CAUSE I EFFECT ESSAYS

To write academic texts, you need

to master certain skills.

In this chapter, you will learn to:

• Analyze a cause I effect essay

• Construct a thesis statement for
a cause I effect essay
• Organize a cause I effect essay
• Use cause I effect transition
signals
• Write, revise, and edit a cause I
effect essay about psychology

Different parts of the brain are responsible for different

kinds of thought and behavior.
INTRODUCTION

Another common type of essay examines cause and effect relationships. In a cause I
effect essay, you discuss the causes (reasons) for something, the effects (results), or
both causes and effects. You might use cause I effect organization to answer typical test
questions such as these:
EDucATioN Explain reasons for the decline in reading ability among schoolchildren .

ENVIRONMENTAL sTuDIEs Discuss the effects of global warming on the environment.

susiNEss, ECONOMics Discuss the housing market and its effects on the U.S. economy.

HISTORY Discuss the causes of the U.S. Civil War.

PsYcHoLoGY Explain the causes and effects of depression.

At the end of this chapter, you will write a cause I effect essay on a topic related to psychology.

ANALYZING THE MODELS

In this chapter, you will read~ cause I effect essays that look at psychological topics.
Each model is organized differently: Writing Modell uses block organization, and
Writing Model2 uses chain organization.
Read the models. Then answer the questions.

/Writing Model 1

The Biological and Environmental Causes of Shyness

If you suffer from shyness, you are not alone, for shyness is a universal
phenomenon 1 • According to recent research, "close to 50 percent of the general
population report that they currently experience some degree of shyness in their
lives. In addition, close to 80 percent report having felt shy at some point in their
lives" (Payne). As shyness is so common, it is not surprising that social scientists
are learning more about its causes. They have found that shyness can result from
both biological and environmental factors.
2 Recent research shows that some individuals are born shy. Indeed, researchers
say that between 15 and 20 percent of newborn babies have signs of shyness.
These babies are quieter and more watchful. In fact, researchers have found
differences between sociable and shy babies that show up as early as two months.
In one study, two-month-olds later identified as shy reacted with signs of stress
to moving mobiles 2 and tape recordings of human voices. These shy babies had
increased heart rates as well as jumpy movements of arms and legs, and they cried
(continued on next page)
1
phenomenon: something that happens or exists in society, science, or nature, especially
something that is studied because it is difficult to understand (plural: phenomena)
2
mobiles: a decoration made of small objects tied to wire or string which is hung up so that
the objects move when air blows around them

