Useful Tips on Identifying Cause and Effects

Each type of essay requires a particular writing style. It means that students can implement various types of writing when it comes to academic assignments. From compare and contrast papers to cause and effect essays – you need to have a clear understanding of how to write those papers whether you are a college student or professional essay writer.

Cause and effect essays are among the most complicated ones when it comes to selecting a proper writing style. A few students and writers actually understand the structure of the paper. The assignment is often poorly understood. This is why we decided to put an ease on your writing process and deliver some helpful tips out of the box.

What is the cause and effect essay?

The first thing we need to do is to define the term itself. It will make it easier to understand the paper as well as the way it should look like. The paper is about different things that take place in our daily lives and their outcomes. The things are the cause while the outcomes appear to be effects. The main mission is to highlight the skills to provide a strong connection between things and their outcomes. Students are supposed to stress logical links and evidence to those connections.

To make the things clearer, the cause explains why the event takes place. For example, the water boils at 100 degrees. The temperature is the cause while the boiling water is the event. Everything looks pretty simple, doesn’t it? The main problem all students face is to identify the effect and the cause. Once you clearly see the difference, the writing process is no longer a challenge.

The high temperature is the cause resulting in the boiling water. It explains why the event takes place and under what conditions. No other factors will result in the same event. You may discuss possibilities but eventually prove the cause with the one and only statement that is true.

A cause and effect essay may look similar too argumentative paper. The idea is to provide evidence to prove the statement. Make sure you provide enough evidence to establish a strong argumentation of the cause. Having doubts at some point of writing is natural. Never hesitate to ask yourself questions: Why does it happen? What will happen if? It will let you explain the event and the effect.

What structure should a cause and effect essay have?

The writing process should start with a clear outline and proper structure. Both features are the core points of the paper. They will define the general success of the assignment. You should choose a structure according to the subject. It may consist of each separate factor that results in the event. Or you can discuss them in general dividing into steps and stages.

Structure 1 – Several Events, Single Effect

The structure consists of multiple causes that result in a single effect. It should contain core points like introduction and conclusion in addition to 3-4 paragraphs deepening on the number of causes. Each paragraph should describe a particular event.

Structure 2 – Single Event, Several Causes

Vice versa. We have a single event that may result in several effects. The structure is actually the same as the previous one. The only difference is that paragraphs should describe causes, not events.

Structure 3 – Casual Chain or Domino Effect

This particular structure is the best bet whenever you have a single event that results in a single cause. At the same time, the cause is not a final destination of the process, as it may lead to another effect and so on. In other words, we have the domino effect that consists of various paragraphs describing the next stage.

Cause and effect writing tips

Once you have developed a clear outline, you only have to follow each step. The writing process is no longer a challenge. Make sure you strictly follow the plan and provide strong enough evidence and links. Now you have to highlight your acknowledgment of the topics. Make notes and use brainstorming to generate as many ideas as possible. Sort out the strongest ones and describe them in particular paragraph. Start with a powerful introduction that defines the core issues of the paper. End with a conclusion highlighting the key points in a short summary.