CAUSE AND EFFECT ESSAY

Welcome to my TEFL Blog. This is my second publishing. This blog is already arranged in such a way to fulfill the purpose of learning writing for senior high school students in grade XII. Below there are five categories of texts complete with its explanation and task. Read the information and practice the task. Gain your knowledge through this Blog.


Cause and Effect Paragraph

Content:
1. Definition
2. Purpose
3. Organization
4. Example
5. Principle
6. Tips
7. Task/Practice

Definition:

Cause and effect paragraph is a paragraph that concerned with why thing happen (cause) and what happen as a result (effects).In other words it work well for analyzing a situation from one of two directions. First, it works for examining the cause or causes of situation. Second, the cause and effect method of development works well for examining the effect or effects of situation. Remember that if we concerned with what happen before the event we concerned the cause and if we concerned after the event, we concerned with the effect. The effect comes after the cause.

A cause and effect essay gives explanation for conditions, events and behaviour, and answers the need of most people who understand the world around them. While working on this type of project, writers must be careful not to overemphasize a case. Since many causal relationships cannot be proven conclusively.

The Characteristic of Cause and Effect Paragraph

Cause and effect usually includes:
1. An analysis of the cause or cause of specific effect
2. An analysis of the effect or effect of a specific cause or in a really complicated paper.
1. An analysis of both the causes and the effects of a specific situation, and in analysis.
1. Evidence of clear, logical relationship.

Organization of Cause and Effect Essay
Depending on the topic, there may be three patterns of organization:

1. Multiple causes-->effect
In this pattern, the organization is as follows:
Thesis statement: Air pollution is caused by the following factors: exhaust gases from cars, uncontrolled factory releases, and burning of low-quality coal for heating.
For example:
I. Exhaust gases from cars
A. government does not have enough control
B. citizens are not conscientious
II. Uncontrolled factory gases
A. no regular checks on gases released
B. factories are inside the borders of residential areas
III. Burning of low-quality coal for heating
A. no governmental control
B. other forms of energy too expensive
Each developmental paragraph is devoted to one of the causes of air pollution. Each cause is supported by two minor supports. While writing, these major and minor ideas should be adequately explained and exemplified as well.


2. Cause-->Multiple effects
In this pattern, the effects of a certain situation are explained in separate paragraphs, with the following organization:
Thesis statement: Watching too much TV is one of the major sociological issues of this century, which has many effects on the physiology and psychology of people.
I. eating disorders
A. TV meals
B. obesity
II. communication problems
A. more violence
B. no interpersonal talks
Again, we have grouped related effects under two main points: physiological and psychological. Then, we have supported each effect with two minor supports (A and B). While writing, we should explain these major and minor supports by giving examples and/or defining what we mean, as well.

3. Causal chain / Domino
In this pattern, the events lead to one another, as in the following organization:
Thesis statement: Using deodorants with chlorofluorocarbon gas will bring the end of world.
I. Chlorofluorocarbon gases are contained in most deodorants and released by some factories into the air.
II. This gas causes the ozone layer to become thinner and finally disappear in patches.
III.The unfiltered ultraviolet rays of the sun cause overheating in the poles of the earth, where the icebergs start to melt.
IV.The huge amount of water released from the poles leads to a rise in the sea-level.
V. The sea will cover the land and this will be the end of the world.
Again, each major point should be supported with examples, statistics that show that there are some factories and deodorants that release chlorofluorocarbons, that there is a rise in the sea-level, etc.

Example
1. Cause- Multiple effects

EFFECTS OF WATCHING TOO MUCH TV

Discoveries and invention of devices are always welcome till we, humans, find a way to abuse its benefits and be adversely affected by it. This was the case when Wilhelm Roentgen discovered x-ray and within five years, the British Army was using a mobile x-ray unit to locate bullets and shrapnel in wounded soldiers in the Sudan. TV was also invented with positive thoughts in mind – there would be no national borders, education and communication would be worldwide, etc. However, we are now trying to overcome its physiological and psychological adverse effects on human beings.

One of the physiological effects of watching TV in excessive amounts is eye-strain. It is true that there are specifications for watching TV; TV should be 5 m. away from the eye, the room should be adequately lit, TV should be placed at the same height with our eyes, etc. However, these do not prevent our eyes from getting tired if we keep watching TV for a long time. Another effect is obesity, which is widely observed in people who like watching TV and eating snacks every day (there is even a term “TV snacks” to refer to fast food that is suitable for eating in front of the TV). TV is such a powerful machine that people cannot get away from it – it is addictive.

Apart from the physiological effects, TV also causes psychological effects. One is a result of being exposed to violence. After seeing so many violent scenes on TV, people start considering violent actions normal and they lose their sensitivity to their environment; partly connected to this effect, the interpersonal communication among people decreases. Being insensitive to the suffering of other people causes people to become alienated. Also, after coming home from work people seek to relax in front of the TV, and generally people prefer watching TV to talking to each other. This issue is very important since lack of interpersonal relationships mostly end with divorces.

Shortly, inventions are meant to be beneficial for human beings, if we know how to benefit from them. TV is one of such inventions that need to be used for the right purpose only – being educated and entertained for a reasonable (according to age) period of time. We may, then, be safe from or at least reduce the adverse physiological and psychological effects of watching too much TV.
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Written by Oya Ozagac, September 2004 (http://www.buowl.boun.edu.tr/students/types%20of%20essays/Cause%20and%20effect%20Essay.htm)

Tips

Writing cause and effect essay is very interesting task, particularly for those who like to investigate and curious with something. Here are given some tips for those who is interested to write a good cause and effect essay:
1. Making a choice of cause and effect essay topics. Check whether this topic is arouses much discussion and interest among general public. It will be more interesting to explore it.
2. Detailed learning of the object to be investigated during writing process. We need to describe the most important events or succession of events which led to certain phenomenon and determine its causes and effects.
3. When having a list of causes and effects, we proceed to in-depth research which helps us to find hidden causes and effects, until we enable to get the clear picture of the problem. Paying more attention to the most important and sufficient causes and effects, by reducing our scope of investigation and outline the main points of the paper. Less significant causes can be mentioned, but the most important should come first.
4. It is also necessary to pick up one writing style which can be followed through the paper. One should decide whether he/she wants to inform or persuade the reader of causes and effects of certain phenomenon of event.
5. It needs to support the essay with examples, opinions and facts; it will help us to make our work more organized and strong. We may use the following connectors: for example, for instance, the cause is, because of, due to, so, thus, consequently, etc.
6. To make our cause and effect essay well-structured arrange the thoughts, points of view, ideas logically and clearly; it will help the readers to comprehend our information better. Remember, all causes and effects must be organized chronologically: the most important should be examined first, and then less significant aspects; but both more important and less important causes and effects must be reviewed with a detailed explanation.

Practice

To check your understanding of the cause and effect paragraph, make an outline of cause and effect paragraph. Choose one of the organization that you want. The next meeting we are going to discuss your outline to make it into a text.
Make your own creativity!