1. Understanding Text Structure: Cause and Effect
Informational Text
Understanding Text Structure: Cause and Effect

2. EFFECT CAUSE Cause and Effect
When you want something to happen, you take action. You cause an event to occur. The event that occurs is the effect of your action.
Causes and effects are everywhere in our lives:
Because you roll the ball . . .
EFFECT
CAUSE
. . .the bowling pins fall over.

3. Cause and Effect
Here’s another simple example:
What do you think happened here? What is the cause and what is the effect?
CAUSE
EFFECT
Because someone told a secret . . .
. . . someone else felt sad or betrayed.

4. Cause and Effect
Often one event causes many other events. These events, or effects, may happen in a chain pattern—one effect causing yet another effect.
CAUSE
CAUSE
EFFECT
EFFECT
CAUSE
EFFECT
A cause-and-effect chain is built around a series of causes and effects.
Building a Cause-and-Effect Chain

5. Cause and Effect
Sometimes a cause-and-effect pattern in a text is clear. The writer tells you that Event A caused Event B, which caused Event C, and so on.
In other texts—mysteries, for example—you have to figure out the cause-and-effect chain for yourself.

6. Cause and Effect
Transition words show how events are connected. These words help readers follow the cause-and-effect pattern.
Cause and Effect Terms
after
because so
therefore
as a result
consequently
then
since
“He finds mistakes in the midterm answer key, so he tosses it into the trash. Since the trash is overflowing, the answer key falls onto the floor. Then the teacher feels a headache coming on and goes home.”
—”It Just Keeps Going and Going . . .”

7. Cause and Effect
In “User Friendly,” when Kevin starts treating his computer, Louis, like a real person, he sets a chain of causes and effects in motion.
CAUSE: Because Louis has special programming . . .
EFFECT: It responds like a real person.
CAUSE: Because Louis responds like a real person . . .
EFFECT/CAUSE: Kevin talks to it like a friend.

8. Cause and Effect
A story can have more than one cause-and-effect chain. Sometimes, the chains come together.
CAUSE: Louis has special programming.
CAUSE: Kevin talks to Ginny in school.
CAUSE/EFFECT: Kevin talks to Louis like a real person.
CAUSE/EFFECT: Ginny labels Kevin a “nerdy kid.”
CAUSE/EFFECT: Kevin complains to Louis about Ginny.

9. Cause and Effect
Complete the cause-and-effect chain for “It Just Keeps Going and Going ” Here’s the beginning of the chain:
A. CAUSE:
Because the answer key is wrong . . .
C. CAUSE:
Because the trash can is full . . .
E. CAUSE:
Because the custodian finds the answer key on the floor . . .
G. CAUSE:
Because the custodian puts the answer key on the desk . . .
B. EFFECT:
The teacher tosses it into a full trash can.
D. EFFECT:
The answer key falls onto the floor.
F. EFFECT:
He puts it on the teacher’s desk.
H. EFFECT: ?

10. Cause and Effect
The End