Cause I Effect Essays 117

 a great deal. Furthermore, parents and grandparents of shy children often say that
they were shy as children. They report childhood shyness more frequently than
parents and grandparents of non-shy children (Henderson and Zimbardo).
3 However, environment can, at least in some cases, triumph over biology. On
the one hand, a shy child may in time lose much of his or her shyness. On the
other hand, many people who were not shy as children become shy as adults .
Both facts point to environmental causes.
4 The first environmental cause of shyness may be a child's home and family life .
Children who grew up with a difficult relationship with parents or older siblings
are more likely to be inhibited3 in social interactions. Another factor is that
today's children are growing up in smaller families. They have fewer relatives
living nearby. Also, more children are growing up in single-parent homes or
in homes in which both parents work full time. These children may not have
frequent visits by neighbors and friends. Because they have less interaction with
relatives and other visitors, they may begin to feel shy when they start school
(Henderson and Zimbardo).
5 A second environmental cause of shyness may be one's culture. In a large study
conducted some years ago in several nations, 40 percent of participants in the
United States rated themselves as shy. This percentage is compared to 57 percent
of participants in Japan and 55 percent in Taiwan. Of the countries participating
in the study, the lowest percentage of shyness was found in Israel. The rate there
was 31 percent. Researchers Henderson and Zimbardo note that differences
"in the way each culture deals with attributing credit for success and blame for
failure" may account in part for the higher rate of shyness reported in Japan than
in Israel. In Japan, failure is generally attributed to the individual but success
is not, while the reverse is often true in Israel. Therefore, Israelis may be more
likely to take risks than Japanese.
6 In addition to family and culture, technology may play a role. In the United
States, the number of young people who report being shy has risen from
40 percent to 50 percent in recent years (Henderson and Zimbardo). The rising
numbers may result in part from a growing dependence on technology (Payne).
Watching television, playing video games, and surfing the Web have displaced
activities that involve face-to-face social interaction for many young people.
Adults, too, are becoming more isolated as a result of technology. Face-to-face
interactions are no longer necessary in many situations. Instead, people can
use machines to do their banking, fill their gas tanks, order merchandise, take
college courses, and make friends. As a result, people have less opportunity to
socialize in person. Therefore, they become more awkward at it. Eventually, they
may start avoiding it altogether. In short, they become shy.
7 While being shy has some negative consequences, it has positive aspects, too. For
example, shy people may be better listeners ("Shyness"). Furthermore, a university
professor says, "Because of their tendency toward self-criticism, shy people are
often high achievers, and not just in solitary activities like research and writing.
Perhaps even more than the drive toward independent achievement, shy people
long to make connections to others, often through altruistic behavior 4 " (Benton).
3
in bited: too embarrassed or nervous to do or say what you want
4
alt uistic behavior: altruistic behavior shows that you care about and will help other people,
even though this brings no advantage for yourself

118 CHAPTER 6
 8 To sum up, shyness has both environmental and genetic causes. Some people
come into the world shy. Others become shy as a result of their experiences
in life. It appears that most people have experienced shyness at some time in
their lives, and research indicates that the number of shy people is increasing.
Therefore, if you are shy, you have lots of company.

Sources:
1. Benton, Thomas H. "Shyness and Academe."
2. Henderson, Lynne and Philip Zimbardo. "Shyness."
3. Payne, Karen S. "Understanding and Overcoming Shyness."
4. Wikipedia. "Shyness."

Questions about the Model

1. Is the topic of this essay primarily the causes or the effects of shyness?
2. Which paragraphs discuss the causes?
3. Which paragraph discusses the effects?
4. What two subtopics are named in the thesis statement?
5. Which paragraph discusses the first subtopic?
6. Which paragraphs discuss the second subtopic?

/Writing Model 2

SAD
Years ago, medical researchers identified a psychological disorder that they
named Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. People who suffer from SAD become
very depressed during the winter months. Doctors now understand the causes of
this condition, which affects millions of people. It is particularly common in areas of
the far north where winter nights are long, and the hours of daylight are few.

2 SAD results from a decrease in the amount of sunlight sufferers receive. There
are several reasons why decreased sunlight may have this impact on some people.
Doctors know that decreased sunlight increases the production of melatonin. This
sleep-related hormone is generated at increased levels in the dark. Therefore, when
the days are shorter and darker, the level of melatonin rises. Shorter, darker days
also decrease production of serotonin, a chemical that helps transmit nerve impulses.
Lack of serotonin plays a role in causing depression in some people ("Seasonal
Affective Disorder" HH). In others, who may not usually suffer from depression , winter i'
depression may result from an imbalance of melatonin and serotonin in the body.
Also, doctors believe that decreased sunlight may cause a disturbance in the body's
natural clock ("Seasonal Affective Disorder" NMHA). The combination of chemical
imbalance and biological clock disturbance, doctors say, results in characteristic
symptoms. These can include lack of energy, oversleeping, weight gain , and anxiety.
They are all signs of depression.
(continued on next page)

Cause I Effect Essays 119

 .
3 Since absence of light seems to be the cause of SAD, a daily dose of light
appears to be the cure. Doctors advise patients to sit in front of a special light box
that simulates natural light for a few hours every day. An hour's walk outside in
winter sunlight may also help ("Seasonal Affective Disorder" NMHA).

