examples of cause and effect essays for high school

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Cause And Effect Essay Guide

Cause And Effect Essay Examples

Best Cause and Effect Essay Examples To Get Inspiration + Simple Tips

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How To Write A Cause and Effect Essay - Outline & Examples

230+ Cause and Effect Essay Topics to Boost Your Academic Writing

How to Create a Cause and Effect Outline - An Easy Guide

You need to write a cause and effect essay for your assignment. Well, where should you start?

Establishing a relationship between causes and effects is no simple task. You need to ensure logical connections between variables with credible evidence.

However, don't get overwhelmed by the sound of it. You can start by reading some great cause and effect essay examples. 

In this blog, you can read cause and effect essays to get inspiration and learn how to write them. With these resources, you'll be able to start writing an awesome cause and effect paper.

Let’s dive in!

• 1. What is a Cause and Effect Essay?
• 2. Cause and Effect Essay Examples for Students
• 3. Free Cause and Effect Essay Samples
• 4. Cause and Effect Essay Topics
• 5. Tips For Writing a Good Cause and Effect Essay

What is a Cause and Effect Essay?

A cause and effect essay explores why things happen (causes) and what happens as a result (effects). This type of essay aims to uncover the connections between events, actions, or phenomena. It helps readers understand the reasons behind certain outcomes.

In a cause and effect essay, you typically:

• Identify the Cause: Explain the event or action that initiates a chain of events. This is the "cause."
• Discuss the Effect: Describe the consequences or outcomes resulting from the cause.
• Analyze the Relationship: Clarify how the cause leads to the effect, showing the cause-and-effect link.

Cause and effect essays are common in various academic disciplines. For instance, studies in sciences, history, and the social sciences rely on essential cause and effect questions. For instance, "what are the effects of climate change?", or "what are the causes of poverty?"

Now that you know what a cause and effect is, let’s read some examples.

Cause and Effect Essay Examples for Students

Here is an example of a well-written cause and effect essay on social media. Let’s analyze it in parts to learn why it is good and how you can write an effective essay yourself. 

The essay begins with a compelling hook that grabs the reader's attention. It presents a brief overview of the topic clearly and concisely. The introduction covers the issue and ends with a strong thesis statement , stating the essay's main argument – that excessive use of social media can negatively impact mental health.

The first body paragraph sets the stage by discussing the first cause - excessive social media use. It provides data and statistics to support the claim, which makes the argument more compelling. The analysis highlights the addictive nature of social media and its impact on users. This clear and evidence-based explanation prepares the reader for the cause-and-effect relationship to be discussed.

The second body paragraph effectively explores the effect of excessive social media use, which is increased anxiety and depression. It provides a clear cause-and-effect relationship, with studies backing the claims. The paragraph is well-structured and uses relatable examples, making the argument more persuasive. 

The third body paragraph effectively introduces the second cause, which is social comparison and FOMO. It explains the concept clearly and provides relatable examples. It points out the relevance of this cause in the context of social media's impact on mental health, preparing the reader for the subsequent effect to be discussed.

The fourth body paragraph effectively explores the second effect of social comparison and FOMO, which is isolation and decreased self-esteem. It provides real-world consequences and uses relatable examples. 

The conclusion effectively summarizes the key points discussed in the essay. It restates the thesis statement and offers practical solutions, demonstrating a well-rounded understanding of the topic. The analysis emphasizes the significance of the conclusion in leaving the reader with a call to action or reflection on the essay's central theme.

This essay follows this clear cause and effect essay structure to convey the message effectively:

Read our cause and effect essay outline blog to learn more about how to structure your cause and effect essay effectively.

Free Cause and Effect Essay Samples

The analysis of the essay above is a good start to understanding how the paragraphs in a cause and effect essay are structured. You can read and analyze more examples below to improve your understanding.

Cause and Effect Essay Elementary School

Cause and Effect Essay For College Students

Short Cause and Effect Essay Sample

Cause and Effect Essay Example for High School

Cause And Effect Essay IELTS

Bullying Cause and Effect Essay Example

Cause and Effect Essay Smoking

Cause and Effect Essay Topics

Wondering which topic to write your essay on? Here is a list of cause and effect essay topic ideas to help you out.

• The Effects of Social Media on Real Social Networks
• The Causes And Effects of Cyberbullying
• The Causes And Effects of Global Warming
• The Causes And Effects of WW2
• The Causes And Effects of Racism
• The Causes And Effects of Homelessness
• The Causes and Effects of Parental Divorce on Children.
• The Causes and Effects of Drug Addiction
• The Impact of Technology on Education
• The Causes and Consequences of Income Inequality

Need more topics? Check out our list of 150+ cause and effect essay topics to get more interesting ideas.

Tips For Writing a Good Cause and Effect Essay

Reading and following the examples above can help you write a good essay. However, you can make your essay even better by following these tips.

• Choose a Clear and Manageable Topic: Select a topic that you can explore thoroughly within the essay's word limit. A narrowly defined topic will make it easier to establish cause-and-effect relationships.
• Research and Gather Evidence: Gather relevant data, statistics, examples, and expert opinions to support your arguments. Strong evidence enhances the credibility of your essay.
• Outline Your Essay: Create a structured outline that outlines the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. This will provide a clear roadmap for your essay and help you present causes and effects clearly and coherently.
• Transitional Phrases: Use transitional words and phrases like "because," "due to," "as a result," "consequently," and "therefore" to connect causes and effects within your sentences and paragraphs.
• Support Each Point: Dedicate a separate paragraph to each cause and effect. Provide in-depth explanations, examples, and evidence for each point.
• Proofread and Edit: After completing the initial draft, carefully proofread your essay for grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors. Additionally, review the content for clarity, coherence, and flow.
• Peer Review: Seek feedback from a peer or someone familiar with the topic to gain an outside perspective. They can help identify any areas that need improvement.
• Stay Focused: Avoid going off-topic or including irrelevant information. Stick to the causes and effects you've outlined in your thesis statement.
• Revise as Needed: Don't hesitate to make revisions and improvements as needed. The process of revising and refining your essay is essential for producing a high-quality final product. 

To Sum Up , 

Cause and effect essays are important for comprehending the intricate relationships that shape our world. With the help of the examples and tips above, you can confidently get started on your essay. 

If you still need further help, you can hire a professional writer to help you out. At MyPerfectWords.com , we’ve got experienced and qualified essay writers who can help you write an excellent essay on any topic and for all academic levels.

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10 Cause and Effect Essay Examples to Inspire Your Writing

Cause and effect essays are common in school and require students to look at why something happened and what came from it. These types of essays can be challenging to write, especially for students who are new to the genre. Fortunately, there are many  cause and effect essay  examples available to help guide you through the writing process. That being said, we have compiled a list of 10 excellent cause and effect essay examples that are sure to inspire your writing.

Table of Contents

10 Examples to Help You Get an Idea of How to Write a Cause and Effect Essay

These cause and effect essay examples cover a variety of topics and illustrate different approaches to the structure and content. Let’s get to read them all!

Example 1: Extract of the Cause and Effect Essay on Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity is a serious issue that’s becoming more and more common in many parts of the world. According to the World Health Organization, it has become a worldwide epidemic, with over 40 million children under five who are overweight or obese. This essay looks into the causes of childhood obesity and how it affects the health and well-being of kids.

One of the main causes of childhood obesity is a sedentary lifestyle. Children who spend too much time watching television, playing video games, or using electronic devices are at higher risk of becoming overweight or obese. The lack of physical activity can also contribute to a slower metabolism, which means that the body burns fewer calories.

Another reason is the unhealthy diet. Kids can be at risk of obesity because of their diet. Unhealthy foods that are high in calories, fat, and sugar are easier to get and cheaper, so children tend to eat more of them. The sizes of fast food and restaurant meals have grown too, which means children are eating bigger portions than before, which leads to them putting on weight.

Childhood obesity can have serious consequences. Kids who are obese are more likely to have health issues like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems, and sleep apnea. They may also face low confidence, depression, and social exclusion due to bullying and being judged. And the effects of childhood obesity can last into adulthood, affecting physical and mental health, as well as school performance and social life.

In a nutshell, childhood obesity is a complex issue with multiple causes and negative effects. To address this problem, it is essential to promote healthy lifestyles, including regular physical activity and a balanced diet. Parents, schools, and governments can play a crucial role in creating supportive environments that encourage healthy behaviors and prevent childhood obesity. By addressing the root causes of childhood obesity, we can help children live healthier, happier lives.’

Example 2: Extract of the Cause and Effect Essay on Smoking

The average lifetime of a smoker is much less than the non-smoker. Knowing this fact, our society is still diving into this evil. Smoking is the cause of many deaths, higher than car accidents and this is validly proved by research. It is the cause of lung cancer, gums problems, social problems, etc.

Despite the causes of smoking, its effects are also evident in passive smokers. The smoke from the burning end is more hazardous than the filtered one. Hence, a passive smoker will always have ten times more sufferings than an active smoker.

Smoking not only has physical effects on health but also emotional and social effects. Smokers may experience anxiety, depression, and a decreased sense of taste and smell. They may also face social stigmatization and discrimination due to the negative effects of secondhand smoke on those around them.

Smoking is a harmful habit that has severe consequences on health, society, and the environment. The addiction to nicotine and the social and cultural factors surrounding smoking make it difficult for smokers to quit. To prevent the negative effects of smoking, it is essential to raise awareness of its harmful effects, promote smoking cessation programs, and implement policies that restrict smoking in public places. By reducing the prevalence of smoking, we can improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities.

Example 3: Extract of the Cause and Effect Essay on Social Media 

Even though social media has been a huge help for businesses, especially these days, it also has its downsides. Recent research shows that younger people are spending more time on social media than on their school work, leading to a bad habit of being glued to their phones.

Studies have shown that social media use can lead to increased anxiety, depression, and feelings of loneliness. It can create unrealistic expectations of life and a sense of inadequacy and inferiority among users. The constant pressure to present a perfect life online can also lead to self-esteem issues and a fear of missing out (FOMO).

Social media is a huge part of life these days, but it has some notable effects on how we live. It’s made communication easier, but at the same time, it’s made us less likely to meet up in person and use our social skills. It can also have an impact on our mental health, plus it can spread false info and make people more divided. Knowing about these things is important so we can sensibly use social media and avoid any bad consequences.

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Example 4: Extract of the Cause and Effect Essay on excessive non-work-related activities:

Distraction is the biggest harm to modern-day children. Nothing has affected them more than excessive non-work-related activities. Children in today’s world are more inclined toward adventure and glamor of things than being involved in their curricular activities. The advantages and disadvantages of non-work-related activities are seen in the consequences of it for the students.

Distraction is not just to draw one’s attention away, but also to confuse by unclear instructions and excessive non-work-related activities. Not just the causes, but the effects are manyfold too. Ranging from demotivation, and less mental growth, to disqualification, ill-mannerism, and many others. 

Example 5: Extract of the Cause and Effect Essay on Television and its role in Changing Our Way of Living

Since it first came out in 1954, TV has totally changed our lives. When color TV was invented in 1962, people went crazy for it. It’s changed the world in ways that were never seen before. We now spend more time inside, we watch TV with our families, our habits and routines have been completely altered, we exercise less and don’t interact with people as much as we used to. There are plenty of other effects too.

Example 6: Extract of the Cause and Effect Essay on Stress 

Stress is something that happens when we face demands from outside, like our job, relationships, or money problems. But when stress becomes too much or lasts too long, it can really hurt our bodies and our minds. The root of it all is how we feel about a problem or challenge – that’s what sets off our body’s reaction to fight or take off.

The effects of stress on the body are numerous and can lead to a range of health problems. Chronic stress can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. It can also weaken the immune system, making the body more susceptible to infections and diseases. In addition, stress can cause muscle tension, headaches, and digestive problems.

Though it’s often seen as a negative thing, stress can actually have some positive effects. Eustress, or positive stress, can help you reach your goals and do even better. It can also help you grow and become stronger.

Stress is a natural reaction to the things life throws at us, but too much of it can have a bad impact on our physical and mental well-being. Prolonged stress can cause a bunch of health issues, from heart disease to mental health disorders. But it can also push us to grow and work toward our goals. It’s important to learn how to deal with stress to avoid the bad and make the most of the good.

Example 7: Extract of the Cause and Effect Essay on Good Health 

Being healthy is super important for living a good life. It’s about more than just not being sick; it’s about feeling good physically, mentally, and socially. What affects our health can vary, from our lifestyle choices to our genetics, the environment we live in, and how easy it is to access healthcare. In this essay, we’ll look at the reasons why health is affected and what the consequences are.

Should we prioritize our health? Absolutely! Health should come before anything else. It’s not just about exercising, eating right, and so on, but it also comes from developing positive relationships. You’d be surprised how having good connections can do more for your health and longevity than just focusing on physical activities.

Looking after your health is really important – it’s influenced by things like your lifestyle, genes, environment, and how easy it is to get healthcare. Having healthy habits and being able to get healthcare easily is really important for keeping fit and well. Choosing unhealthy lifestyles and not being able to get healthcare properly can lead to bad health and cost more in the long run. Individuals and society must prioritize looking after their health to be happy and enjoy life.

Example 8: Extract of the Cause and Effect Essay on Optimistic People vs. Pessimistic People 

Optimistic and pessimistic people are two contrasting personality types that affect how individuals approach and perceive life. Optimists tend to focus on the positive aspects of life, whereas pessimists tend to focus on the negative. The way people approach life can have a profound impact on their overall well-being, relationships, and success. In this essay, we will explore the causes and effects of optimistic and pessimistic attitudes.

The research shows that optimistic people are typically healthier than pessimistic folks. But why is that? It’s because optimistic behavior helps people stay motivated after setbacks, and prevents them from getting discouraged. The cheerful attitude of optimists helps them view problems with a positive outlook and try to find solutions. On the other hand, pessimistic people are a bit better at dealing with their stress.

Having an optimistic or pessimistic outlook affects your life. Those who are more optimistic tend to be in better mental and emotional health, have happier relationships, and be more successful. On the other hand, pessimists tend to suffer more in terms of their mental and emotional health, relationships, and success. It all comes down to the way you view and react to events, as well as how you perceive the world around you. Knowing the causes and consequences of these attitudes can help you make changes in your behavior and thinking that will positively impact your overall health and success.

