Unit 3 Input 2

CAUSE AND EFFECT LANGUAGE

1. a. Read the sentences below and highlight the cause and the effect in these sentences in different colours.
 The temperatures are rising because the greenhouse gases have increased in the atmosphere.
 The population is increasing all over the world so there is an increased demand for energy.
 Greenhouse gases cause global warming.
 An increased demand for energy results from overpopulation.
 The global population is increasing rapidly. As a result, there is an increased demand for energy.

b. Underline the cause and effect language in each sentence above.

2. a. Read the following paragraph and fill in the cause and effect chain below.

Overpopulation leads to deforestation. This is because when there is an increase in population, there is
also an increasing need for food. In order to meet this need, people have to create areas for agriculture.
Therefore, they cut trees, which brings about flooding. Flooding has a great impact on soil erosion. The
loss of top soil means a decrease in soil fertility.

Overpopulation need for food Deforestation flooding  Soil erosion  decreasing soil fertility

b. Underline the cause and effect language in the paragraph above.

CAUSE AND EFFECT LANGUAGE

The cause and effect relationships can be expressed in many different ways.

A. Combining two sentences

When we have two sentences (one explaining the The temperatures are rising as / because / since
cause and the other explaining the effect), we can greenhouse gases have increased in the
use because / since / as to introduce the cause. atmosphere.

When we have two sentences (one explaining the The greenhouse gases have increased in the
cause and the other explaining the effect), we can atmosphere ,so /.Therefore, /.As a result, /
use so / therefore / as a result / consequently /

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thus / hence / that’s why / for this reason to .Consequently, /.Thus, / .Hence, / .That’s why,
introduce the effect. /.For this reason, the temperatures are rising.

B. Combining a sentence and a noun or a noun phrase

When we have a full sentence for the effect, we The temperatures are rising because of /
can use a noun or a noun phrase to introduce the due to /owing to /as a result of greenhouse
cause. gases.

B. Combining two nouns or noun phrases

When we have two nouns or noun phrases (one Global warming results from /stems from
explaining the cause and the other explaining the arises from / is caused by / is associated with
effect), we can use the following as the main verb greenhouse gases.
of the sentence: stem from / arise from / to be
caused by / to be associated with. These introduce
the cause.
When we have two nouns or noun phrases (one Greenhouse gases result in / bring about / cause
explaining the cause and the other explaining the / lead to / contribute to /give rise to /create
effect), we can use the following as the main verb global warming.
of the sentence: result in / bring about / cause /
lead to / contribute to / give rise to / create. These
introduce the effect.

Other structures to introduce cause and effect relationship. (The parts in bold are the cause and effect
structures.)

One cause of global warming is the increased emission of greenhouse gases.

The increased emission of greenhouse gases is one cause of global warming.
One effect/consequence of the increased emission of greenhouse gases is global warming.
Global warming is one effect/consequence of the increased emission of greenhouse gases.
Global warming is the result of the increased emission of greenhouse gases.
The reason why the temperatures are rising is because the greenhouse gases have increased in the
atmosphere.
The reason for global warming is the increased emission of greenhouse gases.
If there is an increased emission of greenhouse gases, there is an increase in temperatures.

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 The increased emission of greenhouse gases has a great impact/effect on global warming.
At present, human beings have a profound influence over Earth’s surface, atmosphere, oceans, and
biogeochemical nutrient cycling.

3. RESULT: The word ‘result’ can be used as a noun or a verb in a sentence. Read the following sentences
and decide whether ‘result’ is a verb or a noun in each sentence.
1. Accelerated climate change results ( noun ) from alterations to the carbon cycle.
2. Human activities often result (verb ) in an increase in CO2 emissions.
3. One result (verb) of deforestation is the rapid extinction rate of species.
4. As a result (noun), it is expected that there will be stark differences in the fossils found in
layers of rock deposited worldwide during preindustrial times and those that follow.
5. A unique signature in layers of rock is the result (verb) of the changes that occur during the
Anthropocene Epoch.

4. CAUSE: The word ‘cause’ can also be used as a noun or a verb in a sentence. Read the following
sentences and decide whether ‘cause’ is a verb or a noun in each sentence.
1. One cause (noun) of deforestation is the exponential rise in the world’s human population.
2. Global warming have caused (verb) glaciers and polar ice to melt and seawater to expand.
3. By far the most significant evidence of the Anthropocene in rock strata will be caused (verb) by a
dramatic increase in extinctions occurring during this period.
4. Widespread fossil-fuel use is the cause (noun) of an increase in CO2 emissions.

Practice 1. Fill in the blanks in each sentence with one of the words in the box. There might be more than
one correct answer for some of the blanks.
bring led as a result If results since effects as

1. If the human population grew, energy use increased, and energy derivation from wood and
easily obtained fossil fuels (i.e., petroleum, natural gas, and coal) expanded.
2. Many climatologists contend that the buildup of CO2 in the atmosphere has effects to a global
rise in average surface temperatures of 0.74 °C (1.3 °F) between 1906 and 2005.
3. More-frequent occurrence of extreme weather events in different parts of the world
Results from the buildup of CO2 in the atmosphere.
4. The oceans absorb much of the released CO2 into the atmosphere by human activities.
As a result , the process of ocean acidification is triggered.