4 In conclusion, the depressive effect of low

sunlight levels may help explain why some people
suffer feelings of tiredness and sadness in winter.
The 19th-century American poet Emily Dickinson
even wrote about the feelings of sadness she
experienced during winter afternoons. But if
low sunlight can produce such feelings, there
is nevertheless hope for sufferers. In fact, the
problem itself may suggest its own remedy!
When the days grow short, turn on the lights.

Sources:
1. The Healthy House Ltd. "Seasonal Affective Disorder."
2. National Mental Health America. "Seasonal Affective Disorder."

Questions about the Model

1. What is the cause of increased melatonin and decreased serotonin in winter?
2. What effect do these seasonal changes in melatonin and serotonin have on
some people?
3. What advice do doctors give people who suffer from SAD?

/Noticing Vocabulary: Collocations 1

Collocations are words that are commonly found together. For example, in the model,
the phrase difficult relationship is a collocation because the word difficult is frequently
used with the word relationship. The word hard, on the other hand, does not collocate
well with relationship. Being aware of collocations will make you a better writer. Try to
notice collocations as you read or listen to people speaking English. Some dictionaries
also list collocations.

PRACTICE 1 Identifying and Using Collocations

0 Writing Model 1 on pages 117-119 contains several adjective-noun
collocations. Find the nouns in the model and write the adjectives.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ causes (paragraph 3)

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ dependence (paragraph 6)

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ consequences (paragraph 7)

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ aspects (paragraph 7)

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ causes (paragraph 8)
120 CHAPTER 6
 «!) Complete the sentences with the collocations from Part A.

1. It is not clear why some people are more likely to be optimistic than others, but it

is likely that there are some , or reasons related to

the biological traits that people inherit from their parents.

2. One of the ____________ of working as a teacher is the satisfaction

of helping students learn.

3. Because of the on cell phones, most people do not

make clear plans far in advance; they assume that they will be able to get in touch
whenever they want.

4. The of lung disease include exposure to smoke, coal

or asbestos dust, and certain chemicals.

5. One of the ____________ of owning a car is decreased

physical activity.

ORGANIZATION

You can organize a cause I effect essay in two main ways: "block" organization
and "chain" organization. You can write an effective essay using either type of
organization, but you should choose which one you will use before you start writing.
Knowing the type of organization will help you present information clearly.

BLOCK ORGANIZATION
In block organization, you first discuss all of the causes (in one, two, three, or more
paragraphs, depending on the number of causes). Then you discuss all of the effects.
You can discuss either causes or effects first. Of course, you can also discuss only
causes or only effects. Writing Modell on pages 117-119 is written using mostly
block organization.
In block organization, a short paragraph often separates one major section from
another major section. This paragraph is called a transition paragraph. Its purpose
is to conclude one section and introduce another section. You do not always have to
write a transition paragraph, but it is helpful when your topic is long and complex. For
example, an essay about global warming might include several paragraphs about the
causes and several paragraphs about the effects, with a transition paragraph between
the two blocks.
Essays that discuss mainly (or only) causes or mainly (or only) effects might have a
transition paragraph between blocks of different kinds of causes or between blocks
of different kinds of effects. For example, you might use a transition paragraph to
separate the personal effects of our increased life expectancy from its many effects on
the economy.

Cause I Effect Essays 121

 In short, a block-style cause I effect essay can have many different patterns. This chart
shows some possibilities.

BLOCK ORGANIZATION

A B

I Introduction I l Introduction J
1st cause 1st cause
2nd cause l Transition paragraph J
3rd cause 2nd cause

I Transition paragraph I 3rd cause

1st effect 4th cause
2nd effect Effects

I Conclusion I I Conclusion I
D

I Introduction I l Introduction J
Effects 1st effect

I Transition paragraph I 2nd effect

1st cause 3rd effect
2nd cause 4th effect
3rd cause I Conclusion I

I Conclusion I
PRACTICE2 Analyzing Block Organization
Fill in the boxes to show the block organizational pattern of Writing Model 1 on
pages 117-119. Write the topic of each paragraph and tell whether it is a cause
or an effect.