Example 9: Extract of the Cause and Effect Essay on Air Pollution 

Air pollution is a major environmental issue the world faces today. It’s caused by a mix of human activities, natural processes, and industrial practices, and it can have a range of negative effects on our health, the environment, and the economy. In this essay, we’ll take a look at the causes and consequences of air pollution.

The main reason for air pollution is burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. This releases harmful stuff like carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter into the air, which can cause health problems like breathing issues, heart disease, and even cancer.

The industry is a major contributor to air pollution. Manufacturing and mining can release a bunch of pollutants, like sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter, into the air. These pollutants can cause breathing issues and even cancer, which is really bad for human health.

Air pollution is a big ECO problem that can have serious consequences for our health, the environment, and the economy. Burning fossil fuels, driving, and industrial processes all contribute to air pollution and its effects are wide-reaching and serious. To really tackle this issue, it’s going to take a lot of work from people, businesses, and governments across the globe.

Example 10: Extract of the Cause and Effect Essay on Bullying 

Bullying is a major issue in schools and communities all over the world. It’s a kind of aggressive behavior that involves purposefully hurting someone either physically, psychologically, or socially. The reasons and consequences of bullying can be complicated, but it can have long-term, serious negative effects on those who are victimized. In this essay, we’ll delve into the causes and effects of bullying.

The consequences of bullying can be really serious. People who are bullied can end up feeling really anxious, depressed and have a low opinion of themselves, and in some cases, it can even lead to suicide. Bullying can also mess up school performance, making it hard for victims to focus or even make it to school. In the worst cases, bullying can even cause physical harm and long-term health issues.

Bullying can be extremely damaging, not just for the individuals involved, but for society as a whole. People may be scared to speak up or ask for help if they’re feeling threatened, which can create an atmosphere of fear and suspicion. Bullying can also lead to divisions and disputes within communities. Ultimately, it’s a complex issue that can have a huge range of negative impacts.

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Conclusion 

Cause and effect essays are a great way for you to explore how different events and phenomena are connected. You can make it interesting with examples and evidence to back up your claims. Hopefully, these ten cause and effect essay examples were helpful to get your creative juices flowing. Just ensure to choose a topic that you are passionate about, make a good outline, keep your focus on the main idea, and use simple yet powerful language.

Of course, you can trust our experts to craft you this essay or any other academic assignment ranging from research paper writing, college paper writing, to biography writing and more.

What is a cause and effect essay?

This essay looks into the connections between various events and occurrences, demonstrating how one thing leads to another.

What are some good topics for a cause and effect essay?

Some ideas for a cause and effect essay could be climate change, social media addiction, how technology affects people, and how stress affects health.

How do I write a strong cause and effect essay?

If you want to craft a really good cause and effect essay, pick a topic that you're passionate about. Figure out what caused what, use simple language, and back up your ideas with evidence.

What is the difference between a cause and effect essay and an argumentative essay?

An argumentative essay is when you present a debatable point of view and back it up with evidence. On the contrary, a cause and effect essay looks at how certain events are connected and how one event can cause another.

Can I use personal experiences in a cause and effect essay?

Yes, you can totally use your own experiences in a cause and effect essay, as long as they back up your points and help get your message across.

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Cause and Effect Essay Outline: Types, Examples and Writing Tips

20 June, 2020

9 minutes read

Author:  Tomas White

This is a complete guide on writing cause and effect essays. Find a link to our essay sample at the end. Let's get started!

What is a Cause and Effect Essay?

A cause and effect essay is the type of paper that the author is using to analyze the causes and effects of a particular action or event. A curriculum usually includes this type of exercise to test your ability to understand the logic of certain events or actions.

If you can see the logic behind cause and effect in the world around you, you will encounter fewer problems when writing. If not, writing this kind of paper will give you the chance to improve your skillset and your brain’s ability to reason.

“Shallow men believe in luck or in circumstance. Strong men believe in cause and effect.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

In this article, the  Handmade Writing team will find out how to create an outline for your cause and effect essay – the key to successful essay writing.

Types of the Cause and Effect Essay

Before writing this kind of essay, you need to draft the structure. A good structure will result in a good paper, so it’s important to have a plan before you start. But remember , there’s no need to reinvent the wheel: just about every type of structure has already been formulated by someone.

If you are still unsure about the definition of an essay, you can take a look at our guide:  What is an Essay?

Generally speaking, there are three types of cause and effect essays. We usually differentiate them by the number of and relationships between the different causes and the effects. Let’s take a quick look at these three different cases:

1. Many causes, one effect

This kind of essay illustrates how different causes can lead to one effect. The idea here is to try and examine a variety of causes, preferably ones that come from different fields, and prove how they contributed to a particular effect. If you are writing about World War I, for example, mention the political, cultural, and historical factors that led to the great war.

By examining a range of fundamental causes, you will be able to demonstrate your knowledge about the topic.

Here is how to structure this type of essay:

• Introduction
• Cause #3 (and so on…)
• The effect of the causes

2. One cause, many effects

This type of cause and effect essay is constructed to show the various effects of a particular event, problem, or decision. Once again, you will have to demonstrate your comprehensive knowledge and analytical mastery of the field. There is no need to persuade the reader or present your argument . When writing this kind of essay, in-depth knowledge of the problem or event’s roots will be of great benefit. If you know why it happened, it will be much easier to write about its effects.

Here is the structure for this kind of essay:

• Effect #3 (and so on…)

3. Chain of causes and effects

This is the most challenging type. You need to maintain a chain of logic that demonstrates a sequence of actions and consequences, leading to the end of the chain. Although this is usually the most interesting kind of cause and effect essay, it can also be the most difficult to write.

Here is the outline structure:

• Effect #1 = Cause #2
• Effect #2 = Cause #3
• Effect #3 = Cause #4 (and so on…)

Cause and Effect Essay Outline Example

Let’s take a look at an example. Below, you will find an outline for the topic “The causes of obesity” (Type 1) :

As you can see, we used a blended strategy here. When writing about the ever-increasing consumption of unhealthy food, it is logical to talk about the marketing strategies that encourage people to buy fast food. If you are discussing fitness trainers, it is important to mention that people need to be checked by a doctor more often, etc.

In case you face some issues with writing your Cause and Effect essay, you can always count on our Essay Writers !

How do I start writing once I have drafted the structure?

If you start by structuring each paragraph and collecting suitable examples, the writing process will be much simpler. The final essay might not come up as a classic five paragraph essay – it all depends on the cause-effect chain and the number of statements of your essay.

In the Introduction, try to give the reader a general idea of what the cause and effect essay will contain. For an experienced reader, a thesis statement will be an indication that you know what you are writing about. It is also important to emphasize how and why this problem is relevant to modern life. If you ever need to write about the Caribbean crisis, for instance, state that the effects of the Cold War are still apparent in contemporary global politics. 

Related Post: How to write an Essay introduction | How to write a Thesis statement

In the Body, provide plenty of details about what causes led to the effects. Once again, if you have already assembled all the causes and effects with their relevant examples when writing your plan, you shouldn’t have any problems. But, there are some things to which you must pay particular attention. To begin with, try to make each paragraph the same length: it looks better visually. Then, try to avoid weak or unconvincing causes. This is a common mistake, and the reader will quickly realize that you are just trying to write enough characters to reach the required word count.

Moreover, you need to make sure that your causes are actually linked to their effects. This is particularly important when you write a “chained” cause and effect essay (type 3) . You need to be able to demonstrate that each cause was actually relevant to the final result. As I mentioned before, writing the Body without preparing a thorough and logical outline is often an omission.

The Conclusion must be a summary of the thesis statement that you proposed in the Introduction. An effective Conclusion means that you have a well-developed understanding of the subject. Notably, writing the Conclusion can be one of the most challenging parts of this kind of project. You typically write the Conclusion once you have finished the Body, but in practice, you will sometimes find that a well-written conclusion will reveal a few mistakes of logic in the body!

Cause and Effect Essay Sample

Be sure to check the sample essay, completed by our writers. Use it as an example to write your own cause and effect essay. Link: Cause and effect essay sample: Advertising ethic issues .

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Free Cause and Effect Essay Examples

The title of this essay genre dispels all your concerns about the needed contents. You should build the link between two events or phenomena based on their cause-and-effect relationships. Mind that if one comes after another does not necessarily mean there is causality between them. Be sure to mention if the event or idea you describe is only a tiny part of the general structure.

The samples below comprise subjects ranging from history and economy to ecology and personal health.

Explore our cause-and-effect essay examples for free to boost your inspiration and get a general idea of how the writing should be done.

146 Best Cause and Effect Essay Examples

Political landscape in the us.

• Subjects: Government Politics & Government
• Words: 1989

Enlightenment and Revolution

• Subjects: History Western Europe
• Words: 3089

Clean Air Act Formation and Impact

• Subjects: Environmental Law Law

The Causes of Obesity and Its Effects on Fertility

• Subjects: Health & Medicine Healthy Nutrition

Identifying and Assessing the Economic Costs and Benefits of WTO Negotiations Failure

• Subjects: Economics Trade
• Words: 4789

The Implications of Global Loss of Mangrove Ecosystems?

• Subjects: Ecosystem Environment
• Words: 5155

The Position of Wage Labor in the United States

• Subjects: Labor Law Law
• Words: 2034

Battle of Omdurman Consequences

• Subjects: Asia History

Role of International Financial Institutions in 2008 Financial Crisis

• Subjects: Economics Financial Growth
• Words: 4455

The Caste War of Yucatan

• Subjects: History Native Americans History

US’s Financial Crises in 2008

• Subjects: Economic Systems & Principles Economics
• Words: 5016

Universal Healthcare in The United States

• Subjects: Health & Medicine Healthcare Institution
• Words: 1934

Causes of Depression in the 1890s

• Subjects: History United States
• Words: 2809

Chinese Manhua History Development

• Subjects: Cultural Studies Culture
• Words: 5401

The Role of the Railroads in the Settlement of the Great West

• Subjects: Railway Transport Transportation

The Homestead Strike

• Words: 2004

Russian Revolution: What Went Down?

• Subjects: Eastern Europe History

Financial Effects of Globalization

• Subjects: Economics Globalization

Procedural Programming Languages

• Subjects: Programming Tech & Engineering

Business & Empire – The British Ideal of an Orderly World

• Subjects: History Medieval History
• Words: 2271

New Deal Programs: Key Elements and Effects

• Words: 1113

Fire and Community Evacuation in Apex, NC

• Subjects: Business Impact of Business Issues

Causes and Effects of Divorce

• Subjects: Family, Life & Experiences Relationships
• Words: 1169

Mineral Resource Rent Tax Policy

• Subjects: Economics Taxation
• Words: 4483

Scarcity of Water in Saudi Arabia, Africa and Australia

• Subjects: Ecology Environment
• Words: 1713

The Financial and European Economic Crisis 2008 – 2012

• Words: 1119

Asian Drivers of Global Change

• Subjects: Economics International Trade Policy
• Words: 2654

Problem of Sleep Deprivation

• Subjects: Health & Medicine Neurology
• Words: 1408

The Charleston Sofa Super Store Fire

• Subjects: Accidents & Protection Tech & Engineering

The Impacts of FDIs and Trade to the Asian Pacific Regions

• Subjects: Economic Problems Economics
• Words: 2317

The Effect of Famine in North Korea

• Words: 1679

The Impact of the Pilkington Report on the British Television in the 1960s

• Subjects: Entertainment & Media TV
• Words: 2755

How and in what ways, did the use of print change the lives of early modern Europeans?

• Words: 1933

Technological Development in Trade and Its Impacts on Poverty

• Words: 1981

The Environment, Resources, and Their Economic Effects

• Subjects: Environment Environmental Studies
• Words: 2180

The Rules of Engagement and the Laws of Armed Conflict

• Subjects: International Relations Politics & Government
• Words: 1918

Spain’s Financial Crisis

Effects of alcohol abuse on women.

• Subjects: Health & Medicine Pharmacology

Children’s Personal and Social Development

• Subjects: Development Psychology
• Words: 1720

World War 2 Consequences

• Subjects: Warfare World War II
• Words: 1085

Global Financial Crisis Causes and Impacts

• Words: 1646

Impact of Plastics on the Environment

The causes and consequences of world war two, theoretical perspective on the giraffe’s adaptation.

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Cause And Effect Essay Writing

Cause And Effect Essay

Last updated on: Feb 9, 2023

A Guide to Cause and Effect Essay | Samples + Topics

By: Leanne R.

11 min read

Reviewed By: Jacklyn H.

Published on: Jun 9, 2020

A cause and effect essay is another type of expository essay explaining why one thing happens and how it affects the other.

Cause and effect essay writing is based on how an event or thing affects another event. Such essays explain this cause and effect relationship between different things and inform the readers about it.

These effects could both be short and long term.

This blog will make you understand how to write a cause and effect essay step by step and will also provide samples to help you.

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What is a Cause and Effect Essay?

In this world, everything is inherently interconnected.

The rain makes the soil wet, and the plants grow. In the domino effect, when one domino is toppled, it hits the next, and then the next, and so forth, etc.

To understand the question of what does cause and effect mean, this essay will explore the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of a situation.

Cause and effect essay definition states that such an essay serves to illustrate why certain things occur or situations arise. It also examines the consequences of those events, actions or phenomena.

School students and college students equally struggle with writing correctly structured essays that depict precise and factual information.

If you are a high school or college student; chances are that you will have to write this type of essay.

Staying on this website will equip you with the skills to analyze the events and deliver an impactful cause and effect essay.

The theme of this essay type revolves around the causes and multiple effects of certain issues, problems or situations.

Types of Cause and Effect Essay

At a basic level, these essays are of three types.

1. Effect-Focused Method

The analysis is focused on one or multiple effects that the occurrence of an event has had.

2. Cause-Focused Method

The analysis is focused on the different causes that lead to the event.

3. Causes and Effects-Focused Method

The analysis is focused on both the causes and the effects. The reason why something happened and the impacts it had.

The major aim of these essays is to develop student’s skills in analyzing the events in depth.

These essays test the ability of students to present analytical and problem-solving skills involving various topics that impact our lives and our societies.

