Writing to Show Cause and Effect:
Write an academic essay where you show a clear relationship between cause and effect, with a topic chosen from your major field of study, your work life, or your personal life. Here are some examples of topics from your textbook and from successful student papers:
• Causes of symptoms or conditions (medicine and health—autism, ADHD, cancer, sports injuries)
• Causes of student success or failure, effects of teaching methods or tools (online learning, adult learners, returning students, homeschooling)
• Causes of business growth and failure, marketing, business trends
• Causes and effects of climate change, ecological change, scientific phenomena
(adapted from Russell 196)
You may have other ideas and are not sure how to use them in a cause and effect essay.
Feel free to ask about getting ideas to help shape your topic into a Cause and Effect framework.
•You will write your essay in the third person.
•Use the APUS Online Library article databases, no open web sources.
•You need a minimum of three sources for your essay.
•Integrate the sources using MLA format.
•All essays should be 500-1000 words, in MLA format.
•Remember to include your checklist.
Essay 4: Cause & Effect – Writer’s Checklist
Write your responses in complete sentences.
1.What is the cause or effect you are analyzing in your thesis?
2.How have you explained the cause-and-effect relationship?
3.Have I organized my causes and/or effects logically?
4.Have I concluded my essay effectively?
5.Identify one change you have made as a result of proofreading your essay?