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EXAMPLES Are designated bicycle lanes really safer cyclists? Is autism caused by childhood vaccines? Is fast food making Americans fat? Do charter schools improve students’ academic performance? Does profiling decrease the likelihood of a terrorist attack?
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CHAPTER 13: CAUSAL ARGUMENTSENG 101: Writing Ifrom Practical Argument
WHAT IS A CAUSAL ARGUMENT?
Causal arguments attempt to find causes or identify possible effects Identifies the causes of an event or situation
and takes a stand on what actually caused it Focuses on effects, taking a position on what a
likely outcome is, has been, or will be In an essay you:
Search for the causes of an event or situation Examine a number of different possible causes
before concluding that a particular cause was the most likely one
Consider the possible outcomes or results of a given event or situation Conclude that one possible effect would most
likely occur
EXAMPLES Are designated bicycle lanes really
safer cyclists? Is autism caused by childhood
vaccines? Is fast food making Americans fat? Do charter schools improve students’
academic performance? Does profiling decrease the likelihood
of a terrorist attack?
VISUAL ARGUMENTS
UNDERSTANDING CAUSE-AND-EFFECT RELATIONSHIPS
Cause and effect relationships can be very complex A single event or situation can have
many possible results Not all results are equally significant
An event or situation may have more than one cause Identifying cause(s) may be difficult
MAIN AND CONTRIBUTORY CAUSES
In a causal argument, you focus on: Identifying what you believe is the
most important cause Presenting arguments that convince
readers why it is the most important cause
Showing why other causes are not as important
Identifying factors, if necessary, that are not causes and explaining why
MAIN AND CONTRIBUTORY CAUSES
CONTINUED The most important cause is the main
cause May be difficult to identify May not be the most obvious cause
The less important causes are the contributory causes
Identifying the main cause is important because you will use it to structure and support your argument
IMMEDIATE AND REMOTE CAUSES
The immediate cause is the most obvious cause because it occurs right before an event May not be the main cause
Remote causes are factors that occurred further in the past but May have had a greater impact
CAUSAL CHAINS A causal chain is a sequence of
events in which one event causes the next, which in turn causes the next, and so on
CAUSAL CHAINS CONTINUEDWhen you write a causal argument, you can organize your essay as a causal chain
Example: Childhood Obesity Epidemic Thesis: US Elementary Schools are at fault for causing American
children to fail to see the importance of a healthy lifestyle Elementary schools do not stress the importance of exercise and
nutrition in gym and health classes As a result, children do not understand the importance of regular
physical activity and eating right With little incentive to learn the essentials of a healthy lifestyle,
children establish bad habits such as playing video games and snacking on junk food
As a result, American children are more likely to be overweight or obese
Concluding Statement: Because the habits of a healthy lifestyle are established early, US elementary schools should to take responsibility for encouraging children to eat right and exercise
KEY WORDS FOR A CAUSAL ARGUMENT
When you write causal arguments, choose verbs that indicate causal connections Bring about Create Lead to Encourage Influence Contribute to Originate in Cause
Use transitional words to help readers follow your argument Consequently As a result
Repeat key words to help identify individual causes and effects Cause Effect Outcome Result
POST HOC REASONING Post Hoc Reasoning is the incorrect
assumption that because an event precedes another event, it has caused the event
As you develop your causal argument, be careful not to assume that every event that somehow precedes another event has somehow caused it
STRUCTURING A CAUSAL ARGUMENT Introduction
Establishes a context for the argument by explaining the need to examine causes or consider effects
States the essay’s thesis Evidence (first point in support of the thesis)
Discusses less important causes or effects Evidence (second point in support of the thesis)
Discuss more important causes or effects Evidence (third point in support of the thesis)
Discusses major causes or effects Refutation of opposing arguments
Considers and rejects other possible causes or effects
Conclusion Reinforces the argument’s main point (thesis) Includes a strong concluding statement