice, draft two short versions that handle setting scope differently. Compare which version makes the relationship easier to understand and identify the exact reason: clearer category boundaries, stronger sequence, more useful sensory selection, better causal logic, or more precise reader orientation.
For transfer, change topic, genre and audience while keeping the underlying writing problem stable. Mastery appears when the learner can recreate the same structural quality on unfamiliar material without copying wording or paragraph shapes from the original model.
Distinguishing symptoms from causes
Symptoms reveal the problem, but solutions aimed only at symptoms may leave the underlying mechanism untouched.
A useful diagnostic question is: what should the reader understand after this part that was not clear before it? If the writer cannot answer that question, distinguishing symptoms from causes may have become mechanical. The repair is to return to purpose and evidence before adding more language.
For deliberate practice, draft two short versions that handle distinguishing symptoms from causes differently. Compare which version makes the relationship easier to understand and identify the exact reason: clearer category boundaries, stronger sequence, more useful sensory selection, better causal logic, or more precise reader orientation.
For transfer, change topic, genre and audience while keeping the underlying writing problem stable. Mastery appears when the learner can recreate the same structural quality on unfamiliar material without copying wording or paragraph shapes from the original model.
Identifying causes
Strong diagnosis considers immediate, underlying and contributing causes and avoids assuming one factor explains a complex problem.
A useful diagnostic question is: what should the reader understand after this part that was not clear before it? If the writer cannot answer that question, identifying causes may have become mechanical. The repair is to return to purpose and evidence before adding more language.
For deliberate practice, draft two short versions that handle identifying causes differently. Compare which version makes the relationship easier to understand and identify the exact reason: clearer category boundaries, stronger sequence, more useful sensory selection, better causal logic, or more precise reader orientation.
For transfer, change topic, genre and audience while keeping the underlying writing problem stable. Mastery appears when the learner can recreate the same structural quality on unfamiliar material without copying wording or paragraph shapes from the original model.
Stakeholders
Different groups may experience the problem differently and may bear different costs or benefits from a proposed solution.
A useful diagnostic question is: what should the reader understand after this part that was not clear before it? If the writer cannot answer that question, stakeholders may have become mechanical. The repair is to return to purpose and evidence before adding more language.
For deliberate practice, draft two short versions that handle stakeholders differently. Compare which version makes the relationship easier to understand and identify the exact reason: clearer category boundaries, stronger sequence, more useful sensory selection, better causal logic, or more precise reader orientation.
For transfer, change topic, genre and audience while keeping the underlying writing problem stable. Mastery appears when the learner can recreate the same structural quality on unfamiliar material without copying wording or paragraph shapes from the original model.
Success criteria
Before choosing a solution, the writer should identify what a successful response must accomplish and what constraints it must respect.
A useful diagnostic question is: what should the reader understand after this part that was not clear before it? If the writer cannot answer that question, success criteria may have become mechanical. The repair is to return to purpose and evidence before adding more language.
For deliberate practice, draft two short versions that handle success criteria differently. Compare which version makes the relationship easier to understand and identify the exact reason: clearer category boundaries, stronger sequence, more useful sensory selection, better causal logic, or more precise reader orientation.
For transfer, change topic, genre and audience while keeping the underlying writing problem stable. Mastery appears when the learner can recreate the same structural quality on unfamiliar material without copying wording or paragraph shapes from the original model.
Generating alternatives
A credible essay considers more than one plausible response before recommending a preferred option.
A useful diagnostic question is: what should the reader understand after this part that was not clear before it? If the writer cannot answer that question, generating alternatives may have become mechanical. The repair is to return to purpose and evidence before adding more language.
For deliberate practice, draft two short versions that handle generating alternatives differently. Compare which version makes the relationship easier to understand and identify the exact reason: clearer category boundaries, stronger sequence, more useful sensory selection, better causal logic, or more precise reader orientation.
For transfer, change topic, genre and audience while keeping the underlying writing problem stable. Mastery appears when the learner can recreate the same structural quality on unfamiliar material without copying wording or paragraph shapes from the original model.
Feasibility
A solution must be workable within available resources, authority, time, technology and human behaviour.
A useful diagnostic question is: what should the reader understand after this part that was not clear before it? If the writer cannot answer that question, feasibility may have become mechanical. The repair is to return to purpose and evidence before adding more language.
For deliberate practice, draft two short versions that handle feasibility differently. Compare which version makes the relationship easier to understand and identify the exact reason: clearer category boundaries, stronger sequence, more useful sensory selection, better causal logic, or more precise reader orientation.
