what caused the problem

USAGE SUMMARY

The sentence 'What caused the problem?' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you are wanting to ask someone the reason why something did not work out as expected. For example: 'What caused the problem with the experiment?'.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

38 human-written examples

That's what caused the problem.

The New York Times

It was unclear what caused the problem.

The Washington Post

The only question that remains is what caused the problem?

The Guardian - Money

The Buildings Department has not determined what caused the problem.

The New York Times

The Twins are not certain what caused the problem.

The New York Times - Sports

Isn't this what caused the problem in the first place?

The Guardian - Opinion

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

22 human-written examples

What caused the problems?

The Guardian

Investigators still do not know what caused the problems.

The New York Times

The inability to do that is what caused the problems at Fukushima: hydrogen explosions, releases of radiation, and finally meltdown.

MIT Technology Review

"What caused the problems was the change to the finish," said Cavendish, who had hoped to wear the yellow jersey for the first time in his career.

The New York Times - Sports

So I'm distressed, quite frankly, that it provides a signal that they might not be working as diligently to still find out what caused the problems".

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Follow "what caused the problem" with specific questions to guide the investigation, such as "what data is available?" or "who witnessed the event?". This helps focus the inquiry.

Common error

Avoid using "what caused the problem" in isolation. Without specifying the problem, the question is meaningless. Always provide context, for example: "What caused the problem with the server outage?".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "what caused the problem" functions as an interrogative phrase. It is used to elicit information about the reason or cause behind a specific problem or issue, as confirmed by Ludwig AI.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

64%

Science

16%

Academia

8%

Less common in

Wiki

8%

Formal & Business

4%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "what caused the problem" is a common and grammatically correct interrogative used to inquire about the origins of a specific issue. According to Ludwig AI, this phrase is suitable for a wide range of contexts, though it is particularly prevalent in News & Media. When using the phrase, be sure to provide sufficient context to avoid ambiguity. Related phrases include "what led to the issue" and "what factors contributed to the problem", offering slight variations in emphasis. Common errors include using the phrase without properly defining which "problem" is being addressed. The phrase enjoys a high expert rating due to its clear and consistent usage across authoritative sources.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

what led to the issue

Focuses on the sequence of events leading to the issue.

what was the reason for the problem

Emphasizes the underlying reason behind the problem.

what factors contributed to the problem

Highlights the multiple factors involved in the problem.

what's the source of the trouble

Uses a more informal term 'trouble' to refer to the problem.

what brought about the problem

Uses 'brought about' to indicate causation.

what was responsible for the problem

Highlights the element that holds accountability for the problem.

what precipitated the problem

Focuses on what triggered the problem.

what triggered the issue

Emphasizes the triggering event of the issue.

how did the problem arise

Asks about the manner in which the problem emerged.

what is the root cause of the problem

Focuses on the fundamental cause of the problem.

FAQs

How can I use "what caused the problem" in a sentence?

You can use "what caused the problem" to inquire about the reason behind a specific issue. For example, "The system crashed unexpectedly. What caused the problem?"

What's a more formal alternative to "what caused the problem"?

A more formal alternative would be "what were the underlying factors that led to the issue?". You can also use the expressions "what led to the issue" or "what factors contributed to the problem".

Is "what caused the problem" suitable for all types of writing?

Yes, "what caused the problem" is suitable for most writing contexts, but in very formal or scientific writing, a more precise phrasing might be preferred, such as "what etiological factors contributed to the observed anomaly?"

What's the difference between "what caused the problem" and "what is the problem"?

"What is the problem?" identifies the issue itself, while "what caused the problem?" seeks to understand the reason or origin of that issue. One identifies the what, the other investigates the why.