CAUSAL ESSAY
IMPORTANT NOTES TO WRITE A
GOOD DETAILED PAPER
This presentation was created following the Fair Use Guidelines for
Educational Multimedia. Certain materials are included under the
Fair Use exemption of the U.S. Copyright Law.
Further use of these materials and this presentation is restricted.
Cause and Effect
 Cause makes something happen
 Effect is what happens as a result of the
Cause
 Ideas and events are connected in a
Cause/Effect relationship
 Even an insignificant event can cause
unexpected or even disastrous effects/results
What caused the tragedy of
Oedipus Rex?
 You need to decide in your opinion what
happened to bring about the tragedy of
Oedipus.
 Then you have to logically explain the cause
and effect of the tragedy.
DETAILS AND SUPPORT
 Make sure you include “quotes” and your
own paraphrasing from the play to support
your thoughts about what caused the tragedy
of Oedipus; moreover, explain WHY the
quote or paraphrase supports your opinion!
 You have to personally analyze, not just
copy, what someone else has written.
 Keep in mind that your paper is a Causal Essay.
Show the domino effect, the chain reaction or the
ripple effect of one action or event leading to
another. It must make sense and flow from one to
the other – CAUSE AND EFFECT!
ONE DROP CAUSES…
Strike or a spare?????
A Chain reaction…
Never ASSUME!
 It is perfectly okay to think your reader
is “clueless” about the topic!
 Make sure you use specific details and
explain your meaning and reasons for
using them thoroughly.
CITATIONS
 You must include an in-text citation for
everything that you get from the book,
the internet, the dictionary, notes,
anywhere or anyone (your teacher
included). Use the MLA directions
given to you in your agenda book and
available on the school website on the
LMC page.
Cite your Quotes and
Paraphrasing from the Text
In-text citations:
Make sure you cite each paraphrase, direct quote, fact, statistic,
etc. that you found in your research.
If you used someone else’s ideas, thoughts, facts,
anything at all that came from someone else’s
brain, you MUST cite it!!!
You must have a minimum of 3 in-text citations.
WRITING REMINDERS
Content should be clear and
AWESOME, but please do not forget
the “rules” and expectations for good
writing that are easily found and
corrected!
No Contractions
Do not use contractions (isn’t, wasn’t, I’m, he’s,
you’ve, etc.). You may use them in dialogue only.
(Slim said, “You’ve got to leave that pup alone.”)
Using contractions can cause spelling errors (“there”
for “they’re”, “your” for “you’re”); therefore, you
may NOT use them at all except in dialogue.
Check spelling if you do use them in dialogue.
Careful authors checkSpelling:
Use the spell check and grammar check. These tools will not
catch all errors so read your paper to make sure you have
spelled and used grammar correctly.
Punctuation:
Check punctuation. Be careful about Fragments and Run-on
sentences. Comma use is the biggest problem, so check your
rule sheets in your grammar!
VERB Tense
Stay in past or present tense the entire paper.
(If you begin using “was”, “were”, “had been”, “has
been”, “said”, “walked”, “spoke” etc., continue in
PAST tense.
If you begin using “is”, “are”, “say(s)”, “walk”,
“speak(s)” etc., continue in PRESENT tense.)
(may refer to grammar unit 4 in your packet)
CONCLUSION
 Wrap it up with a “bow”- write a conclusion
that addresses your point in an interesting
way.
 Summarize your paper. Make an evaluative
statement. Do not just regurgitate your thesis
statement from the introduction!
 Must be 4-5 sentences just like your other
paragraphs.
Works Cited Page
 You must have a works cited page (page 3 of your Causal
Essay)
 THE WORKS CITED PAGE
 The last page of a research paper is similar to a
bibliography page. It contains an alphabetical list of all
the sources cited within the paper. The student’s last
name should be in the upper right hand corner, ½ inch
from the top followed by the last page number of the
essay. The heading Works Cited must be centered at
the top of the page, 1 inch from the top double space,
then list the sources alphabetized according to the first
letter of the first word of the entry (not including the
words a, an, or the). numbers.
CITATION
 Every line of the entries must be double-spaced with the first line
at the margin and all other lines indented five spaces (hanging
indent).
 A work in an anthology or collection: (see agenda
book)
Author of selection. “Title.” Copyright of essay. name of
book/collection. Editor. City: Publishing company,
Copyright of book.
The following is a sample of the type of entry for the
Lit. Book. *Note punctuation.
• Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. 429 B.C. Elements of Literature: World
Literature. Ed. Patricia McCambridge. Austin: Holt, Rinehart
and
Winston. 2006. Print.
GOOD IDEA!
READ YOUR PAPER ALOUD
TO YOURSELF TO SEE IF IT
SOUNDS LOGICAL AND
FLOWS FROM BEGINNING
TO END (do this every now and
then while writing the essay and
then when you are finished).