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CAUSE AND EFFECT ESSAY

Follow these steps when writing a cause and effect essay

1. Distinguish between cause and effect. To determine causes, ask, "Why did this happen?" To identify effects, ask,
"What happened because of this?" The following is an example of one cause producing one effect:

Cause You are out of gas.


Effect Your car won't start.

Sometimes, many causes contribute to a single effect or many effects may result from a single cause. The following are
examples:

Causes liked business in high school


salaries in the field are high
have an aunt who is an accountant
am good with numbers
Effect choose to major in accounting

Cause reduce work hours


Effects less income
employer is irritated
more time to study
more time for family and friends

However, most situations are more complicated. The following is an example of a chain reaction:

Thinking about friend… forgot to buy gas…car wouldn't start…missed math exam…failed math course.

2. Develop your thesis statement. State clearly whether you are discussing causes, effects, or both. Introduce your
main idea, using the terms "cause" and/or "effect."
3. Find and organize supporting details. Back up your thesis with relevant and sufficient details that are organized.
You can organize details in the following ways:
o Chronological. Details are arranged in the order in which the events occurred.
o Order of importance. Details are arranged from least to most important or vice versa.
o Categorical. Details are arranged by dividing the topic into parts or categories.
4. Use appropriate transitions. To blend details smoothly in cause and effect essays, use the transitional words and
phrases listed below and those listed in Unlock Book pages 98-99.

For causes because, due to, on cause is, another is, since, for, first, second
For Effects consequently, as a result, thus, resulted in, one result is, another is, therefore

AFFECT or EFFECT?
Generally, affect is used as a verb, and effect is used as a noun.
Affect (verb) means “to influence or change,” and effect (noun) means “the result.”
How will your new job affect your family?
What effect will moving to a new city have on your spouse’s career?

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topic controlling idea (causes)
the Great Depression was caused by many factors.

topic controlling idea (effects)


the Great Depression changed the values of Canadian society in a profound way.

topic controlling idea (causes and effects)


the Great Depression, which was caused by many factors, changed the values of Canadian society in a profound way.

If the focus of your paper is the causes of obesity, your thesis statement might be something like this:

Children today are increasingly overweight primarily due to overconsumption of highly processed foods.

If the focus of your paper is the effects of obesity, your thesis statement might be something like this:

The recent increase in childhood obesity has resulted in children suffering from numerous health problems, including
high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

If the focus of your paper is both causes and effects of obesity, your thesis statement might be something like this:

Due to overconsumption of highly processed foods, childhood obesity is becoming epidemic and leaving children with
numerous health problems, such as high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and increased risk of cardiovascular
disease.

Choosing the essay topic for cause and effect essay type is not difficult, here are some sample topics:

 Effects of Pollution, Effects of Global Warming


 The Changes in the Ocean
 The Civil Rights Movement and the Effects
 What was your cause of choosing your major/your college
 What are causes and effects of terrorism
 What are the effects of homeschooling
 Uber influence on the taxi drivers
 Internet Influence on kids

EXERCISE 1. CRITICAL THINKING. Below are some topics. Write a possible thesis sentence for each.

TOPIC THESIS SENTENCE


1. Homelessness People become homeless due to ………., …….. and ……..
2. Transportation in Jakarta The increase in the numbers of cars on the road are caused by… (mention
some contributing factors)
3. Higher Learning I love studying in the Engineering Faculty of UI ……………. (mention
some contributing factors)
4. Marriage Lives Nowadays Married couples are now considering not to have children because of
………..(mention some contributing factors)

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5. Popularity of fast food
6. Movies
7. Tourism in Indonesia
8. Smartphone Sale
9. Increased Numbers of Private
Schools in My Neighbourhood
10. Bad Day For Me Today
11. Jakarta’s Annual Flood
12. Why I make Sri Mulyani
Indrawati my role model

MODEL WRITING. This is a model of cause-effect essay on Exercise WRITING TASK Unlock page 101.

Human activity is having a major effect on the environment, which will cause many problems for human and animal life in the future.
This essay will set out the main causes of climate change and the effects of human activity on the environment.

