CAUSE & EFFECT ESSAY
To write a cause and effect essay, you’ll need to determine a scenario in which one action or event caused certain effects to occur. Then, explain what took place and why! This essay allows us to identify patterns and explain why things turned out the way that they did.
How do I choose a topic and get started? Try choosing a major event, either in your own life or an event of historical significance. For example, The Great Depression.
Cause of The Great Depression: stock market crash
How would we elaborate? We’d discuss the behaviors, carelessness, errors, and even cultural attitudes that led to the crash—explaining why it was devastating.
Effects of the Great Depression: joblessness & poverty
What should we say about the effects?
- Businesses went under—explain HOW the crash caused this
- Describe poverty in detail—explain how this could’ve been handled more efficiently or even avoided
Narrowing a Large Topic
In a short essay, it might be difficult to tackle the cause and all of the many effects of a big event like the Great Depression. To narrow a cause and effect topic down to a manageable size, ask yourself…
- What’s the main (most important) cause? Most people attribute it to the stock market crash, so that’s a good place to start.
- Can I break the different types of effects down into categories? Yes! I’ll break my ideas down into categories like: economic, social, employment, practical, and morale effects. (example below)
- Which category interests me the most? “Practical effects” is the most interesting. I’ll narrow the topic of my paper down so that my essay will now be about how the stock market crash affected the practical ways that people lived their lives during the Great Depression.
Can that category be broken down even further to make the topic more manageable? I’m actually interested in the ways that the Great Depression affected the farming industry. I want to talk about the new skills and methods that farmers were forced to learn and implement, as a result of their difficult situation.
Narrowing a Large Topic – Example
Can I break the different types of effects down into categories? Yes! I’ll break my ideas down into categories like: economic, social, employment, practical, and morale effects.
| Economic | Social | Employment | Practical | Morale |
| money loses value | poverty increases | jobs eliminated | public resourcefulness increases | low self-esteem |
| companies lose value | homelessness increases | employers pay lower wages | farming techniques change | men emasculated by job loss |
| banks lose the public’s trust | orphanages fill up | forced to work longer hours | public wastes less, finds creative ways to save | patriotism declines |
POSSIBLE TOPICS:
What do you see as the major cause of any one of these problems: binge drinking among college students, voter apathy, school shootings, childhood obesity, police brutality, academic cheating?
You can also choose any other social phenomenon for which you can identify a cause.
MLA FORMAT:
- 3 typed, double-spaced pages
- Font: Times New Roman
- Font size: 12 point
- Margins: 1 inch all around
RUBRIC
| Topic & Purpose
20
|
The letter skillfully and creatively develops, and addresses all required questions related to their writing portfolio. The students shows an in depth self analysis for their progression as a writer from the beginning to the end of the term, as well as their future plans for writing. | The letter skillfully develops, and addresses all required questions related to their writing portfolio. The students shows a well composed self analysis for their progression as a writer from the beginning to the end of the term, as well as their future plans for writing. | The letter is not fully developing all aspects of the writing portfolio, or does not fully address the assignment to the extent that it is missing some of the requirements of the assignment. | The topic is unclear or does not address the assignment. |
| Organization
20 |
Uses a clear and logical organizational structure, with paragraphs, transitions, and other structures skillfully chosen and applied | Uses clear and logical organizational structure, with paragraphs, transitions, and other structures as appropriate. | Organizational structure is present, but weak or unclear; paragraph division is inappropriate; may lack transitions. | Little or no organizational structure; writing is all one paragraph. |
| Content, supporting details, use of evidence
20 |
Strong, well chosen and perceptive content, supporting details, and evidence from their portfolio beyond the requirements of the assignment. | Required content, good use of supporting details and evidence from their portfolio appropriate to the assignment. | Some content, supporting detail and evidence from their portfolio are used, but not sufficient or appropriate to the assignment. | Missing significant content, few or no supporting details or evidence. |
| Word Choice
20 |
Skillful and varied word choice appropriate to the audience and purpose. Uses specific words with imagination and accuracy. | Effective and varied word choice appropriate to the audience and purpose. Uses specific words with accuracy. | Simple or repetitive word choice. | Incorrect or inappropriate word choice. |
| Sentence Structure and Mechanics
20 |
Complete sentences with varied structure and length appropriate to the purpose and audience.
Few or no errors in spelling, grammar, capitalization, punctuation or presentation. |
Complete, well-structured sentences.
Some errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation or presentation that do not interfere with communication. |
Most sentences are well structured; some fragments or run-ons.
Some errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, or presentation that interfere with communication. |
Few or no complete sentences.
Serious problems in spelling, grammar, punctuation or presentation. |
