Writing cause and effect essay

Did you get assigned a cause and effect essay?

Then you must be wondering how to go about it, right?

First things first, let’s understand what cause and effect really means.

Think about how you wake up for school every day. Who wakes you up or should I say what?

You’re most likely to be woken up by the loud alarm that you set on your phone.

Now, “what does that have to do with a cause and effect essay?” you must be wondering.

Well, you waking up by an alarm clock is a cause and effect situation.

In this scenario, the alarm acts as the “cause” and the effect it has is that you wake for school on time without oversleeping.

In a cause and effect relationship, an event which is a cause makes another event occur --- the effect.

High school and college students are often asked to write a cause and effect essay and it is one of the more common types of essays.

Such essays require students to discuss why something took place and the consequences it has had. You can be asked to explain the effect or consequences of an event, decision or an action.

The body usually comprises three paragraphs (Body paragraph I, Body paragraph II, Body paragraph III.) for a cause and effect essay; each of these paragraphs should reflect the main idea of your topic.

If let’s say you’re writing about the causes of obesity then explain a different cause with ease paragraph. If your thesis is about the effect of obesity on teenagers, then dedicate each paragraph to an effect.

After stating your main idea back it up by providing convincing facts and evidence. Also, use transition words to maintain a logical flow of the overall essay.

Use the following methods to prioritize the main ideas:

Chronological: sort them according to the date they took place

Order of significance: sort them by the least to the most important

Categorical: separate them by different groups and categories

Leave the reader with a summary of your cause and effect points and ideas.

Remind them of the connections between different ideas and how they relate with one another.