Cause and Effect Par

agraphs
Justin Angelo O. Sildor
a
 What is the Purpose?
• To discuss the reasons why something oc
curs

• To discuss the results of an event, feeling

or action

Knowing how to write a good Cause or Effect paragraph is important

– most classes, history, biology, journalism, marketing, for example,
use this technique to analyze things.
 Definition
A cause and effect paragraph is a paragraph
that indicates the cause (or reason) that
produce an effect (or result) produce by a
cause.

• Why do people tent to

overeat?

• What happens as a re
sult of overeating?
 Defining Causes & Effects
• What causes people • What are the effects of
to overeat? overeating?

• Stress • Obesity

• Skipping Meals • Health Problems

• Boredom • Fatgue
Why do we write these types of par
agraphs?

• To understand a situation
• To solve a problem
• To predict an outcome
• To entertain
• To persuade
 Organizing the Essay
• There are several ways to organize a cause and
effect essay.
• Some essays might concentrate on causes while
other might focus only on effects.
• Some topics require a combination of both.
• The key is to clearly discuss causes and effects
without mixing them together or forgetting to give
details for one or the other.
Essay Structures
• Introduction • Introduction • Introduction
• Body: • Body: • Body:
• Cause1 • Cause1 • Cause1
• Cause2 • Effect1 • Cause2
• Cause3 • Cause2 • Cause3
• Conclusion • Effect2 • Effect1
• Cause3 • Effect2
• Effect3 • Effect3
• Conclusion • Conclusion
 Cause and Effect Reminders

• A cause makes someting happen

• An effect is the result of something that happen.
• Remember, the cause always first and the effect is
the result that comes after.

• She hit the break too late and smashed into the
car in front of her.
 Brainstorming Techniques
• Listing Causes
• Listing Effects
• Organizer
 Useful Vocabulary
Cause Effect
 For  So
 Because  But
 Since  For this reason
 Due to  As a result
 Consequently
 Otherwise
 Therefore
 Thus

http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/students/fwalters/causeconnect.htmlAs
Signal Phrases
To Show Causes To show effects

• Give reasons why • The result of

• Explain why • Consequently
• Why • What is the impact of
• What is the cause of • One important effect
• Another factor • Another result
• Because • Outcomes
• Results from • As a result
 Sample Paragraph
Headaches
Headaches can have several causes. Many people
think that the major cause of headache is nervous ten
sion, but there is strong evidence that suggests diet a
nd environment as possible factors. Some people get
headaches because they are dependent on caffeine
. Other people may be allergic to salt, or they may ha
ve low blood sugar. Still other people are allergic to h
ousehold chemicals including polishes, waxes, bug kil
lers, and paint. If they can manage to avoid these su
bstances, their headaches tend to go away. When a
person has recurring headaches, it is worthwhile to lo
ok for the underlying cause, especially if the result of t
hat search is freedom from pain.
Sample Paragraph with clear su
pport sentences
Headaches
Headaches can have several causes. One obvious cause is
stress. People have hectic lives and frequently have multiple str
essors everyday, like work, family and money. Another reason f
or headaches in some people has to do with diet. Some get
headaches because they are dependent on caffeine. Other peo
ple may be allergic to salt, or they may have low blood sugar. T
he environment can also cause this uncomfortable conditio
n. Allergens such as household chemicals including polishes, w
axes, bug killers, and paint can lead to headaches. Lowering stre
ss, controlling your diet and avoiding allergens can help avoid he
adaches.
 Sample Paragraph
Headaches
Recurring headaches can have several disruptive effects on a
person's life. Severe headaches are more than temporary incon
veniences. In many cases, these headaches make a person na
useous to the point that he or she must go to bed. Sleep is often
interrupted because of the pain. This worsens the physical and
emotional state of the sufferer. For those who try to maintain a n
ormal lifestyle, drugs are often relied on to get through the day
. Such drugs, of course, can have other negative side effects. P
roductivity on a job can certainly be reduced, even to the point of
regular absences. Finally, perhaps the most distressing aspect
of all this is the seemingly unpredictable occurrence of these hea
daches. The interruption to a person's family life is enormous: c
ancelling plans in the last minute and straining relationships with
friends and family. It is no wonder that many of these people fee
l discouraged and even depressed.
Sample Paragraph with cause/e
ffect signal words
Headaches
Recurring headaches can have initiate disruptive effects in a pe
rson's life. Initially, in many cases, these headaches make a pe
rson nauseous to the point that he or she must go to bed. Furth
ermore, sleep is often interrupted because of the pain. Disrupte
d sleep worsens the physical and emotional state of the sufferer
. For those who try to maintain a normal lifestyle, drugs are often
relied on to get through the day. Such drugs, of course, can lea
d to other negative effects. Drugs can inhibit productivity on a jo
b, perhaps even causing regular absences. Not only is work aff
ected, but the seemingly unpredictable occurrence of these head
aches leads to disruption in family life. The interruption to a per
son's family life is enormous: cancelling plans in the last minute
and straining relationships with friends and family. It is no wond
er that many of these people feel discouraged and even depress
ed due to the cycle of misery reoccurring headaches cause.
THANK YOU!!!