Humans are affecting the climate in a number of ways. The most obvious cause of climate change is the carbon dioxide released by
burning fossil fuels. Another cause is deforestation, which is the result of logging, subsistence farming and intensive cattle farming in
vast areas of land that were previously the rain forests so crucial to our planet’s survival. Deforestation causes arid conditions,
increases greenhouse gases and reduces the planet’s ability to cope with increasing pollution. Another major cause of climate change
is the migration of people from rural to urban areas, which leads to much higher temperatures in densely populated urban areas.

The effects of climate change are already visible as glaciers melt and the polar ice caps shrink. These have led to rising sea levels but
this is only the beginning. As global temperatures increase further, more glaciers in Alaska and other polar regions will melt, adding
billions of tonnes of water to the sea. This will raise sea levels even higher and submerge low-lying islands. It will also lead to
flooding in coastal cities and the erosion of coastlines.

Human activity is clearly causing the climate to change and, as a result, this is having a number of effects on the planet. It is important
that we try to reduce our negative impact on the planet as much aspossible – for example, by using renewable energy instead of fossil
fuels – before it is too late.

B. SUMMARY WRITING

Self-Access Language Learning Centres have become more widespread at UK universities in recent years. Many UK
universities now have dedicated centres fully equipped with modern technology and innovative language learning
software.

Although self-access learning aims to promote independent learning, students are not encouraged to learn languages
completely on their own without any guidance or support. In some cases, students follow traditional face-to-face language
classes and supplement these with extra learning in their own time. The emphasis in this case is then on providing students
with additional opportunities to enhance their language learning rather than replacing conventional classes. Where
students are not following classes, online interactive self-access learning platforms allow student-teacher contact to enable
feedback and guidance to be given. Furthermore, self-access learning should encourage students to interact with their
peers in the target language, for example through online forums, in order to increase communicative language use and
enhance the language learning process.

Therefore, although self-access learning aims to allow students to develop a certain level of self sufficiency
in their language learning, guidance and support from tutors and peers, either faceto-face or through online contact,
remains an important factor.

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Koulle, K. (2014) Self-Access Language Learning. Luton: University of Bedfordshire Press

This exercise requires you to practise summarising a text in an academic style of writing. There are four stages involved in
this process:

1. identify the key terms/ideas 2. summarise the key points in one or two sentences
3. use your own words where possible 4. include a reference to the original source

EXERCISE 2. Read the text about Self-Access Language Learning Centre and follow the steps below to construct your
summary:
Step 1: Identify the key terms/ideas:

(write your answer here)

Step 2: Use the key terms to form sentences that summarise the main ideas of the text, using your own words where
possible

(write your answer here)

Step 3: Construct one or two sentences incorporating the key terms/ideas you have found in order to summarise the main
ideas of the text.

(write your answer here)

Step 4: Add a reference to complete your summary

(write your answer here)

EXERCISE 3. Look at example No. 1. Write a summary for each excerpt below.

1. Mr. Leibovitz and writer Matthew Miller joined forces to tell the story of the students in their book, “Fortunate Sons.”
The book says China sent one hundred twenty boys to America to learn about developments that could help modernize
their country.” (American Documents the Country’s First Exchange Students from China, Voice of America,
learningenglish.voanews.com)

(write your summary here)

2. “Illiteracy is a problem in many of the world’s poorest countries. Even in wealthier nations like the United States, many
children struggle with reading and writing. But in 19 cities across the country [United States], the volunteers of
Experience Corps are helping youngsters learn to read. The volunteers, all over 50, work with students in low-income
areas.” (Older Volunteers Help Children Learn to Read, Voice of America, voanews.com)

(write your summary here)


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3. “Women entrepreneurs in the developing world often face challenges that limit their chances for success and growth.
They often have less access to education than men and have difficulty getting financing on their own. But with an
understanding of the essential aspects of doing business – such as planning, financing, networking and marketing – they
can overcome those obstacles. That's where the 10,000 Women Initiative comes in. As Faiza Elmasry tells us, it's an
investment in education with dividends that benefit the businesswomen, their local communities and their national
economies.” (Goldman Sachs invests in Educating Women in Business, Voice of America, voanews.com)

(write your summary here)

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