Writing a Cause and Effect

Paragraph
Created by Dr Yang Ying
Delivered by Danar Wicaksono
The focus of a cause & effect paragraph

Cause(s) Effect(s)

◦ Focus on cause(s)
◦ Focus on effect(s)
◦ Explain a causal chain?

Regardless of the focus, both the cause(s) and the effect(s) will be
mentioned in the paragraph
Focus on cause or effect ?

Americans nowadays spend more time having fun and there are two
underlying reasons for this trend. One obvious cause is that real income
overall has risen. If Americans in general are richer, their consumption of
entertainment goods is likely to be on the rise. Dora Costa, an economist
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found out from her research
that rising incomes are responsible for, half of the changing structures of
leisure spending. The rest may be due to the fact that poorer Americans
have more time off than they used to. In earlier years, low-wage workers
faced extremely long hours and enjoyed few days off. But since the
1940s, the less skilled (and lower paid) have worked ever-fewer hours,
giving them more time to enjoy leisure pursuits.

Adapted from: Jakeman, V. & McDowell, C. (2001). IELTS Practice

Tests: plus 1. Pearson Longman. (p122)
Focus on: Causes

Effect mentioned:
Americans nowadays spend more time
having fun

Two reasons:
Paragraph
1. Rising income on the whole Analysis
2. More leisure time for poorer Americans

Ending: linking the causes to the effect

again
Focus on cause or effect ?

Africa provides enough proof that AIDS affects economics. The

disease takes the lives of adults in their most productive working
years. To train new workers and take care of sick ones can come at
a high price. When tens of millions of working –age adults become
sick and die, economic output suffers. Across the African continent,
AIDS has cut deeply into productivity. In Zambia and South Africa,
income in households of AIDS sufferers has declined by 66 to 80
percent. The International Monetary Fund predicts that AIDS may
reduce economic growth by as much as 2 percent in sub-Saharan
Africa. The World Bank cautions that South Africa’s economy
could collapse in a few generations if the AIDS crisis isn’t averted.
◦ Focus on: Effects
Effects: economy, economic
output, productivity, reduction of
economic growth, possible
collapse of economy
Paragraph
analysis
◦ Cause mentioned: AIDS
Cause and effect expressions

because, due to, one cause is, another is, since, for, first, second, the
reason for, decrease, owing to the fact that, for this reason, … caused
by… arise from, lead to, produce, give rise to, bring about

consequently, as a result, thus, resulted in, one result is, another is,
therefore, effect, change, consequence, thus, so, hence, with the result
that
 Focus on cause or effect ?
Paragraph 3

1. Cause or effect?
2. Topic sentence
[1] Water pollution comes in every form and has a direct effect on human
3. Subject health. [2] “Even as the rain falls,” says Russell W. Peterson, former
4. Controlling idea chairman of the United States Council on Environmental Quality, “it
5. Body text removes pollutants from the air. [3] In fact, nearly all the pollutants the
6. Conclusion people of the world discharge into the air end up in our water systems.”
[4] Therefore, whether polluted by industrial waste, sewage or other
pollution, water supplies can allow deadly water-borne diseases to
develop when safety and purification methods are poor. [5] Worldwide,
the ugly fact remains that something like 250 million new cases of water-
borne diseases are discovered every year – and 25,000 people die from
them every day. [6] Water pollution is thus a serious threat to our well-
being.

Source: Materials adapted from past ES1000 handouts