Cause & Effect text
Structure
Another text structure
Sometimes, a writer will want to explain
how one event leads to another
 This kind of text structure is called cause
and effect

Cause and effect signal words
cause
 effect
 as a result
consequently
 so
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More Signal Words
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Cause
Effect
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Because
The reason for
On account of
Bring about
Give rise to
Created by
Contributed by
Led to
Due to
Since
As a result
Outcome
Finally
Consequently
Therefore
For this reason
Hence
Effect
Then
So
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Can you find the signal words?
The night’s snowstorm had many
effects. People were out shoveling snow
from their sidewalks. The power lines
were draped with ice. Snow plows
drove down every street. Children
were the happiest of all. The
unexpected snow caused school to be
cancelled!
Can you find the effect words?
The night’s snowstorm had many
effects. People were out shoveling snow
from their sidewalks. The power lines
were draped with ice. Snow plows
drove down every street. Children
were the happiest of all. The
unexpected snow caused school to be
cancelled!
Use signal words to identify which is
the cause and which is the effect.
Baby painted turtles spend all winter
in their nests. They have special
chemicals in their blood that can keep
their blood from freezing. As a result,
baby painted turtles can survive
freezing temperatures!
More with cause and effect
Baby painted turtles spend all winter
in their nests. They have special
chemicals in their blood that can keep
their blood from freezing. As a result,
baby painted turtles can survive
freezing temperatures!
This is the
cause
Use the signal words to identify the
cause and effect in this paragraph.
Baby painted turtles spend all winter
in their nests. They have special
chemicals in their blood that can keep
their blood from freezing. As a result,
baby painted turtles can survive
freezing temperatures!
This is the
effect
But sometimes it’s not so simple

Cause/Effect is not
always written in the
sequence format.

Cause and effect
also analyzes why
something happens.

Cause-and-effect
essays examine
causes, describe
effects, or do both.

In the following
passage from a New
York Times column
entitled "The Pump
on the Well," Tom
Wicker considers the
effects of a
technological
advance on a village
in India.
See if you can identify the Causes &
Effects.
When a solar-powered water pump was provided for a
well in India, the village headman took it over and sold
the water, until stopped. The new liquid abundance
attracted hordes of unwanted nomads. Village boys
who had drawn water in buckets had nothing to do,
and some became criminals. The gap between rich
and poor widened, since the poor had no land to
benefit from irrigation. Finally, village women broke the
pump, so they could gather again around the well that
had been the center of their social lives. Moral:
technological advances have social, cultural
sentence and economic consequences, often
unanticipated.
See if you can identify the Causes &
Effects.
CAUSES: When a solar-powered water pump was
provided for a well in India, the village headman took it
over and sold the water, until stopped. The new
liquid abundance attracted hordes of unwanted
nomads. Village boys who had drawn water in buckets
had nothing to do, and some became criminals. The
gap between rich and poor widened, since the poor
had no land to benefit from irrigation. Finally, village
women broke the pump, so they could gather again
around the well that had been the center of their social
lives. Moral: technological advances have social,
cultural sentence and economic consequences, often
unanticipated.
See if you can identify the Causes &
Effects.
When a solar-powered water pump was provided for a
well in India, the village headman took it over and sold
the water, until stopped. The new liquid abundance
attracted hordes of unwanted nomads. Village boys
who had drawn water in buckets had nothing to do,
and some became criminals. The gap between rich
and poor widened, since the poor had no land to
benefit from irrigation.
Effects: Finally, village
women broke the pump, so they could gather again
around the well that had been the center of their social
lives. Moral: technological advances have social,
cultural, and economic consequences, often
unanticipated.

Cause-and-effect analysis explains why
something happened--or is happening--and it predicts what probably will
happen.
Sometimes many different causes can
be responsible for one effect.
 Similarly, many different effects can be
produced by a single cause.

For Example:

Many elements may contribute to an
individual's decision to leave his or her native
country and come to the United States.

Causes
Political repression
Desire to join family members
Desire for economic opportunity
Desire for religious freedom
Effect
Immigrants come to US

Immigration, for instance, has had a variety of effects
on the United States.

Cause
Immigrants come to
the United States
Effects
Diverse culture
New goods and services
Housing shortages
Challenges to education
New political agendas
Review
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Which text structure tells about how things are
similar and different?
Compare and contrast
Which text structure introduces a main idea and
several supporting details?
Description
Which text structure discusses a problem and
possible solutions?
Problem/Solution
What does the cause/effect text structure
explain?
EXIT SLIP

How do you determine whether or not an
article is an example of the cause/effect
text structure?

This presentation was adapted from the Power Point
presentation, “Understanding Text Structures,” by Emily
Kissner.

Follow the links to find the original information:

http://www.slideshare.net/elkissn/understanding-textstructures

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Understan
ding-Text-Structure-Powerpoint