Cause and effect.

Expressing reasons and explanations

Take the following sentence:
The death rate from cancer is increasing.
We might want to ask why this is happening. We want the cause of this. The reason, or the cause, is that:
People are smoking more.
The death rate from cancer is increasing is the effect.
People are smoking more is the cause.
Language

This relationship can be expressed in many ways:

1. Simply
Emphasising cause.
The death rate from cancer is
increasing

because
owing to the fact
that

people are smoking

more.

Emphasising effect.
As
Becaus people are smoking
e
more,
Since

the death rate from cancer is

increasing.

People are smoking

more.

Therefore,
So,
Thus,
Hence,
Consequently,
Because of this,
For this reason,
As a consequence,
As a result,

People are smoking

more,

as a result of which
as a consequence of
which
with the result that

2. With some grammatical changes.

Emphasing cause.

the death rate from cancer is

increasing.

The fact
that

the death rate from cancer is

increasing

The reason
the death rate from cancer
On for
increasing
e
cause of

An increase in the death rate

from cancer

is
may
be

is due to
people smoking
may be due
more.
to

is that
could be
that

people are smoking

more.

one effect of
one result of
one
consequence of
caused by
due to
because of

people smoking
more.

result
s from
arises
from
Emphasing effect.
Owing
to

people smoking
more,

the death rate from cancer is

increasing.

effect of
On
result of
people smoking
e
consequence more
The
of

People smoking
more

is
that

the death rate from cancer is

increasing.

is to

increase the death rate from

cancer.

results in
an increase in the death rate from
leads to
cancer.
produces
causes
is the cause
of

gives rise
to
brings
about

People smoke
more,

If

people smoke
more

resulting in
leading to
(so)
producing
(thus)
causing
(thereb giving rise
y)
to
bringing
about

an increase in the death rate from

cancer.

the death rate from cancer will

increase.