CAUSE/EFFECT ESSAY

UNIT-3

WHAT IS A CAUSE? WHAT IS AN EFFECT? Cause and effect depend on each other.

You can’t have one without the other. A plane crashed. That is the effect. What are the possible causes? Was it a mechanical or human error? Was it due to the weather? Was it a terrorist action? Obviously there are many possible causes.

Cause and Effect analyzes why something happens.

Some effects are caused by multiple causes.

Some causes, in turn, can result in multiple effects.

A cause essay usually discusses the reasons why something happened.

An effect essay discusses what happens after a specific event or circumstance.

Cause and Effect Essay assignments typically use the following language: "What are the causes of X?" "What led to X?" "Why did X occur?" "Why does X happen?" "What would be the effects of X?"

HOW TO WRITE A CAUSE / EFFECT ESSAY

STEP-1- Decide whether you want to examine

the cause or effectSTEP-2 Examine each cause and effect

thoroughly, using sufficient evidence to prove your points.-

ORGANIZATION

Like any other essay, a cause and effect essay begins with an interesting introductory paragraph, which ends in a clear and relevant thesis statement (statement of purpose for the essay). In the introduction to a cause OR effect essay, you can set the stage for the rest of the essay by discussing the cause or the effect you will be exploring in the body of your paper.

The introduction is followed by body paragraphs in which you will elaborate upon the thesis.

End the essay with a memorable concluding paragraph.

MULTIPLE CAUSES-->EFFECT

In this pattern, the organization is as follows:

Thesis statement: Air pollution is caused by a variety of imperceptible, but controllable industries.

I. exhaust gases from cars    A. government does not take enough control    B. citizens are not as conscientious as they could beII. uncontrolled factory gases    A. no regular checks on gases released that need to

be regulated    B. factories are inside the borders of residential

areas and should be movedIII. burning of low-quality coal for heating    A. government does not take enough control    B. other forms of energy are too expensive, but

CAUSAL CHAIN / DOMINOIn this pattern, the events lead to one another, as in the

following organization: Thesis statement: Using deodorants with

chlorofluorocarbon gas will bring the end of world.I. Chlorofluorocarbon gases are contained in most

deodorants  and released by  some factories  into the air. II. This gas causes the ozone layer  to become thinner and

finally disappear in patches.III. The unfiltered ultraviolet rays of the sun cause

overheating in the poles of the earth, where the icebergs start to melt.

IV. The huge amount of water released from the poles leads to a rise in the sea-level.

V. The sea will cover the land and this will be the end of the world.

CAUSE-->MULTIPLE EFFECTS

In this pattern, the effects of a certain situation  are explained in separate paragraphs, with the following organization:

 

Thesis statement: Watching too much TV is one of the major sociological issues of this century, which has many effects on the physiology and psychology of people.

I. eating disorders    A. TV meals     B. obesityII. communication problems    A. more violence    B. no interpersonal talk

Introduction Lead-in: Introduce the topic Transition: Present popular assumption

of the cause or the effect concerning the topic

Thesis Statement: Present your speculation about the causes or effects of the topic (at least three cause or effects)

BODY

Body Paragraph 1 1. Topic Sentence: Present the first cause or the first effect. 2. Supporting Details: Explain and provide examples. 3. Closing Remarks: Link the examples back to the topic

sentence.

Body Paragraph 2 1. Topic Sentence: Present the second cause or the second effect. 2. Supporting Details: Explain and provide examples. 3. Closing Remarks: Link the examples back to the topic

sentence.

Body Paragraph 3 1. Topic Sentence: Present the third cause or the third effect. 2. Supporting Details: Explain and provide examples. 3. Closing Remarks: Link the examples back to the topic

sentence.

