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Advanced Composition : Essay: Cause and Effect
Lesson 9 Overview
Regardless of genre or
discipline, the purposes of
academic writing are to
inform, to communicate
feelings and ideas, or to
persuade. This lesson will
review the use of cause
and effect or causal
analysis in writing. The cause and effect essay may focus on causes, effects or both! Keep in mind the importance of organization in cause- and-effect work as you complete the textbook readings.
9.1 Recognize cause and effect in written works
Reviewing Cause and Effect
READING ASSIGNMENT
Read this assignment. Then, read pages 457–488 of Chapter 18 in your textbook.
Introduction
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You get into your car, put the key in the ignition, and discover to your dismay that the car won’t start. As you look at the fuel indicator on the dashboard, you see that your gas tank is empty. That’s a simple description of the relationship between cause and effect, a type of deduction that we make on a daily basis, sometimes without realizing it. As a pattern of essay development, cause and effect—sometimes referred to as causal analysis—examines the relationships between events or experiences in greater detail. The approach you take could examine both causes and events, or focus more specifically on one or the other aspect of the cause and effect relationship. An essay that focuses on causes usually emphasizes the reasons something occurred. In an effect essay, the emphasis is weighted more heavily on the consequences of an event, situation, or choice.
Reading Highlights Pages 457–460
Carefully review the characteristics of causal analysis. The key points to bear in mind are
The different types of cause and effects relationships A clear thesis statement
Logical organization
Detailed explanation of cause and effect relationships
In many cases, causal analysis is sometimes intended as an argument that supports a set of observations, identifying a particular
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cause or sequence of causes. In other cases, a causal analysis is intended to inform readers, to challenge their expectations, or even to surprise readers.
Pages 460–465
Even if you’ve read it before, study Alex Vitale’s “Why the Police are Rarely Indicted for Misconduct.” As you read the essay, look closely at the highlighted areas, which clearly indicate the different elements the author uses to develop her analysis. After reading the essay, study the three different graphic organizers that follow, which illustrate three different approaches to organizing cause and effect essays.
Pages 466–469
Read Adam Alter’s essay, “How Labels Like Black and Working Class Shape Your Identity,” which describes how the effects of arbitrarily assigning labels influence behavior. Afterward, review the graphic organizer in Graphic Organizer 18.4.
Pages 469–470
Review the suggestions for integrating cause and effect into essays based on other patterns of development, which you may find helpful while writing your compare and contrast essay at the end of this lesson. These suggestions highlight the importance of
Using transitions
Keeping the analysis simple
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Emphasizing why cause and effect is important in discussing your main point
The guidelines for reading actively and thinking critically encourage you to pay close attention to details, particularly when identifying the relationships between causes and effects. If you include any kind of causal analysis in your own writing, remember to offer enough evidence to clearly establish causal relationships. Also, beware of common errors, such as confusing chronology with causation and mistaking correlation with causation.
Pages 470–476
Scan the “Guided Writing Assignment.” Look through all of it, but pay special attention to the editing, proofreading, and revision tips.
Pages 477–488
Read the “Students Write” essay, “Is Sharing Files Online Killing Music?” by Jonathan Adamczak. Note that the author’s thesis identifies a single cause that leads to multiple consequences, and that in the body of his essay he presents both negative and positive effects. (Also, study the Works Cited page at the end of the essay.) Then read Maria Konnikova’s “Why Summer Makes Us Lazy”
which makes connections by thinking about how seasons of the year affect your mood and performance.
Key Points and Links
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READING ASSIGNMENT
Key Points
Cause and effect examines the relationships between events or experiences in greater detail.
Cause and effect is also referred to as causal analysis.
An essay can focus on a cause and typically emphasizes the reasons something occurred.
An essay focusing on effect, the emphasis is weighted more heavily on the consequences of an event, situation, or choice. A cause and effect essay should have a clear thesis statement, logical organization, and detailed explanations
Discover More: Cause and Effect
Respond to the following based on your reading.
Read or reread Adam Alter’s essay in Chapter 18 and answer questions 1–3.
1. In addition to cause and effect, what other patterns of development does Alter use in his essay?
2. At what points in the essay does Alter use transitions to move from one point to the next?
3. Identify some examples of descriptive language Alter uses in his essay.
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4. Read or reread Jonathan Adamczak’s essay “Is Sharing Files Online Killing Music?”; then respond to all three items under “Analyzing the Writer’s Technique.”
Discover More Answer Key: Discover More: Cause and Effect
1. Comparison and contrast (paragraphs 3 and 6); illustration is used throughout as a tool for introducing elements demonstrating cause and effect relationships, particularly in paragraphs 3, 4, 6, and 7. He also uses third-person narrative patterns in paragraphs 3–5 and paragraphs 8 and 11.
2. “In contrast…” (paragraph 3); “Four years before…” (paragraph 6); “The next phase…” (paragraph 7); “When the new school year arrived…” (paragraph 8).
3. “Laden with the baggage” (paragraph 3); “forced to drink from paper cups” (paragraph 4); “meek shadows of their potential selves” (paragraph 5); “swamped” (paragraph 10).
4. Analyzing the Writer’s Technique
1. Adamczak’s purpose is to report and analyze, rather than argue or narrate, although he does urge musicians “to embrace creative challenges” in his conclusion.
2. Adamczak uses illustration throughout the essay. He also
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occasionally uses comparison and contrast, as in paragraph 5 when he contrasts recording music digitally with recording music on vinyl.
3. The introduction straightforwardly lays out what the essay will be about, which would allow readers to trust the writer. By including advice to musicians, the conclusion ends on a forward-looking note.
