A cause-and-effect essay claims a relationship between two events, and can take the form of a five-paragraph essay. The writer must establish the cause and effect, and link them with research and analysis. It can also function as an explanatory essay, detailing multiple effects or causes.
Essays are forms of composition designed to provide information and to prove a claim. One type, the cause-and-effect essay, claims that there is a cause-and-effect relationship between two distinct events. In other words, the circumstances of event A led to the occurrence of event B. Another type of cause and effect essay is one in which multiple effects of a single cause are discussed, or vice versa.
In general, a cause and effect essay often takes the form of a five-paragraph written essay. Thus, the essay could begin with an introductory paragraph that provides a general overview of the topic and provides a narrative outline for the article. If the essay is persuasive in nature, the lead sentence of this paragraph will often consist of a thesis statement that makes some assertion, such as linking a cause to an effect. Although the exact number of central paragraphs may vary, the body of the document is reserved for elaborating the general information provided in the introduction by offering research facts, citations and analyses. The last paragraph in this type of essay usually provides a summary of the main points of the essay while offering some closing thoughts.
The critical first step in composing persuasive cause-and-effect documents is establishing cause. It is about providing a detailed account of the event. For example, if an individual wanted to argue that the bombing of the Pearl Harbor naval base led to US entry into World War II, then the writer must first describe the actual circumstances and events of the bombing.
In turn, the writer must establish the final result, or effect. Taking the above example, the writer would have outlined when and how the United States entered the war. A brief background on the war itself could also be provided.
The bulk of a persuasive cause-and-effect essay involves linking cause to effect. This process involves researching and compiling as many linking factors as possible. Ideally, each linking factor should be contained within its own paragraph or section. For the Pearl Harbor example, a paragraph might be devoted to issues such as public outcry and government policies regarding foreign aggression, among other factors. The goal of these sections is to demonstrate that the triggering event led to the effect above any other possible cause.
While a cause-and-effect essay can take the form of persuasion, this type of essay can also function as an explanatory essay. For this type of format, the writer could take an event or action – such as the US stock market crash of 1929 – and detail all the effects of that event. As such, an essay on the stock market crash could explain the economic, political, and cultural happenings that occurred after that event. In addition to explaining multiple effects, a cause-and-effect essay might also outline several causes for an event or action to occur. The essay on the market crash could therefore detail numerous factors that contributed to the crash.
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