For transfer, change topic, genre and audience while keeping the underlying writing problem stable. Mastery appears when the learner can recreate the same structural quality on unfamiliar material without copying wording or paragraph shapes from the original model.
Effectiveness
Effectiveness asks whether the proposed response is likely to improve the defined problem rather than merely create visible activity.
A useful diagnostic question is: what should the reader understand after this part that was not clear before it? If the writer cannot answer that question, effectiveness may have become mechanical. The repair is to return to purpose and evidence before adding more language.
For deliberate practice, draft two short versions that handle effectiveness differently. Compare which version makes the relationship easier to understand and identify the exact reason: clearer category boundaries, stronger sequence, more useful sensory selection, better causal logic, or more precise reader orientation.
For transfer, change topic, genre and audience while keeping the underlying writing problem stable. Mastery appears when the learner can recreate the same structural quality on unfamiliar material without copying wording or paragraph shapes from the original model.
Costs
Costs may include money, time, attention, opportunity, administrative load and unintended trade-offs.
A useful diagnostic question is: what should the reader understand after this part that was not clear before it? If the writer cannot answer that question, costs may have become mechanical. The repair is to return to purpose and evidence before adding more language.
For deliberate practice, draft two short versions that handle costs differently. Compare which version makes the relationship easier to understand and identify the exact reason: clearer category boundaries, stronger sequence, more useful sensory selection, better causal logic, or more precise reader orientation.
For transfer, change topic, genre and audience while keeping the underlying writing problem stable. Mastery appears when the learner can recreate the same structural quality on unfamiliar material without copying wording or paragraph shapes from the original model.
Benefits
Benefits should be linked to the success criteria rather than stated as vague positives.
A useful diagnostic question is: what should the reader understand after this part that was not clear before it? If the writer cannot answer that question, benefits may have become mechanical. The repair is to return to purpose and evidence before adding more language.
For deliberate practice, draft two short versions that handle benefits differently. Compare which version makes the relationship easier to understand and identify the exact reason: clearer category boundaries, stronger sequence, more useful sensory selection, better causal logic, or more precise reader orientation.
For transfer, change topic, genre and audience while keeping the underlying writing problem stable. Mastery appears when the learner can recreate the same structural quality on unfamiliar material without copying wording or paragraph shapes from the original model.
Risks and unintended consequences
A solution can create secondary problems, shift burdens or produce incentives that weaken its own goals.
A useful diagnostic question is: what should the reader understand after this part that was not clear before it? If the writer cannot answer that question, risks and unintended consequences may have become mechanical. The repair is to return to purpose and evidence before adding more language.
For deliberate practice, draft two short versions that handle risks and unintended consequences differently. Compare which version makes the relationship easier to understand and identify the exact reason: clearer category boundaries, stronger sequence, more useful sensory selection, better causal logic, or more precise reader orientation.
For transfer, change topic, genre and audience while keeping the underlying writing problem stable. Mastery appears when the learner can recreate the same structural quality on unfamiliar material without copying wording or paragraph shapes from the original model.
Implementation
Readers need to understand who acts, in what sequence, with what resources and how the change would begin.
A useful diagnostic question is: what should the reader understand after this part that was not clear before it? If the writer cannot answer that question, implementation may have become mechanical. The repair is to return to purpose and evidence before adding more language.
For deliberate practice, draft two short versions that handle implementation differently. Compare which version makes the relationship easier to understand and identify the exact reason: clearer category boundaries, stronger sequence, more useful sensory selection, better causal logic, or more precise reader orientation.
For transfer, change topic, genre and audience while keeping the underlying writing problem stable. Mastery appears when the learner can recreate the same structural quality on unfamiliar material without copying wording or paragraph shapes from the original model.
Comparing solutions
Alternatives should be compared using the same criteria so the recommendation is fair and transparent.
A useful diagnostic question is: what should the reader understand after this part that was not clear before it? If the writer cannot answer that question, comparing solutions may have become mechanical. The repair is to return to purpose and evidence before adding more language.
For deliberate practice, draft two short versions that handle comparing solutions differently. Compare which version makes the relationship easier to understand and identify the exact reason: clearer category boundaries, stronger sequence, more useful sensory selection, better causal logic, or more precise reader orientation.
For transfer, change topic, genre and audience while keeping the underlying writing problem stable. Mastery appears when the learner can recreate the same structural quality on unfamiliar material without copying wording or paragraph shapes from the original model.
