Informational TextUnderstanding Text Structure: 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.

Cause and Effect

Causes and effects are everywhere in our lives:

Because you roll the ball . . .

. . .the bowling pins fall over.

CAUSE

EFFECT

Here’s another simple example:

Cause and Effect

What do you think happened here? What is the cause and what is the effect?

Because someone told a secret . . .

. . . someone else felt sad or betrayed.

CAUSE

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 and Effect

CAUSE CAUSE CAUSE EFFECTEFFECTEFFECT

A cause-and-effect chain is built around a series of causes and effects.

Building a Cause-and-Effect Chain

In other texts—mysteries, for example—you have to figure out the cause-and-effect chain for yourself.

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.

Cause and Effect

Transition words show how events are connected. These words help readers follow the cause-and-effect pattern.

Cause and Effect

“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 . . .”

Cause and Effect Terms

after because so therefore

as a result consequently

sincethen

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 and Effect

CAUSE: Because Louis has special programming . . .

EFFECT/CAUSE: Kevin talks to it like a friend.

EFFECT: It responds like a real person.

CAUSE: Because Louis responds like a real person . . .

A story can have more than one cause-and-effect chain. Sometimes, the chains come together.

Cause and Effect

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.

H. EFFECT:

Complete the cause-and-effect chain for “It Just Keeps Going and Going . . . .” Here’s the beginning of the chain:

Cause and Effect

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.

F. EFFECT:He puts it on the teacher’s desk.

D. EFFECT:The answer key falls onto the floor.

?

Cause and Effect

The End