Cause /Effect essay



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Cause /Effect essay

A cause/effect essay is an explanation of why something happened or why something is happening and/or the results of this event. Some essays focus on causes, others on effects; many discuss both. At this level, you should focus on either causes or effects in detail, but not both in equal measure.


It is important to give careful thought to the planning stage of this essay. Before beginning the composition, list the various causes or effects that occur to you, consider the probability of each one, and decide on the most likely explanation or explanations. When you are not positive that your explanation is accurate, you should use terms like "maybe", "possibly", or "probably".
This type of essay is very common in college classes and in magazine articles. Scientific writers use it to explain complex relationships. Sociologists, political scientists, and environmental scientists often use this form to explore problems. A problem-solution essay or article can become the background for more writing about the solution to the problem. However, the focus of cause-effect writing is the relationship between cause and effect. If you offer a solution, do so in the Conclusion.
Writing the essay
1. Choose a limited or narrow topic and use your personal knowledge or experience; for example:
"The effect of barking dogs in the neighborhood"

NOT "The causes of world overpopulation"


2. Think of at least three causes and/or effects for your topic.
3. Before beginning the composition, list the various causes or effects that occur to you, consider the probability of each one, and decide on the most likely explanation or explanations. When you are not positive that your explanation is accurate, you should use terms like "maybe", "possibly", or "probably".
4. Put the least important cause or effect first and the most important last.
5. Think of interesting details and examples you can give for each cause and/or effect.
6. Write a thesis statement that shows your topic and your emphasis (causes or effects).
7. Make sure you have a topic sentence for each of the body paragraphs.
8. Write an outline that sketches out your main ideas, topic sentences, and the thesis statement.
9. Think of an interesting introduction for your essay. Use an anecdote, some interesting facts or a personal experience as a “hook” to get the reader
interested in the topic.

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10. Think of a suitable conclusion. Your conclusion could summarize the ideas in


your essay, make a prediction, state your opinion, etc.
11. Make sure that your body paragraphs are well-developed.

12. Use simple present tense for facts (what is still true) and past tense for examples of experiences and things that are no longer true. Use present perfect for changes that began in the past and are still happening. The passive voice is often used in cause/effect essays because the agent may not be known.


13. Use some of the following transition words, conjunctions, prepositions and subordinating words in your essay. Make sure that you use correct punctuation.
therefore because so

consequently since for

as a result now that as long as

thus as due to

because of so . . . that


Organization
Your essay should be structured as follows:




Introduction: Anecdote or definition of topic;

brief summary of causes if you are writing an effect

essay, or effects if you are writing a cause essay;

thesis statement showing whether you are addressing

causes or effects.
Body: Listing of various causes or effects. Select the most

important ones. Use a topic sentence for each paragraph. Support each general statement with details and examples.


Conclusion: Short paragraph suggesting a possible solution or prediction.

Suggested Topics:

Causes/effects of a particular business trend, e.g. foreign investment

Causes/effects of a particular societal change, e.g. career women in your culture

Reasons for choosing a particular career

Causes/effects of misunderstandings between people of different cultures

Causes/effects of a problem in your native country, e.g. official corruption

Causes (or effects) of an important decision you have made in your life
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Some advice:

Please do not try to write about broad social problems or medical problems unless you have some expertise in the field. You will not be able to write an essay about "The Effects of Smoking," for example, and make it specific, interesting, and original unless you have already done some in-depth study of the subject. Topics to avoid are the following:


divorce the homeless drinking and driving

smoking violent crime in America alcoholism

T.V. violence teenage pregnancy the budget deficit
Some examples topics for this assignment:
The household recycling program in Korea (effects)
Wearing a chador in Iran (effects)
The usefulness of a personal digital assistant (PDA) (effects)
Doing tai chi (effects)
A child’s bedwetting problem (causes)
The Internet and travel agencies (effects)
Anxiety about in-class writing tests (causes)
Family pressure to get into a good college in Iran (causes)
Divorce because of friction between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in

Korea (causes)


High infection rate of hospital patients in Vietnam (causes)
Difficulties of parents of Korean teens in the U.S. (causes)
The secrets of longevity in Okinawa (causes)
Pleasure in playing a musical instrument (effects)
Life as a Palestinian refugee (effects)
Migration from the rural areas to the capital city of Niger, Niamey (effects)
Problems with being a landlord (causes)
Bullying among school children in Japan (causes)
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Focus-on-Cause essay
An Incomplete Education
     In the Philippines, we value education very much and sending children to college is an important consideration. Parents prioritize their children's education even to their last penny. We believe that knowledge is wealth and parents are very happy to give it to their kids. The new millennium has presented a lot of challenges to all youths. The workplace is becoming sophisticated and digitized. A college education is even more necessary for a high salary job. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, many Filipino college students do not successfully complete their college degree.

     The most obvious reason for dropping out of college is lack of finances. I finished my bachelor's degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management three years ago at the Lyceum of the Philippines. Without a partial scholarship that I received from the local government, I would have been forced to quit my studies due to limited finances. I would have needed to work to earn money like most of my friends. My friend Grace attended college on and off for seven years because she couldn't afford to pay the school expenses. Last year, she got a job and decided to discontinue her studies. She found it very difficult to study and work at the same time.

     Some students choose to drop out because they want quick and easy money. For example, my former classmate in college, Marilyn, got a job as a bartender in a prestigious five star hotel in Manila just after entering college. After finishing just one semester, she decided to quit her studies. Probably, she still preferred the life she had before and her priority was to work and earn money rather than study in poverty.