Recommendation
A recommendation should follow from the criteria and evidence rather than from the writer’s preference alone.
A useful diagnostic question is: what should the reader understand after this part that was not clear before it? If the writer cannot answer that question, recommendation may have become mechanical. The repair is to return to purpose and evidence before adding more language.
For deliberate practice, draft two short versions that handle recommendation differently. Compare which version makes the relationship easier to understand and identify the exact reason: clearer category boundaries, stronger sequence, more useful sensory selection, better causal logic, or more precise reader orientation.
For transfer, change topic, genre and audience while keeping the underlying writing problem stable. Mastery appears when the learner can recreate the same structural quality on unfamiliar material without copying wording or paragraph shapes from the original model.
Counterarguments
A credible essay addresses serious objections such as cost, fairness, practicality or uncertainty.
A useful diagnostic question is: what should the reader understand after this part that was not clear before it? If the writer cannot answer that question, counterarguments may have become mechanical. The repair is to return to purpose and evidence before adding more language.
For deliberate practice, draft two short versions that handle counterarguments differently. Compare which version makes the relationship easier to understand and identify the exact reason: clearer category boundaries, stronger sequence, more useful sensory selection, better causal logic, or more precise reader orientation.
For transfer, change topic, genre and audience while keeping the underlying writing problem stable. Mastery appears when the learner can recreate the same structural quality on unfamiliar material without copying wording or paragraph shapes from the original model.
Monitoring and evaluation
Complex solutions may require later measurement to determine whether they are working and whether adjustment is needed.
A useful diagnostic question is: what should the reader understand after this part that was not clear before it? If the writer cannot answer that question, monitoring and evaluation may have become mechanical. The repair is to return to purpose and evidence before adding more language.
For deliberate practice, draft two short versions that handle monitoring and evaluation differently. Compare which version makes the relationship easier to understand and identify the exact reason: clearer category boundaries, stronger sequence, more useful sensory selection, better causal logic, or more precise reader orientation.
For transfer, change topic, genre and audience while keeping the underlying writing problem stable. Mastery appears when the learner can recreate the same structural quality on unfamiliar material without copying wording or paragraph shapes from the original model.
Exam problem-solution writing
Timed writers should define a manageable problem, develop two or three serious solution criteria and avoid shallow lists of fixes.
A useful diagnostic question is: what should the reader understand after this part that was not clear before it? If the writer cannot answer that question, exam problem-solution writing may have become mechanical. The repair is to return to purpose and evidence before adding more language.
For deliberate practice, draft two short versions that handle exam problem-solution writing differently. Compare which version makes the relationship easier to understand and identify the exact reason: clearer category boundaries, stronger sequence, more useful sensory selection, better causal logic, or more precise reader orientation.
For transfer, change topic, genre and audience while keeping the underlying writing problem stable. Mastery appears when the learner can recreate the same structural quality on unfamiliar material without copying wording or paragraph shapes from the original model.
A diagnostic checklist
- Is the problem specific and evidenced?
- Are symptoms distinguished from underlying causes?
- Are stakeholders and constraints visible?
- Have success criteria been stated?
- Are multiple plausible solutions considered?
- Are solutions compared on the same criteria?
- Are feasibility and unintended consequences addressed?
- Does the recommendation follow from evidence rather than preference?
Use the checklist to find the first weak link rather than correcting every surface symptom. A weak central decision can create several downstream problems—repetition, irrelevant examples, poor transitions, thin explanation and conclusions that merely repeat earlier material.
Worked example: Maren
Maren writes that students are tired and proposes giving everyone less homework. Her tutor asks whether workload is the only cause. Maren identifies sleep routines, travel time and scheduling, then narrows her essay to the problem of clustered deadlines and proposes coordination rather than a universal reduction.
Maren is asked to explain the intended reader effect, make one revision and state why the second version works better. The explanation converts feedback into a reusable rule rather than a corrected page the learner cannot reproduce independently.
Worked example: Iona
Iona has three creative solutions but no basis for choosing among them. She creates criteria—cost, reach, feasibility and likely effect—and discovers that her initial favourite is not the strongest overall option.
Iona is asked to explain the intended reader effect, make one revision and state why the second version works better. The explanation converts feedback into a reusable rule rather than a corrected page the learner cannot reproduce independently.
Worked example: Leonie
Leonie lists six solutions in an exam and develops none. She switches to two serious alternatives, evaluates both using shared criteria and makes one evidence-based recommendation.
