The cause/effect essay tries to discover the connections between events, in terms of causes, results, or consequences. You may think about a causal relationship by considering some familiar word combinations: If . . . then; Because of . . . the result was; or the problem . . . could be solved by. However, you must not confuse coincidence or chronological sequence with evidence; this is called post hoc fallacy (believing that the action/event that follows is automatically caused by the first action/event). Also, you must look for causes or effects that go beyond the obvious; be careful not to oversimplify.

While this essay is designated cause/effect, you may write a thesis and paper that focus only on one aspect; in other words, you may focus just on causes or simply on effects. You may also write a paper that incorporates both. In any case, be sure to supply a “so what” conclusion and to use appropriate transitions for each type of paper.

Write about a topic within your knowledge base. Use the following kinds of transitions within paragraphs to help your reader understand your approach:

Finally, logic is an important part of writing this essay. Your book goes into great detail about the kinds of logical mistakes writers make. Pay close attention to each one; then, use careful brainstorming to avoid the problems that result from faulty logic.