Quarter 4 - Week 6

Expository text and the cause-effect relationship

 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
Region V
Division of Masbate

English 8 Quarter 4 Week 6: Learning Activity Sheet Number 6

Expository text and the cause-effect relationship

Kathy D. Aguirre
Writer

Name of Student: ____________________________________

Grade & section: ______________________________
Date: ___________________________

I. Background Information for Learners

When you read a textbook, the news, magazine articles, or any other types of
publications, you are reading expository writing. When you write answers for an essay
test, you use the expository form.
In an expository paragraph, you give information. You explain a subject, give
directions, or show how something happens. In expository writing, linking words like first,
second, then, and finally are usually used to help readers follow the ideas.
This paragraph, like any other, organizes itself around three parts. A topic
sentence allows the reader to understand what you are writing about. The middle part of
the paragraph contains supporting sentences that follow one another in a logical
sequence of steps. The concluding sentence closes your subject with an emphasis on the
final product or process desired by the topic.
Remember that all paragraphs should contain a topic sentence. It may be even more
important in the expository paragraph because this is where the main idea of the
paragraph is expressed. This topic sentence lets the reader know what the rest of the
paragraph will discuss.

Example:
Expenses of going to college
Going to college can be expensive. First, college tuition and room and board can cost
anywhere from $2,000 to more than $10,000 per semester. Other expenses make going to
college even more expensive. For example, books typically cost between $100 and $500
each term. Second, materials are also very expensive. Paper, notebooks, writing utensils,
and other supplies required often cost more at the college bookstore than at any local
discount department store. For instance, a package of notepaper costing $2 at a discount
store might cost $5 at a college bookstore. Finally, there are all kinds of special fees added
onto the bill at registration time. A college student might have to pay a $50 insurance fee,
a $20 activity fee, a $15 fee to the student government association and anywhere from
$500 to $100 for parking. There is another fee if a student decides to add or drop classes
after registration. The fees required to attend college never seem to end.
 The topic sentence in the example lets the reader know that the paragraph will talk
about the expenses of going to college. Immediately following the topic sentence is the first
supporting sentence (underlined) and two detail/example sentences. Each support
sentence and its two detail/example sentences are shown in different colors so you can
see where one ends and the next begins. Finally, the closing sentence neatly ties back to
the topic sentence by rephrasing it. Notice the use of transitional words to help the reader
follow the ideas. Also, notice the use of third person point of view in this paragraph. The
third person point of view (he, she, one) is most commonly used for expository writing,
technical writing, and any other sort of writing that has a business-minded or persuasive
intention or purpose. For our purposes in this class, you will always use third person
point of view when writing expository paragraphs, unless otherwise directed. This means
there should be no ―I‖ or ―you‖ words anywhere in the paragraph.

Some of the grammatical signals and expressions in cause-effect:

 So
 Because
 Since
 If … Then …
 Therefore
 This led to
 Reason why
 As a result
 May be due to
 Effect of
 Consequently
 For this reason

II. Learning Competency with code

 Develop paragraphs that illustrate each text type: expository. (EN8WC-IIg-2.2)

 Use appropriate grammatical signals or expressions suitable to each pattern of idea
development: cause-effect. (EN8G-IIg-9)

III. Exercises

Activity I. Write me up! Make an expository paragraph in not less than 150 words
showing cause-effect relationship using grammatical signals.

Activity II. Underline once the cause and twice for the effect in the following sentences.
1. There is water shortage in the whole area because of La Niña or excessive drought.
2. When goods are either imported or exported without passing the Bureau of Customs,
or even if they pass through customs but are misdeclared or undertaxed, economic
sabotage is committed.
3. Since the economy is badly in need of foreign exchange, the trading laws have to be
strictly enforced.
4. Despite the availability of new money and other credit facilities, the government
monetary and fiscal authorities will continue to impose tight controls on credit and
liquidity.
5. The lure of high salaries, cheap goods, and adventure in Hong Kong has become so
irresistible to many housewives so they are forced to leave their families behind to work in
the British Crown colony in search of a better life.
Activity III. Complete the sentence by either giving the cause or the effect depending on
the clause.
1. There is water shortage in the whole area ____________________________________.
2. Her handwriting was messy ________________________________________.
3. He missed the bus this morning _____________________________________.
4. His pencil was broke ______________________________________________.
5. Kian was hungry __________________________________________________.
6. Jackson didn’t go to school ___________________________________________.
7. He got a tummy ache _____________________________________________.
8. It was raining outside __________________________________________.
9. He had nothing to wear ______________________________________________.
10. The phone rang ___________________________________________.

IV. References for Learners

Skill Builders for Efficient Reading c. 1986

http://www.catanduanestribune.com/article/428A
https://www.time4writing.com/articles-about-writing/expository-paragraphs/

V. Answer Key

Activity 1. Rubric for scoring

Criteria Excellent Very Good Fair Needs

(5) Good (3) (2) Improvement
(4) (1)

1. The organization of the

paragraph is clear and
easy.

2. The paragraph is
composed personally.

3. The content is based

from the given task.

4. Used grammatical
signals correctly.
Activity II.

1. There is water shortage in the whole area because of La Niña or excessive drought.
2. When goods are either imported or exported without passing the Bureau of Customs,
or even if they pass through customs but are misdeclared or undertaxed, economic
sabotage is committed.
3. Since the economy is badly in need of foreign exchange, the trading laws have to be
strictly enforced.
4. Despite the availability of new money and other credit facilities, the government
monetary and fiscal authorities will continue to impose tight controls on credit and
liquidity.
5. The lure of high salaries, cheap goods, and adventure in Hong Kong has become so
irresistible to many housewives so they are forced to leave their families behind to work in
the British Crown colony in search of a better life.

Activity III.
(Answers may vary)