When learning to write in a more effective manner, one of the most important steps is understanding the methods needed to write an effective cause and effect paragraph. The reason that this is so important is because it is the foundation of most writing. Nearly every paragraph uses this to some extent because the primary purpose of writing is to convey a particular point. A paragraph is supposed
. to generally follow the structure of using a topic sentence to introduce a paragraph, providing details to support the topic sentence and concluding with a sentence that indicates what the reader was supposed to gain from reading the paragraph. These parts of a paragraph can also be considered in the context of cause and effect. The topic sentence is considered to be the cause or effect. If it is a cause, the sentences that follow are the effect of that cause, and if the topic sentence is an effect, the sentences that follow are the cause of that effect. Once again, the concluding sentence sums up what has been said up until that point in the paragraph. Prior to embarking on the journey of writing a cause and effect paragraph, it is useful to consider the following sample cause and effect paragraph, which includes numbers to indicate the part of the paragraph:
1. The bomb was far more devastating than anyone had imagined. 2. Once the rescue workers walked into the city, it was clear that there were no survivors. The buildings that once stood tall and proud were now nothing more than a pile of rubble. During times of despair, most people turn toward each other for comfort and agree that they will stand together. 3. On this day, however, the losses were so great that nobody said anything at all.
1: This is the topic sentence and the bomb is the cause in the paragraph.
2: The sentences that follow are the effects of the bomb.
3: The concluding sentence is also an effect, but it goes beyond that to leave the reader with a greater understanding of the overall point of the paragraph.
Carefully studying this cause and effect paragraph should allow students to gain a greater understanding of the concepts behind this particular area of writing and the broader importance of structuring paragraphs in the proper manner.More reference links: http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/students/fwalters/cause.html http://dnn.epcc.edu/facultywebpages/jwhiteside/JoyceWhiteside/ParagraphsFeaturing/CauseandEffect/tabid/8324/language/en-US/Default.aspx
