CAUSE AND EFFECT PARAGRAPH: LANGUAGE FOCUS

A. Transitions showing addition

When you are listing causes or other ideas in a paragraph, you should use transitions that show addition to
introduce your major points. The following transitions are appropriate for a paragraph that lists several
causes for an event. Notice the punctuation used with each.

First (of all),…

Another reason is …

In addition, …

Also,…

Moreover,…

The major (most important) reason is…/ Finally…

In addition and moreover do not always appear at the beginning of the sentence. Note the following
examples:

In addition, the college has excellent facilities.

The college, in addition, had excellent facilities.

Moreover, the tuition is expensive.

The tuition, moreover, is expensive.

Practice 1: The following cause –effect paragraph is poorly written because it lacks transitions.
Decide where each major supporting statement begins, and insert appropriate transitions. Rewrite the
paragraph in the space provided below.

There are three reasons Mr. Tucker was fired from his job. He was often absent from work. he
missed thirty working days last year. His personality was a problem. He was nasty to other employees and
to the customers. His performance on the job was poor. He did not follow the boss’s instructions, and he
rarely completed assignments.
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Super fair is the most popular supermarket in town for several reasons. The store has a large
selection of items. You can find any food you want, even the rarest spice or the most exotic fruit. The
price are very reasonable. A gallon of milk costs no more here than in any other supermarket. Meat costs
even less! There are no long waiting lines at the checkout counter. Checkout time is usually no more than
five minutes.

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PRACTICE 2: Read the following paragraph. Imagine that you are a Colombian, and that your
audience is a group of Americans. What statistic information would help you communicate your idea
more effectively?
PRACTICE 3: Use the language patterns to complete the following paragraph.

PRACTICE 4:
d
 Sunlight produces vitamin D, so we need sunlight for a helathy body

Vitamin D is important because of having a role in bone development

Sunlight affects the human body clock as a result of helping people sleep better

some psychologists recommend spending time in the sun

for making their patients feel happier
There is a decrease in sunlight in winter due to Seasonal Affective
Disorder, SAD which affects people in many parts of the world.

People spend time outdoors on sunny days since people are

more likely to be physically active and get the excercise they need

The warmth of the sun reliever minor aches and pains; consequently,
there is an added benefit to sunshine