Patterns; Cause & Effect

What 3 things should your thesis tell readers ?

1. The issues you plan to consider 2. The position you will be taking 3. Whether your emphasis is on cause, effect, or both

What is a casual chain ?

A chain in which A causes B, B causes C, C causes D, and so on and so forth; the result of one action is the cause of another

True or False; if you use the phase "the reason is" you should add the word "because" after

FALSE

True or False; the main cause is always obvious ?

False

True or False; when deciding on the sequence in which you will present your causes or effects, you only have one option ?

False - you have several

True or False; you should only consider the most obvious causes or effects ?

False; you need to give a balanced analysis

When can an effect also be a cause ?

In a casual chain

Option #2

Introduce the main cause first and then the contribution causes or vise versa

What does Balanced Analysis mean ?

It means you should try to consider all possible causes and effects, not just the most obvious ones or the first ones you think of

What do cause and effect essay analysis often require you to do ?

Judge various factors so that you can assess their relative significance

What should you be careful to do with your casual connection ?

Keep your emphasis on the casual chain and not to lapse into a narration

Effect

Noun / means "a result" Verb / means "to bring about"

What does a cause & effect essay usually do besides enumerating causes or effects ?

Presents and supports a particular thesis

What do you do if you want to stress the negative results ?

Summarize the less important positive effects first

What should you not assume when developing a cause and effect essay ?

That just because event A precedes event B, event A has caused event B to happen

What will your thesis indicate explicitly or implicitly ?

The cause or effect you find most important and the order in which you will present your points

What is the remote cause ?

The cause that is less obvious, perhaps because it involves something in the par or far away

What is the immediate cause ?

The cause that preceded an effect and is therefor easy to recognize

What should your thesis identify ?

The relationships among the specific causes or effects that it will discuss

Because the Main Cause is not always the most obvious what should you be sure to consider ?

The significance of each cause very carefully as you plan your essay & continue to evaluate the importance of each cause and effect as you write and revise

In your writing and in your observations, it is neither logical nor fair to assume that a casual relationship exists unless what ?

There is clear, strong evidence to support the connection

Why are transitions essential in casual chains ?

They help readers sort out the sequence (next, then, as well as) and the casual relationships (because, as a result, for this reason)

When writing a cause & effect essay, what are your 3 basic options ?

To discuss causes, to discuss effects, or to discuss both

Why do cause and effect essays rely on transitions ?

To distinguish cause from effect and to help move readers through the discussion

True or False; Cause and effect relationships are often subtle and complex

True

True or False; assuming that the most obvious cause is always the most important can be dangerous and shortsighted ?

True

True or False; many different causes be responsible for an effect ?

True

True or False; remote causes can be extremely important ?

True

True or False; sometimes an effect can also be a cause ?

True

True or False; transitions are even more important for essays that analyze complex causal relationships

True

True or false; a single cause can produce many different effects

True

True or False; The main cause is ALWAYS more important than the contributory cause ?

True - the main cause is always most important

Affect

Usually a verb / means "influence"

What do chronological words tell ?

WHEN

What do casual words tell ?

WHY

When is option #3 ^ a good method to use ?

When you believe that your readers are likely to jump to Post Hoc conclusions

What do Cause & Effect analysis explain ?

Why something happened or why something is happening and predicts what will happen

What happens when you leave out any link of the chain or fail to put any link in its proper order ?

You destroy the logic and continuity of the chain

What would happen if you didn't consider the remote cause as well as the immediate cause ?

You would reach an oversimplified and perhaps incorrect conclusion

"Because", "therefore", and "consequently" are words that indicate what type of relationship ?

causal relationship

What do most complex situations involve ?

numerous causes & many different effects

What is the main cause ?

the MOST IMPORTANT cause

What word should you use instead of "because" ?

"that"

What does because mean ?

"the reason that"

What are skills that will improve your writing of a cause & effect essay ?

- the ability to identify and analyze cause and effect relationships - the ability to distinguish cause from effect - the ability to recognize casual chains - the ability to distinguish immediate cause and remote cause - the ability to distinguish the main cause from the contributory causes - and the ability to distinguish logical causes from illogical causes

When are you ready to plan your cause & effect essay ?

After you have sorted out the cause and effect relationships that you will be talking about

What is is Post Hoc reasoning ?

An illogical assumption in chronological sequence with casualty; That just because event A precedes event B, event A has caused event B to happen

What does a casual chain suggest ?

An organizational pattern for an essay

What does Cause & Effect do ?

Analyzes WHY something happens

Why is understanding the distinction between the main cause and the contributory cause vital for planning a cause and effect essay ?

Because once you identify the main cause, you can emphasize it in your paper and downsize the other cause(s)

Why are transitions even more important for essays that analyze complex causal relationships

Because they can help readers distinguish the main cause from the contributory causes (the most important cause & other causes) and immediate cause from remote causes (the most obvious cause & less apparent causes)

What do you do if you want to stress positive consequences ?

Begin by briefly discussing the negative ones

Option #3

Begin by dismissing any events that were not causes & then explain what the real causes were

Option #4

Begin with the most obvious causes or effects and l move on to more subtle factors - and then to your analysis and conclusion

What do Cause & Effect essays examine ?

Causes, effects, or both

Option #1

Chronological order

"Next", "then", "subsequently", "later", and "afterward" are words that indicate what type of relationship ?

Chronological relationship

When you think Post Hoc reasoning what are you mistaking ?

Coincidence & causality

What does process do ?

Describes HOW something happens

What does following a casual chain help you do ?

Discuss items in their logical order