Cause and Effect Essay

The Cause and Effect Essay is another common essay type, either as an essay type on its
own, or as part of a larger essay which includes one or more paragraphs examining
causes and effects. It is a type of essay that explains why the event or the situation
occurs (causes) and the results of its happening (effects). Writing a cause and effect
essay takes students lots efforts because the main idea of writing such an essay is to
examine the reasons and the results of the phenomenon. But as for the structure, a cause
and effect essay outline is simple: introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.
What are cause & effect essays?
The Cause and Effect Essay looks at the reasons (or causes) for something, then discusses
the results (or effects). For this reason, cause and effect essays are sometimes referred to
as reason and result essays. They are one of the most common forms of organization in
academic writing. Sometimes the whole essay will be cause and effect, though
sometimes this may be only part of the whole essay. It is also possible, especially for
short exam essays, that only the causes or the effects, not both, are discussed. See the
examples below.
 Discuss the causes and effects of global warming [cause and effect essay]
 Explain the high death rate in Chernobyl [causes only essay]
 Discuss the WTO and its effects on the Chinese economy [effects only essay]
Structure
There are two main ways to structure a cause and effect essay. These are similar to the
ways to structure problem-solution essays, namely using a block or a chain structure.
For the block structure, all of the causes are listed first, and all of the effects are listed
afterwards. For the chain structure, each cause is followed immediately by the effect.
Usually that effect will then be the cause of the next effect, which is why this structure
is called 'chain'. Both types of structure have their merits. The former is generally
clearer, especially for shorter essays, while the latter ensures that any effects you
present relate directly to the causes you have given.
The two types of structure, block and chain, are shown in the diagram below.
Block

Introduction
Cause 1
Cause 2
...
Transition
sentence/paragraph
Effect 1
Effect 2
...
Conclusion
Chain

Introduction
Cause 1
&
Effect of Cause 1
Cause 2
&
Effect of Cause 2
Cause 3
&
Effect of Cause 3
...
Conclusion
Cause and Effect Structure Words
Cause and effect structure words are transition signals which show the cause
and effect relationships. It is important to be clear which is the cause (or
reason) and which is the effect (or result), and to use the correct transition
word or phrase. Remember that a cause happens first, and the effect
happens later.

Below are some common cause and effect structure words. X is used to
indicate a cause (reason), while Y is used to indicate the effect (result).

Cause
 The first cause of (Y) is (X)
 The next reason is (X)
 Because of (X), (Y)
 As a result of (X), (Y)
 As a consequence of (X), (Y)
 because/since/as (X)
 to result from (X)
 (X) results in (Y)
 to be the result of (X)
 (Y) is due to (X)
 Owing to (X), (Y)
 (Y) is because of (X)
 (Y) is the effect of (X)
 (Y) is the consequence of (X)
Examples
 Worsening pollution levels in cities are due to the increased use of cars.
 Because of the increased use of cars, pollution levels in cities are worsening.
 As a result of the increased use of cars, pollution levels in cities are worsening.
 The effect of the increased use of cars is a worsening of pollution levels in cities.
Effect
 The first effect of (X) is (Y)
 Another result of (X) is (Y)
 As a result, (Y)
 As a consequence, (Y)
 Consequently (Y)
  Therefore, (Y)
 Thus (Y)
 Hence (Y)
 (X) results in (Y)
 (X) causes (Y)
 (X) has an effect on (Y)
 (X) affects (Y)
 (X) is one of the causes of (Y)
 (X) is the reason for (Y)
Examples
 Cars are used increasingly for urban transport. As a consequence, pollution levels
in cities are worsening.
 Increased use of cars for urban transport adversely affects pollution levels in cities.
 Increased use of cars for urban transport is one of the causes of worsening
pollution levels in cities.

What Is a Cause and Effect Essay?

Cause and effect essays usually center on why things occur (causes) and the outcomes of
the happenings (effects). Cause and effect are termed as the main approach of discussing
and organizing ideas. This essay should be well-defined to enable the readers clearly get
the relationship between the causes and effects being presented. Below is a guide on
how to write a cause and effect essay.

