Chapter 9 opens by reminding us that we all have a need to ask questions, to know why things are they way they are. Scientists, historians, storytellers, students, and children – all of us think in terms of cause and effect. Cause-effect writing, often called causal analysis is rooted in this elemental need to make connections. Because the drive to understand reasons and results is so fundamental, causal analysis is a common kind of writing.
In order to make effective use of cause-effect as either the dominant or supportive pattern in your writing, consider the following:
- Stay focused on the purpose of your analysis.
- Your purpose and audience determine what supporting material and what tone will be the most effective in your cause-effect essay.
- Think rigorously about causes and effects.
- Write a thesis that focuses the essay on causes, effects, or both.
- Select the organizational pattern that you intend to follow: use either a chronological order or an emphatic sequence, reserving the most significant cause or effect for the end..
- Use language that hints at the complexity of cause-effect relationships.
