Cause & Effect Essay: Understanding the Requirements

Cause and effect essay sounds difficult but in fact it is pretty easy to write if you know what you should do: definition, concept and purpose. It follows a logical pattern and after you make an outline you will quickly complete the essay. In general, writing of such essay is learnt in high schools or some good writing courses in college.

But do not worry: from its name it is obvious that the cause and effect essay just explains the cause of the problem and things that affect the result. So here is what you should know about this type of essay to get A+++: follow this quick guide and enjoy writing!

Definition and purpose

Let’s start with definitions: what do we mean by cause and effect? The cause is the reason of why something happens, and the effect is the thing happening because of the cause. There are many types of them which you can consider when writing.

However, before you start your essay, it will be great to write down a list of all possible causes and effects that are related to your topic so that you can become more focused. Analyze each of them and understand what things are really interesting to describe. So what is next?

Move step by step

1. Create a good outline. If you do not know anything about the topic which has been assigned to you, then start with researching. You need to present a phenomenon; trend or some event and it will be your cause. Explain its background so that your readers can understand and outline the essay. It actually depends: you may either set up one effect and many causes or many effects caused by one thing.
2. Write introduction. Explain the cause in your essay and the reasons why it is important to understand the effects. The purpose of this step is to state the purpose of the essay and explain the issues from scratch. The conclusion of this paragraph will actually be your thesis. Give a brief preview on the main body of your essay. Remember that it should prove your thesis statement.
3. Provide arguments. For all your causes and effects you need to bring strong arguments. Develop at least three ones and they will be your main points. Explaining effects you need to refer to the causes in order to make connections. Each your argument should be backed up with a couple of factual statements. Keep it short because your readers can become confused with many points.
4. Structure the content. Depending on your main points the essay will have a number of paragraphs. Each of them should describe one argument feature and a certain effect of the cause or vice versa. Sentences should go smoothly and contain a clear description and analysis between cause and effect.
5. Sum up. The conclusion is usually one of most important components of the essay. You need to leave a good impression and summarize the analysis given in the main body. Your conclusion should be powerful and include your own ideas and solutions of the topic. The final sentence should contain the main point of your essay supported by other paragraphs.

Remember that any kind of essay may seem difficult until you practice and make it perfect. Go over your essay a few times to ensure everything is good, logic and clear – this is the key to essay writing success!