IDENTIFYING CAUSE AND EFFECT
Some fish can be described as doing the work of dentists, because they clean fungi and bacteria from the teeth of larger fish.
Because the wind carries smog to remote areas, some days the smog in the Arctic can rival that of Los Angeles.
What do both of these situations have in common? In each case, one event brought about a second event. When one event leads to another event, you have a cause-and-effect relationship.
- The cause is why something happens.
- The effect is what happens; it's the result.
You use cause and effect every day when you solve problems and make decisions. As a result, understanding causes and effects is extremely important in both day-to-day living and long-range planning. Learning to identify cause and effect relationships can help you undeerstand what has happened.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
To recognize cause and effect relationships, follow these guidelines:
- Look for stated cause-and-effect relationships
The cause always happens before the effect: something happens, which leads to a result. Sometimes the writer clearly states what makes something happen and why it happens. But the cause and effect are not have to be presented in order in the passage. The effect may be presented first, even though the cause occurred earlier. For example:
- The North Pole has 24 hours of daylight on the first day of the summer, because the sun never drops below the horizon on that day.
- Effect: the North Pole has 24 hours of daylight on the first day of summer Cause: the sun never drops below the horizon on that day
- Look for unstated cause-and-effect relationships
In some paragraphs, the cause-and-effect relationship is not directly stated. In these cases, you will have to "read between the lines" to find the cause-and-effect relationship. Use clues from the paragraph to identify a cause-and-effect relationship.
- To find the effect, ask yourself: "What happened?"
- To find the cause, ask yourself: "Why did it happen?"
- Look for signal words
Look for the signal words that show cause-and-effect relationships. Here are some common words that frequently signal cause and effect :
because so so that if...then consequently thus since for for this reason as a result therefore due to this is how nevertheless
- Look for effects that are also causes
Effects can form a chain in which one effect goes on to cause a second effect, which may then cause a third effect and so on. Study this example:
When people cut down trees to clear land, they destroy the habitats of birds. This reduces the number of nest sites. As a result, fewer baby birds are hatched, and the bird population declines.
- Cause 1: People cut down trees.
- Effect 1: The habitats of birds are destroyed.
- Effect 2: The number of nest sites is reduced.
- Effect 3: Fewer baby birds are hatched.
- Effect 4: The bird population declines.
TRY IT!
Identify the cause and effect in each sentence.
1. Because wetland areas soak up rainwater like a sponge, they provide water storage and flood protection.
2. The Everglades was dammed and drained; consequently, wildlife was devastated.
Click here to check your answers to TRY IT!
To practice what you've just learned, go to Worksheet 9.1
To learn about another reading strategy, go to Reading Strategy 9.2
Reading Strategy 9.1 | Worksheet 9.1
Reading Strategy 9.2 | Worksheet 9.2
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Pearson Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.
Privacy Statement, Terms of Use, Permissions
