Cause and Effect Paragraph

Checklist

The Process of Writing a Cause and Effect Paragraph

Refer to this checklist of steps as you write a cause and effect paragraph.

	1.	Narrow the topic to fit your audience and purpose. Think of a subject that can be analyzed for clear causes or effects.
	2.	Decide whether you will emphasize causes or effects. What information would be most interesting to your audience?
	3.	Compose a topic sentence that states the subject and indicates whether causes or effects will be discussed.
	4.	Now freewrite, brainstorm, or cluster to find at least three possible causes or effects. Do your mental detective work. At this stage, think of all possible causes; think of short- and long-term effects, as well as positive and negative effects.
	5.	Select the best causes or effects with which to develop your paragraph. Drop those that are not relevant.
	6.	Make a plan or an outline for your paragraph, numbering the causes or effects in the order in which you will present them.
	7.	Write a first draft of your cause and effect paragraph, explaining each point fully so that your reader understands just how X caused Y. Use transitional expressions to emphasize these relationships.
	8.	Revise as necessary, checking for good support, unity, logic, and coherence. Does your paragraph have an interesting opening sentence?
	9.	Proofread for errors in grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, spelling, and mechanics. Especially watch for your personal error patterns.

Suggested Topics for Cause and Effect Paragraphs

1. Reasons why someone made an important decision

2. Causes of a politician’s victory or defeat at the polls

3. Reasons why people want to start their own business

4. Causes of a marriage or divorce (friendship or end of friendship)

5. Reasons why a book, motion picture, video, commercial, or artistic performance created controversy

6. Causes of an act of courage or cowardice

7. Causes or effects of membership in a group (choir, band, sports team, church, or gang)

8. Effects of high blood pressure, alcoholism, diabetes, or some other illness

9. Effects of a certain event (like the death of a loved one, a medical diagnosis, or a move to a new place)

10. Effects of divorce on children

11. Effects of living in a particular place (such as a repressive country or home or a place that is rural, urban, poor, rich, ethnically diverse)

12. Effects (positive or negative) of working while going to college

13. Effects of conspiracy theories

14. Effects of social media, smartphones, or other technology on a person’s life

15.

www2.elc.polyu.edu.hk/cill/exercises/cause&effect.htm

Review of vocabulary and grammar needed to describe causes and effects