Reading a Cause-Effect Paragraph and Essay
Before you explore the causes and effects of a specific situation that interests you, you'll want to see how other students explored their topics. Read the cause-effect paragraph and essay in this lesson and answer the questions about them. Think about how the writer puts ideas together and how you might, as well.
Reading a Cause-Effect Paragraph
A cause-effect paragraph explains the causes and effects of a certain event, condition, or occurrence. The topic sentence introduces a cause-effect connection. The body sentences give examples of specific causes or effects. The ending sentence sums up the cause-effect relationship.
Sample Cause-Effect Paragraph
California’s Fresh Water Shortage
Topic SentenceA fresh water shortage is changing the way Californians live and do business. California’s fresh water is in short supply due to a record drought and rising temperatures.Body Sentences As a result, the state’s government enforced restrictions on water usage for cities and residents. Farmers have been forced to use costly groundwater reserves to grow crops. Snowless mountains have hurt the tourism industry, especially ski resorts. Meanwhile, drying forests increase the chances of dangerous wildfires. Ending SentenceWithout rain, Californians must continue to take measures to conserve fresh water.
Respond to the cause-effect paragraph.
Answer these questions about the reading. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.
- What cause-effect relationship does the paragraph explore?
- Does the paragraph focus mostly on the causes or effects of the topic?
The paragraph explores the causes and effects of California’s fresh water shortage.
The paragraph focuses mostly on the effects of the water shortage.