INTRODUCTION The>i> >tatement: They haVe found that S'hyne» in

an individual can re>ultfrom both biolo9ical and
environmental factor).

l>t cau)e : 9enetic>

Transition paragraph

CONCLUSION

122 CHAPTER 6
CHAIN ORGANIZATION
The other organizational pattern you can use to write about causes and effects is chain
organization. Writing Model2 on page 119 uses this organizational style.
In Writing Model 2, causes and effects are linked to each other in a continuous chain.
One event (a change in seasonst causes another event (decreased sunlight), which
causes a third event (disturbance in both hormonal balance and the body's natural
clock), which~n turn causes a fourth event (the development of depressive symptoms),
and so on. Eac new cause and its effect are links in a chain, with the effect of one
event becomin the cause of the next event. Depending on the complexity of the ideas
in each link, you can devote an entire paragraph to one link, or you may include
several links in one paragraph, or you may describe the entire chain in one paragraph.
Chain organization usually works better than block organization when the causes and
effects are too closely linked to be separated. Notice the chain pattern in this diagram.

I Introduction I How Fertile Land Becomes Desert

Cause People move into new areas and clear land for

~
agriculture by cutting down trees.

Effect The tree roots no longer hold the soil in place.

~
Cause The tree roots do not hold the soil in place.

~
Effect The topsoil washes away during heavy rains.

~
Cause The topsoil washes away during heavy rains.

~
Effect There is no good soil to grow crops in.

~
Cause There is no good soil to grow crops in.

~
Effect People move to new areas and clear land for
agriculture by cutting down trees.
I Conclusion I
~~ ~ ~ ~- - -~ ~ -- - - - -
Writing Tip
- -
The type of organization you choose depends on your topic.
• A chain pattern is usually easier if the causes and effects are very closely
interrelated, as in an explanation of a natural phenomenon such as
a thunderstorm.
• The block pattern is usually easier with larger, complex topics such as global
warming or homelessness.
• Sometimes you will want to use a combination of block and chain organization.
Writing Model 1 on pages 117-119 uses mostly block organization, but in
paragraphs 4, 5, and 6, you will find chain organization.

Cause I Effect Essays 123

 PRACTICE3 Analyzing Chain Organization

Fill in the boxes to complete the flowchart, which illustrates the cause I effect

/
chain described in Writing Model 2.

Less sunlight

Body produces
more _______ and +
less _ _ _ _ _ __

Lack of energy, oversleeping, weight gain, anxiety

TRY IT OUT! Choose one of the topics and, on a separate sheet of paper, write two outlines:
one for block organization and one for chain organization.

TOPICS

• The psychological causes of Internet addiction

• The effect of job loss on mental health
• The psychological effects of violent video games and movies

TRANSITION SIGNALS FOR CAUSE I EFFECT RELATIONSHIPS

Just as certain transition signals show time order and logical division, certain words
and phrases signal cause I effect relationships. You may already know many of them.
This chart and the one on page 126 will help you review them.

CAUSE SIGNAL WORDS

Coordinators Examples

for Bison were indispensable to the Native American tribes, for this
one animal provided them with nearly everything they needed
for survival: meat, clothing, shelter, tools, and weapons.
(Note: When used in this way, for has the same mean~ng as
because.) ·
However, you must use a comma in front of for, and you must
not use a comma in front of because.
Subordinators Examples

because Bison were indispensable to the Native American tribes as this

since one animal provided them with nearly everything they needed
for survival: meat, clothing, shelter, tools, and weapons.
as

124 CHAPTER 6
 Others Examples
·-
to result from The bison's near extinction resulted from loss of habitat
to be the result of and overhunting.

due to Bison nearly became extinct because of loss of habitat

because of and overhunting.

the effect of One consequence of westward expansion was the destruction of

the consequence of habitat for the bison.

as a result of The areas in which bison could roam freely shrank as a result of
as a consequence of the westward expansion of the 1800s.

