How to Write a Cause and Effect Essay?

If there was a world’s nomination for the most perplexing type of academic paper, that would be a cause-and-effect essay. It is an academic writing challenge that not only hones students’ essential writing skills but also demands the application of analytical and critical thinking – the kind of combination that so many students find confusing. 

The current article will be your guide on the journey from confusion to clarity. It will equip you with valuable insights, tactics, and examples to master crafting compelling cause-and-effect essays.   

What is a Cause and Effect Essay?

A cause-and-effect essay is a type of academic paper that aims to explore the relationships between different subjects, concepts, or events. It investigates the causes of a particular outcome, intentional or unintentional. 

Some cause-and-effect essays focus on analyzing the effects, while others aim to explore the causes. The direction of research primarily depends upon the initial topic. For example:

Focusing on analyzing the effects:

“The Impact of CO2 Emissions on Global Warming”.

Focusing on exploring the cause:

“The Rote Cause of Increased Teens Violence in American High Schools”.

However, what does cause and effect mean from an analytical point of view? 

• It implies identifying primary, secondary, and tertiary causes and effects and arranging them in a logical sequence. 
• It also means exploring complex relationships, where a chain of interconnected events, or causes lead to the known outcome. 
• Additionally, a good analysis in a cause-and-effect essay should reveal multiple contributing factors and organize them in chronological, categorical, or by order of importance.

From the art of writing point of view, a cause-and-effect essay must be written in clear and formal language. The writer must stay objective and avoid expressing personal opinions and using first-person pronouns.    

Quick Guide to Cause and Effect Paper Writing

As with any academic writing, the key success factor is the organization. If you start writing without adequate preparation, as seasoned writers say ‘cold,’ the result will be mediocre at best. No matter how well you think you know the topic, you should still put a significant effort into researching it to come up with cause-and-effect essay ideas on the scope and focus of your paper.

To help you stay on your toes and approach cause and effect writing with confidence, we’ve prepared this quick step-by-step guide:

Example of Cause and Effect Essay Template

One of the most critical steps in the guide above is step #3 – an outline. Making it right ensures that you know how to start a cause and effect essay, as you’ll have all the structural elements ready to be placed where they’re needed. Consider the following template for your cause-and-effect essay: 

1. Introduction:
   • Introduce the theme or subject of your paper.
   • Give some background info to provide readers with a bit of context.
   • Present a clear thesis statement that underpins the cause-and-effect relationships you will analyze and explain.
2. Body Paragraphs:
   • Each paragraph should focus on a cause (first paragraph) or a specific effect.
   • Back up each effect with examples, evidence, and relevant details.
   • The final paragraph(s) should be devoted to possible counterarguments (effects contradicting your thesis statement).
3. Conclusion:
   • Summarize the key outcomes and reiterate the thesis.
   • Highlight the significance of the cause-and-effect relationships discovered.
   • Provide suggestions for further research and discussion, if applicable.

Cause and Effect Essay Prompts

It often happens so that students get a list of cause-and-effect essay prompts to start with. While it eliminates the need to ponder over a good topic, on the other hand, one still has to read carefully, analyze, and pick the most suitable prompt. In doing so, it is important to identify the so-called keywords and action words. Let us illustrate by an example using a hypothetical prompt:

The Effects of Unemployment Status on Mental Health. Analyze the psychological effect of long-term unemployment status on an individual’s mental health. Range the effects and factors you identify by the order of importance.  

The keywords in the prompt above are long-term unemployment status, effects, factors, and mental health. The action that you are expected to perform is to analyze the effect of long-term unemployment on an individual’s mental health and to range the effects you’ll identify by the order of importance.

Knowing what is expected of you will give you a clear understanding of whether this particular task is doable for you, and whether its scope and subject are within the range of your expertise.

The Impact of External Factors

One of the most controversial aspects of writing a cause-and-effect essay is the inclusion of external factors. The essay format per se stipulates simplicity and compact size, so accounting for external factors may seem like an unjustified overcomplication. However, the cause-and-effect analysis cannot be complete without proper accounting for all factors at play, including external factors. 

Therefore, carefully weigh all the pros and cons before deciding to include external factors in your specific essay: 

Final Remarks

A cause-and-effect essay is your ultimate trainer of academic writing and analytical skills. In high school and college, you may occasionally be tasked with writing this type of essay, so it’s essential to be fully prepared to excel in this assignment compared to your classmates. Arm yourself with the quick step-by-step guide, outline template, and tips from this article, ensuring that each cause-and-effect essay assignment that comes your way will be an opportunity to showcase your analytical prowess and writing talent.