Whether it’s a paper on the causes of air pollution or the effects of texting while driving, establishing causal relationships between subjects is a great source for academic writing material. A well-organized cause-and-effect paper should identify a clear relationship between two subjects, have a clear thesis, and use details and statistics to support the argument.
Decide on Either Cause or Effect
Most short academic essays between 200 and 500 words will not be able to effectively cover both a cause and an effect of a particular topic. The writer therefore must choose to elaborate on either the cause or the effect, depending on which side seems more important.
For instance, an essay on global warming could either focus on the causes of global warming (automobiles, deforestation) or the effects of global warming (melting polar ice caps, extreme weather). It would probably not focus on both. So it’s important to choose either a cause or an effect that is both interesting for readers and focused.
Brainstorm Ideas
A great way to brainstorm ideas is to create a graphic organizer. Write a potential topic in the middle of a page and surround the word with related causes and effects. This will give the writer a visual map of ideas from which to choose. If there seems to be more causes than effects, the writer might then decide to go with a causal argument.
Brainstorming also works well for developing details to support the argument, so once a writer decides on a thesis statement, he can then brainstorm for details to support the argument.
Develop a Thesis Statement
Like all good thesis statements, the thesis for a cause-and-effect paper should clearly state the writer’s argument. It should introduce the topic, assert an opinion, and state whether it is addressing a cause or an effect.
EXAMPLE: The popularity of video games has caused a higher rate of childhood obesity in the United States.
Organizing a Cause Effect Paper
Many cause-and-effect essays are organized by order of importance. With this format, the writer puts the most important information first. For an essay on the effects of poverty on high school students, for instance, the writer would choose the most important effect and describe it first, followed by less important effects.
Other organizational methods include chronological, in which facts are presented in the order in which they occurred, and categorical, in which the topic is divided into logical parts. Most essays will probably look something like this:
Causal Essay:
I. Thesis statement in which X causes A, B, and C
II. Cause A
III. Cause B
IV. Cause C
Effect Essay:
I. Thesis statement in which X has effects 1, 2, and 3
II. Effect 1
III. Effect 2
IV. Effect 3
Using Transitions
Transitional words and phrases are important in a cause-and-effect essay because they give the reader logical clues about the relationships between subjects. Some transitional words and phrases include:
- due to
- because
- consequently
- since
- as a result
- therefore
Cause-and-effect essays are some of the most interesting essays to write and also the least complicated. Once a clear thesis is established, the organization becomes a relatively simple process.
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