Academic English for Tertiary Studies: EAP 3

Introduction to Cause/Effect

A. What happens when you put ice in the sun?

Cause Effect
Ice in sun -------------------ice melts

B. If more people want to buy something what happens?

Cause Effect
Demand goes up ------------- price goes up

C. If your car broke down what would you do?

Cause Effect

______________________ ____________________________

D. If you exercise every day, what happens?

Cause Effect
____________________________________ _____________________________________

E. If you sleep in, what happens?

Cause Effect
_______________________________________ _____________________________________

Work with a partner to write THREE more cause/effect

relationships of your own.

(i) C _____________________ E ________________________

(ii) C ______________________ E ________________________

(iii) C ______________________ E ________________________

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Academic English for Tertiary Studies: EAP 3

Cause and effect

In academic writing, events or actions are frequently linked with their cause
and effect. Look at the following diagram which summarises this
relationship.

back in time event forward in time

or sequence situation or sequence
cause action effect
reason idea consequence
purpose problem result
solution

Now look at these examples of the cause and effect relationship

connective

Heat causes iron to expand

Prices rose. As a result, fewer goods were sold.

Any marks
on the leaves
are probably due to the same virus.

The cause is in a box; the effect is underlined.

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Academic English for Tertiary Studies: EAP 3

1. The parts of the sentence below have been mixed up. Join the 6 parts
on the left with the correct parts from the 9 on the right.

1. There is acid in that bottle; a. the road was icy.

therefore… b. he was successful.
2. The effect of the fluctuation in c. prolonged illness.
temperature… d. It must be handled very
3. Bad labour relations caused… carefully.
4. The accident occurred because e. careful storage.
of… f. the icy road conditions.
5. He passed his examination g. the strike.
because… h. he worked hard.
6. Delayed treatment often results i. was to kill the laboratory
in … specimens.

2. Making use of the information in the correct answers from the

previous exercise, complete the following sentences. Inside the box write
the appropriate connective or verb marker. The first one has been done as
an example.

e.g. icy road conditions caused the accident .

he worked hard .

Prolonged illness is often

The strike was

The laboratory specimens were killed

That bottle must be handled very carefully

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Academic English for Tertiary Studies: EAP 3

Pete hit John. John died.

cause result

Pete hit John. _______________________ John died.

Pete hit John, _______________________ John died.

Pete hit John _______________________ John died.

______________________ Pete hit John, John died.

______________________ Pete hitting John, John died.

Pete hitting John _____________________ John to die.

John’s death ________________________ Pete hitting him.

Pete hit John, _______________________ John to die.

causing, as a result, due to, since, so hard that, so, resulted

from, caused

EAP 3 WKS 6-10 8 © UWSCollege Pty Ltd

 Academic English for Tertiary Studies: EAP 3

STRUCTURE AND VOCABULARY AID

Look carefully at the connectives or markers of cause-effect relationships

shown below. Notice particularly how they are used in sentence
construction.

A The cause of /
higher prices was an increase in demand.
reason for

effect / higher prices.

The / of an increase
B consequence
One in demand is raise /
/ result to prices.
increase

therefore / so / accordingly
The demand has as a result / as a consequence
C consequently / because of this / the prices are higher
increased. (;)
thus / hence / for this reason /
now *

Because /
D As / the prices are higher.
the demand has increased
Since /
Now (that)*

Note: * includes in its meaning a present time element. See C and D.

causes /
E An increase in demand often
results in /
higher prices
leads to /
produces

Higher prices are caused by /

F
(often) due to /
because of / an increase in demand.

EAP 3 WKS 6-10 9 © UWSCollege Pty Ltd

 Academic English for Tertiary Studies: EAP 3

G because of /
as a result of /
on account of /
owing to /
The prices are higher through
an increase in demand.

because / there is
since /
as

because the demand has increased.

H When / there is an increase in demand (then) prices rise.

If

EAP 3 WKS 6-10 10 © UWSCollege Pty Ltd