Writing a Cause or Effect Essay

Writing a Cause or Effect Essay Mrs. Wishart Senior Adjunct Instructor Burlington County College “Every action has an opposite and equal reaction” (Einstein).

What is Cause & Effect? • When writing about a cause, the writer looks at events that occurred and how they led up to something occurring: • What were the causes that led up to the 9/11 attack? • When writing about an effect, the writer looks at events that occurred after an event to analyze what has occurred as a result: • How has American society been effected by the 9/11 attack?

Beyond Events • A Cause or Effect Essay often examines more than events: • The essay may give reasons or explanations for: • Events • Conditions • Behaviors

Remember the Timeline • When writing this essay, writers who decide to write from the perspective of a cause need to focus on what happened before a specific event. Writers who decide to write from the perspective of an effect need to focus on what happened after a specific event. EVENT Causes Effects

Neeld’s Heuristic Questions for Cause/Effect: • These questions will help guide the writer on how to look at the specific topic deeply: • What causes office workers to devalue their work? • What causes people to be judgmental towards manual laborers? • What are the effects of people working solely to increase their incomes? • What are the effects of people being prejudiced against those who work with their hands? • What is the purpose of making work into play? • Why does disdain for certain types of work happen? • What is the consequence of a recession on manual labor? • What comes before retirement? • What comes after making a decision to do something that may be harmful? Adapted from: Lindeman, Erika. A Rhetoric for Writing Teachers. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford U P, 1987. 82-3. Print.

Playing the “Why” Game • When writing a Cause/Effect Essay, the writer is often answering why something occurred. • After asking why the first time, the writer should continue to ask why in order to drill deeper into the subject: • Mark Twain said, “Work and play are words used to describe the same thing under differing conditions.” WHY? • Mark Twain noticed that some people enjoy their work, while others find it drudgery. WHY? • More than likely, in their family lives, some people were taught to take work seriously and other people were taught to enjoy what they do. WHY? • Some parents were unfulfilled in their work, so this caused them to believe that work should be viewed as a necessary evil. WHY? • More than likely, these parents took jobs that were available or were limited by their social class. WHY? • The writer continues to play this game until he/she can go no further. The game reveals how certain events may be related and reveals deeper thought instead of surface thought.

Organizing Thoughts with a Modified Venn Diagram • Once the lists above are recorded, review each list carefully. • Which list has the most potential to intrigue the audience? • Which list interests the writer most? • Choose the list, and then writer either a Cause OR an Effect Essay. • A 5 paragraph essay will not give the writer enough room to write about both causes AND effects.

Characteristics to Include in the Essay • Present the event or issue. • The audience needs to understand the problem or issue. Without this explanation, the analysis will fall apart. • Use strong, assertive language that does not reflect negativity or bias. • “Ain’t it awful” essays are boring. • Use factual evidence and direct quotes from The Little, Brown Reader articles. • Treat the writing scientifically – make a hypothesis and then prove it through direct information from the sources.

Avoiding Bias and Negativity • Biased or negative statements steal the authority of the writer. Which of the following feels more convincing and has more authority? • The American public has long been blind to the horrible effects of steroids on sports and players. Fan ignorance is one of the contributing factors to this continued situation. • In order for fans to fully support enforced bans on steroids in sports, the public needs to be better informed about the side effects and long-term damage these drugs may cause.

3rd Person REQUIRED • For this essay, ALL paragraphs, including the introduction and conclusion, must be in 3rd person. • 3rd person adds a sense of authority and makes the writing more forceful. • I believe that steroid use in sports needs to be banned through policies and laws that truly discourage their use. • By passing policies and laws that truly discourage their use, it is possible to completely ban steroids in all sports.

Types of Causal Relationships • Material cause: a material determines its behaviors – a rock falls because of its heaviness. • Formal cause: an item’s form determines its nature – a human differs from the statue of a human. • Efficient cause: the event that begins the first notable change – a human lifts a rock. • Final cause: the ultimate end – often difficult or impossible to predict, especially if all events have not completely played out. Wikipedia.

Other Types of Causal Relationships • Necessary Cause: If x is a necessary cause of y, then the presence of y implies the presence of x. The presence of x does not imply that y will occur. • Sufficient Cause: If x is a sufficient cause of y, then the presence of x implies the presence of y. However, z may also cause y. The presence of y does not imply the presence of x. • Contributory Cause: If the presumed cause precedes the effect, and altering the cause alters the effect, it is contributory. Wikipedia.

Double Check • The writer should not state something that is obvious. • The writer should make sure to demonstrate the significance between the causes or the effects in the paper. • Surface thought is boring; deep thought is informative and interesting.

Sources: • Maldonado, Christina. “Writing Cause and Effect Essays. “ Roxbury, MA: Roxbury Community College Writing Center, Fall 2008. Web. 20 March 2013. • Lindeman, Erika. A Rhetoric for Writing Teachers. 2nd ed. NY: Oxford UP, 1987. 82-3. Print. • Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causality#Necessary_and_sufficient_causes

Writing a Cause or Effect Essay