Cause/Effect Essays

Causes:

Reasons

Lead to a situation

Why something happened

Circumstances from the past that may have caused a single event

Look backward to examine the reasons a problem exists

Effects:

Results

Come from a situation

What the result was

Occurrences that took place after a particular event and resulted from that event

Look forward and examine the results from this problem

Cause/Effect:

Discuss why something happened and what the result was

Lead up to the cause and down to the event or effect

Structure

Climax order – move from least to most important reason or result

Chronological order – First to last in time

Possible Patterns of Organization

Intro

Causes

(Steps leading up to event)

Effects

(Steps leading down from the event)

Conclusion

Intro

Cause

Effect

Cause

Effect

Conclusion

Intro

Causes

Conclusion

Intro

Effects

Conclusion