PRACTICE4 Recognizing Cause Signal Words

fl Underline the part of the sentence that states a cause. Circle the word or
phrase that introduces the cause.

1. The computer is a learning tool@ it helps children to master math and

language skills. (After since, we must use a clause with a subject and a verb.)
2. Many department stores rely on computers due to their ability to keep records of
sales and inventory.
3. A medical computer system is an aid to physicians because of its ability to
interpret data from a patient's history and provide a diagnosis. (How would you
rewrite this sentence using because instead of because of?)
4. War, famine, and ethnic violence have caused a flood of refugees in the past

50 years.
5. Hollywood movies are known for their special effects because U.S. audiences

seem to demand them.

6. Since European audiences seem to prefer movies that explore psychological
or philosophical issues, European movies are generally quieter and more
thought-provoking.
7. Smog results from chemical air pollutants being trapped under a layer of warm air.
8. John's promotion is the result of his brilliant management skills and company loyalty.
9. Little is known about life on the ocean floor, for scientists have only recently

developed the technology to explore it.

10. Holes are created in the protective ozone layer of the stratosphere as a result of the

burning of fossil fuels.

Cause I Effect Essays 125

 C!) Work with a partner or in a small group. Discuss the use of each word or
phrase you circled. What kind of grammatical structure follows each one?
Notice especially the difference between the use of because and because of.

EFFECT SIGNAL WoRDS

Transition Words Examples

and Phrases

as a result Workers building the new transcontinental railroad

as a consequence needed meat; as a result, hunters killed bison by
the thousands.
therefore
thus Note: Notice the difference between as a result and as
a result of As a result is followed by a full sentence
consequently
(independent clause) and introduces an effect. As a result
hence of is followed by a noun phrase and introduces a clause.
Coordinators Examples

so Native Americans began trading bison skins to the

settlers for steel knives and guns, so they began killing
bison in larger numbers.
Others

to result in Loss of habitat and overhunting resulted in the near

to cause extinction of bison.

to have an effect on The reduced numbers of bison had a terrible effect on

to affect the lives of the Native Americans who had depended on
them for survival.
the cause of Another cause of the problem was the loss of habitat as
the reason for more farmers moved to the west.

thereby The 85 bison that survived were given refuge in

Yellowstone National Park in 1892, thereby saving this
species from total extinction.
Note: Thereby is most frequently used in front of
-ing phrases.

PRACTICES Recognizing Effect Signal Words

G Underline the part of the sentence that states an effect. Circle the word or
phrase that introduces the effect.

1. The purchase price of electric cars is far greater than the price of cars with

conventional internal combustion engines; consequently, the price must be

lowered if they are to become popular.

126 CHAPTER 6
 2. However, electric cars are nonpolluting; therefore, the government offers cash
incentives to people who purchase them.
3. In addition, electric cars use relatively inexpensive electricity for power; thus, they
cost less to operate than cars that use gasoline.
4. Unfortunately, the operating cost of electric cars only begins to make up for the
higher purchase price if a car owner keeps the car for more than eight years; as a
result, most people still prefer gasoline-powered vehicles.
5. His patient diplomacy resulted in the successful negotiation of a peace treaty.
6. It has been documented that lack of sleep affects a person's ability to think clearly.
7. Cold water is denser than warm water and will therefore sink.
8. Freshwater is less dense than saltwater, so it tends to float on the surface of a
body of saltwater.
9. Air pollution creates holes in the protective ozone layer of the stratosphere,
thereby allowing harmful ultraviolet radiation to reach Earth 's surface.
10. The cause of the patient's rapid recovery was the excellent care he received from
his doctor.