Leonie is asked to explain the intended reader effect, make one revision and state why the second version works better. The explanation converts feedback into a reusable rule rather than a corrected page the learner cannot reproduce independently.
Planning before drafting
Planning should be long enough to prevent obvious structural failures but short enough to preserve drafting time. A plan earns its cost when it reduces uncertainty about purpose, order, evidence and paragraph roles.
A practical mastery check is to apply this principle to a fresh topic, explain the decision aloud and then repeat the same structural move after a delay without the original model in view. Fresh application plus delayed retrieval gives stronger evidence of learning than immediate imitation.
Generating more than you keep
Writers need enough options to select well. If the first idea automatically becomes the final idea, selection has not occurred. Brainstorming, clustering, question generation and quick evidence lists create a pool from which stronger material can be chosen.
A practical mastery check is to apply this principle to a fresh topic, explain the decision aloud and then repeat the same structural move after a delay without the original model in view. Fresh application plus delayed retrieval gives stronger evidence of learning than immediate imitation.
Grouping related material
Related content should be grouped by function rather than by superficial topic overlap. Two details about the same subject may belong in different paragraphs if one explains cause and the other evaluates consequence.
A practical mastery check is to apply this principle to a fresh topic, explain the decision aloud and then repeat the same structural move after a delay without the original model in view. Fresh application plus delayed retrieval gives stronger evidence of learning than immediate imitation.
Hierarchy
Strong writing has levels: central purpose, major sections, paragraph ideas, supporting evidence and minor detail. When hierarchy is weak, low-value material occupies the same space as the most important idea.
A practical mastery check is to apply this principle to a fresh topic, explain the decision aloud and then repeat the same structural move after a delay without the original model in view. Fresh application plus delayed retrieval gives stronger evidence of learning than immediate imitation.
Order
Chronology, comparison, cause, classification, problem-solution and increasing importance are different organising principles. The writer should choose the one that best matches the intellectual job of the text.
A practical mastery check is to apply this principle to a fresh topic, explain the decision aloud and then repeat the same structural move after a delay without the original model in view. Fresh application plus delayed retrieval gives stronger evidence of learning than immediate imitation.
Transitions
Transitions work best when they reveal a genuine relationship already present in the structure. They should not be used to disguise weak order or unrelated paragraphs.
A practical mastery check is to apply this principle to a fresh topic, explain the decision aloud and then repeat the same structural move after a delay without the original model in view. Fresh application plus delayed retrieval gives stronger evidence of learning than immediate imitation.
Paragraph boundaries
A new paragraph is normally justified by a new local purpose, stage, criterion, category, time, speaker, location or argumentative move. Length should follow development rather than a fixed sentence count.
A practical mastery check is to apply this principle to a fresh topic, explain the decision aloud and then repeat the same structural move after a delay without the original model in view. Fresh application plus delayed retrieval gives stronger evidence of learning than immediate imitation.
Examples and evidence
Examples should be selected for function. A vivid example that does not clarify the intended point is weaker than a plain example that makes the mechanism, category or distinction visible.
A practical mastery check is to apply this principle to a fresh topic, explain the decision aloud and then repeat the same structural move after a delay without the original model in view. Fresh application plus delayed retrieval gives stronger evidence of learning than immediate imitation.
Explanation
Readers should not be forced to infer the entire relationship between evidence and point. Explanation makes the writer’s reasoning inspectable and prevents paragraphs from becoming lists.
A practical mastery check is to apply this principle to a fresh topic, explain the decision aloud and then repeat the same structural move after a delay without the original model in view. Fresh application plus delayed retrieval gives stronger evidence of learning than immediate imitation.
Revision with a reverse outline
After drafting, label each paragraph by what it actually does. The resulting reverse outline reveals repetition, gaps, misplaced evidence and sections whose real function differs from the plan.
A practical mastery check is to apply this principle to a fresh topic, explain the decision aloud and then repeat the same structural move after a delay without the original model in view. Fresh application plus delayed retrieval gives stronger evidence of learning than immediate imitation.
Cutting and adding
Revision is not only correction. Writers may need to remove a repeated idea, split an overloaded paragraph, add a missing explanation or replace a weak example. The goal is functional completeness, not maximum length.
A practical mastery check is to apply this principle to a fresh topic, explain the decision aloud and then repeat the same structural move after a delay without the original model in view. Fresh application plus delayed retrieval gives stronger evidence of learning than immediate imitation.
Feedback
Feedback becomes transferable when it is translated into a process rule. “This is unclear” can become “my example appears before I define the category,” or “my step assumes knowledge the reader has not yet received.”
