A cause-and-effect essay is an argumentative essay that seeks to determine a cause and effect between two or more things. It identifies a problem and analyses it to determine the cause of that happening or occurrence. In cause-and-effect essays, authors attempt to identify and demonstrate how a particular instance, phenomenon, person, idea, or belief directly impacts another thing or instance. These essays are argumentative and require sufficient evidence and reasoning. This article will tell you how to write a cause-and-effect essay.
What is a cause-and-effect essay?
A cause-and-effect essay is an academic essay that seeks to trace the origin of natural or societal phenomena. It entails collecting reliable evidence on the issue and evaluating it to formulate logical claims about it. Students must apply critical thinking skills to write a cause-and-effect essay and build logical arguments that amply justify the causation. The essay relies on credible evidence and concrete facts to develop an account of causation. The tone of the writer is impartial and formal. Avoid using first-person pronouns or phrases such as “In my opinion” because it is not an opinion essay. It requires presenting the case objectively and making a thorough assessment to determine the cause and effect between two or more things.
How to write a cause-and-effect essay?
Here are the steps for writing cause-and-effect essays:
Brainstorming
An excellent cause-and-effect topic can be constructed by examining the surroundings and making assumptions about potential causes for what you observe. Think about the evolution of ideas, historical and intellectual movements, or natural events. Another option is to compose a cause-and-effect essay about a piece of literature that emphasises the connections between the protagonists, surroundings, and occurrences.
Therefore, brainstorming is the most crucial activity, and you must spend significant time thinking over the issues surrounding you and jot down whatever idea comes to your mind. It will help you identify to identify your topic. It is important to narrow down the scope of your topic and keep it confined to a singular cause and effect; alternatively, you can trace the multiple effects caused by one factor. But it is important to keep a limited scope since the essay attempts to revolve around one core issue and develops and expands the main idea in the later sections.
Formulate a Thesis Statement
The next step is to develop a strong thesis statement. A thesis statement is a strong, logical, and coherent statement that defines the key idea of the essay. The entire essay revolves around the thesis statement; therefore, it must be a whole idea that captures the essence of the entire essay. Ensure that you include all the relevant key points in the thesis statement because, in the main body, you must avoid introducing an idea that was not already included in the thesis statement. Introducing an idea abruptly in the main body disrupts the flow of writing. Therefore, you must formulate a strong thesis statement in the beginning. A thesis statement for a cause-and-effect essay focuses on a single instance of cause and effect or alternatively can chart out the cause of multiple effects. Similarly, you can also trace the multiple causes of a particular phenomenon. For example:
- What are the effects of refrigerator gases on the climate? (Multiple effects; one cause)
- What are the causes of global warming? (Multiple causes; one effect)
Turn key points into topic sentences
Once you formulate the thesis statement, the next step is highlighting the key points that are directly relevant to your topic. The key points help you support the thesis statement and expand upon the main idea. These key points must be transformed into topic sentences. Each paragraph starts with a topic sentence and supports the main thesis by elaborating on the subject matter and highlighting the variations.
However, it is important to stick to one idea per paragraph, and each body paragraph must be structured around the key ideas or main points. The structure of paragraphs must be tailored in a logical order. Ideas should be arranged consistently, and each idea should be a natural extension of the previous idea. You must build connections between the ideas using connectives and transitions. It is imperative to use evidence skillfully to substantiate your claims.
Write the Introduction
Once you create a proper outline, writing the introduction section is next. The introduction section must start with a hook that can capture the reader’s attention. It can be an intriguing fact or a rhetorical question that brings the reader’s attention to the seriousness of the issue. Then, you can proceed to highlight the pressing need to discuss the issue and trace the causes or effects of a particular phenomenon in cause-and-effect essays.
Historical background is brief in such essays where you can allude to certain past occurrences and just provide enough information for the reader to understand the significance of the essay. Use transition words to shift toward the thesis statement, usually written at the end of the introduction. It is important to remember that the entire essay is a natural and logical extension of the ideas discussed at the preliminary stage. Therefore, it is imperative to pinpoint the key ideas in the beginning that you will be discussing in the later stages. You must stick to the outline and write consistently.
Main Body
Main body of a cause-and-effect essay must be structured around the key points delineated in the outline. The main body seeks to identify the causes and effects of a particular phenomenon by analysisng the data and connecting linkages between the ideas. It is imperative to maintain clarity and logical thinking in the main body for the ideas to develop naturally. You must shed light on the key aspects, and the evidence must be concrete and reliable. The main body must not detract from the key assertions stated in the thesis statement and must stick to the outline. Maintaining consistency between ideas in cause-and-effect essays requires precision and advanced writing skills. If you cannot write a cause-and-effect essay by yourself, you can always take help from expert writers at essay writing services.
Conclusion
Write a conclusion that flows logically from the main body discussion. In the conclusion section of the cause-and-effect essay, the authors reiterate the thesis statement briefly and highlight the significance of the essay. The author derives inferences based on the discussion and evidence presented in the main body and concludes the essay with a thought-provoking remark.
Final Remarks
A cause-and-effect essay is a logical and argumentative essay that builds a case for identifying the causes and effects of various natural and societal events. These essays rely on statistics, facts, and critical reasoning to develop a solid case.