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 5. Marine scientists fear that since there are continued increases in ocean acidity, this will slow, and
possibly cease, the construction of reefs by corals in many parts of the world.
Since coral reefs are hubs of biodiversity in the oceans, the loss of coral will
result about the demise of multitudes of other marine species either directly, through
habitat loss, or indirectly, through changes in marine food chains.
6. Many scientists who support the formalization of the Anthropocene Epoch argue that the
Result of some of the changes that have occurred so far will create unique signatures in layers of
rock.

Practice 2. Fill in the blanks in each sentence with one of the words in the box. There might be more than
one correct answer for some of the blanks.
resulting the reason why because consequently caused owing to

1. The rapid extinction rate is caused by the ongoing conversion of forests and other natural areas to
agriculture and urban land and accelerated climate change resulting from alterations to the
carbon cycle. Consequently , it is expected that there will be stark
differences in the fossils found in layers of rock deposited worldwide during preindustrial times
and those that follow.
2. The reason why human population has grown rapidly is because there have been a lot of medical
advances.
3. Some scientists, such as Crutzen, point to the year 1784 as the start date of the Anthropocene,
Owing to the device’s applicability to industrial production and transportation.
4. Several other scientists give 1800 as the commencement date of the Anthropocene
because in that year, the steam engine began to power the Industrial Revolution and set off the
rush to obtain wood, coal, and petroleum to keep both the device, as well as the rising pace of
industrial production, running.

Practice 3. Fill in the blanks in each sentence with one of the words in the box. There are three extra words
in the box.
reason therefore affect cause due to result hence consequences

Humans 1.affect ecosystem vitality when they alter the balance of local biodiversity. An example of
how humans change the balance is overexploitation of certain species. For example, 2.
Due to overhunting of elephants, they are facing extinction.

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 Habitat loss is another way in which humans 3.cause extinction of species. Two hundred
species have become extinct in the past 100 years. In other words, we have lost these species at a rate of
two species per year. This rate is unprecedented, and it’s an indication that the 6 th mass extinction has
already started, and it will inevitably have 4. Consequences for human species.

Practice 4. Rewrite the following sentences by using the words in parentheses.

1. The effect of radiation after the bombing of Hiroshima led to a huge increase in the incidence of
cancer and birth defects. (result from)
The huge increase in the incidence of cancer and birth defects are resulting from the radiation after the
bombing of Hiroshima

2. During a nuclear bombing, within a certain range, all flammable materials will catch fire due to
the explosions. (as a result)
As a result of explosions during the nuclear bombing, within certain range, all flammable materials will catch fire.

3. The reason why biological and chemical weapons worry most scientists is that they do not require
complex engineering. (since)
most scientists worrying since biological and chemical weapons do not require complex engineering

4. Pandemics have always resulted in many fatalities. (stem from)

many fatalities’ always stem from pandemics

5. The reason why pandemics have not been regarded as a great risk to humanity is because the
human mind is highly capable of solving problems. (because of)
Because of human mind which is highly capable of solving problems, pandemics have not been regarded as a great risk to humanity.

Practice 5. Read the text below and if the underlined part is correct, put a tick (√), if it is wrong, correct
the mistakes. The mistakes are all about the use of cause and effect language.
Every now and then, some TV news features a doomsayer claim that the
end of the world is just around the corner. Each one of these doomsayers
puts forward 1. a different reason the end is near. Environmental hazards, 1. a different
alien invasions, meteor crashes, World War 3, just to name a few, are some
of the 2. x idk what to put here
2. causes they warn us against. We know that there have definitely been 5
mass extinctions in the history of Earth. 5 times when the majority of 3. √
species were wiped out. It appears that the most likely 3. reasons
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of mass

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 extinctions can be narrowed down to volcanic eruptions, asteroid
collisions, and sea level falls - but there are several other known events
that clearly 4. √
4. contribute mass extinctions over a longer period of time. The first mass
extinction killed about 86% of all species on Earth, and biologists believe 5. √
this first mass extinction 5. resulted in a drastic drop in global
temperatures. The second one caused 75% of all living creatures to go 6. √
extinct, probably 7. √
6. because there were continuous meteor showers. The third extinction
was the biggest of all, and 95% of life perished 7. as a result massive 8. √
droughts, lack of oxygen and acid rains. The fourth period of extinction
which happened around 210 million years ago 8. effected both marine life
and life on land, and killed 80% of all population. The last one took place 9. √
approximately 65 million years ago, and was the fastest period of mass
extinction. It 9. led to the extinction of dinosaurs. A combination of a 10. √
meteor fall and some volcanic activity released very high amounts of
carbon dioxide.
10. As a result of, the fifth mass extinction occurred. In all mass extinctions,
there was an almost total collapse of ecosystems globally.

Unit 3 Input 3
CAUSE AND EFFECT LANGUAGE
Practice 1. Check the visual below and read the paragraph about rainwater harvesting. Choose the best
option to fill in the gaps.

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