This document provides guidance and templates for writing a cause and effect essay. It discusses identifying the causes or effects in the thesis statement, focusing on how rather than why, and organizing the essay. Outlines are given for paragraphs discussing causes or effects, with suggestions for topic sentences, details, and transitional words. Sample prompts are also provided for selecting an essay topic. The overall document serves as a reference for properly structuring and writing a cause and effect essay.

1. Cause
and effect
essays

2. Effect

3. Main causeContributory cause Effect

4. effect
immediate cause
remote cause

5. Chain of events

6. For cause and effect essays
It’s important to ask
HOW not WHY

7. A cause and effect thesis
1. It makes clear the causes or effects
of the situation you are discussing
2. It tells your position on the relative
importance of the causes
3. It makes clear the order in which
you will discuss the causes or
effects.

8. When deciding to cheat most students do not
seriously consider effects like getting the wrong
answers, losing a teacher’s trust, and compromising
academic honor.
Sample thesis for cause and effect essay

9. Focus on HOW….not why
Organize your cause and effect essay

10. Assignment. Select a prompt and develop a flow chart of the causes /effect.
Sample prompts
How can power test a person’s character? What Is the effect of power on a
person’s character?
The effect of a parent, teacher, or friend on your life
The effects of cramming for an examination
The effects of peer pressure
Why some students cheat
The effects of growing up with a personal computer
The effects of poverty on an individual
Why one college course is more rewarding than another
Why many people don't bother to vote in local elections
The effects of racial, sexual, or religious discrimination
Why people exercise
Why people keep pets
The effects of computers on our everyday lives
Why some people choose not to carry a cell phone
The environmental effects of bottled water
Why reality shows are so popular

11. The effects of pressures on students to get good grades
The effects of a coach or teammate on your life
The effects of not keeping a personal budget
Why so few students read newspapers
Why baseball is no longer the national pastime
The effects of stress on students in high school or college
The effects of moving to a new town or city
Why growing numbers of people shop online
The effects of the steady increase in the cost of going to college
Why students drop out of high school or college
Why some roommates don't get along
Why many teenagers run away from home
The influence of a book or a movie on your life
The effects of music downloading on the music industry

12. Sentence practice on sentence strips

13. Sentence beginnings

16. Introductions for cause and effect essay

17. Paragraph development
•Must be a debatable topic sentence. Without debate
or controversy, you will hit a wall when trying to
elaborate on a detail.
•There must be details from your own experiences,
observations, and other media.
•Each detail must be accompanied by elaboration (also
know as commentary, opinion and analysis.)
•Other methods of development may be included.

18. Assignment
Choose a favorite teacher and complete this
sentence.
Mr./Mrs. __________ is a _____________teacher.
debatable
Follow this with one or two sentences of opinion about how
that detail shows the truth of the topic sentence.
Underline your opinion sentences to show me it’s opinion.
(don’t do this on the test)

19. Paragraph 1 Intro (3 sentences, no more than 4)
•Introduce the EVENT to be discussed
•Give any necessary background information about the EVENT
•Thesis statement (sets up the outline or structure for the paper)
Ex. “ Three effects of … on …”

20. Paragraph 2 Body (4-6 sentences)
Write a sentence that identifies the first effect of the event.
Give 2-3 sentences of detail or explanation about the effect.
Transitional sentence using a cause/effect transition word from
the list.

21. Paragraph 3 Body (4-6 sentences)
Write a sentence that identifies the second effect of
the event.
Give 2-3 sentences of detail or explanation about the
effect.
Transitional sentence using another (different)
cause/effect transition word from the list.

22. Paragraph 4 Body (4-6 sentences)
Write a sentence that identifies the third effect of
the event.
Give 2-3 sentences of detail or explanation about
the effect.
Transitional sentence using different cause/effect
transition word from the list.

23. Paragraph 5 - Concluding paragraph (2-3 sentences)
Restate your thesis but use different words (do not copy word for word)
Choose 1 of the following ways to END your essay
Admonition or instruction: what the reader can do about the issue
Prediction: an insight into how the future might be different, better or worse.
Strong, punched statement: prehaps a one-sentence paragraph with
powerful meaning.
Anecdote: a brief history that reiterates the essence of the issue or situaton.
Pointed question: leaves the reader thinking.
Echo: circles back to the lead

24. Causal
essay
formula

25. Paragraph 1 Intro (3 sentences, no more than 4)
•Introduce the EVENT to be discussed
•Give any necessary background information about the EVENT
•Thesis statement (sets up the outline or structure for the paper)
Ex. “ There are many causes of …”

26. Paragraph 2 Body (4-6 sentences)
Write a sentence that identifies the first cause of the event.
Give 2-3 sentences of detail or explanation about the cause.
Transitional sentence using a cause/effect transition word from the list.

27. Paragraph 3 Body (4-6 sentences)
Write a sentence that identifies the second cause of the event.
Give 2-3 sentences of detail or explanation about the cause.
Transitional sentence using another (different) cause/effect transition
word from the list.

28. Paragraph 4 Body (4-6 sentences)
Write a sentence that identifies the third cause of the event.
Give 2-3 sentences of detail or explanation about the cause.
Transitional sentence using different cause/effect transition word from
the list.

29. Paragraph 5 - Concluding paragraph (2-3 sentences)
Restate your thesis but use different words (do not copy word for word)
Choose 1 of the following ways to END your essay
Admonition or instruction: what the reader can do about the issue
Prediction: an insight into how the future might be different, better or worse.
Strong, punched statement: perhaps a one-sentence paragraph with powerful
meaning.
Anecdote: a brief history that reiterates the essence of the issue or situation.
Pointed question: leaves the reader thinking.
Echo: circles back to the lead

30. Walter’s anger defines him. His inability to tolerate any other
emotion causes him to be cruel to his family.