Effective topics may revolve around the following subject matters: social, political, medical, environmental and food-related issues. Cause and effect essay topic for college is mostly based on these subjects.

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Cause and Effect Essay Structure

There are 2 main structures of writing a cause and effect essay. You need to choose one before starting your essay.

1. Block structure

In a block structure essay, you will first write all the causes and then all the effects of your topic.

In block structure, there can be an effect-focused essay or a cause-focused essay.

Here is a visual representation of a block structure for your essay

2. Chain Structure

In the chain structure, you have to write a cause followed by its effect. Every cause should be followed by its possible effect. This is what your essay will look like if you follow the chain structure.

Some of the effective essay topics can be written efficiently by following the block structure. While some others fit into the chain structure.

It all depends on the choice and expertise of the students to present their points in an effective and convincing manner.

Cause and Effect Essay Outline

Before moving towards writing an essay, drafting an outline is quite important. It is essential in the case of writing a cause and effect essay because students have to consider the causes and effects of some issue or situation, without missing anything.

An essay outline provides the chance of following a specific guideline to ensure all the instructions are followed efficiently.

In order to write a  cause and effect essay outline , you can follow this simple structure.

How to Write a Cause and Effect Essay?

Writing based on personal beliefs and opinions shatters the whole purpose of such essays. You can’t make a logical argument regarding the cause and effects of a particular situation or action.

You therefore need sound reasoning and authentic examples to prove your point.

Staying on this website will allow you the opportunity of learning the tips to create impactful content.

1. Choose an Engaging and Significant Essay Topic

Selecting a topic is the easiest but trickiest part.

Students often get confused when it comes to how to write a cause and effect essay. Because they choose a topic for a cause and effect essay, which sets them for failure.

If you plan to choose the title “My Visit to my Grandparents’ House” and think it is correct as you will write the effects of your visit in the essay, then you are wrong!

Your topic should be based on logic and you should create a connection between the events.

For instance, if you choose the title “Effect of grandparents on my personality”, then this is an effective topic.

Cause and effects of the second world war on the United States or anorexia nervosa are also perfect effect essay topics.

Looking for more topics for your cause and effect essay?

Feel free to explore these cause and effect essay topics and pick any topic of your choice.

2. Start Your Research

After topic selection, move to the research section.

First tip: don’t go straight to the paper and start writing your first draft. Take a deep breath and analyze all aspects of the topic.

Ask questions! Why? What? How? When?

• Why is it happening?
• How is it happening?
• How did it start?
• What caused it?
• How will it influence the future?
• How is it influencing at the moment?

Look at the present state of the topic. Inspect the previous stages and analyze future effects!

The more you research the more familiar you will become with the topic at hand. And it will help understand different aspects of your topic, giving you better ideas to write.

Along with reading different journals, scholarly articles, books for information, another helpful source is cause and effect essay samples. Go through different samples written by other students, this will not only give you insight about your topic, but will also help understand the essay structure better.

3. Craft a Thesis Statement

Once you have decided on your topic and gathered relevant information, the next step is to craft a thesis. The thesis statement of your essay will inform the reader why you chose the particular topic, its importance and the purpose of the paper.

Keep in mind that your thesis shouldn’t be personal. Consider the feelings of your audience and they should also be able to resonate with it. Give reasons as to why you care about a particular issue, that others will understand as well.

Go check out this article for a better understanding of writing a thesis statement

4. Write a Rough Draft

Don’t rush to put words down on paper.

Collect your thoughts and write down all the ideas and important points on paper. Your rough draft can be based only on these key points.

Don’t worry about making it perfect at this stage. Just jot down your thoughts, assemble them and perfect it later.

To write an effective essay, a structured outline should be followed. Once you are done writing, it is essential to polish your final draft.

5. Write a Cause and Effect Essay Introduction

You must have heard the phrase “the first impression is the last impression.” Similarly, the impression that your essay introduction leaves on the reader decides whether they will read further or not.

To make sure that the reader is impressed by your opening lines and is intrigued to learn more, use an attention grabber – hook.

A hook sentence acts as a tool to attract the reader’s attention, motivating them to read further. There are different types of hook sentences that you can use depending on your topic. Learn more about them from our blog on hook examples.

The next step is making your audience/reader familiar with the essay topic. Begin with a general introduction to the topic followed by the thesis statement. Understand the difference between cause and effect before you start writing. Give a general idea of your topic in the first paragraph.

The most important part of the introduction is the thesis statement. A thesis statement is the foundation of your essay and informs the reader of the purpose of writing the essay. Relate your topic to the current situation and its importance.

6. Compose and Arrange the Body Paragraphs

It is important to provide plenty of details you have collected on your topic regarding the causes and effects of your topic.

Assemble all the data with relevant examples to create credibility in your academic writing. The cause and effect essay should be based entirely on facts.

Link the causes to the effects using transitional words in your body paragraphs.

Successfully linking causes and effects depends on the approach you are following for your essay.

You may use either one of the structures mentioned above to present the causes and effects of your topic.

7. End with a Powerful Conclusion

Restate the thesis statement that you proposed in the introductory paragraph in the last paragraph. A well-written and precise conclusion gives closure to the entire argument and context of the essay.

Cause and effect essays are easy to write, just stay focused and try to create impact through your words and use of evidence.

• Use purpose-specific vocabulary.
• Use transitional words.
• State ideas chronologically.
• Never overlap ideas.

Doing so will create chaos in your essay and the reader won’t be able to understand the information stated in the paragraphs.

When writing the body section, dedicate each paragraph to separate the ideas.

Every paragraph should have a separate topic sentence that clearly defines its purpose. Now you can start your essay writing .

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Cause and Effect Essay Examples

Following are a few cause and effect essay samples which will help you explore cause and effect essay prompts.

CAUSE AND EFFECT ESSAY SAMPLE

CAUSE AND EFFECT ESSAY EXAMPLE

CAUSE AND EFFECT ESSAY ON DIVORCE

Cause and Effect Essay Topics

Here are some good cause and effect essay topics:

• Results of financial independence in a romantic relationship.
• How does social anxiety impact teenagers?
• How does acne affect someone’s confidence?
• Reasons for sibling rivalry and its effects.
• Reasons why teenagers rebel.
• Causes of job dissatisfaction.
• Forced marriages and their results.
• Causes of domestic violence.
• What are the causes for men’s commitment phobia?
• Cramming doesn’t help score better.
• People from a broken family have unhappier marriages.
• Effects of social media on teenagers.

Essay writing process is easy and you are definitely equipped with all the talent and skills required to write an essay.

We understand that sometimes time is not on your side and you go through severe writer’s block. That is why students tend to seek professional help from an essay writing service.

Here at 5StarEssays.com , we provide you with 24/7 support and excellent quality at a reasonable price.

Whether it is a cause and effect essay or any other academic paper our qualified essay writers are always available to provide you with quality “ make my essay ” services.

Reach out to us today!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main purpose of a cause and effect essay.

Cause and effect papers use strong analytical skills to examine the reasons for or outcomes of an event. These are often written as a way in which someone could potentially discover how something happened.

Such as why one particular decision led them down their current path-or if there were any other factors involved that caused the said outcome

Why is it important to know cause and effect?

Knowledge is power. Understanding how a single event can result in multiple effects, and then pinpointing that one cause for each of those results will help the students develop into analytical thinkers with the ability to work on their own.

What is the importance of cause and effect in our daily lives?

A person who can think about the interconnected causes and effects of social events will be more successful in their day-to-day life. It's no surprise, then, that if you have this skill set your chances for success with solving real-world problems are much greater!

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10.8 Cause and Effect

Learning objectives.

• Determine the purpose and structure of cause and effect in writing.
• Understand how to write a cause-and-effect essay.

The Purpose of Cause and Effect in Writing

It is often considered human nature to ask, “why?” and “how?” We want to know how our child got sick so we can better prevent it from happening in the future, or why our colleague a pay raise because we want one as well. We want to know how much money we will save over the long term if we buy a hybrid car. These examples identify only a few of the relationships we think about in our lives, but each shows the importance of understanding cause and effect.

A cause is something that produces an event or condition; an effect is what results from an event or condition. The purpose of the cause-and-effect essay is to determine how various phenomena relate in terms of origins and results. Sometimes the connection between cause and effect is clear, but often determining the exact relationship between the two is very difficult. For example, the following effects of a cold may be easily identifiable: a sore throat, runny nose, and a cough. But determining the cause of the sickness can be far more difficult. A number of causes are possible, and to complicate matters, these possible causes could have combined to cause the sickness. That is, more than one cause may be responsible for any given effect. Therefore, cause-and-effect discussions are often complicated and frequently lead to debates and arguments.

Use the complex nature of cause and effect to your advantage. Often it is not necessary, or even possible, to find the exact cause of an event or to name the exact effect. So, when formulating a thesis, you can claim one of a number of causes or effects to be the primary, or main, cause or effect. As soon as you claim that one cause or one effect is more crucial than the others, you have developed a thesis.

Consider the causes and effects in the following thesis statements. List a cause and effect for each one on your own sheet of paper.

• The growing childhood obesity epidemic is a result of technology.
• Much of the wildlife is dying because of the oil spill.
• The town continued programs that it could no longer afford, so it went bankrupt.
• More young people became politically active as use of the Internet spread throughout society.
• While many experts believed the rise in violence was due to the poor economy, it was really due to the summer-long heat wave.

Write three cause-and-effect thesis statements of your own for each of the following five broad topics.

• Health and nutrition

The Structure of a Cause-and-Effect Essay

The cause-and-effect essay opens with a general introduction to the topic, which then leads to a thesis that states the main cause, main effect, or various causes and effects of a condition or event.

The cause-and-effect essay can be organized in one of the following two primary ways:

• Start with the cause and then talk about the effects.
• Start with the effect and then talk about the causes.

For example, if your essay were on childhood obesity, you could start by talking about the effect of childhood obesity and then discuss the cause or you could start the same essay by talking about the cause of childhood obesity and then move to the effect.

Regardless of which structure you choose, be sure to explain each element of the essay fully and completely. Explaining complex relationships requires the full use of evidence, such as scientific studies, expert testimony, statistics, and anecdotes.

Because cause-and-effect essays determine how phenomena are linked, they make frequent use of certain words and phrases that denote such linkage. See Table 10.4 “Phrases of Causation” for examples of such terms.

Table 10.4 Phrases of Causation

The conclusion should wrap up the discussion and reinforce the thesis, leaving the reader with a clear understanding of the relationship that was analyzed.

Be careful of resorting to empty speculation. In writing, speculation amounts to unsubstantiated guessing. Writers are particularly prone to such trappings in cause-and-effect arguments due to the complex nature of finding links between phenomena. Be sure to have clear evidence to support the claims that you make.

Look at some of the cause-and-effect relationships from Note 10.83 “Exercise 2” . Outline the links you listed. Outline one using a cause-then-effect structure. Outline the other using the effect-then-cause structure.

Writing a Cause-and-Effect Essay

Choose an event or condition that you think has an interesting cause-and-effect relationship. Introduce your topic in an engaging way. End your introduction with a thesis that states the main cause, the main effect, or both.

Organize your essay by starting with either the cause-then-effect structure or the effect-then-cause structure. Within each section, you should clearly explain and support the causes and effects using a full range of evidence. If you are writing about multiple causes or multiple effects, you may choose to sequence either in terms of order of importance. In other words, order the causes from least to most important (or vice versa), or order the effects from least important to most important (or vice versa).

Use the phrases of causation when trying to forge connections between various events or conditions. This will help organize your ideas and orient the reader. End your essay with a conclusion that summarizes your main points and reinforces your thesis. See Chapter 15 “Readings: Examples of Essays” to read a sample cause-and-effect essay.

Choose one of the ideas you outlined in Note 10.85 “Exercise 3” and write a full cause-and-effect essay. Be sure to include an engaging introduction, a clear thesis, strong evidence and examples, and a thoughtful conclusion.

Key Takeaways

• The purpose of the cause-and-effect essay is to determine how various phenomena are related.
• The thesis states what the writer sees as the main cause, main effect, or various causes and effects of a condition or event.

The cause-and-effect essay can be organized in one of these two primary ways:

• Start with the cause and then talk about the effect.
• Start with the effect and then talk about the cause.
• Strong evidence is particularly important in the cause-and-effect essay due to the complexity of determining connections between phenomena.
• Phrases of causation are helpful in signaling links between various elements in the essay.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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How to Write a Cause-and-Effect Essay

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Last updated: Jun 7, 2021 • 2 min read

Cause-and-effect essay structure is a way of exploring relationships between ideas and events.

Cause And Effect Essay Writing

How to Write Cause and Effect Essays in Simple Steps

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Published on: Mar 13, 2020

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Are you struggling to wrap your head around cause and effect essays? Don’t worry; you’re not alone. 

These essays might seem complex at first glance, but with the right approach, they can become easier to write.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll look into what cause and effect essays are, how to structure them, and provide valuable tips and examples to help you understand this type of writing.

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What is a Cause and Effect Essay?

A cause and effect essay is a type of essay writing that explores the relationship between events, actions, or phenomena (causes) and their outcomes or consequences (effects) . 

In this type of essay, the writer analyzes how one event leads to another, providing insights into the underlying causes and the resulting effects. Cause and effect essays aim to explain the connections between various occurrences and explain the reasons behind certain outcomes. 

They often require critical thinking, careful analysis, and the use of evidence and examples to support arguments.

You may confuse cause-and-effect essays with compare and contrast essays . While cause and effect essays focus on analyzing the relationship between events, compare and contrast essays examine similarities and differences between two or more subjects or ideas.

How to Structure a Cause and Effect Essay

There are two main structural types commonly used to write a cause and effect essay: the block structure and the chain structure.

Block Structure

In the block structure, the writer first discusses all the causes of the event in one section, followed by a separate section dedicated to discussing all the effects.

This cause and effect essay format allows for a clear separation between the causes and effects, making it easier for the reader to understand the relationships between them.

Use the block structure when:

• There are multiple causes and effects to discuss, and you want to provide a comprehensive overview of each.
• You prefer a clear separation between causes and effects for easier understanding.

Chain Structure

In the chain structure, each cause is followed immediately by its corresponding effect(s), creating a chain-like sequence of events.

