Cause & Effect
Warm-up
• Why did you choose ECNU?
• Why are there more girls than boys at
ECNU?
The Joys of an Old Car
• What is the thesis statement? How to rephrase it to
include the line of development?
• Write an outline for the essay.
• How did the author exemplify the economy of an old
car?
• What’s wrong with paragraph 3?
• How to refute the author’s point in paragraph 4?
• The pains of an old car?
Stresses of Being a Celebrity
•
•
•
•
Outline?
Paragraph 3?
Paragraph 4?
Conclusion?
• Explain to your audience
– The causes
– The effects
– A combination of both
• Why are some students successful language
learners?
• Why is Weixin (Wechat) so popular?
• Why do farmers migrate to the urban area?
• Why should smoking be prohibited in public?
• Why do people smoke?
• Why are there more “leftover ladies” than
before? (3S ladies)
• Plastic surgery
•
Girls don't do as well in math and science as boys.
There are several reasons for this. The first and most
important reason is that they aren't encouraged to play
with toys that build up interest in math and science
problems and that build skills for problem solving or
understanding how things work. Girls are encouraged to
play with toys that foster language and human relations
skills. As a result, they can grow up not knowing how an
engine works or how to build a model from directions.
• Second, studies have shown that teachers don't expect
girls to be good at math. Even female math and science
teachers pay more attention to boys in class and call on
boys more often. Because teachers don't expect girls to
excel, they don't try very hard, and soon girls are far
behind boys in these studies. Finally, girls don't have
many role models to look up to. Not very many math and
science teachers are women, especially in the later
grades. When the media picture mathematicians and
scientists, they usually picture men. As a result, girls
aren't inspired to choose these fields as careers.
Transitional Words and Phrases
causes
effects
Therefore
so
due to
because of
as a result,
owing to as a result of
consequently
on account of
accordingly
for
on the ground of
because of this
Thus. hence
Through Because
for this reason
since
as
result in
on the ground that
• Multiple causes with a single effect
• What are the reasons for obesity?
1. Hereditary influences
2. Lack of exercise
3. Slow metabolic rate
4. Overeating
Why do an increasing number of
Chinese students choose to study
abroad?
• I enjoy living in big cities. The main reason
is that it is very convenient to live in big
cities. There is fast public transport, a wide
variety of goods to choose from, all the
latest modern conveniences and plenty of
public places for enjoyment. Above all, the
better health care system helps you live in
greater comfort.
• Organizing the causal analysis essay
– Order of familiarity
– Order of interest
– Order of significance
• False Cause Reasoning
– President X was elected in November.
– Three weeks later, our nation suffered an
economic crisis.
– Therefore, President X caused that economic
crisis.
• Logical fallacy
– Over-simplificaiton: Global Warming
– Post Hoc: coincidence
• I overslept this morning. The teacher was absent for
today’s class.
• A meteor was seen in the sky over LA. An earthquake
occurred the next morning.
• Circular reasoning: A is true because B is
true; B is true because A is true.
– Joe and Fred show up at an exclusive club.
When asked if they are members, Joe says
“I’ll vouch for Fred.” When Joe is asked for
evidence that he’s a member, Fred says, “I’ll
vouch for him”.
• Single cause with multiple effects
– Cause: excessive consumption of sugar
– Effects
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•
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Blood sugar imbalance
Tooth decay
Hyperactivity in children
Weight gain
1.
2.
3.
4.
Smoking
Procrastination
Staying up too late
Watching TV
Exercise strengthens the heart, reduces blood pressure and stress,
and helps you lose weight.
• Cigarette smoke contains nicotine, several cancer
producing or irritating substances and carbon monoxide
gas. As a result, damage to the lining of the bronchial
tubes is much more common among cigarette smokers
than nonsmokers, even when there is no obvious
disease. Some of these changes are considered to be
pre-cancerous. Moreover, lung function is generally
reduced among cigarette smokers. Worst of all, cigarette
smoking is a greater hazard than other factors-such as
community air pollution-in the causation of lung cancer
and chronic bronchitis.
Outline 1: (If we develop in the side-by-side pattern, we have to
keep all the effects, whether negative or positive, at the same
order, just like the organisation below.)
1. The cause: I went back to college after ten years of being a
housewife.
2. Negative effects:
a. My husband feels worried;
b. My children have less care from their mother than before;
c. I do not have enough time to take care of the family.
3. Positive effects:
a. My husband is learning to look after his children;
b. My children are learning to be more independent;
c. I am learning a lot and becoming more intelligent.
Outline 2: ( If we develop the controlling idea in the point-by-point
method, we pair the same object (person) with both positive
and negative effects.)
1. The cause: I went back to college after ten years of being a
housewife.
2. The effects on my husband:
My husband feels worried, but he is learning to look after his
children.
3. The effects on my children
Though my children have less care from their mother than
before, they are learning to be more independent.
4. The effects on myself
I do not have enough time to take care of the family. However, I
am learning a lot and becoming more intelligent.
(1) In some areas of the world, you can find many people live to celebrate
their 100th birthday, and it is not unusual to see people aged 110 to 140
work in the fields with their great-great- grandchildren. (2) What accounts
for this ability to survive to such an old age, and to survive so well? (3)
First of all, hard physical work is a way of life for all of these long lived
people. (4) They begin their long days of physical labor as children and
never seem to stop. (5) Second, they get healthful rewards from the
environment in which they work. (6) They all come from mountainous
regions at elevations of 1,660 to 4,000 meters above sea level. (7) The air is
pollution-free and has less oxygen, which makes the heart and blood
vessel system stronger. (8) Another factor that may contribute to the good
health is their isolation. (9) To a great extent, they are separated from the
pressures and worries of industrial society. (10) Inherited factors also play
some role. (11) Most of the longest-lived people had parents and
grandparents who also lived to be very old. (12) Finally, although these
people don’t eat exactly the same foods, their diets are similar. (13) They
eat little animal meat, but a lot of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains,
cheese, and milk.
• Causal chain
– As the price of everything from toothpaste to
tuition increases, workers demand higher
wages to keep up with rising costs. This can
produce further increases in prices or a
decreased demand for manufactured goods,
or both. Since production tries to keep pace
with demand, a decreased demand is
followed by decreased production. This, in
turn, can lead to layoffs and unemployment,
which further decrease the demand for goods.
The popularity of Wechat
• Three passions
• Shame
• The professor is a dropout
• Some people maintain that doctors should tell
white lies to their patients when asked about
their diseases. To what extent do you agree or
disagree?
• Many young people abroad spend a “gap year”
working or travelling before entering colleges
and universities. What do you think are the
advantages and disadvantages of doing so?
Three Passions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Anguish
Echo
Poverty
Sacrifice
Abyss
Unfathomable
Miniature
8. Wayward
9. Reverberate
10.Torture
11.Rim
12.Famine
13.Mockery
14.Alleviate
Three passions
• Thesis: ____________________
• Body:
– Topic 1: _____________
– Topic 2: _____________
– Topic 3: _____________
• Conclusion: ____________________
Thank You!