Roles of a Cause and Effect Essay

1) It can examine the ways in which many effects can arise from a particular cause
(“Center on Effects” approach)

Sample: One major reason youths use drugs is due to lack of employment opportunities.

2) Or it can evaluate the ways in which numerous causes result to a particular effect
(“Emphasize on Causes” approach)

Sample: One of the major effects of deforestation on the ecosystem is global warming.
 Format of a Standard Cause and Effect Essay

Introduction

The introductory paragraph should:

 Grab your reader’s attention

 Present the general background information on the topic
 Introduce the thesis statement
 Make use of transitional words and phrases to shift to the body paragraphs

Body

In each paragraph:

 Reflect on a single cause or effect

 State your main point in the first sentence to indicate the cause or effect
 Provide supporting details and facts to back up your idea
 Analyze the process by use of transition words.

Conclusion

A good conclusion should perform the following:

 Summarize the main ideas or arguments

 Reword the thesis statement in different words
 Provide a final statement on the topic

Cause and Effect Essay Outline: Easy Recipe to Make a Masterpiece

 An outline for a cause and effect essay is needed to create a structure for the essay that
will follow. While working on it you need to see the root cause of an event and also
understand its effect.

The purpose of the cause and effect outline is the design of the essay. Designing an essay
makes it easier to read. It will easily guide you from introduction, through to your body
paragraphs and will then reach your conclusion.

It is important to be organized! You don’t want to ramble when you want to write your
cause and effect essay. You want to get the facts down and present an organized and
logical piece of writing.

In order to write a quality cause and effect essay outline you will need to research the
following:

 Why and how some event happened

 What was the effect of that event

You need to use descriptive and factual language to present your cause and effect essay
successfully. You need to deliver clear statements and back them up with facts for
greater credibility.

It’s important to show how the events relate to each other. If you write clearly about an
event, like an earthquake there is a lot of material to use to explain how the earthquake
happened. Then you need to show what happened after the earthquake that covers all
the outcomes (in many cases devastating effects on the environment, community,
destruction of commercial and residential properties, home life, relationships etc.)

Make a List

It is always advisable to create a list of all probable effects and the causes linked to your
topic to assist your topic to turn out to be more focused. Confirm the strength of the
relationships in every effect and cause in your worksheet by analyzing them. This can
offer you a better understanding of how the ideas ought to fit together and the topics
that you are most comfortable handling.
Example essay
Below is a cause and effect essay. This essay uses the block structure. This will highlight
not simply the paragraphs, but also the thesis statement and summary, as these repeat
the causes and effects contained in the main body.

Title: More and more women are now going out to work and some women are
now the major salary earner in the family. What are the causes of this, and what
effect is this having on families and society?

In the past, most women stayed at home to take care of domestic responsibilities such
as cooking or cleaning. Women's liberation and feminism have meant that this
situation has been transformed and in contemporary society women are playing an
almost equal role to men in terms of work. This has had significant consequences, both
in terms of the family, for example by improving quality of life and increasing
children's sense of independence, and also for society itself with greater gender
equality.

The main reasons behind the increase of women in the workplace are women's
liberation and feminism. The women's liberation movement originated in the 1960s
and was popularized by authors such as Simone de Beauvoir. As a consequence of this,
new legislation emerged, granting women equal rights to men in many fields, in
particular employment. Because of feminist ideas, men have taken up roles which were
previously seen as being for women only, most importantly those related to child
rearing. As a result of this, women have more time to pursue their own careers and
interests.

These have led to some significant effects, both to family life and to society as a whole.

Although the earning capacity of a woman in her lifetime is generally much less than
that of a man, she can nevertheless make a significant contribution to the family
income. The most important consequence of this is an improved quality of life. By
helping to maintain a steady income for the family, the pressure on the husband is
considerably reduced, hence improving both the husband's and the wife's emotional
wellbeing. Additionally, the purchasing power of the family will also be raised.
This means that the family can afford more luxuries such as foreign travel and a family
car.