This structure emphasizes the direct relationship between each cause and its effect, providing a more immediate and interconnected narrative.

Use the chain structure when:

• You want to emphasize the direct relationship between each cause and its effect.
• You're discussing a series of events that occur in a linear or chronological order.

Cause and Effect Essay Outline

Creating an outline is essential for organizing your thoughts and structuring your cause and effect essay effectively. 

Here's a basic outline to guide you through the writing process:

Need a detailed outline guide? Be sure to check out our blog on " Cause and Effect Essay Outline " for a comprehensive breakdown of how to organize your essay.

How to Write a Cause and Effect Essay

Writing a cause and effect essay involves examining the reasons (causes) and outcomes (effects) of a particular event, phenomenon, or situation. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you craft an effective cause and effect essay:

Step 1: Choose a Topic

Start by selecting a topic that interests you and has clear cause-and-effect relationships. It could be a social issue, scientific phenomenon, historical event, or any other subject with identifiable causes and effects. 

For example, "The Effects of Climate Change on Wildlife Populations" or "Causes of Obesity in Developed Countries."

Step 2: Conduct Research

Gather relevant information and evidence to support your thesis statement . Look for credible sources such as academic journals, books, government reports, and reputable websites. 

Ensure you have a thorough understanding of both the causes and effects related to your chosen topic.

Step 4: Develop a Thesis Statement

Craft a clear and concise thesis statement that outlines the main causes and effects you will discuss in your essay. Your thesis should provide a roadmap for the reader and clearly state your position on the topic. 

For instance, "The rise in carbon emissions from human activities is leading to severe consequences for global ecosystems."

Step 5: Outline your Essay

Create a structured outline that organizes your ideas and arguments logically. Divide your essay into introduction , body paragraphs (each discussing a specific cause or effect), and conclusion . 

Each body paragraph should focus on one cause or effect and provide supporting details and evidence.

Step 6: Write the Introduction

Begin with an engaging introduction that provides background information on the topic and introduces your thesis statement. 

Hook the reader's attention with an interesting fact, statistic, or anecdote related to your topic. Clearly state the purpose of your essay and preview the main points you will discuss.

Step 7: Body Paragraphs

In the body paragraphs, explore the causes or effects of the topic in detail. Start each paragraph with a topic sentence that introduces the cause or effect you will be discussing. 

Then, provide evidence and examples to support your claim. Use data, statistics, expert opinions, and real-life examples to strengthen your arguments. Make sure to explain the causal relationship between the factors you're discussing.

Step 8: Transition Between Paragraphs

Use transition words and sentences to smoothly transition between paragraphs and maintain coherence throughout your essay. 

These transitions help guide the reader through your arguments and ensure a logical flow of ideas.

Step 9: Write the Conclusion

Summarize the main points of your essay in the conclusion and restate your thesis statement. Reflect on the significance of your findings and emphasize the importance of understanding the causes and effects of the topic. 

Avoid introducing new information in the conclusion; instead, offer insights or suggestions for further research or action.

Step 10: Revise and Edit

Review your essay for clarity, coherence, and grammatical accuracy. Make sure each paragraph contributes to the overall argument and that your ideas are well-supported by evidence.

Once you've made revisions and edits, finalize your essay by formatting it according to the guidelines provided by your instructor or publication. 

Double-check citations and references to ensure they are accurate and properly formatted according to the required citation style (e.g., APA, MLA).

Cause and Effect Essay Examples

When writing a cause and effect essay for the first time, it is recommended to go through a few examples. It will help you understand the structure and how to use a method effectively.

The following are some of the great cause and effect examples free to use.

Cause and Effect Essay

Cause and Effect Essay Sample

Climate Change Cause and Effect Essay

Poverty Cause and Effect Essay

Air Pollution Cause and Effect Essay

Cause and Effect Essay Topics

Here are some cause and effect essay topics:

• The Impact of Climate Change on Extreme Weather Events
• The Rise of Mental Health Disorders Among Adolescents
• The Effects of Social Media on Political Polarization
• The Consequences of Deforestation on Biodiversity Loss
• The Relationship Between Income Inequality and Social Mobility
• The Impact of Technology on Human Relationships
• The Causes and Effects of the Global Obesity Epidemic
• The Effects of Air Pollution on Public Health
• The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Employment
• The Causes and Consequences of Refugee Crises

These topics reflect current societal concerns and offer opportunities for in-depth analysis of cause-and-effect relationships. If you need more such ideas check out our cause and effect essay topics  blog!

Tips for Writing a Cause and Effect Essay

Here are additional tips for writing a cause and effect essay:

• Establish Clear Connections: Clearly establish the causal relationships between different factors to help readers understand the cause-and-effect dynamics of the topic.
• Avoid Oversimplification: Recognize that most events have multiple causes and effects, so avoid oversimplifying complex phenomena by considering various factors and their interactions.
• Consider Chronology: When discussing historical events, consider the chronological sequence of causes and effects to provide a clear narrative structure.
• Focus on Significance: Highlight the significance of your findings by discussing the broader implications of the causes and effects you've identified.
• Reflect and Synthesize: In the conclusion, reflect on the insights gained from analyzing the causes and effects and synthesize your findings to provide a cohesive understanding of the topic.

To conclude, writing a cause and effect essay can be a rewarding experience that allows you to look into complex issues. By following the guidelines outlined in this guide and applying your critical thinking skills, you can create compelling essays that inform and engage your audience. 

But if you are in a time crunch do not hesitate to take professional help. CollegeEssay.org provides a top cause and effect essay writing service for those students who are having a hard time meeting deadlines. We'll help you with your cause and effects essays for the best grades. 

Reach out to avail amazing discounts and get our custom essay writing help in no time. As a plus, you can use our AI writing tool if you need a quick fix to beat the deadline stress!

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Understanding Cause and Effect (Sentence Examples and Essay Sample)

What is cause and effect ? You’ve probably heard the saying, “There’s a reason for everything.” And it’s true! Everything happens for a reason. But what are some of the reasons? In this blog post, we’ll explore some cause and effect examples. We’ll also discuss how to identify the cause and effect in everyday situations.

What is cause and effect?

Understanding cause and effect is crucial in our daily lives , as well as in scientific and medical fields. When considering a problem or situation, it can be helpful to ask “what caused this?” and “what are the effects?”. 

This type of analysis allows you to determine what actions you may need to take in order to prevent or manage certain effects. 

Let’s use the example of smoking: the cause may be a person’s decision to smoke a cigarette, and some possible effects could be an increased risk for lung cancer or heart disease. 

By understanding the relationship between cause and effect, you can make informed choices in your lives and find solutions to problems.

Additionally, in  scientific experimentation , establishing a clear cause and effect relationship is crucial for determining the validity of results. In sum, thinking about cause and effect can aid us in making sense of our world and finding ways to improve it.

Examples of cause and effect

The cause is the root of the problem while the effect is what results from the issue.  Cause and effect  are often related: one event may be the result of another, or several events may contribute to a single result.

• A cause: poor nutrition can lead to Effects: of both weight gain and fatigue.
• An effect may have more than one cause: for example, a headache could be caused by stress, dehydration, or a sinus infection.
• Cause: Watching too much television Effect: Directly causes eye strain or indirectly causes health problems if it leads to a sedentary lifestyle.

The causes of an event may be immediate or remote. For example, the immediate causes of a car accident may be speeding and wet roads, while the remote causes may be driver fatigue and mechanical problems with the vehicle.

The effects of an event may be  immediate or delayed . For example, eating too much sugar might immediately cause a sugar high, or the effects might not be noticeable until hours later when blood sugar levels crash.

Cause and effect can be difficult to determine because there may be multiple factors involved. For example, it can be hard to say whether poverty causes crime or if crime causes poverty.

Examples of cause and effect in sentences

• Cause: If a man offends his neighbor by insulting him, the natural reaction is that the insulted neighbor becomes angry ( Effect ). When this happens, he tells his friends about what happened to garner sympathy. Often, his friends will also become upset, and they too will spread the news to their social circles (another cause and effect).
• Cause: Drinking coffee Effect: Dehydration. 
• Cause: A person starts smoking. Effects: Gets various health problems, including cancer and heart disease.

Middle school students

• Smoking causes cancer.
• Eating too much sugar causes diabetes.
• Wearing sunscreen prevents skin cancer.
• Exercising makes you healthier and looks better.
• Driving without a seat belt can lead to serious injury or death in the event of an accident.
• Studying helps you learn and remember information better.
• Staying up late can make you tired and less alert the next day.
• Swimming in the ocean can cause a rash or infection if you’re not careful.
• Eating raw fish can cause food poisoning.
• Reading in dim light can damage your eyesight.

High school students

• Eating a balanced diet helps you stay healthy. 
• Drinking too much alcohol can cause liver damage. 
• Exercise is good for your body and mind. 
• Too much stress can lead to physical and mental health problems. 
• Sleeping for eight hours each night helps improve your mood and energy levels. 
• Taking care of your belongings keeps them in good condition for longer periods of time. 
• Being on time allows you to have a more productive day. 
• Participating in class discussions increases your understanding of the material. 
• Chewing gum while you’re studying helps you focus and remember the information better.

College students

• Being overweight increases the risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes mellitus.
• Earning a college degree can lead to increased earning potential throughout a lifetime.

Software engineers

• The bug caused the system to crash.
• A coding error in the software caused incorrect data to be displayed.
• A misconfiguration in the system caused the problem.
• Poorly written code can cause serious problems for a software system.
• Incorrect input can cause an application to malfunction.
• Misuse of a function can cause errors in the program output.
• A programming error can cause a system to fail catastrophically.
• A software bug can cause applications to fail unexpectedly. 
• Bad data can cause a program to crash or produce incorrect results. 
• Undocumented features can often lead to unforeseen problems.

Marketing professionals

• Increased spending on advertising led to a significant increase in profits.
• A decrease in the quality of the products led to a decrease in sales.
• The company’s decision to focus on price over quality caused them to lose market share.
• Focusing on new markets led to an increase in revenue.
• Introducing new products led to an increase in profits.
• Spending more time on research and development led to increased sales of new products.
• Targeting a younger demographic led to an increase in profits.
• A lack of focus on customer service led to a decrease in sales and market share. 
• Increasing the amount of product promotion led to significant sales.

Cause and effect essay example

The causes and effects of homelessness.

Homelessness  is an issue that affects people all over the world. There are many different causes of homelessness, and as a result, there are also many different effects. In this essay, we will explore the causes and effects of homelessness in detail.

The most obvious cause of homelessness is unemployment. Personal relationships, mental health issues, and substance abuse can all contribute to an individual losing their housing. Additionally, even those who do have steady employment may struggle to afford rising rent costs or be unable to find stable, affordable housing in their area.

Ending homelessness

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to ending homelessness, and it’s important to consider all possible causes when developing plans and programs to support those experiencing homelessness. 

The high cost of housing is often compounded by other factors, such as low wages, unemployment, and mental illness. In many cases, people who become homeless have difficulty maintaining steady employment due to these factors. As a result, they cannot afford housing, leading to homelessness.

Inflection by mental illness

Mental illness is another cause of homelessness. A large portion of homeless people – estimates range from  20-25%  – suffer from severe mental illness, whereas only 6% of non-homeless individuals do. Some experts estimate that as many as one-third of all homeless people have some form of mental illness.

This can make it difficult for them to maintain employment or afford to house. Mental illness can also make it difficult for people to access services that help them escape the streets.

There are many different effects of homelessness. One of the most obvious effects is poor physical health. Homeless people often have difficulty accessing necessities like food and  shelter , which can lead to malnutrition and exposure to harsh weather . Homelessness also often leads to increased stress levels and mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.

In conclusion, homelessness is a complex problem with many causes and effects. Understanding all of these factors is essential to effectively address the issue.

Cause and effect exercises

If you train your parrot, he will speak.

What is the cause?

What is the effect?

She forgot to feed her dog, it died of starvation.

I didn’t drink enough water today, so I am feeling dehydrated.

Cause: Training the parrot.

Effect: Learning to speak.

Cause: Forgot to feed her dog.

Effect: Died of starvation.

Cause: Didn’t drink water.

Effect: Feeling  dehydrated .

The next time you want to understand why something happened, consider looking for the cause and effect. And, when you’re ready to improve your grades or earn a degree, remember that we’re here to help you succeed. But understanding cause and effect can provide clarity where there might be confusion.

It is the connection between the core cause the effect. There can be multiple causes in a situation. Although it doesn’t have an impact on the cause and effect relationship. For example, “eating poorly and not exercising.” This can be an example of multiple causes and can have multiple effects.

They are discourse between the relationship of cause and effect relationships. For example, an essay on “growing childhood obesity epidemic” and the root causes of this. Explaining complex relationships requires discourse between the cause and effect (the argument). This is typically found in essay format (cause and effect essays) rather than daily life.

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About the author

Dalia Y.: Dalia is an English Major and linguistics expert with an additional degree in Psychology. Dalia has featured articles on Forbes, Inc, Fast Company, Grammarly, and many more. She covers English, ESL, and all things grammar on GrammarBrain.

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Cause and Effect Essay Topics

That’s why cause-and-effect essays are one of the most commonly assigned writing assignments in all of academia. They test a student’s ability to draw connections and make logical arguments as well as research abilities and writing skills. 

They can be very enjoyable to write if you know the fundamentals of essay writing, understand what this type of essay requires, and choose the right topic. In this article, you’ll get a brief overview of what a cause and effect essay is, tips on how to choose the right topic, and a list of over 150 topics to inspire you!

What is a Cause and Effect Essay?

A cause and effect essay is a writing assignment that asks you to explore the causes of certain events and link them to their outcomes. These types of essays can be focussed on the causes, the effects, or both. They can follow the typical 5 paragraph essay format, or they can have more body paragraphs than usual, depending on the complexity of the topic chosen. 

How to Choose a Cause and Effect Essay Topic

Since the entire paper will be about the causes and effects of your topic, choosing the right topic is vitally important for this type of essay. Sometimes teachers give a general theme to follow which makes it easier to choose a specific topic. Having the freedom to choose any topic you want can be daunting but as long as you keep the following points in mind, you’ll find an excellent topic to write about. 

