Thursday 01-05-12

THURSDAY

Cause and Effect Essays

The purpose of the cause and effect essay may be either to analyze or inform. Generally, the cause and effect essay is organized either chronologically or in order of importance. Keep causes and effects clearly defined by using keywords for causes such as because of, due to, since, and leads to. For effects use words like consequently, as a result of, thus, resulting in, and, therefore.

When writing your essay, support each point with evidence that clearly shows its relation to your topic. In cases where your facts don’t clearly support your argument, qualify your statements with phrases like, “the evidence suggests”, “it seems likely,” or “the apparent cause” and words like “possibly,” “probably”, “perhaps”, and “maybe”.

Cause and effect essays explore how and why things happen. You may start with an event, like the Boston Tea Party, and explain why it happened. You could also start with the Boston Tea Party and explore the events that followed.
Follow these instructions when writing an outline of a cause and effect essay:

1.    Decide your essay structure and then outline your essay according to this structure. You can set the essay up with many effects caused by one thing or you can set the essay up with one effect caused by many things.

2.    Brainstorm the causes and effects so you can find the best topics to include in your essay. You want to find a general statement to prove and then find the main causes of the effects you write about. Use these points to form your topic sentences.

3.    Write an introduction with a thesis statement. Place your general statement in the thesis. Then pick three points that will explain or prove your thesis statement. These will be the main three points in your outline structure.

4.    List the first point or statement. This will probably be your first effect. List one or more causes explaining why the effect happened. List your supporting details in point form under the first point. Write a sentence leading into the next paragraph.

5.    Add your next point or statement. List your causes explaining the effect. List your supporting details in point form beneath this statement. Beneath the points, add a lead into the next paragraph.

6.    Repeat the structure for the third cause and effect. List your supporting details in point form and write a lead into the next paragraph.

7.    Insert a conclusion beneath your points tying all the paragraphs together. You now have an essay outline with an introduction, three main statements with point form causes beneath each statement and a conclusion.