€) Work with a partner or in a small group. Discuss the use of each word or
phrase that you circled. What kind of grammatical structure follows each one?
How is the sentence punctuated?

PRACTICE6 Using Cause I Effect Signal Words

Label the sentences in each item as either C (cause) orE (effect). Then
combine the sentences to show a cause I effect relationship using the signal
words in parentheses. Add, delete, or change words as needed.

1. __E_ There are fewer hours of daylight.

_ _C_ In winter, the sun is lower in the sky.

(thus) II) Wil)ter1 the S"Ul) is- lower it) the s-kyj thuS"1 there are fewer hours-

of da li ht

2. Some breeds of dogs have a stronger desire to perform a service than

other breeds.

___ They are more suitable as search-and-rescue animals.

(since) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- -- - -

(continued on next page)

Cause I Effect Essays 127
 3. Seals and other aquatic mammals can see when they are hunting for food
in the dark ocean depths at night.

___ They have very large eyes.

(dueto) - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
4. Metals have many free-moving electrons.

___ Metals are good conductors of heat.

(consequently) - ---------------------------------------------

5. My company began offering employees flexible working hours.

___ Productivity has increased.

____ Absenteeism has declined.

(as a result) _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __

6. The temperature of the reactor cooled down.

____ The Fukushima nuclear reactor was flooded with cool seawater.

(hence) ---------------------------------------------------

7. The earthquake damaged the connection to the power grid.

___ The pumps lost electricity and stopped working.

(because of)

8. Weather around the world changes.

_ _ _ During an El Nino, the jet stream blows in a different pattern.

(therefore) --------------------------------------------------

9. In some areas of the world, heavy rains fall.

_ __ Devastating floods and mudslides happen.

(cause- verb)

128 CHAPTER 6
 10. In other parts of the world thousands of people suffer starvation.

___ Drought happens.

(asaresultof) ---------------------------------------------------

11. There was a dramatic rise in food prices in 2012.

______ The Midwest of the United States suffered the worst drought in more than
60 years.

(the reason for)

/Applying Vocabulary: Using Collocations 1

As you read earlier, collocations are certain words that are commonly found together.
You will hear some collocations used casually in conversation, and you will come
across others frequently in your reading. You will also use collocations in your
academic writing as you become more familiar with them.

PRACTICE 7 Using Collocations

0 Work with a partner. Answer the questions. Use the collocations in

your answers.
1. What are some of the negative consequences of smoking?
2. What are some of the positive aspects of having a job?
3. Have you noticed a growing dependence on video games among teenagers?
4. What are some of the environmental causes of stress in college?
5. Do you think that the tendency to be violent has genetic causes?

0 Write your own sentences using the collocations from the box.

environmental causes negative consequences

genetic causes positive aspects
growing dependence

1. -----------------------------------------------------------------

2. ---------------------------------------------------------------

3. ·-----------------------------------------------------------------

4. -----------------------------------------------------------------

5·----------------------------------------------------~-----
Cause I Effect Essays 129
WRITING ASSIGNMENT

Your assignment for this chapter is to write a cause I effect essay on a topic related to
psychology. Choose one of the topics from the list to write about. You may notice that
you read these topics previously in the Try It Out! on page 124. Use Writing Models 1
and 2 starting on page 117 to help you. To complete the assignment, follow the steps in
the writing process.

TOPICS

• The psychological causes of Internet addiction

• The effect of job loss on mental health
• The psychological effects of violent video games and movies

lillJ Prewrite STEP 1: Prewrite to get ideas.

• Use a prewriting strategy, such as freewriting (Chapter 5),
clustering (Chapter 2), or listing (Chapter nto generate ideas
about your topic.

QOrganize STEP 2: Organize your ideas.

