The Art and Craft of Cause and Effect Essay
A strong foundation supports a good structure
The most common and interesting of all essay formats, cause and effect essays aim at identifying reasons (causes) that manifest an event and then set forth to establish the most probable outcomes (effects). They are a delightful challenge to work at for cerebral writers possessing strong analytical minds with writing skills centered on brevity and clarity. Different in style from the narrative and descriptive essays, they encourage a play with words, making the writing process pleasurable while captivating the readers’ interest.
They can be classified as …
Informative:
Informative essays state all facts and supportive evidence for an event and then analyze all probabilities that can happen. Here, the readers derive their own conclusions based on the information received.
Persuasive:
Persuasive essays are subjective, influenced by the opinion of the essayist. Its purpose is to persuade readers to accept the perspective promulgated. Other perspectives are declared invalid and counterproductive to the issue.
Always make sure that you
– Understand your essay writing style and operate from that paradigm.
– Identify and select a subject, brainstorm and develop an outline with a plan on how the topic will be addressed.
– Understand your subject thoroughly, provide well documented and substantive evidence.
– The opening paragraph must introduce the main idea of the essay.
– Clearly segregate causes and the corresponding effects – organize and interlink them correctly and in order.
The craft that makes for a good essay
The hallmark of a well crafted cause and effect essay is its comprehensive structure and the tone of certainty that makes the cause/effect plausible. For a comprehensive structure, identify causes relevant to the topic and adopt the “Why this happened?” and “What is the reason?” kind of a questioning stance and consider all viewpoints.
State the most direct and relevant cause first. Place other relevant causes in a chronological order on importance and showcase how they relate to one another. Don’t make assumptions while writing and never explain more than necessary.
Remember
‘One idea for one paragraph’ methodology makes for a good organized structure.
The body of the essay must display a strong reasoning and analytical process in operation, backed by evidential data. Justify the analyzed effects arrived at and clearly establish the relationship between the cause and effect, use qualifiers when relationships cannot be proven conclusively. The main idea of the essay must be reflected throughout, with a clear ordering of paragraphs, placed appropriately and logically.
The tone of certainty in writing is what gives it credibility. The essay must be authoritative, professional and consistent in its approach. Avoid the condescending and tongue-in-cheek style of communicating when sharing anecdotes and examples. An essay is perceived by the emotional tone of its writing.
Transition words
Transition words weave an essay seamlessly, making cause and effect essays coherent and comprehensive. It is easier when ideas and concepts are linked and the flow blends perfectly. Use them only when necessary.
Words to use
“therefore”, “thus”, “as a result”, “due to”, “so”, “thereof”, “because”, “consequently”, “first”, “this concludes”, “since”, “for”, “the main reason”.
When the great divide between what you intend to say through your essay and what is perceived gets smaller, the path that leads to effective writing reveals itself to you.