A further effect on the family is the promotion of independence in the children. Some
might argue that having both parents working might be damaging to the children
because of a lack of parental attention. However, such children have to learn to look
after themselves at an earlier age, and their parents often rely on them to help with the
housework. This therefore teaches them important life skills.

As regards society, the most significant impact of women going to work is greater
gender equality. There are an increasing number of women who are becoming
politicians, lawyers, and even CEOs and company managers. This in turn has led
to greater equality for women in all areas of life, not just employment. For example,
women today have much stronger legal rights to protect themselves against domestic
violence and sexual discrimination in the workplace.

In conclusion, the increasing number of women at work has brought about some
important changes to family life, including improved quality of life and increased
independence for children, as well as affecting society itself. It is clear that the sexes are
still a long way from being equal in all areas of life, however, and perhaps the challenge
for the present century is to ensure that this takes place.

Air Pollution Affecting Matters

Air pollution refers to a chemical, physical or biological alteration to the atmospheric

air. It results whenever harmful gasses, smoke, or dust enters the atmosphere and in
turn, hinders the survival of animals and plants as the air contains toxic substances.

The survival of human beings and animals greatly depend on the combination of gasses
in the atmosphere; slight disruption of this composition can cause devastating effects on
their existence. An imbalance in these atmospheric gasses is known to result in global
warming, a great threat to the contemporary world. We cannot underestimate the
effects air pollution has on the ozone layer which largely contributes to the existence of
organisms on the planet.
Causes of Air Pollution

For the causes of air pollution to be well articulated, it is important to delve into the
types of air pollutants. Air pollutants can be caused by secondary and primary sources. If
a process directly results to pollution, then this forms the primary source. For instance,
factories emit sulfur dioxide which is a primary source of air pollution. Reactions and
interactions between primary sources form the secondary pollutant. For instance, the
intermingling of primary pollutants forms smog which is a secondary pollutant.

Burning of fossil fuels

The main cause of air pollution is burning of coal, gasoline, petroleum, and other fossil
fuels. These fuels are the main cause of acid rain, smog, greenhouse gas emissions, and
presence of heavy metals in the air.

Fossil fuels form an important part of the society; they are used in transportation,
heating, manufacturing, and even in electricity generation. This makes them an
important part of the society making it difficult (but not uncontrollable) to curtail. In
modern society, the use of fossil fuels can be made so that its burning becomes efficient,
but this comes with a monetary cost. It is important to note that unless alternative
cleaner option is found, we will have the future facing the same problems of pollution.

Increased use of motor vehicles, and emission of nitrogen

Vehicles use fuel which sometimes is not completely burnt in the engine; therefore,
they release VOCs (Volatile Organic Chemicals) into the air. VOCs and nitrogen are a
common source of air pollution.

Decomposition of garbage and solid wastes

Disposal sites containing biodegradable substances are known to emit methane gas into
the atmosphere. Methane gas is known to be a harmful gas, it is highly flammable and a
potential disaster to the ozone layer. Garbage and other household products release
VOCs to the air.
Natural causes

Air pollution can come from natural sources such as dust, wildfires, and volcanic
activity. Wildfire is known to emit VOCs and particulates into the atmosphere. Volcanic
eruptions spew sulfur dioxide and volcanic ash into the atmosphere. Volcanic ash is
usually dumped in the upper atmosphere, and as a result, global temperatures are
lowered. However, pollution resulting from natural causes remains in the atmosphere
for a short period and does not result in a permanent change as it might be the case with
human activity-based pollution.

Effects of Air Pollution

1. Respiratory infections

Air pollution is the leading cause of respiratory diseases. Exposure to air pollutants can
cause lung cancer and even asthma. Asthma can lead to death if not well treated, as it
might cause difficulty in breathing. A prolonged exposure of pollutants can cause lung
cancer.

2. Global warming

The rise in sea level, rising temperature in the world, and the melting of ice glaciers are
the evidence for the global warming. Global warming is a direct effect of air pollution in
the world. The only way to curb this increasingly destructive menace is to reduce air
pollution.

