What is a Cause and Effect Essay?
Essays that explore an event in terms of the relationship between factors that set the ball rolling (causes) and the eventual results (effects) are called cause and effect essays. They answer the “how” and “why” questions that can swirl around when understanding a particular phenomenon or event, and can also be referred to as reason and result essays. Often, they are also classified as argumentative essays, since demonstrating the relation between two factors (as cause and effect) can be a convenient way of making a point and persuading readers to accept the writer’s argument.
Research must be extensive and intensive before and after the writer frames their thesis statement. This is a necessity as, sometimes, seemingly obvious relationships between perceived causes and their effects do not hold up to stronger scrutiny. Oftentimes, the chronological order of the occurrence of certain events also does not determine causality. For instance, the arrival of a door-to-door salesman coinciding with the timer on the oven going off does not establish a logical cause-effect relationship between the two events. Thus, in-depth research and a good understanding of the chain of events is essential before one begins writing a cause and effect essay.
Having determined the chain of causality, depending on how complex it is, the essay can be structured using one of two methods: block or chain.
General Format of Cause and Effect Essays
1. Introduction
As a general rule, the introduction of the essay is covered in a single paragraph. While writing it, a creative hook could be used in the first sentences to capture the reader’s attention and entice them to read further. After this, the background information needed for context is furnished. This is usually a succinct description of the event that will be taken apart and explored through the rest of the essay. The paragraph is brought to an end with the thesis statement.
Thesis statement: A key element of the essay, the thesis statement concisely presents the primary cause and effect relationship that will be studied. The thesis could also indicate a link between a single cause and multiple effects or vice versa. It should be formulated in the early stages of the writing process as it determines the direction of the research as well as the body of the essay.
2. Body
The body of the essay is dedicated to substantiating and supporting the thesis statement. The case for it is made through logical reasoning and appropriate factual evidence.
The body is divided into paragraphs, each of which begins with a topic sentence that announces the subject of the paragraph. It is vital that the right transitions are used when shifting from one paragraph to another to ensure a correct understanding of the relation between the causes and effects. For the same reason, it is crucial that the writer maintain verb tense consistency. Such mistakes could ruin the essay, making it incoherent and/or self-contradictory.
3. Conclusion
Appearing after the body, the final paragraph is used to recall and reinforce the thesis. No new points or angles can be introduced here. With a compact summary, the conclusion leaves the reader with a clear understanding of the cause and effect relationship that has been discussed and established.
The Block Method of Structuring Cause and Effect Essays
Essays using the block method tend to be shorter as the format is used when the cause-effect relationship is more or less straightforward. There is a direct and very evident correlation between the two.
The block method is also employed when there is a single cause that has resulted in several effects, or when the opposite is true – one effect has been precipitated by multiple causes.
Outline
- Introduction:
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- The event being discussed is briefly introduced, providing the essay with required context.
- The thesis statement presents the primary cause and effect relationship believed to have resulted in the current situation.
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- Body:
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- The causes and effects are grouped into separate blocks.
- Each block can contain one or more paragraphs.
- Topic sentences set up each paragraph.
- The cause block does not necessarily have to appear first. The writer can choose the order that serves their purposes best.
- The transition word/phrase/sentence/paragraph is placed between the two blocks.
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- Conclusion:
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- The essay is brought to an end with a quick summary that reinforces the thesis.
- A comment on the essay’s discussion can be included.
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Example
The following example essay examining the causes and effects of the popularity of fast food uses the block method. It also demonstrates the use of cause and effect essays as argumentative ones.
- Introduction:
The writer begins by showing the reader fast food’s popularity with a couple of sentences.
“Fast food has become ubiquitous to dining tables across the country. There are options in this category for every meal of the day, and people seem to be grateful for it. The convenience and low pricing have boosted fast food’s popularity. But the effects of these eating habits are also making themselves known in the country’s population in the form of complications and poorer health.”
The last two sentences of the paragraph, indicating the causes of widespread fast food consumption and then its effects, comprise the thesis statement, bringing the introduction to an end.
- Body:
The cause block has been placed first in this essay and encompasses three paragraphs. The paragraphs discuss one cause each, which is announced in their first/topic sentences.
“One of the top reasons for the heavy consumption of fast food is the hectic and busy life that a large percent of modern families live. People usually do not have time to cook at home, and as a result, they prefer to eat at restaurants or cafés. Besides this, as the name suggests, fast food saves time, which is of the essence. Service is quick, with several chains such as McDonalds, Burger King, and Taco Bell having drive-throughs that allow people to get their food without even having to step out of their cars.
Equally important is the economy. One of the primary reasons people frequent fast food establishments is the price. Finding inexpensive places to eat at when the family gets together is important to many, and several such restaurants offer substantial portions for relatively low prices.
Besides ease and reasonable pricing, the popularity of fast food is bolstered by its taste. Salty, savoury, and spicy, fast food hits the right spot for many consumers. And they get to experience it without having to spend money and effort on cooking it up themselves, an endeavor that could potentially fail. However, this deliciousness is the result of copious amounts of salt, fat, and sugar. And therein lies the risk factor that fast food carries.”
The effect block is placed next and comprises one paragraph. The transition to it, though, had begun in the final paragraph of the cause block. The use of “however” and “therein” in the last sentences of the paragraph informs the reader that the essay is now moving on to the effects of fast food, away from their advantages, i.e. the reasons that many flock to it. These words allow a seamless shift to the subject of the next block, discussing the health effects of fast food.
