Problem, Issue or Matter?
2020-07-25
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1This week, we answer a question from Noël from France. He writes,
2"Can you explain the difference between matter, problem and issue?
3In English lessons these three words come often in the conversation and I am never sure which I have to use.
4Thank you in advance for the explanation and thank you very much for the daily news and lessons." -- Noël, France.
5Dear Noël,
6As a learner of English you probably wonder: Why does the language have so many words with similar meanings?
7One reason is that some words are more common in formal or official settings than others.
8Let me start with "problem," the least formal of the words that you asked about.
9"Problem" is a word that you can use in many different situations.
10A problem is a difficulty to overcome or a question to solve. We may say, for example:
11The poor economy has caused social problems.
12Or you could ask somebody this question if they look unhappy:
13What's the problem?
14There are many words that are close in meaning to problem, such as trouble or challenge.
15A more formal word that sometimes has the same meaning as problem is "issue."
16It can mean a topic or subject.
17At meetings, "issue" is used for an important problem that people debate or talk about.
18You may hear political candidates use this word as in this example:
19My opponent does not make clear statements on the issues.
20We can also use "issue" to talk about things that a large number of people care about. For example:
21Ocean scientists spoke on the environmental issue of plastic pollution.
22"Matter" is a more formal way of saying topic or material.
23The word "matter" can have a more neutral or a positive meaning than problem or issue, as in:
24We will discuss the matter of awards in the next meeting.
25However, "matter" is also an informal way of saying "problem" when we ask a question like:
26What's the matter?
27When you are trying to decide which of the three words to use, ask yourself: How formal is this situation?
28If it is informal, then use the word "problem."
29When talking about a political subject or a debate topic, you may use the word "issue."
30If the situation is more formal or a legal discussion, or you are talking about something that is not a problem, use the word "matter."
31And that is Ask a Teacher for this week.
32What question do you have about English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com.
33I'm Jill Robbins.
1This week, we answer a question from Noël from France. He writes, 2Question: 3"Can you explain the difference between matter, problem and issue? In English lessons these three words come often in the conversation and I am never sure which I have to use. Thank you in advance for the explanation and thank you very much for the daily news and lessons." -- Noël, France. 4Answer: 5Dear Noël, 6As a learner of English you probably wonder: Why does the language have so many words with similar meanings? One reason is that some words are more common in formal or official settings than others. Let me start with "problem," the least formal of the words that you asked about. 7Problem 8"Problem" is a word that you can use in many different situations. A problem is a difficulty to overcome or a question to solve. We may say, for example: 9The poor economy has caused social problems. 10Or you could ask somebody this question if they look unhappy: 11What's the problem? 12There are many words that are close in meaning to problem, such as trouble or challenge. 13Issue 14A more formal word that sometimes has the same meaning as problem is "issue." It can mean a topic or subject. At meetings, "issue" is used for an important problem that people debate or talk about. You may hear political candidates use this word as in this example: 15My opponent does not make clear statements on the issues. 16We can also use "issue" to talk about things that a large number of people care about. For example: 17Ocean scientists spoke on the environmental issue of plastic pollution. 18Matter 19"Matter" is a more formal way of saying topic or material. The word "matter" can have a more neutral or a positive meaning than problem or issue, as in: 20We will discuss the matter of awards in the next meeting. 21However, "matter" is also an informal way of saying "problem" when we ask a question like: 22What's the matter? 23How formal is the situation? 24When you are trying to decide which of the three words to use, ask yourself: How formal is this situation? If it is informal, then use the word "problem." When talking about a political subject or a debate topic, you may use the word "issue." If the situation is more formal or a legal discussion, or you are talking about something that is not a problem, use the word "matter." 25And that is Ask a Teacher for this week. 26Your questions 27What question do you have about English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com. 28I'm Jill Robbins. 29Dr. Jill Robbins wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. 30_______________________________________________________________ 31Words in This Story 32challenge - n. a difficult task or problem; something that is hard to do 33topic - n. a subject 34positive - adj. related to the good qualities of someone or something 35Do you have a question for the teacher? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com.