     Another factor which causes female students to drop out of college is pregnancy. First comes the often difficult period of pregnancy, which is followed by the full time demands of motherhood. One very good example was our valedictorian in high school, Jacqueline, who got pregnant during her first year in college. She was taking a physical therapy course and dropped out of college because she had a difficult pregnancy.

     Finally, many students lack direction in their studies and frequently change their majors. My brother David had a former classmate in college, Eric, who was taking Aviation Maintenance at PATTS college. He failed three subjects in his first year. That caused him much discouragement, so instead of continuing Aviation, he decided to take computer courses.

     Whether we choose to stay in school or to drop out is ultimately our own decision. It can have a lot to do with the future quality of our lives. Completing an education is one of life's greatest achievements.


Ruth Zingeser

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Focus-on-Effect essay


Domestic Terror Strikes Hard
There have been countless historically atrocious crimes. For example, World War І and ІІ involved many countries and many terrible events which occurred during these two wars. In recent years, the September 11th, 2001 attacks in New York City, organized by Islamic terrorists, still live in our memories. These affairs were conflicts among countries and ideologies. However, in 1995, a sarin gas attack by the Japanese cult, Aum Shinrikyo, became the most shocking terrorist act inside Japan. Around 8:00 a.m. on March 20th, 1995, ten believers of Aum Shinrikyo each released a total of one liter of liquid sarin, a poisonous gas used as an agrichemical, which was contained in plastic bags. The believers punctured the bags with the sharp points of their umbrellas in five subway trains in the center of Tokyo. Many passengers collapsed in the trains one after another, after which the trains were stopped, and the passengers became panicky at the stations. The subway sarin incident caused many deaths and injuries, made criminals of the believers, and created confusion in Japan.

One result was that a lot of people were hurt by the subway sarin incident. During the peak hours of traffic, one passenger of the Marunouchi Line, one passenger of the Hibiya Line and four passengers of another Hibiya Line died because they could not breathe. A single drop of sarin could kill an adult, and many innocent citizens were exposed to ten liters of sarin. Unfortunately, large numbers of subway users and many station employees and medical staff who tried to help the passengers became victims because they did not have much knowledge about the toxicity of sarin and the appropriate treatments for the poison. For that reason, two station attendants of the Chiyoda Line were killed at Kasumigaseki Station, and eight others of the Hibiya Line were also severely injured by being exposed to the leftover sarin at Kodenma-cho Station. As a result, 5,510 victims in all were injured either slightly or seriously. To make matters worse, some of them still suffer from vision troubles such as declining vision, chronic eyestrain, or post-traumatic stress disorder when they ride subway trains.

The second effect was that the followers of Aum Shinrikyo became criminals. Before joining the community, they were also general citizens who commuted to or graduated from high-level universities. Since Aum Shinrikyo was organized by the powerful leader, Shoko Asahara in 1984, he forcefully recruited them because he wanted their talents. From then on, they served under their leader and saw him as a God, breaking with their dear families and original lives. Ten members of this community were arrested with their boss as murderers in the sarin murder case. As a result, they were given the death penalty, except for Ikuo Hayashi, who delivered himself to the police and confessed his guilt. The members only acted according to their commander’s selfish instructions because they could not oppose their awful leader. Indeed, they were also haunted by a fear that if they would not obey their leader’s compulsory plan, they could be killed by other followers who would be

ordered by their devilish chief. Thus, they also became wretched victims deprived of their precious lives.



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The most serious influence was that the sarin gas attack by Aum Shinrikyo led to some severe aftereffects in Japan. For example, a lot of people felt nervous about taking crowded trains or even being in public areas such as concert halls that were filled with a large audience; firework places, which should be enjoyable; and rest rooms in stations and parks. Also, the Japanese government removed all public trash cans in order to lessen people’s fears. Even a small plastic bag became a source of anxiety for people. Trash cans in public places that should have been useful looked evil. Moreover, not only powerless citizens but also the police and mass communications became very sensitive to wherever people assembled. All mass media treated the tragedy and its aftermath as a lead story every day. In order to attract public interest, they frequently broadcast television programs about Aum Shinrikyo and got high ratings every time. It was an abnormal phenomenon. The more people got new facts from the shows, the more people became doubtful. Furthermore, people began to fear other Japanese religious fraternities, especially Soka Gakkai, which was similar to Aum Shinrikyo. Soka Gakkai had also gathered worldwide members and an extraordinary amount of their money, whose use was unknown. Although the members tried to calm people’s suspicion, many people who did not belong to any religion became prejudiced against all religions. Therefore, the reputation of other innocent religious groups also was ironically damaged.



Who could expect that normal businessmen or students would be endangered by a poison like a lethal weapon at weekday rush hour on routine trains? Ordinarily, teenagers in Tokyo subways could relax enough to have a comfortable snooze with the soft sway of the trains or they might listen to their favorite music. Also, others might read their favorite books, daily newspapers, or popular magazines. However, the most serious attack in Japan since the end of the World War ІІ cruelly and randomly took away their peaceful daily lives. It was completely impossible to imagine that a large invisible chemical could simultaneously be spread in subway trains while Japanese were going about their daily lives. This happened because Aum Shinrikyo recruited terrorists who caused heavy casualties and great national shock throughout Japan.
Yoko Ohara
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