“The fat-, carb-, and salt-heavy ingredient list in these foods puts consumers at a high risk for developing serious health conditions. The incidences of heart diseases and obesity, in particular, have shot up considerably in recent years. A study in Annals of Internal Medicine indicates that more than 70% of men and over 60% of women are overweight because of regular and frequent consumption of fast food. In children, the problem is more acute. Issues such as high cholesterol, obesity, cardiovascular complications, and diabetes begin to appear very early, and persist throughout their lives.”
- Conclusion:
The conclusion exhorts the reader to eat better while recalling and incorporating the cause and effect thesis into the message.
“Anthelme Brillat-Savarin once wrote, “Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are.” We should pay attention to what we eat. What we put in our bodies has a tremendous impact on how we look and feel, and in a lot of ways, the quality of our future lives. Fast food may seem to many to be a blessing with the varied advantages it offers. But eating it places a heavy toll on health. Addressing the fast-paced, busy routines enforced by modern living is the first step toward tackling the national deterioration of health.”
The Chain Method of Structuring Cause and Effect Essays
In the chain method, the causes and their effects are discussed together, in the same or consecutive paragraphs. This arrangement is useful for more complex cause and effect relationships, such as when the thesis draws a connection between two events or factors that are not immediately related. The immediate effect of the mentioned cause itself becomes a causal factor for another effect. This “causal chain” continues until the final effect is reached.
Outline
- Introduction:
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- The event being discussed is briefly introduced, providing the essay with required context.
- The thesis statement presents the primary cause and effect relationship believed to have resulted in the current situation.
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- Body:
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- Each paragraph is set up by a topic sentence.
- The primary cause and its immediate effect are discussed.
- The next cause and its effect are examined next. If the immediate effect has a further impact, it becomes a cause or reason itself. It will then be discussed in this new light along with the second degree effect.
- This manner of structuring continues.
- The content of each paragraph is not as rigidly segregated as in the block method. Depending on the nature of the relations between them, each paragraph could look at either just the cause or just the effect, or it could cover both.
- However, if there is a causal chain, a cause, its immediate effect, and then the secondary effect cannot all be considered in one paragraph.
- Using the right transitions becomes even more important when a longer and more complicated chain needs to be contrived. They are used throughout the essay’s body, between, and within paragraphs.
- Sentence construction too assumes a greater significance, especially when the paragraph is jointly discussing a cause and effect pair.
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- Conclusion:
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- The essay is brought to an end with a quick summary that reinforces the thesis.
- A comment on the essay’s discussion can be included.
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Example
The following essay inspects the causes and effects of procrastination using the chain method.
- Introduction:
The writer has begun with a thought that many readers are likely to relate to, and this acts as a hook and keeps them reading. The topic of procrastination is then briefly introduced, and the paragraph ends with the thesis statement, which informs the reader that the essay is going to attempt to answer the questions of “why we procrastinate” and “how it affects us.”
““I’ll stop procrastinating…tomorrow.” This is a mindset that is possessed by a majority of students today. Although putting off writing that paper until the night before it is due may not seem like a big deal, it has many harmful effects. Very few are spared from the epidemic known as procrastination, and even less are able to get the better of it. Understanding the circular reasons behind why we procrastinate, and their effects, can go a long way in helping us overcome it.”
- Body:
The first body paragraph brings up two mistaken beliefs that fuel procrastination and the actual impact that they have.
“A common cause of procrastination is underestimating the amount of time needed to complete the task at hand. Students often allow themselves to get distracted believing that they will have ample time later on to finish their work, when in actuality, the assumption is a false one. An interrelated belief is that delaying will boost their motivation. Unfortunately, the towering stack of work at the last minute is likely to have the exact opposite effect.”
The second body paragraph digs further into the beliefs/causes from the first paragraph, and examines the manner in which disorganization feeds into itself.
“A root as well as a consequence of both of these beliefs is inadequate organization. Being unorganized is a very slippery slope. It makes staying on task difficult. Disorganization can lead to too many things piling up, leaving the student too much to do in too little time. Delaying just once can push a person into the vicious cycle of putting off tasks in order to complete those that had previously been put off. It breeds further disorganization, and this snowballing makes it very difficult to stay on track.”
The third and fourth body paragraphs deal with two more cause and effect pairs. The causes are announced in the topic sentences, followed by a look at how each leads to procrastination.
“Another factor that causes procrastination is fear. Fear is a very powerful emotion. Whenever someone is faced with a difficult task, the fear of not being able to complete it can defeat them. People who succumb to this are setting themselves up for failure. Whenever someone feels as if they are going to fail, they tend to postpone the task for as long as possible. This means that they often try to avoid the task all together until its completion is absolutely necessary. In doing so, the number of tasks that need to be done increases. However, the time required to complete them does not.”
“Chasing perfectionism can also lead to procrastination. This is because a person is setting a potentially unreachable goal. And whenever these goals are not met, they become a tremendous source of discouragement. This, in turn, will result in lower productivity, and from there is a descent into a downward spiral. Students’ focus should be on writing the best paper according to their personal abilities. At the same time, no one should be satisfied with less than what can be achieved.”
- Conclusion:
The final paragraph wraps up the essay. It recalls a key point from the essay, as well as the thesis, augmenting it with a forward-looking recommendation to deal with procrastination.
“It is clear that the cycle of procrastination is a very vicious one. However, examining what its causes are and their specific effects helps one recognize the areas that need to be worked on and the beneficial habits that should be developed to counter this harmful practice. Although easier said than done, it will certainly prevent a stressful time crunch the night before a paper is due. Benjamin Franklin definitely had the right idea when he said, “You may delay, but time will not.””
