open the attached folder bellow to answer the cause and effect essay, outline, and brainstorming When organizing a cause-effect essay, it is important to know whether you are writing mainly about the causes or the effects, or if you are writing about both. For practice, use the graphic organizers below to brainstorm causes and effects of each given topic. CAUSES 1. 2. 3. 4. OBESITY EFFECTS 1. 2. 3. 4. CAUSES 1. 2. 3. 4. EFFECTS 1. 2. 3. 4. The following are three of the more common ways to organize a cause-effect essay. There are other ways to organize the essay, so it is important to understand what the assignment is asking you to write about. Paragraph I: Introduction Main cause or causes Paragraph II: First Effect Paragraph III: Second Effect Paragraph IV: Third Effect Paragraph V: Conclusion Paragraph I: Funnel Introduction Paragraph II: Major Cause Paragraph III: First Effect Paragraph IV: Second Effect Paragraph V: Conclusion Paragraph I: Introduction Main effect or effects Paragraph II: First Cause Paragraph III: Second Cause Paragraph IV: Third Cause Paragraph V: Conclusion CAUSE & EFFECT Writing Process SAMPLE EXERCISE 6: Read the following SAMPLE of the prewriting process. You do not need to write anything, just read through each step and pay attention to how the writer develops the topic. Topic: _______ Cause of Divorce in the U.S.A____________________________________ Step 1: Brainstorming CAUSES EFFECTS *unrealistic   expectations People think that marriage is going to solve all   their problems, and they will stay in love forever. But love fades. *impulsivity   and attention span Marriage might be an impulsive action, as a   result of an intense romance or lust. Some people get married on a whim in Las Vegas. Then they realize they made a mistake! *lack of   patience People change over time. Many of us think that the relationship   should stay the same. They lose   patience with their spouse. Step 2: Outlining Introduction: Causes of divorce Subtopic #1: unrealistic expectations of marriage Subtopic #2: impulsive behavior Subtopic #3: lack of patience Conclusion will end with a prediction as a final   thought Step 2: Outlining CAUSE & EFFECT OUTLINE I. Introduction A. Hook: _________________________________________________________ A. Background Information: __________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ B. Thesis Statement: There are many causes for this divorce epidemic in the U.S., but some of the biggest involve an unrealistic view of what marriage is, impulsivity, and lack of patience with people in general. II. Body  A. 1st Cause/effect: Perhaps the biggest reason that many couples in the U.S. divorce each year is unrealistic expectations of what marriage is suppo.

1. open the attached folder bellow to answer the cause and effect
essay, outline, and brainstorming
When organizing a cause-effect essay, it is important to know
whether you are writing mainly about the causes or the effects,
or if you are writing about both. For practice, use the graphic
organizers below to brainstorm causes and effects of each given
topic.
CAUSES
1.
2.
3.
4.
OBESITY
EFFECTS
1.

2. 2.
3.
4.
CAUSES
1.
2.
3.
4.
EFFECTS
1.
2.
3.
4.
The following are three of the more common ways to organize a
cause-effect essay. There are other ways to organize the essay,

3. so it is important to understand what the assignment is asking
you to write about.
Paragraph I:
Introduction
Main cause or causes
Paragraph II:
First Effect
Paragraph III:
Second Effect
Paragraph IV:
Third Effect
Paragraph V:
Conclusion
Paragraph I:
Funnel Introduction
Paragraph II:

4. Major Cause
Paragraph III:
First Effect
Paragraph IV:
Second Effect
Paragraph V:
Conclusion
Paragraph I:
Introduction
Main effect or effects
Paragraph II:
First Cause
Paragraph III:
Second Cause
Paragraph IV:
Third Cause
Paragraph V:

5. Conclusion
CAUSE & EFFECT Writing Process SAMPLE
EXERCISE 6:
Read the following SAMPLE of the prewriting process.
You do not need to write anything, just read through each step
and pay attention to how the writer develops the topic.
Topic:
_______
Cause of Divorce in the
U.S.A____________________________________
Step 1:
Brainstorming
CAUSES EFFECTS
*unrealistic expectations
People think that marriage is going to solve all their problems,
and they will stay in love forever. But love fades.
*impulsivity and attention span
Marriage might be an impulsive action, as a result of an
intense romance or lust. Some people get married on a whim in