• If you’ve been assigned a theme, spend time brainstorming several ideas to get a unique and interesting topic.
• Get ideas about what you want to write about from articles you’ve recently read. This will also give you a headstart on research.
• Take a broad topic and narrow it down to specific issues and relationships.
• The scope of your essay shouldn’t be too broad or too narrow. Think about your word count and choose a topic you can explore properly within that limit.
• You should always have facts and research to back up any claims you’re making, so choose a topic that has credible information available.
• Use personal conversations and experiences to narrow down the list of potential topics.
• Make sure there are a clear cause and effect relationship to explore in your topic. 
• Always try and choose a topic that you feel personally interested in. Passion will make the research more enjoyable, make your writing more interesting, and cut down on the amount of time you spend on the assignment.

Cause and Effect Essay Topics List for Students

Cause and effect essay topics for high school.

20 topics for cause and effect essay for high school students related to their experiences and chosen to match the level of complexity expected. 

Can student activism cause changes in the world?

What is the impact of growing up a child of divorce?

What are the main causes of anxiety in high school?

What are the effects of having very rich or famous parents?

How does having a messy room impact productivity?

What are the reasons that comic book movies rarely get Academy Awards?

Why is music better today, or why was it better in the past?

Why do students cheat?

What are the effects of playing group sports on social bonding?

What should people do to avoid getting sick?

Can online shopping cause shopping addiction?

Why are some video games more fun than others?

Why are oil spills so bad for marine ecosystems?

Why does weight have such a large impact on self-esteem?

What is the effect of family vacation on family relationships?

Why are people afraid of trying new things?

Why should humans protect endangered species?

How does theoretical physics affect the real world?

What are the long-term effects of vaping?

Is there a connection between bullying culture and school violence?

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Cause and Effect Essay Topics for College Students

Here’s a collection of 20 unique topics for college-level papers that will benefit from research and deep analytical skills.

Why do so many Americans still live in poverty?

What is the impact of underage drinking?

How does fasting impact your overall health?

What would be the difference if an asteroid impacted land or ocean?

Why do we buy so many things we don’t need?

What is the UN doing to combat modern-day slavery?

What is the impact of religious oppression in a country?

Why do sports and physical activity release endorphins?

Why is Japan more technologically advanced than many countries in the world?

How has the internet affected education in remote villages in developing nations?

How did Christianity shape colonialism?

Why is it dangerous not to finish a course of prescription medication?

What are the effects of picture and video apps on self-esteem?

Should standardized testing have such a large impact on a student’s future?

What is the impact of colonialism on modern-day Africa?

What is the impact of distance learning on mental health?

What are the benefits of studying in a group versus studying alone?

Is it possible to date and still be focused on academics?

Do violent movies and video games lead to real-life violence?

What is the impact of being raised in a multi-generational household?

Cause and Effect Essay Topics for Middle School

These 20 topics are perfect for teenagers to think about and should inspire them to write a fantastic essay. 

What is the effect of bullying on school culture and school spirit?

Why is it important to think about the environment?

What are the effects of spending time in nature?

What were the causes of World War II?

How has Covid-19 changed your daily routine?

What would happen if everybody did only what they wanted to?

What is the connection between music and mathematics?

How can social media and the internet reduce loneliness?

Why was the invention of the steam engine so important?

Describe a society where people learned to get along with each other.

Should famous people who say or do bad things lose their fans?

Why do countries close to the equator usually have spicy food?

What has been the effect of rap lyrics on poetry?

What are some of the benefits of colonizing Mars?

How do video games affect academic achievement?

What is the role of parental punishment on motivation?

What are the benefits of celebrating holidays from different religions?

What is the fallout from posting an unpopular story on Instagram?

How can you build a successful social media channel?

How does having a fun teacher affect student motivation?

Cause and Effect Essay Topics for Elementary Level

While these types of essays can become very complex, it is important for young children to start understanding the connection between things and exploring causes and effects at an early age. Here are 20 topics perfect for kids!

Why is it important to learn to share?

Why is it important to eat a good breakfast?

What have you learned from your favorite cartoon character?

How does the weather impact your mood?

Why should children get more time to play?

How do you feel after getting a good night’s sleep?

Why should Santa Claus bring you the toys you want?

What would you do if you saw an injured animal?

Why are birthdays important?

Why is riding a bike good for the environment?

How would having a smartphone improve your life?

How does being an older brother or sister make you different?

How does being a younger brother or sister make you different?

Why is it important to learn math?

Do having pets make you more responsible?

What are the effects of bullying on the bully?

What is the impact of your favorite Marvel superhero on the plot of the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

What are the causes and effects of being popular?

Why is littering bad for society?

Why is it important to eat vegetables?

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Cause and Effect Essay Topics Ideas

Fun cause and effect essay topics.

20 good cause and effect essay topics that are just plain fun to think about!

How are esports going to change the future?

What would it be like to give up all social media as a high school student?

Should people with more money be taxed at a higher rate?

Are periodic revolutions good for the progression of society?

How does smiling affect how long you live?

What are the benefits of owning a pet?

What started the domestication of animals by humans?

How has the use of cell phones affected in-person interaction?

What would be the impact on society if people could directly vote for every important issue?

What makes Elon Musk such a magnetic person?

What would the world be like if Facebook never existed?

Why are young people better at gaming than older people?

How is virtual reality going to change entertainment?

Why have science fiction movies become so popular over the last decade?

What responsibilities should social media influencers automatically be aware of?

What was the impact of Star Wars on the film industry?

How did YouTube change the way humans create and consume media?

Would Harry Potter have been less popular if the main character was a woman?

What effect does the language you speak have on the way you think?

What would the impact of raising the minimum wage be?

Easy Cause and Effect Essay Topics

You don’t have to write something too complicated to get a good grade! Here are 20 easy essay topic examples for your paper. 

What are the main causes of teenage smoking?

How do school uniforms improve cohesion and morale?

What is the impact of sweet fruit juices on health?

What role does the media have on public opinion?

What are the benefits of traveling abroad?

Do people feel better after crying?

Does using a smartphone right before sleeping negatively impact sleep quality?

Why is it more difficult for immigrants to find a job?

What are the effects of working out too much?

Does online dating make people have lower social skills?

How can improving time management reduce stress?

What is the impact of family stability on academic performance?

How does attending college impact lifelong earning potential?

Why is Google the most popular search engine?

How is carbon dioxide a greenhouse gas?

Why was the #Metoo movement so important?

What are the benefits of reading for pleasure as a child?

How has globalization impacted the role of women in societies?

What are the negative impacts of sound pollution?

How can a single species impact large ecosystems?

Personal Cause and Effect Essay Topics

Go over these 20 essay topics to write an essay that relies more on self reflection and personal growth. 

How has your favorite book impacted your life?

Is parenthood always a rewarding experience?

How does being selfish eventually impact oneself negatively?

What are the impacts of optimism on happiness?

How can a single individual make a significant change in the world?

How can meditation improve quality of life?

How has guilt affected your life personally?

How do people do bad things without realizing it?

Why are people afraid of commitment?

How does being in an abusive relationship impact both people?

What is the impact of being a minority on self-identity?

What is the connection between overthinking and depression?

How has the most significant relationship in your life shaped you?

How does getting older impact the ability to learn new things?

Why do people chase a feeling of control?

What are the impacts of living with someone with a mental disorder?

How long does it take to get over a serious breakup?

What are the reasons you want to be rich?

What would make you happy?

What is the best way of using social power?

Interesting Cause and Effect Essay Topics

20 interesting essay topics that will make your essay stand out amongst the crowd. 

What are some of the ways the world would have been different if the axis powers won WWII?

Do strikes and protests work effectively for different types of issues?

What would happen to coastal populations if ocean levels increased by 2 meters?

How much do tv shows and movies impact the way people think about other countries?

What has been the impact of rising internet penetration rates in developing countries?

What social care measures should countries implement in the face of catastrophes like Covid-19?

What is the connection between science and religion?

What would you do if you could become president of the world for 1 year?

How do phytoplankton in the ocean impact life on Earth?

Why is going to college an indicator of long-term happiness?

Why are certain video games popular amongst certain groups?

How does someone decide which music genre is their favorite?

How is artificial intelligence going to change the military and therefore the world?

What makes someone exceptional in their chosen field?

What are the most important characteristics of a good boss?

Can escapism be beneficial in situations such as trauma?

Does living together before marriage hurt or harm the long-term relationship?

What effect do different colors have on mood?

Is the continued growth of technology going to make people value in-person events more?

How has the first amendment impacted countries around the world?

Controversial Cause and Effect Essay Topics

Here are 20 controversial topics to think about. Be warned! You’ll have to do really solid research and make your point eloquently.

What was the impact of American foreign policy during the Cold War?

Does stem cell research have the potential to save millions of lives?

How do genetically modified crops impact the human body?

How do increasing temperatures impact rates of transmissible diseases?

How do oil-producing companies and their lobbies impact the search for renewable energy?

How do fashion companies end up employing children in sweatshops?

Can pizza now be considered an American food?

How do kings, queens, or any form of royalty impact the society of a country?

What are some of the negative outcomes of social Darwinism?

Why did the communism of the Soviet Union fail?

What has China’s one-child policy done to advance economic growth in the country?

How have sedition laws been used to censor free speech?

If artificial intelligence develops sentience, should they be given human rights?

How does a bad president impact that country's international reputation?

What are the roots of Russia’s aggressive international policies?

What are the negative impacts of the introduction of nonnative species?

What are the effects of gun regulation laws on murder rates around the world?

Are certain drugs beneficial for psychiatric treatment?

What was the root of the eugenics movement around the world in the early 1900s?

What has the impact of animal testing been on human health?

Final Thoughts

If you want to delve deep into a particular topic and analyze the causes and effects, a cause and effect essay is the perfect choice for you. It can be a fascinating process if you choose the right topic. This article has provided you with 180 topics to consider and guidelines on selecting a topic. If you need any help with coursework writing , research paper writing service , or custom essay writing , Studyfy's team of professional writers and dissertation writing services can guide you in the right direction. Additionally, their essay editing and proofreading services can help you improve your essay and make it stand out. Choose Studyfy, the best essay service , to help you achieve academic success.

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Cause and effect topics

How to Use These Topic Ideas

Here's how you can use the following topic ideas to write an essay:

• Reword the question to fit your assignment.
• Use a question for your topic idea to help keep you organized.
• Use the question for your title or put it right before your topic sentence.
• The answer to the question is your thesis. Simple!

For step-by-step instructions, see " How to Write a Cause and Effect Essay ."

What causes conflict in relationships?

Ryan McGuire CC0 Public Domain via Pixaby

Topic Categories Mental Health Relationships Social Problems Healthcare Social Media and the Internet Education History and Politics

Mental Health

• How does remote work hurt mental health?
• Why does virtual learning cause (more/less) anxiety when taking tests?
• How does wearing a mask all day effect mental health ?
• What causes people to have eating disorders?
• Why do people find ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response)YouTube videos comforting?
• Does what we eat cause us to have better or worse mental health?
• What is causing the rise of non-drug treatment for pain?
• What is causing the growing demand for sports psychologists?
• Does the microbiome cause changes in our mental health or depression?
• What is causing college students to feel greater anxiety?
• What causes someone to feel depressed?
• What is the effect on our mental health of spending time in nature?
• How do depression and anxiety affect our artistic senses ?
• What effect can brain stimulation have on suppressing mental illness?
• What causes autism spectrum disorders ?
• What causes the global suicide rate to be 1 person in every 100 deaths ?
• What causes contact with animals to be helpful for people with mental illness?
• What causes so many comedians to have problems with depression ?
• What causes people to identify autism as a mental disorder ?

Relationship Topics

• How has working from home affected marital relationships?
• How have COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing affected family life?
• What effect has the pandemic had on college students dating ?
• What causes divorce?
• What is the effect of divorce on children? Does the age of the child make a difference?
• How do parents' divorces affect their children's dating and marriage relationships?
• What is the effect of long distance on relationships?
• How does living together before being married affect a relationship?
• What causes men to be afraid of commitment?
• What effect has the feminist movement had on men's and women's views of dating?
• What causes some women to repeatedly get involved in destructive relationships?
• What effect does having an abortion have on a dating relationship?
• What causes children to rebel against their parents?
• What effect has social media had on family relationships?
• What causes sibling rivalry?
• What effect does birth order have on personality (or career)?
• What effect does a happy and fulfilling marriage have on a person's health?
• Does going to college cause people to have better marriages?
• What is the effect of grandparents raising a child?
• What causes teenagers to become sexually active?
• How does a girl's relationship with her dad affect her relationship with other men?
• What is the effect of growing up in a single-parent household?
• What is the effect of being a twin?
• What effect has China's one-child rule had on family relationships? How will the new two-child policy change family dynamics?
• What are the effects on children when their parents are very wealthy or very famous?
• What causes parents to over-schedule their children's activities? (Or what is the effect of over-scheduling on the child?)
• What causes a family to have close relationships?
• What is the effect of family vacations on family relationships?

Social Problem Topics

• Why are more children poor than any other group?
• What causes poverty in the U.S.?
• What are the effects of growing up in poverty?
• What causes homelessness?
• What effect does growing up with food insecurity have on children?
• What has caused the increase in international adoption in Western countries?
• What is the effect on children (or adults) of watching news reports of natural disasters, terrorist strikes, sexual predators, and other fearful situations?
• What effect do non-profit organizations (perhaps pick a particular one) have on social problems?
• What is the effect of more baby boomers reaching retirement age?
• What is the cause of men still out-earning women in wages? What is the effect?
• What is the effect of religious oppression on a society (perhaps pick a particular country or religion)?
• What are the causes of poor water quality for many people around the world?
• What is the effect of people not having shoes to wear?
• What are the effects of inadequate sanitation on a community?
• What is the cause (or effect) of continued discrimination and racism?
• What causes people with disabilities to be unable to get jobs?
• What is the effect of growing up in poverty on children?

