In-Class Cause and Effect Essay
In their textbook, How to Write Anything, John J. Ruszkiewicz & Jay Dolmage say: "We all do causal analyses daily. Someone asks, 'Why?' We reply, 'Because . . .' and then offer reasons and explanations" (140). Without even planning it that way, you may be writing a cause and effect essay for your research paper. For example, Whitnee writes about the effects of children eating regularly at fast-food restaurants. And Annette researches health problems resulting from children's obsession with technology. C. J., on the other hand, explores the effects of using instant replay in televised baseball games.
While these topics all happen to concentrate on effects, this genre of essay may actually be formatted in two ways, depending on whether you want to focus on the causes or on the effects of a certain phenomenon.
Causes to Explain a Phenomenon
Introduction leading to a causal claim First cause explored + reasons/evidence Next cause explored + reasons/evidence Best cause explored + reasons/evidence Conclusion |
Effects of Action, Event, Policy, Change
Introduction focusing on change or cause First effect proposed + reasons Other effect/s proposed + reasons Assessment and conclusion |