6. Las Vegas. Then they realize they made a mistake!
*lack of patience
People change over time. Many of us think that the relationship
should stay the same. They lose patience with their spouse.
Step 2:
Outlining
Introduction:
Causes of divorce
Subtopic #1:
unrealistic expectations of marriage
Subtopic #2:
impulsive behavior
Subtopic #3:
lack of patience

7. Conclusion will end with a prediction as a final thought
Step 2:
Outlining
CAUSE & EFFECT OUTLINE
I.
Introduction
A. Hook:
_____________________________________________________
____
A. Background Information:
__________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
____________
_____________________________________________________
____________
B. Thesis Statement:
There are many causes for this divorce epidemic in the U.S.,
but some of the biggest involve an unrealistic view of what
marriage is, impulsivity, and lack of patience with people in
general.
II. Body

8. A. 1st Cause/effect:
Perhaps the biggest reason that many couples in the U.S.
divorce each year is unrealistic expectations of what marriage is
supposed to be.
Explanation:
_____________________________________________________
__
_____________________________________________________
____________
Example:
_____________________________________________________
___
_____________________________________________________
____________
Transition Sentence/Paragraph?
YES/NO
B. 2nd Cause/Effect
: Another cause of divorce stems from the impulsivity in
American culture.
Explanation: people act on intense lust or romance without
thinking about the long term.
Example: Vegas wedding chapels, kids in love
_____________________________________________________
____________

9. Transition Sentence/Paragraph?
YES/NO
C. 3rd Cause/effect
: A third cause of divorce in the U.S.A. is a general lack of
patience with people around us.
Explanation: general lack of introspection
Example: social media
_____________________________________________________
____________
III. Conclusion
Restate thesis:
_________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
________
Final remarks:
_________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
________
EXERCISE 7:
Week 4 Writing Assignment
Name ________________________

10. Date _________________________
ESL 0202 CAUSE & EFFECT ESSAY
Try it Out: Choose one of the following topics to brainstorm
ideas for a cause-effect essay.
Brainstorming
: Sometimes it is useful to think of experiences from your own
life to get ideas for an essay. In most college writing
assignments, you will not end up writing about yourself, but
your life experiences and ideas can be the starting point for
gathering ideas.
Consider your answers to the following questions by
brainstorming in the space provided. Once you have generated
ideas for an essay, make an outline using the outline template
that follows.
When you have completed the outline, draft a five-paragraph
cause/effect essay in MLA format!
We will review them next week!
1.
Have you or someone you know every gone on a diet? What
made them decide to start it? Once they began to diet, what
kind of changes did they notice? What kind of results beyond
physical changes did they experience?
Essay Topic:
What causes someone to go on a diet?

11. Essay Topic:
What effects does dieting have on a person?
2.
Did you ever know someone who was caught for cheating on a
school assignment (test, paper, etc.)? Why did they do it?
What happened as a result?
Essay Topic:
What causes a student to resort to cheating on an assignment?
Essay Topic:
What effects does cheating have on a student when it is
discovered?
Topic: ___________________________________________
CAUSES EFFECTS
Name ________________________
Date _________________________
ESL 0202 CAUSE & EFFECT OUTLINE
I.

12. Introduction
A. Background Information:
__________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
____________
_____________________________________________________
____________
B. Thesis Statement:
________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
____________
II. Body
A. Cause:
___________________________________
Explanation:
_____________________________________________________
__
_____________________________________________________
____________
Example:
_____________________________________________________
___
_____________________________________________________
____________

13. B. Cause or Effect
: ___________________________________
Explanation:
_____________________________________________________
__
_____________________________________________________
____________
Example:
_____________________________________________________
___
_____________________________________________________
____________
C. Effect
: ___________________________________
Explanation:
_____________________________________________________
__
_____________________________________________________
____________
Example:
_____________________________________________________
___
_____________________________________________________
____________
III. Conclusion

14. Restate thesis:
_________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
________
Final remarks:
_________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
________