Cause and Effect Chapter 10

A process essay describes HOW something happened A process essay describes HOW something happened. A cause and effect essay analyzes WHY something happens.

Why is Phil a Spartan. What caused him to be admitted to MSU Why is Phil a Spartan? What caused him to be admitted to MSU? What was the effect of earning admittance?

Cause and effect essays can focus on a variety of causes and how those causes produce one effect. OR Cause and effect essays can focus on one cause and how it produces a variety of effects.

Read and be prepared to discuss “The Case of the Losing Team” and The Case of the Declining SAT Scores” on pages 322-323.

Even if there are several causes, there is always one “main cause” and the others are considered contributory or less important. You must determine the “main cause” before you write a cause and effect essay!

Immediate Causes = closely precedes an effect and therefore is relatively easy to recognize. Remote Causes = Less obvious perhaps because it involves something in the past or far away

Causal Chain – when the effect can also be the cause Causal Chain – when the effect can also be the cause. Think Hamlet – one action caused an effect, which caused another action, which produced another effect, etc

Avoid Post Hoc Reasoning You cannot assume that just because event A precedes event B that event A has caused event B. Example: I stubbed my toe this morning and as a result I haven’t been able to read any essays.

Reading Practice - Chapter 10 “Who Killed Benny Paret. ” – pg Reading Practice - Chapter 10 “Who Killed Benny Paret?” – pg. 339 “The ‘Black Table’ Is Still There” – pg 349 “A Peaceful Woman Explains Why She Carries a Gun” – pg 354

Cause and Effect Practice Use a cause and effect graphic organizer to show the causes and effects of the three assigned reading selections. Due at the end of the hour.