Cause and Effect Paragraphs

Sometimes, assigned topics ask you to explain the reasons or causes of something. Other
topics will ask you to discuss the results or effects of some causes. Here is an example of a
writing topic asking for causes of a particular phenomenon:

In recent decades, cities have grown so large that now about 50% of the Earth's
population lives in urban areas. Explain the causes of this phenomenon.
Be sure to give specific details and reasons in your explanation.

Cause/effect paragraphs generally follow basic paragraph format. That is, they begin with a
topic sentence and this sentence is followed by specific supporting details.

For example, if the topic sentence introduces an effect, the supporting sentences all describe
causes. Here is an example:

      In recent decades, cities have grown so large that now about
50% of the Earth's population lives in urban areas. There are several
reasons for this occurrence. First, the increasing industrialization of
the nineteenth century resulted in the creation of many factory jobs,
which tended to be located in cities. These jobs, with their promise
of a better material life, attracted many people from rural areas.
Second, there were many schools established to educate the children
of the new factory laborers. The promise of a better education
persuaded many families to leave farming communities and move to
the cities. Finally, as the cities grew, people established places of
leisure, entertainment, and culture, such as sports stadiums, theaters,
and museums. For many people, these facilities made city life
appear more interesting than life on the farm, and therefore drew
them away from rural communities.

Notice how each supporting sentence is a cause that explains the effect mentioned in the
topic sentence. In the chart below are the main ideas of the above paragraph, to help you
understand the relationships better:

EFFECT CAUSES
 (Topic Sentence) (Supporting Sentences)

Cities have grown very large.

[There are several reasons for    Factory jobs attracted people.
this.]

   Better schools attracted families to

(Cities have grown very large.) move
   to the city.

   Places of leisure, entertainment, and

(Cities have grown very large.) culture
   made city life appear more interesting.

Notice also how the topic sentence is followed by the "focusing" or "prediction" sentence,
There are several reasons for this. Such sentences help the reader anticipate the
organization of the paragraph or essay.

Cause and Effect Conjunctions

Here are some common conjunctions and expressions that can be used to express cause and
effect:

Since as a result because of + noun phrase

Because Therefore due to + noun phrase
consequently for this reason so
One reason why The main reasons why One of the most important reasons why

As a consequence Consequently

There are two things you must be careful of when using these conjunctions. First, you must
order the cause and the effect correctly. For example, in the sentence

Sally closed the window because the weather outside was cold.

the CAUSE is the fact that the room was cold, and the EFFECT is Sally's closing the
window. The conjunction because is placed in the correct position here, which is right
before the cause. Similarly, in the sentence

Because the weather outside was cold, Sally closed the window.
the conjunction because is correctly placed before the part of the sentence that expresses the
cause, even though the subordinate clause because the room was cold is now at the
beginning of the sentence.

Conjunctions such as therefore, consequently, as a result, and for this reason are usually
followed by a comma, as in these examples:

The weather was cold; therefore, Sally closed the window.

The weather was cold.   Therefore, Sally put on her coat.

The weather was cold.   Consequently, Sally put on her scarf.

A blizzard hit the town.   As a result, the schools were closed.

The adverbial clause conjunctions since and because are exceptions. These are attached
directly at the beginning of CAUSE-sentence without a comma, as in the example above,
Because the weather outside was cold, Sally closed the window. The comma here is placed
at the end of the subordinate clause.

The coordinating conjunction so is also different from the ones above. This conjunction has
a comma before it, as in this sentence:

The weather was warm, so Jim turned on the air conditioner.

Sentence Patterns that Indicate Cause and Effect

(a) Because of / Due to} X, there is Y, or Because of / Due to}X, Y happens.

(b) X{affects / influences} Y, or Y{ is affected / is influenced}by X.

(c) X{causes / produces / results in }Y, or Y{is caused / is produced by / is a result of /

is due to}X.

(d) When / If / Because}there is X, Y happens.

(e) X is {the cause of / the reason for}Y.

Exercise 1
Read the following paragraphs A & B. Underline the topic sentence and also underline
words that specify cause and effect.

KEY VOCABULARY
cause : a reason for an effect or result
effect / result : a development, a consequence
organisms : living things
phenomena : facts, occurrences
tide : in- and out-ward movement of the ocean
gravitational pull : natural force of attraction between large bodies, such as the moon and
Earth
coral reef : an ocean ridge made of rock-like deposits from organisms called coral
to distinguish : to see a difference
balanced diet : a healthy amount of good food
heartbeat : the pulse of the heart
muscle : body tissue that aids movement
to sweat : to produce body moisture, to perspire

A.
The ocean's delicate coral reefs are affected by changes caused by humans. To
illustrate, dumping waste products and garbage in the sea results in changes in
the natural environment. Due to these changes the ocean becomes polluted,
and as a consequence, coral reefs are damaged. When the ocean becomes
extensively polluted, coral reefs die.