A practical mastery check is to apply this principle to a fresh topic, explain the decision aloud and then repeat the same structural move after a delay without the original model in view. Fresh application plus delayed retrieval gives stronger evidence of learning than immediate imitation.
Spacing and delayed revision
A short delay makes structure easier to see because the draft becomes less familiar. Delayed practice also tests whether the writer can reconstruct the method without the original model active in memory.
A practical mastery check is to apply this principle to a fresh topic, explain the decision aloud and then repeat the same structural move after a delay without the original model in view. Fresh application plus delayed retrieval gives stronger evidence of learning than immediate imitation.
Interleaving related writing skills
Once the target skill is understood, mix it with thesis work, paragraphing, evidence, cohesion and sentence editing. Real writing does not present one labelled problem at a time.
A practical mastery check is to apply this principle to a fresh topic, explain the decision aloud and then repeat the same structural move after a delay without the original model in view. Fresh application plus delayed retrieval gives stronger evidence of learning than immediate imitation.
Cross-curricular transfer
Problem-Solution Essays matters beyond English. Science explanations, Humanities essays, project reports, research notes and workplace writing all require deliberate selection, organisation and reader control.
A practical mastery check is to apply this principle to a fresh topic, explain the decision aloud and then repeat the same structural move after a delay without the original model in view. Fresh application plus delayed retrieval gives stronger evidence of learning than immediate imitation.
Primary and PSLE application
Primary learners can identify a clear problem, explain why it matters and propose one realistic response with a reason.
A practical mastery check is to apply this principle to a fresh topic, explain the decision aloud and then repeat the same structural move after a delay without the original model in view. Fresh application plus delayed retrieval gives stronger evidence of learning than immediate imitation.
Secondary and SEC application
Secondary writers should distinguish causes from symptoms, compare alternatives, consider stakeholders and justify recommendations with evidence.
A practical mastery check is to apply this principle to a fresh topic, explain the decision aloud and then repeat the same structural move after a delay without the original model in view. Fresh application plus delayed retrieval gives stronger evidence of learning than immediate imitation.
JC, IGCSE and advanced application
Advanced writers should evaluate implementation, costs, trade-offs, unintended consequences, monitoring and uncertainty while preserving a manageable problem scope.
A practical mastery check is to apply this principle to a fresh topic, explain the decision aloud and then repeat the same structural move after a delay without the original model in view. Fresh application plus delayed retrieval gives stronger evidence of learning than immediate imitation.
Exam-day use
Under time pressure, protect the highest-value structural decisions first: answer the task, choose a clear organising principle, allocate evidence and finish the piece. Small stylistic polish should come after those marks-rich decisions are secure.
A practical mastery check is to apply this principle to a fresh topic, explain the decision aloud and then repeat the same structural move after a delay without the original model in view. Fresh application plus delayed retrieval gives stronger evidence of learning than immediate imitation.
Measuring progress
Improvement can appear as fewer repeated points, stronger paragraph roles, clearer examples, faster planning, more accurate transitions and better completion before it appears as a major score increase.
A practical mastery check is to apply this principle to a fresh topic, explain the decision aloud and then repeat the same structural move after a delay without the original model in view. Fresh application plus delayed retrieval gives stronger evidence of learning than immediate imitation.
Frequently asked questions
Should I follow one fixed structure every time?
No. Use a structure because it fits the task, reader and material, not because it appeared in one model essay.
How much planning is enough?
Enough to clarify purpose, order and support without consuming the time needed to draft and revise.
Can I change the structure while drafting?
Yes. A plan is a working model. Revise it when the evidence or draft reveals a better route.
How do I know if my examples are useful?
They should clarify, support or test the exact point being developed.
What should I revise first?
Start with purpose, structure and missing explanation before sentence-level polish.
How can I improve under exam conditions?
Practise compact planning and high-value revision until the essential decisions become fast and reliable.
Research and reference points
Grammarly’s essay-structure guide describes problem-solution writing as defining the problem, discussing possible methods for resolving it, considering challenges and explaining a preferred response. Its discursive-essay guidance likewise recommends presenting multiple solutions fairly with benefits and drawbacks.
Continue through SETC
Continue with Text Structures, Cause and Effect Essays and English Writing and Composition.
The mastery target is independent control: recognise when problem-solution essays is needed, choose a structure that fits the task, make the reader path visible, develop the necessary support and revise the result on unfamiliar material without relying on one fixed template.