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4.5: Organizing the Cause and Effect Essay

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    293718
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    Organizing the Cause and Effect Essay 

    Exercise 3

    Check the sample below and use the following topics to brainstorm causes and effects.

    Topic 1: Losing a job

    Topic 2: Academic dishonesty

    Topic 3: Homelessness in the U.S.

    Topic 4: Stress in college students

    Losing a Job: Causes and Effects
    Causes

     

    Topic: Losing a Job
    Effects
     
    • Poor job performance
    • Dishonesty
    • Inability to be part of a team
     
    • Financial difficulties
    • Mental Health Issues
    • Problems in personal relationships

     

    Causes and Effects Chart: Blank for Practice

    Causes
    Topic: Effects
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    When organizing a cause-effect essay, it is important to know whether you are writing mainly about the causes, the effects, or both.

    The following are three common ways to organize a five-paragraph cause-effect essay. 

    Three Typical Cause and Effect Essay Outlines

    Focus on Effects

    Focus on Causes

    Focus on Both

    Causes & Effects

     

    I.Introduction with main cause or causes

     

    1. First effect

     

    1. Second effect

     

    1. Third effect

     

    1. Conclusion

     

    I.Introduction with main effect or effects

     

    1. First cause

     

    1. Second cause

     

    1. Third cause

     

    1. Conclusion

     

    I. Funnel introduction

     

    1. Major cause

     

    1. First effect

     

    1. Second effect

     

    1. Conclusion

    Attributions:

    Content on this page was adapted from ESL Academic Writing(opens in new window), which was shared under a CC BY (opens in new window)license by Prince George's Community College.

     


    This page titled 4.5: Organizing the Cause and Effect Essay is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Connie Mathews, Elizabeth Stein, and Mary Elizabeth Wilson-Patton.