The Cause-

and-Effect
Essay
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Academic Writing Skills

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Review the assessments for

this semester

Content
Discuss the cause-and-
effect essay assignment

Look at the structure of a

cause-and-effect essay
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Assessments

CAUSE AND REPORT DRAFT – FINAL REPORT – PARTICIPATION –

EFFECT ESSAY – 20% 50% 10%
20%
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Detailed Cause and Effect Essay Plan – (Formative)

• Prepare a plan for your in-class essay related to your discipline.
• Include an outline of the introduction with hook and thesis
statement, 2 body paragraphs with topic sentence and 2-3
supporting examples and a conclusion.
• It must contain detailed research and be written in academic
style.

Submission Due: Week 3

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In-class Cause and Effect Essay 20%

 You may use your plan if it has been approved by your teacher
• Write 500 - 600 words in academic style in class.
• Include introduction, at least 2 body paragraphs and conclusion.
• Include supporting evidence.

In Class: Week 5
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Report Draft 20%

• Submit first draft of report.
• Select and analyse a research topic related to your major.
• Write a formal report of approx. 800 words.
• You may use the same sources as your research essay.
• Include a clear executive summary, findings and
recommendations.
• Apply academic conventions related to style, format and
referencing (include relevant headings).

Submission Due: Week 9

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Report 50%
• Select and analyse a research topic related to your major.
• Write a formal report of approx. 800 words.
• You may use the same sources as your research essay.
• Include a clear executive summary, findings and
recommendations.
• Apply academic conventions related to style, format and
referencing (include relevant headings).

Submission Due: Week 12

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Penalties

Final grade of assessment will be reduced by 10% for every 24 hours it is late.

Reduction of 10% in final grade of assessment for more than the standard
excess (+/-10%) word count.
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Participation

You will be marked on your active participation in class, not your

physical presence.

If you are over 10 minutes late to the lesson without a justified

reason, you will be marked as absent, but you may attend the
lesson.

If you leave the lesson early without a justified reason, you will be
marked as absent.

If you leave the classroom for a significant period of time during the
lesson, you will be marked as absent.
What
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do we mean by Cause and Effect?
Cause and effect is the relationship between two events or
situations, where one of the two is the cause of the other.
The cause is the initiating event or situation, and the
effect is the result of the cause.

Give an example to the class from your

personal experience.
Example:
I decided to study at TUD because I was frustrated and
wanted to improve my employment opportunities. (Cause)
As a result, I have improved both my English and my
knowledge of the subject matter that I am studying. (Effect)
Assessment:
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Plan: Essay related to your
discipline. Must include an
outline of the introduction,
Cause-and-Effect including hook and thesis
statement. 2-3 supporting
Essay statements and conclusion.

Essay: 500-600 words in

academic style. Include
introduction, at least two
body paragraphs and
conclusion. Must include
supporting evidence.
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What is a Cause and Effect Essay?
 Imagine that your instructor gives you the following topic:
quittingz a job. You have the choice of using the focus-on-
causes method or the focus-on-effects method.
• Focus-on-causes method: you can choose to write an essay on why people quit their jobs and brainstorm possible
reasons they may have for doing so, such as distance from the home or lack of benefits. Each paragraph would
contain a different cause.

• Focus-on-effects method: on the other hand, you may want to emphasize the effects of quitting a job – perhaps
detailing the emotional and financial consequences – in your body paragraphs. In this case each paragraph would
address one effect.

• These two cause-effect essay methods answer different questions. Essays that use the focus-on-causes method
answer the question: “Why does something happen?”. Essays that use the focus-on-effects method answer the
question: “What happens when…?”.
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Oh, I never got that email.

This won't hurt a bit, don't worry.

I won't laugh, I promise.

It's not you, it's me.

In what
situations It was like that when I got here.
might you tell I'm on my way.
these lies?
We are going to read an essay titled “Why do people lie?”,
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but first…

Is it ever acceptable
to lie? Give
Why do you think
examples of
people lie?
acceptable and
unacceptable lies.
Read the example essay
and answer
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the questions
that follow.
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Post-reading Questions
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The following focus-on-

What do you
effects essay discusses know about the
some of the effects of the Soviet Union?
breakup of the Soviet
Union.

Discuss the Preview

Questions in groups first. Can you name
any countries that
were part of the
Soviet Union?
Now read the essay
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z Post-reading Questions
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Post-reading Questions
In thisz next part, you will work on
cause-effect essays as you:

- make an outline
- write supporting information
- study connectors
- choose a topic.

Practicing these skills will help you

write an effective cause-effect essay.
Complete
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the following two outlines with a partner.

The first one outlines the causes of bullying

behaviour (focus-on-causes method).

The second one outlines the effects of bullying on the

young people who are being bullied (focus-on-effects
method).

Use your imagination, knowledge of the topic, and

understanding of essay organisation.

Be sure to pay attention to the thesis statements and

use them to help you complete the outlines.
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The Structure
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Block Organization
Read the essay and answer the following questions
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Questions
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Is the topic of this essay primarily the causes or the effects of shyness?

Which paragraph(s) discuss(es) the causes?

Which paragraph(s) discuss(es) the effects?

What two subtopics are named in the thesis statement?

Which paragraph(s) discuss(es) the first subtopic?

Which paragraph(s) discuss(es) the second subtopic?

What is the function of paragraph 3?

Which pattern (A, B, C, or D) from slide 29 does the model follow?

The Structure
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Chain Organization
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Chain Organization
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Questions?
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