Cause and effect is a common way to organize information in a text. Paragraphs structured as cause and effect explain reasons why something happened or the effects of something. These paragraphs can be ordered as causes and effects or as effects and then causes. The cause and effect text structure is generally used in expository and persuasive writing modes.
To put it another way: when an author gives reasons why something happened, he or she is explaining what caused an effect (reasons are causes and the thing that happens is the effect). Also, when a writer explains the results of an action, he or she is explaining the effects of a cause (results are effects and the thing that occurs is the cause). The cause and effect text structure is used so commonly that you have probably written a paragraph using it and not noticed.
Illnesses are caused by germs not temperature.
In the above example, the paragraph explains how germs cause illnesses. The germs are the cause in the paragraph and the illness is the effect.
Here is another example of a paragraph that is written using the cause and effect text structure:
Reasons why you can't chew gum in class
Another Example: Students are not allowed to chew gum in my class. While some students think that I am just being mean, there are many good reasons for this rule. First, some irresponsible students make messes with their gum. They may leave it on the bottoms of desks, drop it on the floor, or put it on other people’s property. Another reason why I don’t allow students to chew gum is because it is a distraction. When they are allowed to chew gum, students are more worried about having it, popping it, chewing it, and snapping it then they are in listening, writing, reading, and learning. This is why I don’t allow students to chew gum in my class.
Identifying a text written using the cause and effect pattern of organization can be tricky. In most stories, events in the plot occur for various reasons, This can be mistaken for the cause and effect text structure; however, stories are organized chronologically, and the information in each passage is more likely to be organized by the time in which each event occurred. Contrarily, cause and effect passages usually focus on explaining the reason why something occurs or occurred, and time will usually not pass in these paragraphs.
Here are some signal words that may indicate that information in a paragraph is organized as cause and effect: because, as a result, resulted, caused, affected, since, due to, effect.
Here is a simple cause and effect worksheet if you need to give your students more practice.
Learn About More Text Structures:
Chronological Order
Compare and Contrast
Problem and Solution
Sequence / Process Writing
Spatial / Descriptive Writing
Learn More About Text Structure
Patterns of Organization
Text Structure Worksheets and Activities
Interactive Text Structure Practice Quiz
All Reading Worksheets
Jo
/ October 4, 2023What happened to the powerpoint for each of the text structures? Powerpoints came with sample paragraphs for practice.
Paye M. Feahn
/ February 25, 2023Short explanation but was good.
Paye Feahn
/ February 25, 2023I will honestly download this site for educational purposes.
RIZIKI APPOLINE
/ February 23, 2022THIS is great! I enjoyed this lesson so much!
MJ
/ February 21, 2022This site is my old faithful. Thank you for all that you do!!
N Burns
/ March 8, 2021Great resource! Thank you. Looking forward to your additional materials.
Miski Bundid
/ February 23, 2021Thank you for this!
Michiko Cruz
/ February 5, 2021This site had greatly helped my 6th-grade daughter with her portfolio in English. Thank you so much.
David McCorkle
/ January 28, 2021I really enjoyed this article. I am teaching 5th grade science and social studies and trying to help my students grasp this is extremely difficult.
This will really help.
John
/ January 16, 2021I found this webiste years ago, before 2014, much before, and every once in a while I want to check it out again and then get scared that I won’t be able to find it, but you’re still here.
I hope you’ve had a lot of success because you’ve given people a lot of interesting things to do in lessons. Thank you!
Mr. Morton
/ January 16, 2021That’s awesome.
I’ve been on the web since 2010.
I plan on keeping the site free and relatively open in perpetuity.
In fact, I’ve got a bunch of new content to add.
Working on it now.
Thank you for being a long time visitor!
Athena
/ February 28, 2021Thank you for sharing all the goodies with us!
Chief louis
/ March 24, 2021Thats crazy Mr. Morton i have been on the web since 2008. It’s a great program and helped me get through my life struggles as a student back then and now teacher of the young. this website is truly amazing.
Mr. Morton
/ March 24, 2021So cool.
Welcome back!
Girlie Grace Santos Desuasido
/ January 15, 2021Thank you so much this helped a lot in discussing the topic in my class. God bless.