Does our fear of shots cause people to avoid them?

skeeze CC0 Public Domain via Pixaby

Healthcare Paper Ideas

• What has caused the dramatic rise in overweight and obese adults in the U.S. in the last ten years?
• What will be the effects of this rise in obesity on the healthcare system?
• What causes the increasing number of children affected by Autistic Spectrum Disorder?
• What effect does lack of adequate medical insurance have on an individual's health?
• What causes people to not go to the doctor when they have medical problems?
• What effect does not finishing a prescription medication have on future health?
• What is the cause (or the effect) of people not getting their children vaccinated?
• What is the effect of climate change on infectious medical diseases?
• What is the effect of globalization on the spread of disease?
• What causes some diseases like malaria or HIV to be so difficult to eradicate?
• What effect does stress have on health?
• What effect has cancer research had on stopping cancer deaths?
• What causes people to get cancer?
• What causes pancreatic cancer to be so deadly?
• What has caused cancer to be so difficult to cure?
• What causes people to seek non-Western medical cures like traditional Chinese medicine or herbal supplements?
• What is the effect of abortion(s) on a woman's subsequent reproductive health?
• What effect does birth control have on women?
• What effect do regular dental check-ups have on oral health?
• What causes people to go blind?
• What causes people to develop allergies?
• What effect does an increased use of technology have on health?
• What causes cardiovascular disease?
• What effect does exercise have on the body?
• What causes people to make healthy living choices?
• What causes so many healthcare providers to be overweight?
• What are the social effects of having braces on teeth?

Social Media and the Internet

• What effect does cell phone use have on teenagers?
• What causes families to buy unlimited cell phone plans?
• What are the effects of violent video games on young children or teenagers?
• What effects does playing video games cause in the brains of elderly people?
• Does online shopping cause people to spend more money?
• What effect does social media have on teen relationships?
• What are the causes (or effects) of cyberbullying?
• What causes social media sites to lose popularity?
• What are the effects of picture and video-based social media sites like Snapchat or Instagram on teenage social interaction?
• What causes a video game to be popular?
• What effect does moving away from computers and towards tablets and smartphones have on how we browse the Internet?
• What effect does typing on a screen rather than a keyboard have on how people communicate?
• What causes Google to be the most popular search engine?
• What are the social effects of everyone on the planet having cell phones?
• How have smartphones affected business practices?

What causes students to get discouraged in school?

Public Domain Pictures CC0 Public Domain via Pixaby

• How does standardized testing affect student dropout rates?
• What effect does being labeled "gifted and talented" have on students?
• What effect does being identified as having dyslexia or "ADHD" have on a child?
• What causes students to think school is boring?
• Does using technology like iPads or smartboards in classrooms cause students to learn better?
• What is the effect on learning when students do most of their work reading from a computer or tablet rather than paper and books?
• What are the effects of homeschooling on children? (Or what are the social effects?)
• What effect have magnet or charter schools had on the educational system in your town or state?
• How do school programs against bullying affect students' actual bullying and fears?
• Do single-sex classrooms cause students to learn better?
• What are the positive and negative effects of having school uniforms?
• What is the effect of having an open high school campus?
• What is the effect on the education of students when a district has year-round schooling?
• What causes teachers to burn out?
• What causes some schools to fail to educate students?
• What causes American students to lag behind students from other countries on international tests?
• What effect do fine arts have on students?
• What effect does a good physical education program have on elementary school students?
• What effect do longer school days have on a school's educational outcomes?
• What effect does parent involvement in schools have on education?

Recommended

Wellington House: Britain's WW1 Propaganda Bureau

History and politics topics.

• What caused the Civil War?
• What are the continuing effects of slavery on American society?
• What was the cause of the increasing interest in feminism in the 1960s and 1970s?
• How were WWII veterans affected by their wartime experiences?
• What effect did WWII have on the Jewish people?
• What effect did Christianity have on the Roman empire?
• What caused the Arab Spring? What are the effects of the Arab Spring?
• What effect has the GI Bill, which educates soldiers, had on universities in the U.S.?
• What was the effect of colonialism on Britain's view of itself?
• What were the causes and effects of colonialism?
• From the viewpoint of the British, what were the causes and effects of the American Revolution?
• What causes the drug wars in Colombia?
• What causes illegal immigration?
• What are the effects of immigration on a country (pick any country)?
• What is the effect of online sales on businesses (in any country)?
• What was the effect of the printing press (or other invention) on world history?
• What are the effects of globalization on the position of women?
• What are the effects of American drone attacks on terrorists and civilians?
• What was the cause of the destruction of the World Trade Center on 9/11?
• What is the cause of increased militancy on the part of North Korea?

Questions & Answers

Question: What do you think of the essay topic "What are the causes and effects of the decline of ethics in Pakistani politics?"

Answer: Here are some other ways to state this topic:

1. What has caused the decline in ethics in Pakistani government?

2. What causes have led to the effect of a decline in ethics in Pakistani politics?

Question: What are the causes of the employment syndrome? Additionally, the essay prompt requires that you should suggest various innovative ways to curb the problem.

Answer: You have a two-step essay question which asks you to first investigate the causes of the problem and then suggest solutions. To organize this kind of essay, you might want to start with an example of the problem for the introduction. Then define and explain "employment syndrome." For the next paragraph, start with the question "What causes employment syndrome?" and then discuss the probable causes, using examples and any evidence you have from your research. Head into the second part of the body by using the second question to start a new paragraph, "How can we solve the problem of employment syndrome?" If you need help on how to write these kinds of essays, you can see my articles on "How to Write a Cause and Effect Essay" and "How to Write a Problem Solution Essay." While your teacher framed the question as a "cause" essay, the assignment seems to mostly fit the category of a problem solution essay. In order to figure out a solution, you must always first investigate the cause.

Question: What do you think of the essay topic, "What effects do cell phone use have on teenagers"?

Answer: As a mom who has raised teenagers in the era of cellphones, I certainly am interested in this topic. I've had many students do topics along this vein. Here are some other ideas:

1. What effect does cell phones have on family relationships?

2. What causes teenagers to choose to communicate through texting rather than in person?

3. What is the effect of cell phones on teenage dating relationships?

4. How does cell phone use effect high school education?

5. What causes teachers to ban cell phone use in class?

Question: I'm doing a cause and effect essay about being color blind. My essay has to be three pages long and I can't find many effects. Can you help me?

Answer: Start by looking at the many causes of color blindness, which happens both from birth and from a variety of illnesses. Then to find effects you need to search for things like "living with color blindness," "problems with being color blind," "living with color deficiency," and "dangers of colorblindness."

Question: What do you think of the essay topic "What is the cause of illegal immigration?"

Answer: Here are some other essay questions on that topic:

1. What is causing so many people to flee South American countries and travel?

2. What causes so many Haitians to want to stay in the U.S.?

3. What causes the U.S. to be such a popular place for illegal immigrants to come?

4. What causes people to overstay their tourist visa?

5. What causes people to overstay their student visa?

6. What causes people to be caught and deported?

7. What causes people to come illegally rather than to try to come legally?

Question: What do you think of the essay topic questions "What is the effect of divorce on children?" and "Does the age of the child make a difference?"

Answer: Those are both good questions. I think that you could do just one of those or keep the second question as part of your conclusion if you discover that the age does make a difference. Other articles on divorce and children could be:

What causes parents to divorce when their children go to college?

What is the effect that a parent's divorce has on their children's dating and marriage relationships?

Question: What do you think of, "How does standardized testing effect student dropout rates?" as a cause and effect essay topic?

Answer: Here are other questions on this issue:

1. Does standardized testing cause more students to drop out of high school and never graduate?

2. Does standardized testing actually help students to learn more in school?

3. What does standardized testing actually measure?

4. Does standardized testing cause teaching to be better or worse?

5. Does standardized testing make teachers only teach what is on the test?

6. Is the increase in student anxiety causes by an increased use and emphasis on standardized testing?

Question: What do you think of, "What causes paranoia? What's the effect?" as a cause and effect essay topic?

Answer: Psychological or mental health topics are always interesting to research, but be sure that your instructor accepts this kind of topic. There generally needs to be some disagreement about the cause to make this paper work. If the cause is considered clear and uncontroversial, then you would be writing an Explaining essay rather than a cause argument essay. Here are some other possibilities:

1. What causes schizophrenia?

2. What effect does having a relative with schizophrenia have on families?

3. What causes obsessive-compulsive disorder? How does having this disorder affect a person's life and work?

4. What effect does this OCD have on a person's family relationships and friendships?

I have more topics on mental health here: https://hubpages.com/humanities/Easy-Essay-Topics-...

Question: How should I approach writing a paragraph on the topic "I changed my lifestyle" and devote attention to the cause of the change and its effect?

Answer: A paragraph is like a mini-essay. It should have at least five sentences. The first sentence should tell your main point, what you did to change your lifestyle. Then you should have three or more sentences which explain the cause of your decision to change your lifestyle and the effect of the change. The last sentence should probably be some sort of evaluation of this change. You can explain whether you think this has helped you or hurt you, or you can say whether or not you like this change.

Question: The "employment syndrome" crippled entrepreneurial initiative of indigenous Zimbabwe. What are the causes and suggest various innovative ways to curb employment syndrome?

Answer: You have an interesting question. It would be important to define and describe the "employment syndrome" in Zimbabwe. If your audience is very familiar with this term, then you just need a sentence or two. If you were writing to a U.S. audience, they would probably not know the situation at all, and you would need to give a fuller explanation and examples.

The second part of the question is actually a different kind of essay, a problem solution essay. However, it is often true that these two types of essays are linked. As I point out in "How to Write a Problem Solution Essay," you must first determine the most important causes of a problem before you can decide on a solution. How you write this essay would depend on whether the most important point you want to make is to discuss the causes, or to provide some innovative solutions. If you are intending to write mostly about the causes, then the body of the paper (the main middle part) should have a detailed description and analysis of the causes and then you can give some brief ideas of innovative solutions in the conclusion.

If your main point is to discuss solutions, then the first one or two paragraphs should describe the situation and the causes and the body of the paper should give detailed ideas of how to solve this problem. The conclusion could then explain how those solutions are the best because they are the most feasible, practical and effective.

Question: What do you think of the topic, "What effect does an increased use of technology have on health?" for a cause and effect essay?

Answer: Here are some other ideas:

1. How has the health of teens been affected by their social media use?

2. Do cell phones cause health problems?

3. How does screen time hurt our eyes?

Question: What is a good thesis for the following topic: What are the effects of homeschooling on children?

Answer: Your thesis will depend on your opinion about the topic and whether you think the effects of homeschooling are positive or negative. Here are some typical answers:

Positive: children learn to be independent learners, families can teach children their own values (often religious ones), children can learn faster, and at their own pace, homeschooling eliminates problems with bullying, and traditional schooling means students waste a lot of time that isn't directly related to learning.

Negative: students don't learn to make friends, children don't learn socially acceptable behavior, parents don't always know how to teach effectively, children may not meet normal educational standards.

These are just suggestions. You should pick three or four effects that you think are important and put them in a sentence like this:

Three of the most important effects of homeschooling on children are:...

Question: Would this make a good essay topic: "What is the cause and effect of online shopping?"

Answer: A better question would be:

1. What is the cause and effect of an addiction to online shopping?

2. What causes online shopping to become a problem?

3. What effect does online shopping have on a person's personality?

Question: What do you think of, "How does a girl's relationship with her father affect her relationship with other men?" as a cause and effect essay topic?

Answer: You have an interesting question but if you are doing a cause/effect essay, you might want to word it differently:

1. What causes a girl's relationship with her father to influence her relationship with other men?

2. What causes the father-daughter relationship to be so crucial in forming a woman's ability to have good relationships with other men?

Question: Can you give me some suggestions for the essay topic, "What are the causes and effects of war"?

Answer: Talking about the causes and effects of a war is a big topic. It might be better to talk about a particular war and focus mostly on causes or effects. For example:

What caused the first Gulf War?

What have been the effects of the Rwandan genocide?

Question: What do you think of the topic, "What are the effects of video games on children?" for a cause and effect essay?

Answer: You have a popular topic and I've written some information about how to write a thesis statement and topic sentences on this issue here: https://hubpages.com/academia/How-to-Write-a-Great...

Question: What do you think of this as an essay topic: What is the effect on learning when students do most of their work reading from a computer or tablet rather than paper and books?

Answer: My students have been researching this question for the past few years because many of them have not had paper books for class in high school. You will find some fascinating research which suggests that not having a hard copy of books can make it harder to remember information.

Question: Is "What is the effect of playing rather than studying for a long test" a good essay topic?

Answer: This topic is probably a little too obvious. Of course, if you play rather than study, you won't do as well on the test. However, this could be an interesting topic if you went further than that and talked about the effects, or consequences, of never paying close attention to your studies. What are the long-term consequences of neglecting to study for tests?

Question: What do you think of the topic, "What are the causes and effects of the Myanmar civil war?" for a cause and effect essay?

Answer: Here are other ways to word the problem:

1. What has caused the civil war in Myanmar?

2. What is the most important cause of the Myanmar civil war?

3. How will the Myanmar civil war affect the country?

Question: What do you think about, "What causes teenagers to become sexually active?" as an essay question?

Answer: This question is a good "trending" cause topic. Here are some other questions:

What has caused the trend of lower teenage pregnancy rates?

What causes teenagers to enter into a sexually active relationship in (you can state an age or grade here to be more specific)?

What causes teenagers to choose not to become sexually active?

Question: What do you think of the essay topic "What are the causes of the military technology?"

Answer: I think you need to reword this slightly to be more effective:

1. What are the causes of increasing reliance on military technology?

2. What are the effects of a country using more military technology?

3. What is the cause of greater expenditures on military technology?

Question: What do you think of the topic, "What caused me to choose my planned major/area of study?" for a cause and effect essay?

Answer: Rather than a personal question, a better essay would ask a more general one, like:

1. What are the most important reasons students choose their major?

2. What causes students to change their major?

3. What causes students to choose a particular major?

Question: What do you think of the topic, "Today young people spend less and less time reading books. Why? What are the results of this trend?" for a cause and effect article?

Answer: Here are some other ways to word that question:

1. What causes young people today to spend less time reading than previous generations and what will be the effects of this trend?

2. What are the causes and effects of the fact that young people are reading less?

Question: Does using technology like iPads or smartboards in classrooms cause students to learn better?

Answer: You have hit on an important question. Here are some related ideas:

1. Should a school district save money by eliminating textbooks and use digital books instead?

2. Is using technology in the classroom absolutely necessary?

3. Does use of technology really prepare students better for their future jobs?

4. How does technology like smart phones impact the ability of students to cheat?

5. Can students learn as well with online learning as they can in a traditional classroom?

Question: How do you write a business plan?