9.2 Prepare a prewriting activity on cause and effect for use in an essay on a specified topic
Graded Project: Essay: Cause and Effect
READING ASSIGNMENT
Your project must be submitted as a Word document (.docx, .doc)*. Your project will be individually graded by your instructor and therefore will take up to a few weeks to grade. Be sure that each of your files contains the following information:
Your name
Your student ID number The exam number
Your email address
To submit your graded project, follow these steps:
Log in to your student portal.
Click on Take Exam next to the lesson you’re working on.
Find the exam number for your project at the top of the Project Upload page.
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Follow the instructions provided to complete your exam.
Be sure to keep a backup copy of any files you submit to the school! Cause-and-Effect Essay
A cause-and-effect essay (or causal analysis) fully explains the causes or effects that are the focus of the essay’s thesis and presents them in a logical order.
Assignment
For your cause-and-effect essay, you will write an 1,800- to 2,000- word research paper using the cause-and-effect pattern of development. You’ll choose one of the assigned topics below and begin your research. Four to six secondary sources are required. You are required to use American Psychological Association (APA) citation and documentation format for parenthetical (in-text) citation and your list of references.
Review Cause and Effect, Chapter 18, in your textbook and complete exercises 18.1 and 18.2. These exercises will help you identify and distinguish between causes and effects. Also refer to graphic organizers 18.1, 18.2, and 18.3 to see the structure of different types of cause-and-effect essays. You’ll choose one of these methods to organize your topic.
Please note that there is no graded prewriting for the cause-and-effect essay, but you should still follow the steps in the writing process to plan, organize, draft, and revise your essay before you submit it for
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evaluation.
Topic
Choose one of the following topics:
The causes and effects of cheating on exams or lying or misrepresenting qualifications and accomplishments on a job application or resume
The causes and effects of a major decision or change in life, such as buying a home or returning to school
The causes and effects of social media on relationships and communication
You may write in first-person or third-person point of view. You’re writing for an audience unfamiliar with your topic, so your goal is to use language your readers are familiar with and can relate to; be sure to define any technical terms you use.
Research
You are required to use four to six reputable secondary sources for your cause-and-effect essay. Evaluate your sources to ensure that the information you are using and passing on to your readers is accurate and reliable.
Incorporate evidence from your secondary sources into your outline or graphic organizer to plan your essay. You’ll need to use parenthetical citation and include a list of references on the last page of your exam.
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Refer to the APA style section in your text and the APA style guide in the Writer’s Block (pflibrary.pennfoster.edu/writersblock/citationanddoc umentation/apastyle) .
Process
Follow the steps in the guided writing assignment to prewrite, organize, draft, revise, edit, and proofread your essay.
Choose one of the cause-and-effect graphic organizers in your textbook to develop your plan; include the information from your secondary sources in your outline or graphic organizer.
Study the cause-and-effect essays “Why the Police Are Rarely Indicted for Misconduct” by Alex S. Vitale and “Is Sharing Files Online Killing Music?” by Jonathan Adamczak to see how each writer organizes and develops his analysis of each situation.
Exam Format
Format your prewriting and essay exams according to the following instructions. Refer to the sample APA-style essay in your text.
1. Start with a title page that includes your Title
Name Student ID Address Email address
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2. Usetheheaderfunctiontoinsertyourpagenumberinthetop right margin of your document.
You do not need to include your essay title in the header. 3. Begin your document on page 2 after the title page.
Start page 2 with your title
Do not include abstracts in your essays.
Use transitional words, phrases, and sentences (p. 149) to guide your reader through your essay.
Do not use headings in your essay.
4. Includeyourreferenceslistonthelastpageofyourdocument.
Do not submit it separately.
Grading Rubric
Skill Realized
A 100-90
Skill Developing
B 89-80
Skill Emerging
C 79-70
Not Shown
F 69-0
Thesis: Audience, Purpose, and Topic
The writer provides a clear thesis statement that addresses the purpose of the essay.
10
9
8
7.5
7
4
0
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Development
How insightfully and convincingly does the writer apply the appropriate development methods to explore the thesis through assertions, evidence, and analytic explanation?
25
23
21
19
17
10
0
Organization
There is a clear introduction with a thesis, body, and conclusion. The writer uses topic sentences to organize body paragraphs and transitions appropriately to guide the reader from point to point. The conclusion reinforces the thesis statement and provides a satisfactory ending to the essay.
15
14
13
12
11
6
0
Incorporation of Source Material
How logically and effectively are paraphrases, summaries, and direct quotations from varied, relevant, and reliable sources integrated with the writer’s style for purpose and audience?
10
9
8
7.5
7
4
0
Style and Voice
The writer interacts with the assigned audience using an appropriate, consistent point of view and tone. The writer offers adequate evidence from his or her own experience to effectively engage readers’ interest and address the purpose of the essay. The conclusion reinforces the thesis statement and provides a satisfactory ending to the essay.
15
14
13
12
11
6
0
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APA Citation and Documentation
Did the writer accurately and correctly document the required number of sources following APA citation style both in-text and on the references list?
10
9
8
7.5
7
3
0
Conventions
The writer uses correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure. The writer makes correct word choices, defines unfamiliar terms, and conveys a clear message. The writer has edited and proofread the essay.
10
9
8
7.5
7
3
0
Format and Length
The writer met the required length (1,800 to 2,000 words), used the assigned font and margins, and included the required header information correctly.
5
4.5
4
3
1
0
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Comments from Customer
the writer needs to use successful college writing the seventh edition by Kathleen T. McWhorter
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