3. Depletion of ozone layer

With the greenhouse effect which is the major contributor of the release of
chlorofluorocarbon into the atmosphere has led to the depletion of ozone layer. This
layer is important in shielding the earth from the destructive ultraviolet (UV)
radiations.
4. Formation of acid rain

Emission of harmful gasses such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen into the atmosphere lead
to the formation of acid rain. It is quite common for rain water to have sulfuric acid due
to rampant cases of air pollution in the modern society. Acid rain is a major threat to the
aquatic life as well as human beings.

There are carcinogenic substances in the acid rain, and it has devastating effects to even
metal which can be observed by the extent of corrosion that often results.

Earth’s atmosphere has a self-regulating mechanism that ensures sequestration of carbon

among other pollutants. The mechanism works to ensure that the ecosystem is not
affected by the changes occurring in the atmosphere. However, if people continue to
add more pollutants than the earth is able to remove, then the response will be
increased smog, acid rain, global warming and a number of health problems.

Topics:

Cause and Effect Essay Topics on the Field of Education

 What are the cause and effect of the rise of technology-aided education among high
school students?
 What effect does standardized testing have on high school students’ decision to
pursue tertiary education?
 What are the causes and effects of offering advanced classes to public school
students?
 Does using technology in the classroom help student to learn complicated topics
better?
 What effect does homeschooling have on raising socially aware children?
 What is the cause and effect of the continuous fall in the number of students who
use in-school libraries?
 Why do some schools produce better A-Level students than others?
 What effect does an effective physical education program have on primary school
students?
 What are the main causes of the most common challenges faced by high school
teachers and educators?
 What is the effect of high parent involvement in school activities?

Cause and Effect Essay Topics on the Medical Field

 What effect does the lack of adequate medical equipment have on the mindset of
practicing doctors and nurses?
 What are the causes and effects of the rise of the country’s overweight and obese
adults?
 What are the main causes of the most common tropical diseases in Asia?
 How does a high level of stress affect an individual’s health?
 Does globalization have an effect on the spread of diseases in Africa?
 What effect does the rise of Chinese medicine have on the practice of Western
Medicine?
 Why do some parents fail to get their children vaccinated?
 What effect does the lack of a medical insurance have on an individual’s state of
mind?
 What causes cancer?
 Does abortion have an effect on a woman’s reproductive and mental health?
 What are the main causes and effect of the rise of contraceptive use among late
teens?
 What are the main causes and effect of chronic allergic reactions?
 Why is there a need for more stringent cancer and HIV research?
 What causes the most common cardiovascular diseases?
 What effect does a misdiagnosis have on an individual’s mindset?
 Why do people ask for a second medical opinion after being diagnosed with a
chronic illness?
 What is the effect of stress on medical workers?
 Why do Asian medical providers choose to migrate and practice in other countries?
 What are the main effects of regular exercise among patients who suffer from
arthritis?
 What are the social effects of having braces?

Cause and Effect Essay Topics on Key Social Issues

 Why is a big percentage of the American population living in poverty?

 What are the causes and effects of bankruptcy?
 What effects does growing up in poverty have on adults?
 What are the causes and effects of the rise of international adoption in Western
countries?
 Does growing up with food insecurity have an adverse effect in producing functional
adults?
 What happens to the country when the majority of the baby boomers reach the age
for retirement?
 Why do men still out-earn women despite fairer gender rules in offices and
organizations?
 Why do immigrants have a harder time in securing jobs than natural-born citizens?
 Does the presence of non-profit organizations have any measurable effect on the
country’s social problems?

Cause and Effect Essay Topics on Personal and Social Relationships

 What primary and measurable effects does divorce have on minors?

 What are the main causes of breakups between couples in long distance
relationships?
 Does divorce of parents have an effect on the marriage and dating view of their
children?
 What are the causes and effects of men’s commitment phobia?
 Does living together before marriage have an effect on the couple’s married life?
 What effect does the feminist movement have on teenage girl’s view about dating
and marriage?
 Why do some people have the cycle of getting involved in abusive relationships?
 What effect does being involved in abusive relationships have on the family of the
victim?
 Does a history of abortion have an effect on a woman’s s future relationship and
marriage?
 Why do children in marginal areas rebel from their parents?