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8/3/2019 Cause and Effective Writing
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Cause and Effect WritingEnglish for Communication II
Mrs. Nurul Izzah
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Cause and Effect analyzeswhy something happens.
Some effects are caused
by multiple causes.
Some causes, in turn, can
result in multiple effects.
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Main cause: the most important cause
Contributory Causes: less important
Immediate Cause: closely precedes the
effect.
Remote cause: less obvious because it
involves something in the past or far away.
Causal Chain: an effect can be the
cause to another effect, on so on.
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Avoiding Post Hoc Reasoning:
Do not assume that just because even A
precedes event B, event A caused evenB. This illogical assumption is called post
hoc reasoning. This error leads you to
confuse coincidence with causality.
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Do not confuse words like because,
therefore and consequently (indicating a
causal relationshi p), with words likesubsequently, later, and afterward
(chronological relationshi p words )
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Exercise: Global Warming
1) Listen to the following report, originally
presented on NPR¶s news program,
³Morning Edition´ on February 17, 2006.2) as you listen, answer the questions as
they appear on the screen.
3) Afterwards, we will brainstorm the
possible chain of cause and effect
contributing to this issue.
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NOTE TAKING WORKSHEET
Study: Greenland Ice Sheet Melting Faster Than Thought
February 17, 2006 from National Public Radio¶s Morning Edition
1. Why are researchers interested in Greenland¶sicecap?
2. What are two opposing processes mentionedby Rignot that might either cause the icecap tomelt, or to replenish it? What is actuallyhappening?
3. According to Harris, how fast is Greenland nowlosing ice? What is the effect?
4. According to Rignot, what was the previoustime scale for the loss of ice from Greenland?What is it now?
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NOTE TAKING WORKSHEET
Study: Greenland Ice Sheet Melting Faster Than Thought
February 17, 2006 from National Public Radio¶s Morning Edition
5. According to Konrad Steffan, what process iscausing the acceleration of the loss of Greenland ice? Describe it. How fast is the
glacier moving now?6. According to Steffan, what are the effects of
this rapid melting? What problems might theseeffects, in turn, cause?
7. According to Steffan, are these processes fullyunderstood? Does he feel that the data iscertain?
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Main cause: the most
important cause
Contributory Causes:
less important
Immediate Cause:
closely precedes the
effect.Remote cause: less
obvious because it
involves something in
the past or far away.Causal Chain: an
effect can be the
cause to another
effect, on so on.
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Planning a Cause and Effect Essay
Planning a Cause and Effect Essay
Purpose and Thesis:
Be sure to identify the relationships among the specific
causes and effect you will discuss.
Thesis statement should tell the reader The points you plan to consider
The position you will take
Whether you will emphasize causes, effects, or both.
The cause and/or effect you consider most important.The order in which you will treat your points.
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Planning a Cause and Effect Essay
Order and sequence; several possibilities
include:Chronological
Main cause first, and then contributory causes
Contributory causes first, and then main cause.
Negative effects first, then positive
First dismiss events that are not causes, and
then discuss actual causes for an effect.
Most obvious causes first, and then lessobvious causes.
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Planning a Cause and Effect Essay
Transitions!
Transitions are essential to this type of
essay to distinguish causes from effects.
For a useful list of cause and effecttransitions, see page 43.
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Structuring a Cause and Effect Essay
Finding CausesLess important cause > effect> most important cause
Describing or Predicting EffectsCause > first effect> second effect > third (most
important) effect> conclusion (with possible
prediction of additional effects).
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Revising a Cause and Effect Essay
See checklist on page 312
Editing a Cause and Effect Essay
Avoid redundant phrases like ³the reason is because´
examples p 313
Use Affect and Effect correctly. Examples p 313
Editing checklist on page 314