CONCLUSION

1. Restate the thesis statement.

2. Offer a solution or share insight.

TRANSITION WORDS

SAMPLE ‘CAUSE’ ESSAY

From the past to present, people all over the world have determined to get married, which means living together. In other words, they depend on each other for love and support. Nevertheless, some couples are unable to maintain their relationship; therefore they choose divorce, which is one of the solutions to cope with problems between husbands and wives. The divorce rates continually increase nowadays, thus it might be argued that divorces can be taken place easier than the past. There are three main causes of divorce: changing woman's roles, stress in modern living and lack of communication.

The first significant cause of recent rise in the rates of divorce is that women have completely changed roles. In the past, men earned the money to afford the expense of family, whereas women only worked in the home and took care of the children and the family, hence women, had no money leading to depending on their husband's money. These situations made it too difficult for most women to separate from their husbands. However, the equality between men and women in roles are very clear at the moment, thus women can work outside to earn money, while men share the household tasks such as cooking, cleaning, washing as well as caring for children. It can be clearly seen that women are independent from husbands as they can earn money to support themselves. Accordingly, they now find the power in themselves to stand on their own and the divorce rates rise day by day.

Another cause to confirm the recent increase in divorce rates is stress in modern living. Many people, who live in globalization, have a considerable amount of pressure to earn money. Some families can earn money, but inadequate for covering their expenses, therefore it is easy to think about divorce. Or, some people are laid off from their companies; consequently, the stress occurs in their family, which leads to divorce. Nevertheless, the rates of unemployment continually increase; as a result, the divorce rates can also rise. It is no doubt that the stress in modern living may lead to recently increasing divorce rates.

The final cause of recently increasing divorce is lack of communication. Owing to financial status in each family, many people are fairly busy. For this reason, they have inadequate time to talk out the problems with their partners, which produces the likelihood of divorce. Some couples are often quiet when they have problems with each other, as a consequence little problems can be expanded to probably become huge problems, resulting in divorce. It is quite clear that the more communication that is used, the more divorce rates are reduced.

In conclusion, a family is one of the most important parts of society, thus many people had better be aware of the significance of their relationship. At the moment, although people tend to think carefully before they get married, the rates of divorce continuously rise due to the changing of women's roles, stress in modern living and lack of communication. Let it stop being a substantial problem for the society.

SAMPLE ‘EFFECT’ ESSAY EFFECTS OF WATCHING TOO MUCH TV

Discoveries and invention of devices are always welcome till we, humans, find a way to abuse its benefits and be adversely affected by it. This was the case when Wilhelm Roentgen discovered x-ray and within five years, the British Army was using a mobile x-ray unit to locate bullets and shrapnel in wounded soldiers in the Sudan. TV was also invented with positive thoughts in mind – there would be no national borders, education and communication would be worldwide, etc. However, there are physiological and psychological adverse effects of TV on human beings, which we are now trying to overcome.

One of the physiological effects of watching TV in excessive amounts is eye-strain. It is true that there are specifications for watching TV; TV should be 5 m. away from the eye, the room should be adequately lit, TV should be placed at the same height with our eyes, etc. However, these do not prevent our eyes from getting tired if we keep watching TV for a long time.

Another effect is obesity, which is widely observed in people who like watching TV and eating snacks everyday. There is even a term “TV snacks” to refer to fast food that is suitable for eating in front of the TV. It can be said that TV is such a powerful machine that people cannot get away from it – it is addictive.

Apart from the physiological effects, TV also causes psychological effects. One is a result of being exposed to violence. After seeing so many violent scenes on TV, people start considering violent actions normal and they lose their sensitivity to their environment. Partly connected to this effect, the interpersonal communication among people decreases. Being insensitive to the suffering of other people causes people to become alienated. Also, after coming home from work people seek to relax in front of the TV, and generally people prefer watching TV to talking to each other. This issue is very important since lack of interpersonal relationships mostly end with divorces.

Shortly, inventions are meant to be beneficial for human beings, if we know how to benefit from them. TV is one of such inventions that need to be used for the right purpose only – being educated and entertained for a reasonable (according to age) period of time. We may, then, be safe from or at least reduce the adverse physiological and psychological effects of watching too much TV.