Cause & Effect

Tim Drown
UPH Professional Development
Cause Effect

Time
Cause Effect

Time
 One cause : one effect
Many causes : one effect

One cause : many effects

Many causes : many effects
 One or Many?
Causes

1 >1

1 1:1 1:>1
Effects

>1
>1:1 >1:>1
What is the cause / effect?
 Reasons for effects (results)

When you are writing critically, it is important

to explain why you think something is true.
You need to give reasons and explanations
for any general statements you make.

Example without reason or explanation:

The death rate from cancer is increasing.
 Reasons for effects (cont’d)
We might want to ask why this is happening.
We want to know the cause.
ONE reason, or cause, is that:

People are smoking more.

The death rate from cancer is increasing

is the effect.
People are smoking more
is the cause.
 Notice how the cause and effect
relationships are expressed below:

There are several factors to be taken into account

when studying why some plants become weak or
die. One reason is lack of water. Dryness in the soil
causes the leaves to wilt, and may give rise to the
death of the plant. On the other hand, too much
water may result in the leaves drooping, or
becoming yellow. While sunshine is necessary for
plants, if it is too strong, the soil may be baked and
the roots killed. However, if there is no light, the
leaves will become pale and the stems thin.
Consequently the plant may die.
 Cause & effect relationships
• Lack of water  dryness in the soil  
leaves wilt  death of plant.
• Too much water  leaves become
yellow  death of plant.
• Too much hot sun  baked soil  
roots killed  death of plant.
• Lack of light  pale leaves & thin
stems  death of plant.
 Another example
In the meantime, war had broken out
between the United States and Mexico.
The main cause was a long standing
dispute over where the southern
boundary of Texas belonged. Americans
were saying the boundary was along the
Rio Grande River, and the Mexicans were
insisting that the boundary belonged
along the Nueces River.