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Table of Contents
Cause and effect is a relationship between events or things where one is the result of the other or others. It is a combination of action and reaction.
See the fact file below for more information on Cause and Effect or alternatively, you can download our 28-page Cause and Effect worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
DEFINITION
- A cause is a motivation or intent, reason, or action that brings about a reaction or a series of reactions. A cause often instigates an effect.
- An effect is a condition, circumstance, or result arising from one or more causes. Effects are the outcomes.
- Simply put, we can’t have an effect without a cause, nor can we have a cause without an effect.
- Since it was so chilly and damp outside, Jojo built a big fire in his fireplace.
- Cause: Outside was chilly and damp.
- Effect: Jojo built a big fire in his fireplace.
- The police dog ran after the thieves after they refused to surrender.
- Cause: The thieves refused to surrender and ran away.
- Effect: The police dog chased the thieves.
- Max ate too much so he’s suffering from constipation.
- Cause: Max ate too much.
- Effect: He’s suffering from constipation.
- Since it was so chilly and damp outside, Jojo built a big fire in his fireplace.
SIGNAL WORDS USED IN CAUSE AND EFFECT
- Writers usually use signal words or transitions to help guide the reader through the terrain of the story. These words help connect the ideas in a text or the events in a story.
- They often do this by answering questions. In cause and effect, these are the “Why?” of the cause and the “What?” of the effect. Different signal words can be used to make it easier for the reader to comprehend the content.
Cause (the ‘why’)
- Because
- Because of
- Since
- As a result of
- As a consequence of
- Now that
- Examples:
- His financial hardships are due to his overspending habit.
- Mr. Bean campaigned the hardest, therefore he won the vote of the majority.
- Because of long years of research, the scientists found out that smallpox can be prevented.
- The US president was attending the conference, hence all the extra security set for a week.
- Now that the soldiers have told their stories, the citizens believe that war is bad.
- Ched did not concern himself with the problems of his class, and consequently some thought him carefree and others thought him stupid.
- Maria was very tired as a result of working late and skipping meals.
WORDS ARRANGEMENT
- In a sentence, sometimes the cause comes before the effect. In other sentences, the effect comes first.
- Regardless of the position, the sentences share the same meaning and show the same relationship.
- Example:
- He lied to me, so I did not sign the agreement.
- Since I was up all night studying for the coming exams, I was sleepy all day.
- She never gave up on winning the stray German Shepherd’s trust, and now she has a very loyal guard dog.
- They finished the Mt. Everest trek because they had trained for three years climbing other mountains.
- They gave the artist a positive review because her charcoal art is very attractive.
ONE CAUSE, MANY EFFECTS
- A cause-and-effect relationship can also have one cause with many resulting effects:
- Cause: You did not drink water all day
- Effects: You are thirsty and have a bad headache.
- Cause: You left the windows open.
- Effects: Mosquitoes flew in and bit you.
- Cause: Skipping meals.
- Effects: Hunger and loss of energy.
- Cause: You took a bath.
- Effects: You smell good and you feel clean.
- Cause: You did not drink water all day
ONE EFFECT, MANY CAUSES
- A cause-and-effect relationship can also have multiple causes resulting in one effect.
- Even if one particular factor seems to have caused a certain outcome, other factors might have contributed significantly to the result.
- We often tend to forget this when we look for causes, and end up focusing on what might only be a triggering factor.
- Examples:
- Effect: House fire
- Causes: A burning candle was toppled from its stand and hit a stack of papers, and soon spread to other flammable objects.
- Effect: Passing an exam
- Causes: Studying well, understanding the topics, eating nutritious food on time, sleeping at the right hours and taking the exam.
- Effect: Winning a beauty pageant
- Causes: Winning individual competitions within the pageant, looking fresh and beautiful throughout, being able to answer questions and maintaining presence and charm before the judges and the audience.
- Effect: House fire
THE CAUSAL CHAIN
- Causal chains show a series of multiple and related causes and multiple effects. This is a more complex format because the ideas are related to each other.
- They are divided into three parts: (a) the initial cause, (b) the final consequence, and (c) all the steps that link the cause to the effect.
- It is also called a domino effect or chain reaction, the successive effect produced when one event sets off a chain of similar events.
- What may begin as a cause becomes one of many further effects, and what starts out as an effect may result in additional effects.
- Examples:
- How does driving a car increase global warming?
- Driving a car releases a huge amount of carbon dioxide.
- Carbon dioxide has the effect of trapping the sun’s energy in the atmosphere.
- The energy of the sun trapped in the atmosphere has the effect of raising the average global temperature.
- Dust storms hitting highways can be deadly, causing a chain reaction of accidents. The dust is the initial catalyst.
- It causes Ahmed’s car to stop, June’s car crashes into Ahmed’s car, Lilia’s crashes into June’s car, etc.
- How does driving a car increase global warming?
CAUSE AND EFFECT IN DAILY LIFE
- Cause and effect is better understood in realistic situations:
- You can learn to play the drums quickly if you take lessons from a pro.
- My baby brother was crying, so my mother picked him up.
- Since the refrigerator was empty, we had to go to the grocery and buy food for a week.
- The community was given an early typhoon warning so many families evacuated.
- The suspect was found guilty, therefore he was sentenced to life in prison.
- You finished your assignment early so that is why your mother allowed you to play outside.
THE CROW AND THE PITCHER
In a spell of dry weather, when the Birds could find very little to drink, a thirsty Crow found a pitcher with a little water in it. But the pitcher was high and had a narrow neck, and no matter how he tried, the Crow could not reach the water. The poor thing felt as if he must die of thirst.
Then an idea came to him. Picking up some small pebbles, he dropped them into the pitcher one by one. With each pebble the water rose a little higher until at last it was near enough so he could drink.
Moral of the story
Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Every problem has a solution if we look hard enough and don’t give up.
Cause and Effect Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Cause and Effect across 28 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets on Cause and Effect which is a relationship between events or things where one is the result of the other or others.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Cause and Effect Facts
- Matching the Cause
- Universal Causes
- Sporting Effects
- Cause and Effects
- Causes and Effect
- Cause and Effect in Pictures
- Imagining Cause and Effect
- Positive and Negative
- Picture Analysis
- Artistic C&E
- Reading Comprehension
- Film Review
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Link will appear as Cause and Effect Facts & Worksheet: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, June 23, 2013
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.