English Language Center

Semester 2, Level 3
Writing – Cause and Effect
ACTIVITY 1
 Read the sentences in column A and B. Match the causes in column A to the effects in column B. Write the correct
letter in the column in the middle. The first one has been done for you.
A B
1. Paula won the chess game because... _d_ a. Maria forgot to water it.
2. The plant did not grow because… ____ b. my baby sister pulled it off her neck.
3. Mrs. Ferrara’s class won the contest c. he was away at summer camp in Baltimore.
____
because...
4. Brendan watched the Spiderman show d. she practiced playing with her dad every
____
because .. night.
5. The basketball team won e. he really liked Spiderman.
____
the game because...
6. My mom’s pearl necklace broke because... ____ f. I ran out of paint.
7. I could not finish painting the wall g. they collected the most pennies.
____
because...
8. Paul’s brother couldn’t come to the party h. he left last week for boot camp.
____
because...
9. The cake we made tasted awful because... ____ i. we used salt.
10. Mandy really missed her brother Steve j. the other team missed the foul shot
____
because...

ACTIVITY 2
 Write sentences using the following words that introduce causes / effects:

1. because _______________________________________________________________________________

2. since _______________________________________________________________________________

3. because of ______________________________________________________________________________

4. due to _____________________________________________________________________________

5. therefore _______________________________________________________________________________

6. consequently ___________________________________________________________________________

7. So ____________________________________________________________________________________

8. as a result ______________________________________________________________________________

9. Thus __________________________________________________________________________________

10. for this reason __________________________________________________________________________

ACTIVITY 3
 Read the Cause and Effect sentences and choose the best answer.
1. Because he was tired, he scored poorly on the exam, ______ into the university.

a. this will cause him to not be admitted

b. this is a fact which will cause him not to be admitted
c. a fact which will cause him to not be admitted
d. a fact which will cause him to not admit

2. ______ the TOEFL with a score of 550, he will be admitted into the university.

a. Now that he passes c. Now, he has passed

b. That he has passed d. Now that he has passed

3. Since July 4th is a holiday, ______ have to go to work.

a. so we do not c. as a result, we do not

b. we do not d. thus, we do not

4. Yousef went back to Saudi Arabia ______ to take care of some business in his company.

a. and he needed c. which he needed

b. because he needed d. because he need

5. ______, he will return back to the United States to study English.

a. Had Yousuf taken care of his business in Saudi Arabia

b. Now that Yousuf has taken care his business in Saudi Arabia
c. Now that Yousuf has taken care of his business in Saudi Arabia
d. Yousuf has taken care of his business in Saudi Arabia but

6. ______ have to work today, we should go to Laguna Beach.

a. For we do not c. Since we do not

b. We do not d. Since we do no

7. Fatma will not go to work today ______ a bit ill.

a. she is c. because she is

b. because she d. which is she is

8. ______, the temperature should begin dropping.

a. Now that the sun setting c. The sun setting

b. Now that the sun set d. Now that the sun has set

9. ______ is important since most professional jobs require writing skills.

a. Learn how to write c. Learning how to write

b. Learning how write d. Learning how to write it is

10. ______, the research paper is beneficial to students since it requires them to critically think, read, and
write about a specific body of knowledge in which they have an interest.
a. A requirement at most universities
b. It is a requirement at most universities
c. A requirement at most universities it is
d. Requirement at most universities
 11. ______ over, I am ready to enter the job market, so I will begin to send out my résumé to prospective
employers.

a. Now that my universities studies have been

b. Now, that my universities studies are
c. Now that my universities studies are
d. My universities studies are

12. Waldo, ___, has learned a great deal of English since he came to the U.S.

a. he is a practicing lawyer from Chile

b. who a practicing lawyer is from Chile
c. a practicing lawyer from Chile
d. a practicing lawyer from Chile who

ACTIVITY 4
 Read the following paragraphs. Each contain one sentence that is irrelevant. Cross out that sentence
and explain why it does not belong to the paragraph.
1. There are several reasons why American women are waiting until they are thirty years old or older to have

their first baby. Some women have good jobs and want to continue their careers. Many American couples

have two children. Other women don’t want the responsibility of having children until they are older. Still

others are waiting until they are financially secure before they start a family. Increased personal and

professional opportunities for women often result in delaying motherhood.

