Cause

and effect
essays
 They don’t
They become
exercise obese They don’t
Their grades drop interact with real
people
They don’t
They don’t study develop social
skills
Children
watch a lot
of TV

Effect
 I I
I
misse didn faile
d class da
the ’t
mat
day cause
Contributory stud
Main cause Effect
h
before
y test
 when
multiplication
tables were
taught in the 3rd
grade

remote cause

I didn’t
study
immediate cause

I failed a math test

effect
 Chain of events
causes
•My grandmother passed away two nights ago.
•My house was full of family for two days.

causes
•I missed class
•I didn’t get the notes

causes •I didn’t check my teacher’s wiki

•I failed my English test.

effect
For cause and effect essays
It’s important to ask

HOW not WHY

 A cause and effect thesis
1. It makes clear the causes or effects
of the situation you are discussing
2. It tells your position on the relative
importance of the causes
3. It makes clear the order in which
you will discuss the causes or
effects.
When deciding to cheat most students do not
seriously consider effects like getting the wrong
answers, losing a teacher’s trust, and compromising
academic honor.

Sample thesis for cause and effect essay

 Organize your cause and effect essay

Begin by
Place the least writing about Begin with the
Put causes and important events that most obvious
effects in cause or effect were not causes or
chronological first and then causes and effect and
order build up to the then explain move to more
main what the real subtle factors
causes were

Focus on HOW….not why

Assignment. Select a prompt and develop a flow chart of the causes /effect.

Sample prompts

How can power test a person’s character? What Is the effect of power on a
person’s character?
The effect of a parent, teacher, or friend on your life
The effects of cramming for an examination
The effects of peer pressure
Why some students cheat
The effects of growing up with a personal computer
The effects of poverty on an individual
Why one college course is more rewarding than another
Why many people don't bother to vote in local elections
The effects of racial, sexual, or religious discrimination
Why people exercise
Why people keep pets
The effects of computers on our everyday lives
Why some people choose not to carry a cell phone
The environmental effects of bottled water
Why reality shows are so popular
The effects of pressures on students to get good grades
The effects of a coach or teammate on your life
The effects of not keeping a personal budget
Why so few students read newspapers
Why baseball is no longer the national pastime
The effects of stress on students in high school or college
The effects of moving to a new town or city
Why growing numbers of people shop online
The effects of the steady increase in the cost of going to college
Why students drop out of high school or college
Why some roommates don't get along
Why many teenagers run away from home
The influence of a book or a movie on your life
The effects of music downloading on the music industry
 Sentence practice on sentence strips

Simple Compound Complex

Compound
Long complex

Medium Short Telegraphic

Interrogati
Imperative
ve

Exclamator
Declarative
y
Sentence beginnings

Subject Subordina
verb te clause

Prepositio
nal phrase
Infinitive

Verbal Adverb
Effect Effect
Thesis
3 1

Effect
2
Introductions for cause and effect essay
Get the attention of the audience with
an interesting statistic, or hypothetical
situation.

Concede that there are other sides to

the issue and list the possible causes or
effects that are not to be given much
time in the essay.

The thesis must be includeed.

Paragraph development

• Must be a debatable topic sentence. Without debate

or controversy, you will hit a wall when trying to
elaborate on a detail.

• There must be details from your own experiences,

observations, and other media.

• Each detail must be accompanied by elaboration (also

know as commentary, opinion and analysis.)

• Other methods of development may be included.

Assignment

Choose a favorite teacher and complete this

sentence.

Mr./Mrs. __________ is a _____________teacher.

debatable

Follow this with one or two sentences of opinion about how

that detail shows the truth of the topic sentence.

Underline your opinion sentences to show me it’s opinion.

(don’t do this on the test)
Paragraph 1 Intro (3 sentences, no more than 4)

• Introduce the EVENT to be discussed

• Give any necessary background information about the EVENT

• Thesis statement (sets up the outline or structure for the paper)

Ex. “ Three effects of … on …”

Effect
essay
Paragraph 2 Body (4-6 sentences)

Write a sentence that identifies the first effect of the event.

Give 2-3 sentences of detail or explanation about the effect.

Transitional sentence using a cause/effect transition word from

the list. Effe ct ess ay
Paragraph 3 Body (4-6 sentences)

Write a sentence that identifies the second effect of the

event.

Give 2-3 sentences of detail or explanation about the

effect.

Transitional sentence using another (different)

cause/effect transition word from the list.
Eff
ec
te
ss
ay
Paragraph 4 Body (4-6 sentences)

Write a sentence that identifies the third effect of

the event.

Give 2-3 sentences of detail or explanation about

the effect.

Transitional sentence using different cause/effect

transition word from the list.

Effect essay
Paragraph 5 - Concluding paragraph (2-3 sentences)

Restate your thesis but use different words (do not copy word for word)

Choose 1 of the following ways to END your essay

Admonition or instruction: what the reader can do about the issue

Prediction: an insight into how the future might be different, better or worse.

Strong, punched statement: prehaps a one-sentence paragraph with

powerful meaning.

Anecdote: a brief history that reiterates the essence of the issue or situaton.

Pointed question: leaves the reader thinking.

Echo: circles back to the lead Effect

essay
Causal
essay
formula
 Causal
Paragraph 1 Intro (3 sentences, no more than 4)

• Introduce the EVENT to be discussed

• Give any necessary background information about the EVENT

• Thesis statement (sets up the outline or structure for the paper)

Ex. “ There are many causes of …”

 Causal

Paragraph 2 Body (4-6 sentences)

Write a sentence that identifies the first cause of the event.

Give 2-3 sentences of detail or explanation about the cause.

Transitional sentence using a cause/effect transition word from the list.

 Causal
Paragraph 3 Body (4-6 sentences)

Write a sentence that identifies the second cause of the event.

Give 2-3 sentences of detail or explanation about the cause.

Transitional sentence using another (different) cause/effect transition

word from the list.
 Causal
Paragraph 4 Body (4-6 sentences)

Write a sentence that identifies the third cause of the event.

Give 2-3 sentences of detail or explanation about the cause.

Transitional sentence using different cause/effect transition word from

the list.
Paragraph 5 - Concluding paragraph (2-3 sentences)

Restate your thesis but use different words (do not copy word for word)

Choose 1 of the following ways to END your essay

Admonition or instruction: what the reader can do about the issue

Prediction: an insight into how the future might be different, better or worse.

Strong, punched statement: perhaps a one-sentence paragraph with powerful

meaning.

Anecdote: a brief history that reiterates the essence of the issue or situation.

Pointed question: leaves the reader thinking.

Echo: circles back to the lead

 •Accordingly, also, as a result, another, at last, finally, for example,
Use a transitional for instance, furthermore, however, in fact, otherwise, similarly,
such, then, therefore, thus, secondly, moreover, nevertheless, on
phrase the other hand, since, consequently

Use a •Walter’s anger defines him. It also causes him to

overreact when he learns the money is not going
pronoun to him.

•Walter’s anger defines him. This anger and his

Repeat a key
disgust for his situation, force him to take
word (word chain) drastic action

Walter’s anger defines him. His inability to tolerate any other

Refer directly to emotion causes him to be cruel to his family.

a preceding idea