Cause & Effect Language
Cause Language:
1. Verbs
Cause Noun Phrase
EX.
Effect Noun Phrase
Tornadoes cause a great deal of damage.
NP(cause)
EX.
EX.
contributes to
results in
leads to
produces
is responsible for
is the reason for
cause(s)
VP(of cause) NP(someone/sthg)
Infinitive(to do sthg).
Poor parenting does not cause people to become mentally ill.
Overwork and emotional exhaustion may cause healthcare professionals to burn out.
2. Phrases
Phrasal Subordinating CONJ. with prepositions
Because of ___________________, ___________________________.
Due to ___________________, ___________________________.
Owing to ___________________, ___________________________.
As a result of ___________________, ___________________________.
As a consequence of ___________________, ___________________________.
Subordinating Phrase of Cause (comma), Ind. Clause of Effect (period).
EX.
Because of strong winds, tornadoes destroy everything in their path.
OR
Ind. Clause of Effect (no comma!) Subordinating Phrase of Cause.
EX.
Healthcare workers tend to burn out due to internal and external factors.
3. Clauses
Dep. Subordinating Clause of Cause (comma), Ind. Clause of effect (period).
Because ___________________, ___________________________.
Since ___________________, ___________________________.
As ___________________, ___________________________.
Inasmuch as ___________________, ___________________________.
EX. Because healthcare professionals are exposed to a number of emotionally demanding
situations for long periods of time, burnout is common in the healthcare sector.
OR
Ind. Clause of effect (no comma!) Dep. Subordinating Clause of Cause (period).
EX. Burnout is common in the healthcare sector because healthcare professionals are exposed
to a number of emotionally demanding situations for long periods of time.
Dep. ADV Conditional Clause of Cause (comma), Ind. Clause of effect (period).
If ___________________, ___________________________.
When ___________________, ___________________________.
EX.
If the river rises much higher, the crops will be flooded.
OR
Ind. Clause of Effect (no comma!) Dep. ADV Conditional Clause of Cause (period).
EX.
Evaporation occurs when the sun radiates heat.
Stating Causes: Using the examples (1-3) as a guide, complete the following sentences to state
the causes.
1. (Ind.Clause of effect) People can get hypothermia _(Dep.Clause)_if/when/since/because
they are overexposed to extremely cold temperatures.
2. (Ind.Clause of effect) People can suffer hypothermia _(phrase of cause)_because of /due
to_ overexposure to extremely cold temperatures.
3. (Noun Phrase of Cause) Overexposure to extremely cold temperatures can
_(verb)_cause _(phrasal verb)_lead to / result in_ hypothermia.
OR
(N phrase of cause) Extreme homework assignments cause (N phrase of effect)
students to become tired.
4. Children develop teeth that resist decay _____ the fluoridation of water. (phrase marker)
5. Fewer children get cavities ____ fluorides are added to the city water. (clause marker)
6. The jet streams (extremely strong winds at certain high altitudes) have great importance
to aviation ____ they affect the speeds of high-altitude flights. (clause marker but not
conditional)
7. ____ the effects of the jet streams on the speed of high-altitude flights, these extremely
strong winds have great importance to aviation. (phrase marker)
8. ______ the differences in temperature and humidity between air masses, storms develop.
(phrase marker)
9. Storms develop _____ the differences in temperature and humidity between air masses.
(phrase marker)
10. Storms occur _____ there are differences in temperature and humidity between air
masses. (clause marker)
Now You Try:
A. Practice writing your own sentences on the topic of stress: what are the causes of student
stress?
(Verb Marker)
A major change in eating habits causes most people stress. (or causes most people to become
stressed.)
(Phrase Marker)
Employees are stressed because of the beginning or ending of work.
(Clause Marker)
Because they have major changes in their living conditions, students become stressed.
Students become stressed because they have major changes in their living conditions.
Because a teacher decided to give a pop-quiz today, students become stressed.
Students become stressed because a teacher decided to give a pop-quiz today.
Students become stressed because the final exam is coming.
B. Then, if you were to write an essay on the causes of student stress, how would you organize
the causes for your paper?
Effect Language:
Verbs
results from
is a/the result of
is a/the consequence of
is caused by
is an/the effect of
follows from
is due to
EX. (effect) The major mental illnesses are caused by (cause) biological factors.
EX. The students’ irritable attitudes are a result of a lack of sleep. This exhaustion is caused
by staying up all night to complete an assignment that is due the next day.
More examples:
(effect) Being tired in class is caused by (cause) a lack of sleep the night before.
Health problems may be caused by a change in eating habits.
(effect) Students become stressed as a result of (cause) a lack of sleep, poor eating habits, and
emotional upheaval.
(cause) A lack of sleep, poor eating habits, and emotional upheaval are the effects of (cause)
students becoming stressed.
Stress is a result of sleep problems.
Connectors/ADV CONJ (Try to use semicolons here.)
As a result,
Consequently,
Therefore,
Thus,
EX. More brain research is being conducted; thus, we know more about mental illnesses today.
EX. Students sit in class completely exhausted; consequently, they don’t pay attention to the
lesson.
More examples:
He has never been to the United States; thus, he knows very little about it.
Sometimes people have a change in eating habits. As a result, students may develop health
problems.
Students are lacking sleep in the night; therefore, they fall asleep in class.
(cause) Sometimes students experience stress while in college; (effect) as a result, students may
develop health problems.