• Look for related points from the prewriting you did in Step 1.
If you find anything that is completely off topic, or repeated,
cross it out.
• Then decide whether you will use chain or block organization,
and re-group your ideas so that they follow the kind of
organization you chose. These groups will become your
body paragraphs.
• Make an outline as you learned to do in Chapter 4. At the start
of the outline, after Roman numeral I, put a. thesis that indicates
a cause I effect essay. For letters A B, and C in section II,
write the sentences that will form the topic sentences of your
body paragraphs.

I Write STEP 3: Write the first draft.

• Using your outline, begin writing your first draft. Remember to
use cause I effect transitions in your body paragraphs.
• Don't worry if you think of new ideas that are not on your list
as you write. You can add or delete ideas later. Just be sure that
your new ideas support your thesis.

FRevise STEP 4: Revise the draft.

• Review the content and organization of your draft. Do not try to
correct errors in format, mechanics (capitalization, punctuation,
and spelling), grammar, and sentence structure at this stage. You
will do this in Step 5.

130 CHAPTER 6
 • Begin by reading over your paragraph to get a general overview.
As you read, check to make sure that
0 your essay has a thesis statement that is appropriate for a

cause I effect essay;

o you have organized the causes and effects clearly;

o you have used appropriate cause I effect transition signals.

• Make notes in the margin about anything you want to improve.

• Ask a classmate to read and give you feedback on your first
draft using the Chapter 6 Peer Review on page 331.
• Discuss your classmate's suggestions and decide which ones
to take.

I Proofread STEP 5: Edit and proofread the draft.

• Make sure that you have identified all of the changes you want
to make in content and organization. Then review your essay for
errors in format, mech anics, grammar, and sentence structure.
Use the Chapter 6 Writer's Self-Check on page 332 to help you.
• When you find an error, make a note on your paper using the
correction symbols from Appendix Don pages 309- 311.

~ Write STEP 6: Write a new draft.

• In your new draft, include the changes you identified in
Steps 4 and 5.
• Proofread your new draft again carefully. Make sure it is neat
and error free.
• Hand in your essay to your teacher.

SELF-ASSESSMENT
In th is chapter, you learned to:
0 Analyze a cause I effect essay
0 Construct a thesis statement for a cause I effect essay
0 Organize a cause I effect essay
0 Use cause I effect transition signals
0 Write, revise, and ed it a cause I effect essay about
psychology

Which ones can you do well? Mark them @

Which ones do you need to practice more? Mark them ®

Cause I Effect Essays 131

 EXPANSION

• TIMED WRITING
In this expansion, you will write an essay in class. As you write, focus on using the
writing process steps that you learned in this chapter. You will have 50 minutes. To
complete the expansion in time, you will need to budget your time accordingly. Follow
this procedure.
• Read the writing prompt (or the prompt your teacher assigns)
carefully. Choose one topic to write about. Make sure you
understand the question or task. You may want to underline the
key words in the prompt. (5 minutes)
• Brainstorm to get ideas, choose a thesis and make a rough outline
II to organize your ideas. (10 minutes)
• Write your essay. Be sure to include an introductory paragraph
with your thesis, body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph.
(25 minutes)
• Check your essay for errors. Correct any mistakes. (10 minutes)
• Give your paper to your teacher.
Prompt: Write a cause I effect essay of five or more paragraphs on one of these topics:
• The causes of obesity
• The effects of involvement in sports on young children
• The causes of stress in college students

WRITING A SUMMARY AND RESPONSE

In this assignment, you will write an essay in which you S!J.mmarize and respond
to an article called "Nice by Nature?" The topic of the article is helpful behavior in
animals. Your response should focus on reasons why you think people help each other.
Remember to include an in-text citation at the end of your summary with the name of
the article's author.

Read the article "Nice by Nature?" on page 281 in Appendix A and answer the
questions. Then following the steps in the writing process, write your summary essay.

132 CHAPTER 6