Answer: You write a business plan by explaining:

1. What other businesses exist that are doing something similar to what you plan.

2. What you think is lacking in the current businesses selling this product.

3. Your plan to make a business which meets this lack.

4. What you need in personnel, capital (funds), supplies and building space to start your business.

5. Your plan to start up the business and run it.

6. Anything you already have done to show that this plan would work.

Question: What do you think of the topic, "What was the cause of the destruction of the World Trade Center on 9/11?" for a Cause and Effect essay?

Answer: That is an interesting question because the obvious answer is that two planes ran into the buildings, but you could delve deeper into the causes both in politics, economics, and religion.

Question: What do you think about the essay topic "What is the customer satisfaction about credit cards?"

Answer: This question is phrased as an explaining essay rather than a cause and effect. Here are some cause and effect questions on this issue:

1. What causes customers to feel satisfied with their particular credit card?

2. What is the effect of customers feeling good about their credit card interactions?

Question: How can I use the topic of illegal immigration to write a cause and effect essay? My professor said it's too broad.

Answer: A good cause and effect essay topic does need to be specific enough that you can find good sources and exciting examples. Here are some possible causal research questions on immigration:

1. What has caused the recent increase in families wanting to immigrate to the United States?

2. What causes children without parents to come across the U.S. border?

3. Does changing laws influence the number of illegal immigrants?

Question: What is a good cause and effect thesis statement for co-housing?

Answer: Co-housing is an intentional community structure where people have private spaces but also share many community spaces, property, activities and areas like large kitchens, eating areas and recreational property. Here are some good thesis ideas:

1. What causes people to choose to be part of a co-housing community?

2. What are the effects of being a part of co-housing?

3. What causes conflicts among people in a co-housing community?

4. What are the effects on raising children in a co-housing community?

5. What is the effect on property values in co-housing communities?

6. What causes people to enjoy cohousing over other types of communities?

Question: How can I word a topic on the benefits of music education for a cause-effect essay?

Answer: How does music education in schools benefit students?

Does music education have benefits for the students in their other subjects?

What causes parents and taxpayers to support music education in the schools?

What is the effect of music education on a person over their lifetime?

Question: What do you think of the essay topic "What is the cause of increased militancy on the part of North Korea?"

Answer: Your topic idea is current and would make an interesting paper. Here are some other versions of this idea:

1. What is the cause of the recently increased militancy on the part of North Korea?

2. What are the reasons for North Korea's recent trip to China and their first meeting with Chinese leaders?

3. What will be the effect of face to face diplomacy?

4. What caused the North Koreans to be willing to meet with President Trump?

Question: Would this be a good essay topic? Do you have other suggestions to help develop this topic question? "What are the perceived benefits to be accrued by the new path taken by Zimbabwe in international relations?"

Answer: This is a good argument topic. Here are some other questions for this topic idea:

1. What has caused the Zimbabwe government to take a new path in international relations?

2. What effects will occur because of the new path taken by Zimbabwe in international relations?

Question: Do you have any suggestions for "What is the cause of the recent trend in Ethiopia of teaching children by using plasma TV? What effect has that had on the education of children in that country?" as a cause and effect essay topic?

Answer: Any new educational trend or method can make a good cause and effect topic. I've reworded your topic to make it clear that you are talking about a cause and an effect. You could use this same format and insert any new educational idea. For example: What has caused the need to develop new teaching methods in Ethiopia and what have been the effects of teacher development plans?

Question: "What is the effect of mass media on the bias of audiences?" How can I reframe this as an essay topic?

1. Does mass media cause bias in the audience?

2. What is the effect of mass media on audience bias?

Question: Does this essay topic question make sense? "What are the causes and effects of refugees in Asia?"

Answer: Here are some better ways to phrase the topic:

1. What is the cause of so many refugees in Asia and what are the effects of this migration?

2. What are the causes and effects of the current refugee crisis in Asia?

Question: How would "What was the cause of the increasing interest in feminism in the 1960s and 1970s" work as an essay topic?

Answer: That is a very good question and here are some other possibilities on that topic:

What effect did the feminism of the 1960s and 70s have on American society?

How has feminism changed the lives of women in the United States (or Europe, or globally)?

What effect has feminism had on men, family roles, or marriages in the past fifty years?

What causes millennial women to embrace feminism?

Question: What caused the drug wars in Colombia?

Answer: You could substitute any war in any country in this question to make a good cause and effect essay. People still write books and articles about the cause of the Civil War and other important battles. In answering this sort of question, you can often make an interesting conclusion which suggests what might be a possible solution to the conflict or what might have been done to prevent an ongoing war or at least mitigate the consequences. There are many different sides to a question like this, and your paper will probably be more interesting if you consider a different answer than the one people expect, or explain with a lot of specific details and evidence why the obvious answer is the truth.

Question: What do you think of the essay topic "What is the effect of grandparents raising a child?"

Answer: With many children now being raised by other family members at least in part, I think your question is very interesting. Of course, in the past, many children were raised in multi-generational households. However, I suspect your question is more about the situation when both of the child's parents are unable or unwilling to take on the responsibility of raising the child, and the grandparents step in to do the job. Here are some other ways to look at this topic:

1. What causes grandparents to become a child's main caregivers and what effect does that have on the child?

2. What effect does it have on grandparents when they need to become primary caregivers of their grandchildren?

3. What is the effect of growing up in a multi-generational household?

Hazel C. on March 22, 2020:

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kylee on April 01, 2019:

this has been very helpful to my high school daughter for her language classes

Hassan jaber on March 04, 2019:

Thanks for everything

Ashley Rampersaud on October 23, 2018:

Helpful , Thank u so much for this

Kimberly Lake from California on May 11, 2018:

Very useful!

Unknow on May 08, 2018:

Thank you so much

K. on May 04, 2018:

Thanks a lot!

Ameliya on April 10, 2018:

Hi. this really helped

connor on February 26, 2018:

I love this site

unknow on February 26, 2018:

this will definitely will help me review for the act test

no one on February 26, 2018:

Unknown on February 22, 2018:

this helped my English class (6th grade) thanks Mrs.Wilborn!!

Unknown on January 23, 2018:

This seriously helped me with my essay/speech ideas!

Thanks so much Letter Pile!

mn_heydari5038 on December 21, 2017:

these topics are very fantastic. they helped me to write a great essay and, so these topics make writers to write a good essay more about cause and effect

Robbert Dillard on December 18, 2017:

This is very useful, I learned lots.

Jimmy on December 18, 2017:

Thanks this helped

Abbie on November 04, 2017:

This was extremely helpful! Thank you so much!!

Ashley on October 25, 2017:

Thanks for the great ideas to point me in the right direction for my next essay!

Lil on September 26, 2017:

This was great for me because I had to write an essay about some kind of topic with a cause and an effect and this website gave me some really good ideas, Thank You!

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on June 09, 2017:

Sophia--I'm so glad that this helped you. I especially enjoy teaching Chinese students. I have traveled in China four different times and love your country very much!

Sophia on June 09, 2017:

I am a Chinese student and I think your sharing did help me a lot. Thank you !

domonique on March 16, 2017:

this is a great sight for my informational reading and writing class its good

Hooriya on March 01, 2017:

Hi thanks for helping me

deeksha on October 11, 2016:

these topics are really good.. i used some of these topics for my projects and got great marks.. i got A+ in all my projects , i am in 7th grade....

hubber8893 on April 04, 2016:

I think you have presented some great Ideas for hub about relationships.

Hugh Johnson on March 15, 2016:

These topics had a BIG impact on my life. Thanks for your LARGE ammount of tips.

John on March 15, 2016:

These topics really helped me for school

roob on March 14, 2016:

Creative idea for a hub, what was your case and effect for making it lol

BOB on December 09, 2015:

WOW this is super great to look up stuff for an assignment.

Joe on October 29, 2015:

Awesome topics thanks a million

Dwight Goliday Jr from East Saint Louis on October 29, 2015:

Wow. There are a lot things that cause and effect. Very informative write.

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on October 20, 2015:

Thanks Zakeycia and YoLex. My students have come up with most of these topics through the years and now this is my most visited article so they must have done a good job! I think it got over 2000 views one day last week!

YoLex on October 20, 2015:

This is awesome I wish I'd found this hub before I graduated college lol! Great work!

Zakeycia Dickens on October 20, 2015:

I have a cause and effect essay to type for my English class. I was having a hard time coming up with a topic. Your website and topic suggestions were very helpful. Thank you.

Rasheedah Abdul-Hakeem on March 16, 2015:

Thanks. Great topics.

James Packard from Columbia, Missouri on February 06, 2015:

What a great hub! Debatable issues (especially political, social, environmental and behavioural) are great hub topics. They are good to write about to do research and clear up one's own viewpoint, but they also get people talking, and also spark very needed discussion. Thanks for sharing.

Liza Treadwell Esq aka Liza Lugo JD from New York, NY on February 06, 2015:

I love this one, VirginiaLynne. Your hubs are so valuable to students and professional writers. Cause and effect papers are among the most interesting to read.

I voted this hub "up," "useful," and "interesting." I am bookmarking this hub for future reference. I know I'll be using it! Keep up the excellent work here.

Marilyn L Davis from Georgia on January 29, 2015:

Good afternoon, Virginia; excellent examples for all categories. Well done. ~Marilyn

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on November 08, 2014:

Here is another place to look for topic ideas: https://owlcation.com/humanities/Causal-Analysis-E...

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on October 08, 2014:

Hi Gertrude--These two words are ones that are often confused. Affect also means "to produce an effect upon" as well as "to influence." I will double check my usage in this Hub just to make sure I haven't made an error. Thanks!

Gertrude McFuzz on October 08, 2014:

These are great topics. I just have one comment. Sometimes you use "effect" when you should use "affect."

affect = influence - usually a verb

effect= result - usually a noun

effect= cause - not used that often - verb

SR from Texas on September 11, 2014:

This will come in handy for my English class. Thanks.

ANCY on July 22, 2014:

I Love it very much

rakesh ranjana on July 11, 2014:

Social causes are growing up in lot more ways, knowing it and having a knowledge about it through this site, will help a lot in many ways for people to understand there relationship and social problems

MariaBrown on March 13, 2014:

Great hub! I like your ideas, it is something different & innovative. Vote up!

DjeLke on February 11, 2014:

Thanks! This is helpful.... Vote up.

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on January 27, 2014:

Sumnerswett--I teach MLA format because that is used by most American colleges in their English departments. However, you are very right to point out that APA and Chicago and other formats are used in different types of courses. I think considering cause and effect is sometimes a bit confusing because it depends on where you view the start of the situation. Often a cause creates an effect, which causes another situation. Sometimes it is hard to pull them apart. That is why I usually like to call this a "speculating about causes" essay, because we can't always definitively determine the absolute cause, but we can always speculate and argue for the most important causes, or the most important effects that we see in a situation.

Sumner Swett from Owls Head Maine on January 27, 2014:

Okay so cause and effect essays are written in different formats, but let me say in my college profession for the essays to be written were to be in APA format, and it is interesting when researching and writing whether it is from information you have researched or if it free lance. I like to research topics before writing and also note taking is effective. The cause is what causes the situation and the effect is what you have to take into consideration to the cause as we all know it.

Kimberly Lake from California on January 08, 2014:

Great topics! Voted up and shared.

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on November 23, 2013:

Leidy--That is a great essay topic. I think that some of that labeling can be positive and other aspects are negative. It can encourage students to believe that they are capable, but it can discourage them by making them think that they don't need to work hard, or that if they don't achieve a high grade on everything, they have failed.

Seth Tomko from Macon, GA on October 24, 2013:

A good and diverse collection of topics. I'll be sure to have my students check out some of these for their own essays.

Annie Miller from Wichita Falls, Texas on April 26, 2013:

Very interesting and in depth Hub. I am passing this along and saving it, as well!

Chris Achilleos on April 26, 2013:

Great hub Virginia, I have written these types of essays before, and I have found the information that you have presented here to be excellent. Thank you for sharing. Voted up and useful!

Chris Achilleos

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on April 25, 2013:

Thanks so much Carol! You are always an encouragement.

carol stanley from Arizona on April 25, 2013:

This is something to save when trying to come up with new writing ideas. Great hub...Going to pass this along and of course vote up.

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Cause and Effect: Definition, Meaning, and Examples

Allison Bressmer

You may be familiar with the Biblical quote “You reap what you sow.” The things you do are like planted seeds, and those seeds produce a crop which is the result of your actions.

The quote is an example of the cause and effect relationship. Your action, sowing good or bad seeds, produces a reaction, a healthy or rotten harvest.

A cause is an action, and the effect is the resulting reaction.

Definition of Cause and Effect

What does cause and effect mean, examples of cause and effect in sentences, cause and effect relationship examples, cause and effect words.

In the cause and effect relationship, one or more things happen as a result of something else.

A cause is a catalyst, a motive, or an action that brings about a reaction—or reactions. A cause instigates an effect.

An effect is a condition, occurrence, or result generated by one or more causes. Effects are outcomes.

Cause and effect means that things happen because something prompted them to happen.

A cause is why something happens. An effect is what happened.

For example, you have a picnic planned for Sunday afternoon. However, the weather becomes stormy and you have to cancel your outdoor plans.

In this situation, the cause is the stormy weather and the effect of that stormy weather is the picnic cancellation.

Cause and effect are intertwined. American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Cause and effect are two sides of one fact.”

You can’t have an effect without a cause, nor can you have a cause without an effect.

In cause and effect relationships, there may be multiple causes and multiple effects. The relationship may cycle on with a cause leading to effects that become a cause for more effects!

Let’s say that you oversleep and are late to a meeting and, because you’re late to the meeting, you miss out on the delicious pastries the boss brought in. Since you missed the pastries, you’re hungry and aggravated. This may in turn have an effect on your next interaction with a colleague or client.

Cause and effect sentences show a clear, direct relationship between events. They show how one event or action triggers an outcome. They may also show how an effect has more than one cause, or a cause has more than one effect.

Cause and effect sentences can present the cause first and follow it with the effect, or present the effect first and follow it with the cause.

