The Cause and Effect Writing

What is a cause and effect writing?
Cause and effect writings are concerned with why things happen (causes) and what happens as a result (effects). Cause and effect is a common method of organizing and discussing ideas.

Follow these steps when writing a cause and effect writing:

1. Distinguish between cause and effect. To determine causes, ask, "Why did this happen?" To identify effects, ask, "What happened because of this?" The following is an example of one cause producing one effect:
 

Cause	Effect
You are out of gas.	Your car won't start.

Sometimes, many causes contribute to a single effect or many effects may result from a single cause. The following are examples:

Causes	Effect choose to major in accounting
liked business in high school
salaries in the field are high
have an aunt who is an accountant
am good with numbers

 

Cause reduce work hours	Effects
	less income
	employer is irritated
	more time to study
	more time for family and friends

However, most situations are more complicated.

The following is an example of a chain reaction:

Thinking about friend…forgot to buy gas…car wouldn't start…missed your first period English class…missed test review...failed English test.

2. Develop your thesis (opening) statement. State clearly whether you are discussing causes, effects, or both. Introduce your main idea in the first paragraph.   (Example:  Adjusting in our new school has been easy for some, difficult for others.  I will be discussing the effects caused by moving from the old Middle School to our new building.)

3. Find and organize supporting details. Back up your thesis with relevant and sufficient details that are organized. You can organize details in the following ways:

• Chronological. Details are arranged in the order in which the events occurred.
• Order of importance. Details are arranged from least to most important or vice versa.
• Categorical. Details are arranged by dividing the topic into parts or categories. (If I had chosen the Middle School moving as my topic, I may break that into three or four categories such as: Effect on Students, Effect on Teachers, Financial Effect, Effect on High School Students)

4. Use appropriate transitions. To blend details smoothly in cause and effect essays, use the transitional words and phrases listed below.

When writing your essay, keep the following suggestions in mind:

• Remember your purpose. Decide if your are writing to inform or persuade.
• Focus on immediate and direct causes (or effects.) Limit yourself to causes that are close in time and related, as opposed to remote and indirect causes, which occur later and are related indirectly.
• Strengthen your essay by using supporting evidence. Define terms, offer facts and statistics, or provide examples, anecdotes (little stories), or personal observations that support your ideas.
• Qualify or limit your statements about cause and effect. Unless there is clear evidence that one event is related to another, qualify your statements with phrases such as "It appears that the cause was" or "It seems likely" or "The evidence may indicate" or "Available evidence suggests."

To evaluate the effectiveness of a cause and effect essay, ask the following questions: What are the causes? What are the effects? Which should be emphasized? Are there single or multiple causes? Single or multiple effects? Is a chain reaction involved?