2. Watching television can have several positive effects on students learning English. One effect is that

students can improve their pronunciation by listening to the people talking on television. Many

commercials are too long and interrupt interesting shows. In addition, students see how native speakers

interact while they are talking. As a result, they can observe the gestures and natural body language that are

part of communication. Most importantly, because the people on TV use so many idioms, students will

hear them used in context. This will help students better understand the meanings of idioms.

3. The introduction of affordable automobiles had several effects on society. First of all, automobiles created

a more mobile society. Cars made it possible for people to move out of the cities and into the suburbs.

Automobiles also affected the growth of new businesses. Gas stations, auto repair shops, and roadside

restaurants became necessary. Railroads had a great effect on society, too. In addition, new roads were built

as a result of the increase in the number of cars. All of these changes meant that the automobile

transformed the lifestyle of millions of people.

ACTIVITY 5(a)
 Think about the following topics. Work in groups and brainstorm the topics.
Write out your points in a list form below.
 What are the causes of insomnia or
insufficient sleep?
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
ACTIVITY 5(b)
 Think about the following topics. Work in groups and brainstorm the topics.
Write out your points in a list form below.
 What are the causes of global
warming?
_______________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
 What are the effects of insomnia or
insufficient sleep?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
 What are the effects of global
warming?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
ACTIVITY 6
 Write topic sentences for the following paragraphs:
1._______________________________________________________________________________________.
One reason is because transportation has become important in our lives and vehicles like cars, heavy
trucks, trains, shipping vessels and airplanes all burn lots of fuels to work. Emissions from engines contain
pollutants. This is a major cause of pollution, and one that is very difficult to manage. This is because
humans rely heavily on vehicles and engines for transporting people, goods and services.
2._______________________________________________________________________________________.
Every year more than 380,000 students fail out of college in the United States. The impact of college
failure can cause lasting damage to self-esteem, and the consequences can influence an entire lifetime.
There are about ten primary causes of failure in college. Being aware of these causes of college failure is a
necessary first step in seeking workable solutions.
3._______________________________________________________________________________________.
Some of the causes of poverty include changing trends in a country’s economy, lack of education, high
divorce rate, overpopulation, epidemic diseases and environmental problems such as lack of rainfall. It is
hard to separate the causes of poverty from the effects; there is no doubt that poverty is associated with
various economic and social ills. For example, overpopulation could be a cause or a side effect of poverty.
4._______________________________________________________________________________________.
Lack of physical activity is another important factor related to obesity. Many people have jobs that involve
sitting at a desk for most of the day. They also rely on their cars, rather than walking or cycling. When
people relax, they tend to watch TV, browse the internet or play computer games, and rarely exercise
regularly.

ACTIVITY 7
 Read the story. Then fill in the chart with causes and effects below.

Tom and his friend, Hunter, left their home with fishing gear in hand. They walked the short distance to
the lake and then picked what they thought would be the best location. Looking inside, the tackle box,
they quickly noticed that all the fishing lures were broken. Not knowing what else to do, they ran to the
bait shop, made a quick purchase, and returned to the water’s edge. Tom cast his line into the water and
waited patiently; Hunter, on the other hand, started skipping rocks across the water. Tom grew frustrated,
knowing that the fish would not bite if his friend kept doing this. A plan prompted Tom to tell Hunter
about the huge fish that had just passed, resulting in Hunter redirecting his attention to fishing. Both boys
waited patiently, until Tom felt a tug at the end of his line. Waiting for just the right feel, he started
reeling his line in. The fish at the other end of the line continued fighting and tugging, but Tom did not
give up. Just as he pulled the monstrous catfish from the lake, the line snapped and off the fish went
swimming back into his own private place of safety. “I give up,” screamed Tom.
 CAUSE EFFECT
Tom and his friend found broken fishing lures inside
the tackle box.

Hunter started skipping rocks across the water.

Tom told Hunter about the huge fish that he saw go

swimming by.

Tom started reeling in his line.

The fishing line snapped.

“I give up,” screamed Tom.

Reference: http://www.webspirationclassroom.com/studytips/cause-effect-drafting
http://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/language_arts/causeeffect/caueff10.pdf