6 - Intro to Cause-Effect & Thesis Statements - R2W3 4E P130-132

7 Cause and Effect
Essays
LE ARN ING 0 UTC 0 ME Essay Writing: Use the writing process to write a cause or effect essay
Most people are curious. They want to know why something happened or what happened
as a result of some event or situation. When your purpose is to analyze the reasons
(causes) or the results (effects) of something, you should use a cause or effect type of
essay. For example, when you answer a question such as, "Why did you decide to major in
biology?", you are analyzing causes. When you answer a question such as, "What effects will
learning English have on my career?", you are analyzing effects. Study this chart.
FOCUS ON CAUSES (OR REASONS) FOCUS ON EFFECTS (OR RESULTS)
Causes of air pollution Effects of TV commercials on children
Why you chose your major Effects of high blood pressure
Reasons for taking an online college course Effects of peer pressure on teenagers
Why reality TV shows are popular Effects of noise pollution
Causes for the extinction of dinosaurs Results of climate change
"They say kids these days are overweight because we don't get
enough vigorous exercise. Maybe we should chew faster!"
130
ANALYZING CAUSES AND EFFECTS
In academic writing, you will often need to analyze causes and/or effects. For example, in a nursing
class, you might need to discuss the common causes of chronic back pain or the effects of physical
therapy on patients with back pain. In a history class, you might be asked to analyze the technological
causes of the Industrial Revolution or the effects of the Industrial Revolution on family life in
England. In an economics class, you might be required to explain the reasons for the high inflation
rate in Venezuela or the effects of the high rate of inflation on the Venezuelan middle class. In an
anthropology course, you might need to explore the reasons why many of the world's languages are
disappearing or the effects of their disappearance on indigenous populations.
The Language of Causes and Effects: Useful Phrases and Sentence Patterns
English has many ways to express cause-and-effect relationships. The following chart shows some of
the most common ones.
TRANSITION SIGNALS THAT INDICATE A CAUSE OR EFFECT RELATIONSHIP
Transitions Examples
as a consequence of As a consequence of the rain, we canceled the soccer game.
as a result of As a result of the rain, we canceled the soccer game.
because Because it was raining, we canceled the soccer game.
because of Because of the rain, we canceled the soccer game.
consequently It was raining. Consequently, we canceled the soccer game.
due to Due to the rain, we canceled the soccer game.
for this reason It was raining. For this reason, we canceled the soccer game.
since Since it was raining, we canceled the soccer game.
so It was raining, so we canceled the soccer game.
therefore It was raining; therefore, we canceled the soccer game.
thus It was raining; thus, we canceled the soccer game
USEFUL SENTENCE PATTERNS FOR THESIS STATEMENTS

FOR CAUSE OR EFFECT ESSAY
A thesis statement for a cause/effect essay always states whether the essay focuses on causes or
effects. The thesis statement often (but not always) includes a specific number of causes or effects,
such as "three causes" or "four effects:' A strong thesis statement can also list the causes or effects that
will be examined in the essay.
The following sentence patterns are useful in writing topic sentences and thesis statements for cause
or effect paragraphs and essays.
Cause and Effect Essays 131

1. There are several l causes of
reasons for
effects of
-----
There are several causes of jet lag: travel across three or more time zones, poor sleep habits
prior to travel, and poor flight conditions.
There are several bad effects of drinking too much coffee: insomnia, digestive problems, and an
increase in blood pressure, anxiety, and tremors.
2. There are l three

four
several
main reasons (causes) why _ _ _ _ _
There are three main reasons why I wont to share an apartment with a roommate: more space,
lower rent, companionship.
There are three main reasons why my family decided to move to a bigger city: more
employment opportunities, better schools, more cultural activities.
3. _ __ __ had l several
three important effects on _ _ _ __
a few
My parents' divorce had three important effects on my life.
The new shopping center had several positive effects on our community: more job opportunities,
an increase in home values, and convenient places to meet and socialize.
••r.E#!!Mill!ii9111 Write a thesis statement for each topic. Use a variety of sentence patterns.
1. Topic: The effects of unemployment
Thesis statement: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
2. Topic: The reasons you decided to learn English
3. Topic: The effects of forest fires
4. Topic: The effects of culture shock
Thesis statement:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - -- - -- - -- - - - -
132 CHAPTER 7

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7 Cause and Effect

FOCUS ON CAUSES (OR REASONS) FOCUS ON EFFECTS (OR RESULTS)

Causes of air pollution Effects of TV commercials on children

Why you chose your major Effects of high blood pressure

Why reality TV shows are popular Effects of noise pollution

Causes for the extinction of dinosaurs Results of climate change

TRANSITION SIGNALS THAT INDICATE A CAUSE OR EFFECT RELATIONSHIP

as a consequence of As a consequence of the rain, we canceled the soccer game.

as a result of As a result of the rain, we canceled the soccer game.

because Because it was raining, we canceled the soccer game.

because of Because of the rain, we canceled the soccer game.

consequently It was raining. Consequently, we canceled the soccer game.

due to Due to the rain, we canceled the soccer game.

since Since it was raining, we canceled the soccer game.

so It was raining, so we canceled the soccer game.

therefore It was raining; therefore, we canceled the soccer game.

thus It was raining; thus, we canceled the soccer game

USEFUL SENTENCE PATTERNS FOR THESIS STATEMENTS

Cause and Effect Essays 131

2. There are l three

1. Topic: The effects of unemployment

2. Topic: The reasons you decided to learn English

3. Topic: The effects of forest fires

4. Topic: The effects of culture shock

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