Cause-Effect Essay

Cause and Effect Essay is Due ________________. It is to meet the following criteria:

1. 2-3 pages in length; not including the Works Cited page

2. Follow MLA formatting and provide both in-text citing and a Works Cited page. Refer to the printed MLA Mini-Manual for help or any of the online sources on the handout for using sources.

3. Use a minimum of two outside sources for support – refer to source handout for help. Be very careful to use reputable sources as outlined in the handout.

4. A clean, printed, hard copy is to be turned in to the professor in class.

5. A clear thesis statement is required – for help with thesis statements refer to the handout on creating them.

6. NEVER use Wikipedia – self policed websites cannot be counted on for truthful and credible information.

7. The essays are due on the assigned day (on the syllabus) and will be docked one letter grade per day that they are late. That means EVERY day, not just class days.

Purpose: When writing causal analysis the purpose could be to inform the reader, persuade the reader, or can take a speculative approach.

Ex: Inform – Although anger is the cause of a person hitting another in a heated argument, a deeper reason may be the childhood experience with his or her parents of that person with regard to how to manage anger.

Ex: Persuade – The failure of No Child Left Behind has left the United States with a need to reform the way that children are taught in the future.

Ex: Speculative – There is much disagreement about the way that intelligence is measured in the school system. Are students as smart as they can show on a test or is there more that needs to be evaluated?

When taking the purpose into account, it is imperative that the purpose be kept in mind so that the essay stays focused on the stated thesis.

Audience: If the essay if meant to inform for general readers, some helpful sources should include facts, statistics, and expert opinion. If the essay is meant to persuade then the focus may shift toward a more emotional tone that ignites the reader’s feelings and wish for change. If the approach is speculative the focus can show how the current system works and suggest ways that might change the direction of the current trend. As always, the audience for college essays should be inclusionary and be for all to read and written at an adult level.

Be careful to think rigorously about causes and effects when writing this type of essay.

Causes: What happened? What are the possible reasons? Which are most likely? Who was involved? Why?

Effects: What happened? Who was involved? What were the observable results? What are some of the possible future consequences? Which are negative? Which are positive?

Organization and Development: The two most often used patterns of development for Cause-Effect essays are chronological or emphatic. If you choose chronological be sure to discuss the causes and effects in the order that they occur or will occur. If you choose emphatic order be sure to reserve the most critical of the points that you will make for the end so that they go from least to most important. Refer to the chapter on Cause and Effect essays if you need further explanation.

Criteria for Evaluation: 100 points

30 points: Development

1. Has clear introduction and thesis statement.

2. Follows clear organizational pattern

3. Has appropriate title in the correct placement

4. Type of audience is considered

5. Tone is appropriate for the topic

6. Topic is supported fully

7. Has clear transitions from point and paragraph to point and paragraph

8. Style of conclusion is both suited to the topic and logical without adding new information

9. Stays on topic and does not veer off in unnecessary directions

35 points: Grammar

1. Has no comma splices

2. Has no run-ons or fragments

3. Uses correct pronoun agreement

4. Uses varied sentence structure

5. Spelling is carefully checked

6. Word choice is clear and appropriate

7. There is no faulty subject or verb agreement

8. All sentences are parallel

9. Commas and apostrophes are used correctly

10. Underlining, italics, capital letters, etc. are correct

35 points: Proper Use of MLA

1. Spacing is correct; without extra spaces used unnecessarily (2.0)

2. Proper information is listed at the top and left (Name, Class, Assignment Type/#, Date)

3. Name and page #’s are at the top right ½ inch from the top

4. In-text citations are correct and in the right place

5. Is the correct length with the correct number of sources

6. The Works Cited page has the proper format and correct heading

7. Information is properly credited to sources

8. Has proper margins and fonts