Effects
ü Not every cause-effect paper is about causes.
ü Some may in fact center on the effects of a single cause.
Transitions for Effects:
So, so that, so then, a consequence of, consequently, therefore, thus, then, for this reason, as a result.
Things to Watch for
How do you know when you’ve gone far enough?
Let’s go back to the acid rain example. Suppose that we take as the primary cause
Industrialization in the second half of the 20th century. Already we’re probably at the outskirts of what is feasible for an English 105 composition. And is this the primary cause, or does human greed fit into the picture somewhere even farther back along the causal chain? Sometimes too much of a good thing is just that:
ü Don’t lose control of an essay by trying to cover something too broad.
ü Focus your analysis.
ü Narrow your topic.
ü Talk to the ARC, or best of all, talk to your professor.
Few other traps to avoid:
ü Don’t end up writing a process paper (getting caught up in the causal chain
For its own sake—what’s the significance of your argument?).
ü Don’t end up writing a comparison-contrast or classification-division
Paper (easy to do with something like the first example of the feuding
Roommates).
ü Make sure you’ve got all those questions listed at the beginning of this handout covered, and you should be pretty safe.
ü Finally, watch out for that famous missing link in the causal chain. A causal chain without one of its links is like evolution without those innovative amphibians: how would we ever have made it out of the water without them?
Structuring the Effects Essay
I. Introduction
• Provide thesis and basis for effects, describe primary cause; may use more
Than one paragraph. The key question is, what effects result from this
Cause?
II. Body
• Discuss each effect, tracing its path back to the causal chain and the root
Cause.
III. Conclusion
Brainstorm the causes and effects so you can find the best...