B.
Good health is affected by a balanced diet. On the other hand, if we do not eat well, this
could cause problems and we could become very sick. For instance, if our diet lacks
Vitamin A, blindness may result. Many problems affecting the skin and the teeth are due to
a lack of Vitamin C. When our diet contains recommended amounts of Vitamin A and C,
however, our ability to fight diseases like cancer is greatly affected. So it makes sense to eat
well because this results in a longer and healthier life.

Exercise 2
It is useful to distinguish between the cause and the effect. In each of the following (1-5),
one sentence is the cause and the other is the effect. Write a "C" next to the cause, and
write an "E" next to the effect. Then rewrite the sentences into one sentence. Be sure to use
vocabulary that specifies cause and effect.

(1)___ (a) There is no life on Venus. ___ (b) There is no atmosphere on Venus.

(2)___ (a) Solar batteries need to be recharged frequently. ___ (b) Solar batteries are
impractical for powering cars on long trips.
(3) ___ (a) The element silicon melts. ___ (b) The temperature is above 1410°C.

(4) ___ (a) Daily exercise strengthens the heart. ___ (b) Many
people who exercise daily have healthy hearts.

(5) ___ (a) Cakes and candy are high in sugar. ___ (b) Cakes and candy are bad for the
teeth.

EFFECTS OF WATCHING TOO MUCH TV 

Discoveries and invention of devices are always welcome till we, humans, find a way to abuse
its benefits and be adversely affected by it. This was the case when Wilhelm Roentgen discovered x-
ray and within five years, the British Army was using a mobile x-ray unit to locate bullets and shrapnel
in wounded soldiers in the Sudan. TV was also invented with positive thoughts in mind – there would
be no national borders, education and communication would be worldwide, etc. However, we are now
trying to overcome its physiological and psychological adverse effects on human beings.

One of the physiological effects of watching TV in excessive amounts is eye-strain. It is true

that there are specifications for watching TV; TV should be 5 m. away from the eye, the room should
be adequately lit, TV should be placed at the same height with our eyes, etc. However, these do not
prevent our eyes from getting tired if we keep watching TV for a long time. Another effect is obesity,
which is widely observed in people who like watching TV and eating snacks everyday (there is even a
term “TV snacks” to refer to fast food that is suitable for eating in front of the TV). TV is such a
powerful machine that people cannot get away from it – it is addictive.

Apart from the physiological effects, TV also causes psychological effects. One is a result of
being exposed to violence. After seeing so many violent scenes on TV, people start considering
violent actions normal and they lose their sensitivity to their environment. Partly connected to this
effect, the interpersonal communication among people decreases. Being insensitive to the suffering of
other people causes people to become alienated. Also, after coming home from work people seek to
relax in front of the TV, and generally people prefer watching TV to talking to each other. This issue is
very important since lack of interpersonal relationships mostly end with divorces.

  Shortly, inventions are meant to be beneficial for human beings, if we know how to benefit from
them. TV is one of such inventions that need to be used for the right purpose only – being educated
and entertained for a reasonable (according to age) period of time. We may, then, be safe from or at
least reduce the adverse physiological and psychological effects of watching too much TV.

____________________________________________________________

Written by Oya Ozagac, September 2004

Exercise 3
In (a), (b) and (c), below, there is one sentence that contains a cause. Write one or two
sentences that describe effects that result from each cause. Here is an example.
CAUSE: Nitrogen oxide from car exhaust causes problems. EFFECTS: One effect is that
air pollution is produced by car exhaust. Car exhaust results in acid rain, as
well.

(a) CAUSE: Not eating a balanced diet results in bad effects.

EFFECTS:_____

(b) CAUSE: Because of today's computers we can do many things. EFFECTS:_____

(c) CAUSE: Trees, flowers and other plant life have positive effects.
EFFECTS:_____

Exercise 4
In (a) and (b), below, there is one sentence that contains an effect. Write one or two
sentences that explain causes. For example:

EFFECT: My best grades are in science courses.

CAUSES: I study harder for my science courses because I like subjects in science. When I
study harder, I get good grades.

(a) EFFECT: More and more forest plant life is being destroyed. CAUSES:_____

(b) EFFECT: I feel healthy. CAUSES:_____