Cause and Effect as Pattern of Development in Writing

CAUSE and EFFECT
as Pattern of Development in Writing

•When you explain why things happen and what occurs when they do, the technique you use is  called Cause and Effect.

Cause  = reason/why something happened.

Effect = result of the cause.

•The cause is the first thing that happens.

•The part of the sentence/paragraph after the word 

because is the cause.

Example:

I stayed home from school

because I had the flu.

•The effect is the second thing that happens.

•The effect answers the questions:                   

    What happened?   

    What was the result?

 

 Example:

 Jaime was going too fast and fell off his bicycle.

Clue Words for Cause

These expressions indicate cause -

§Because…

§Since…

§Cause..

§Reason..

§So that

§Unless..

§The main reason…

Clue Words for Effect

§ As a result of

§ If

§ Consequently

§ Effect

§ Therefore

§ Thus

§ So

§ But

§Otherwise

§For this reason