Cause and Effect Ally Knaust Hollie Tanel Jenni Kozlowski

What is cause and effect? Process describes how something happens Analyzes why something happens Essays examine causes, describe effects or do both. Like narration, links situations and events together in time, with causes preceding effects.

In a paragraph: Cause Effect

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Causes Main cause: most important Contributory causes: less important Ex: Main Cause: Roof design Effect: Roof Collapse Contributory Cause: Weight of Snow

Causes Cont. Immediate cause: closely precedes an effect and is therefore relatively easy to recognize. Remote cause: less obvious; involves something in the past or far away Ex: Immediate Cause: Weight of Snow Effect: Roof Collapse Possible remote causes: roof design, roof materials, repairs not made

Understanding Causal Chains NOT CASUAL, say it with me… Sometimes an effect can also be a cause The result of one action is the cause of another. Leaving out any link in the chain, or putting any link in improper order, destroys the logic and continuity of the chain.

Diagram of Causal Chains Telephone/Wave A Cause B Effect (cause ) C Effect (cause) D Effect (cause) E Effec t

Avoiding Post Hoc Reasoning Post hoc reasoning: A precedes event B, then event A has caused event B This is an illogical assumption. Example: – The picture on Jim's old TV set goes out of focus. Jim goes over and strikes the TV soundly on the side and the picture goes back into focus. Jim tells his friend that hitting the TV fixed it.

Possible Writing Prompts Explain how ones actions effect other people. Explain how can Obama’s decisions effect the people living in the United States. Explain some causes and effects of drinking and driving. What effects would there be on your life if you didn’t go to school? (college, family, etc.)

Citations Nizkor, "Fallacy: Post Hoc". The Nizkor Project. 8 Nov Kirszner, Laurie G.. Patterns for College Writing. Boston, MA: Bedford/ St. Martin's, 2007.