• I ate tons of junk food, so now I feel sick.
• I feel sick because I ate tons of junk food.

These sentences have the same cause and effect presented in a different order. These sentences share the same meaning and show the same relationship.

In the next five sentences, determine which comes first, the cause or the effect.

He lied to me, so I ended our relationship.

Since I was up all night with my sick child, I’m exhausted this morning.

She never gave up on her writing, and now she’s published a book!

They could finish the race because they had trained for it so diligently.

They gave the restaurant a critical review because their food was burnt to a crisp.

In the first three sentences, the cause comes first. In sentences four and five, the effect comes first.

Cause and effect relationships exist in just about every subject area.

We can see the causes of local, national, or global events, and the effects of those events. We can ask, “What were the causes of World War II?” and then “What were the effects of World War II?”

We can examine what caused an economic recession or depression and the effects of that crisis on society.

In these cases, as with many others, there are multiple causes and multiple effects.

In 2020, the world was hit with a global pandemic. Scientists saw the effects of the disease on people’s health and lives and began searching for the cause of the virus.

As the story goes, Sir Isaac Newton observed an effect, an apple falling from a tree. This prompted him to seek the cause of that fall—why did the apple fall down, not sideways or up? His observation of that effect led him to discover the cause: gravity.

When conducting experiments, scientists perform an action (cause) to see what will happen as a result (effect).

Most of us probably had to do an experiment with plants in school. We examined what happened to our two plants (effects) depending on whether we gave or withheld from them proper light and water (cause).

The Natural World

Nature is full of examples of cause and effect.

• Plants grow as a result of the sun’s heat and light.
• Bears hibernate so they can conserve energy and won’t require food during the winter months when food is scarce.
• The moon’s gravitational pull causes the ocean’s tides.

Narrative stories, both fiction and non-fiction, are often driven by cause and effect.

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby , Gatsby bases all of his action on pleasing Daisy because he is obsessed with winning her love.

Our everyday lives are full of cause and effect experiences.

• As a result of studying hard, you aced your test!
• You called in sick because you woke up with a fever.
• You meet friends for drinks because it’s your birthday.

There are words that signal a cause and effect relationship. These words can help readers recognize the cause and effect structure of a passage, making it easier to comprehend content.

Words that signal a cause include:

Words that signal effect include:

Signal Words in Cause and Effect Sentences

Observe how the signal words communicate the relationship in these cause and effect example sentences:

As a result of COVID, many high school students couldn’t experience graduation ceremonies.

There was a multi-car accident on the highway, so traffic was at a standstill.

I’ve started eating a much healthier diet. Consequently , I’ve lost weight and have more energy.

Thanks to my caring friends, I recovered from a difficult situation.

Since the weather was perfect, we spent the entire day outdoors.

My partner got his dream job 200 miles away from where we currently live. As a result , we have to sell the home and move.

His financial hardships are due to his careless spending.

She campaigned the hardest, therefore she won the vote.

The doctor’s optimism is the reason for our positive outlook.

Your sister is several years older than you. Accordingly , she has more responsibility and independence.

TIP: Observe the sentences that start with cause signal words ( As a result , Thanks to , Since ). There are two clauses in those sentences and they are connected by a comma.

The first clause is dependent meaning that it must be attached to an independent clause to make sense. When left alone, dependent clauses can become sentence fragments which are grammatically incorrect.

ProWritingAid is a thorough grammar checker that will alert you to any fragments and make suggestions for revision.

A Final Word on Cause and Effect

A cause and effect relationship is one in which an event generates an outcome. We see these relationships everywhere: from history to science to nature to literature to daily life!

When you’re reading or writing about cause and effect, look for or use signal words that make the relationship between the event (cause) and the outcome (effect) clear.

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Allison Bressmer is a professor of freshman composition and critical reading at a community college and a freelance writer. If she isn’t writing or teaching, you’ll likely find her reading a book or listening to a podcast while happily sipping a semi-sweet iced tea or happy-houring with friends. She lives in New York with her family. Connect at linkedin.com/in/allisonbressmer.

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Teaching Cause and Effect: 11 Tips for Student Practice

Cause and effect is a type of text structure authors use to create articles, stories, and other content. It can appear in both fiction and nonfiction texts. Learning to identify this text structure also helps readers discover the relationships among elements in a text. 

Students need to understand the connections between cause and effect to make meaning from what they read. In this article, we'll look at 11 ways you can try teaching cause and effect so students understand the relationships between them to boost reading comprehension:

Why teach cause and effect in the classroom?

11 ways to teach students about cause-and-effect relationships, teaching cause and effect with newsela.

Understanding cause and effect relationships in texts helps students follow the author's train of thought and understand their purpose. Learning this skill also helps students understand relationships between events, identify text structure , and make meaning from the text.

In fiction, understanding cause-and-effect relationships helps students rationalize and accept that the plot is believable. In nonfiction, learning this skill helps students understand the sequence or process that led to an outcome. 

The nonfiction piece is critical. Understanding these relationships gives students a better chance of comprehending texts in science and social studies classes . Cause and effect is a frequent text structure that authors use when writing about science concepts and social studies events.

Explore these 11 ways you can structure your lessons to help teach students about cause-and-effect relationships in a text:

1. Define the terms

A cause is why something happens, a reason or action that comes before the effect. An effect is what happens, a result or reaction that comes after the cause. Students should also know multiple causes can lead to the same effect and one cause can have multiple effects. 

Students can get confused when they always hear the terms mentioned together. Sharing the vocabulary words and definitions is the perfect place to start.

2. Use anchor charts

Creating an anchor chart helps students learn about causes and effects with visuals and text. On the left side of the chart, list the definition of a cause, an example, and an image that illustrates the example. On the right side, list the definition of an effect, an example, and a visual.

You can create anchor charts before a lesson and reference them throughout. You can also create the anchor chart during a lesson and have students contribute by thinking of examples to show. After it’s created, display your anchor chart in the classroom and allow students to reference it in future lessons and activities.

3. Teach cause-and-effect signal words

Certain words signal cause-and-effect relationships in a text. Teach students to look for those words to help them more easily identify these relationships while they read. Some of the signal words include:

So or since

Due to or as a result of

4. Dissect sentences

After students learn about signal words, have them find and dissect cause-and-effect sentences in a text. Students must remember the definitions to determine which part of a sentence tells what happened, and which part tells why it happened. This activity shows students that the cause won't always come first in a sentence even if the action always happens first in the pair. It also helps students see that signal words can come at the beginning or in the middle of the sentence depending on its construction.

Model how to underline the signal word and then highlight the cause in one color and the effect in another. You can use Newsela ELA's annotation feature while modeling this strategy and when students read independently. Assign one color to highlight signal words, one for causes, and one for effects.

5. Do a demonstration

To make a literacy skill stick, sometimes you have to take it off the page. Show students how cause and effect works in real life with in-class demonstrations. Pose questions like "What will happen if I poke a balloon with a pencil?" Depending on the texts or stories you're reading in class, you may use experiments pulled right from your lesson content.

For example, you could use an article on bringing snow to Florida from our Analyzing People, Events, and Ideas text set . Ask students a question like, "What would happen if we put snow in a bucket and left it out in the sun?" Your students might give different answers depending on your location and the time of year!

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6. Pick specific mentor texts

Choose texts with explicit cause-and-effect relationships or structures to make it easier for students to identify them. You can use books like "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" by Laura Numeroff or "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" by Judith Viorst. Other options include nursery rhymes, which usually have clear examples of cause-and-effect relationships.

Take "Hey Diddle Diddle," for example. The cow jumps over the moon and the little dog laughs in this nursery rhyme. The cause or action is the cow jumping over the moon. The effect or reaction is the little dog laughing.

You can also pick nonfiction mentor texts. The one in the "Hey Diddle Diddle" text set shows the cause-and-effect relationships between boy band music and dancing birds.

7. Play matching games

Create a matching activity for students to pair causes and effects together. On slips of paper, take sentences that show cause-and-effect relationships and split them up before or after the signal words. Or use a digital format, like using Formative by Newsela's match mode in the student practice center .

Use sentences from texts your students are familiar with the first time you do this activity. To make it more difficult, use new sentences that describe relationships they're unfamiliar with for more practice.

8. Predict with pictures

Use images that show one side of a cause-and-effect relationship to get students thinking about the other. If you show students a picture of flowers in bloom you could ask: "What do you think happened to make the flowers grow?" Students can share their potential causes, with answers like, "It rained and the seeds sprouted."

You can do this activity the other way too. For example, you could show students a picture of a basketball player taking a jump shot. You could then ask them, "What do you think happens next?" They may answer something like, "I think they'll make a basket," or "I think the player misses."

The goal of this activity isn't to get the "right" answer. It's to get students thinking about one scenario's potential causes and effects.

9. Use graphic organizers

Graphic organizers are great visual tools to help students understand information. Cause and effect graphic organizers split the paper in two. On one side, students can write the causes they find in a text and put the effects on the other. They can draw arrows from the causes to the effects to match them up.

With Newsela ELA, you can pair interactive graphic organizers with any article. Edit and customize them with Formative by Newsela . If you prefer printed, paper, organizers, you can download those too.

Download your printable: Newsela's Cause and Effect Worksheet

10. Get creative with captions

Practice writing by getting students to create captions for cause-and-effect images. Find images that show both sides of the relationship and put them side by side. Do this on the board, on a worksheet, on task cards, or in student journals. Then, prompt students to write a caption for each picture.

11. Analyze advertisements

Many advertisements show cause and effect to help sell their products. Bring media analysis into your cause-and-effect lessons and have students determine how products solve problems. For example, you could use the "Finding Dory" Coppertone ad from 2016 to show what happens when you do (or don't) use sunscreen.

You may ask students questions like, "What problem does sunscreen solve?" They could respond with, "It stops your skin from getting red," or "It stops sunburn."

With Newsela ELA, you can teach students about cause-and-effect relationships in text using relevant, real-world content. Plus, it's easy to check students' progress to discover if they're learning and can use this skill independently.

Our standards and skill-aligned multiple-choice quizzes make it easy to get the right data to adjust your lessons in real-time. Research shows that students who read and take quizzes on Newsela ELA twice weekly see about three additional months of growth in literacy skills .

Not a Newsela customer yet? Sign up for Newsela Lite for free and get access to the scaffolds you need to teach cause and effect in your classroom.

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• 7.1: Introduction to Cause-and-Effect Essay
• 7.2: “Cultural Baggage” by Barbara Ehrenreich
• 7.3: “Women in Science” by K.C. Cole
• 7.4: Writing for Success- Cause and Effect
• 7.5: Student Sample- Cause-and-Effect Essay

High school cause and effect essay prompts | Homeschool essay topics

by Kim Kautzer | Mar 13, 2019 | High school , Writing & Journal Prompts

When high school students are confronted with information or current events , they should be able to independently analyze the data or situations. These cause and effect essay prompts will help your teen draw conclusions about underlying causes and intended (or unintended) effects. A family discussion may help your high schooler brainstorm and organize ideas before he starts writing.

1. He Who Fights with Monsters

Violent video games and toys are pervasive in our society. Could this be caused by malicious, money-hungry marketers, or is it simply a reflection of human nature? Do toy guns and first-person shooter games lead to more crimes, or do they actually prepare young people for better self-defense? Write an essay explaining how violent video games can affect the individual gamer, society, or both.

2. Daddy’s Home

Sadly, it has become ever more common to see broken homes and absent fathers. What do you think has caused this breakdown of marriage, and what are the effects on children who grow up without a male role model in the home?

3. Give Me Liberty

Gun control is a divisive topic. From your experience or research, why are guns withheld from law-abiding citizens? What happens to freedom when a citizen can no longer own and carry a weapon ? What happens to crime rates?

4. Some Things Money Can’t Buy

In our nation, personal debt has skyrocketed over the last century. What has caused the massive growth of school loans, credit card debt, and thirty-year mortgages? What is the effect on an individual, family, or country when debt is entered into so freely?

5. Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better

Have you heard that boys statistically get more attention than girls in a classroom? What do you think has caused the integration of young men and young women in educational settings, from high schools to youth groups to summer camps? What are some of the positive effects of this social policy, and what have been some of the negative or unintended effects?

If you enjoyed these cause and effect essay topics, be sure to check back each week for more Writing Prompt Wednesdays ! Once a month, we feature topics especially suited for teens. 

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If you enjoyed these essay prompts, be sure to check back each week for more Writing Prompt Wednesdays ! Once a month, we feature topics especially suited for high schoolers .

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30 Cause-and-Effect Lesson Plans and Activities Students Love

Teach students that there is a reason for everything.

Why did the dog run away? Because the owner left the gate open. Why did the boy cry? Because he fell off his bike. Cause and effect can be a challenging concept for kids especially when it requires them to use information from earlier in a novel or when it requires students to infer. But don’t worry, we’ve got you. Here are cause-and-effect lesson plans, starter ideas, and classroom activities that are simple but effective to help your students master this reading concept.

Scroll through these cause-and-effect lesson plans to get inspiration and grab some freebies too!

1. Use anchor charts

As you introduce cause-and-effect, an anchor chart can help reinforce the concept. They’re great to refer back to when reviewing and are helpful for kids to look at when working independently.

Use an anchor chart to emphasize is that the cause is why something happened. The cause always happens first, even if it isn’t mentioned first. The effect is what happened, and it occurs after the cause.

Check out 15 cause and effect anchor charts for inspiration.

2. Give concrete examples

Students are causing effects all day long. Use real life examples, like dominos, light switches, toy cars on a ramp, and so on. As you (or, even better, a student) demonstrate these examples, ask your kids about the cause and the effect for each.

3. Play a board game

Create our own board game using our free templates. You can print the board and write on it to gamify your cause-and-effect lesson. Just grab some dice and you are ready to roll!

4. Discuss real life examples

Give your class real scenarios and ask what would happen. You might say, If I poke this balloon with a pencil, what would happen? Then have students determine the cause and effect.

Continue asking similar questions, using the same frame of if (the cause) and what (the effect). For example, if you ate too much candy at one time, what would happen? If you practiced playing the piano every day, what would happen? If you never brushed your teeth, what would happen? To add some fun, you might even make it silly. Maybe, If an elephant jumped into a tiny pool, what would happen? Or If you saw an alien, what would happen?

5. Use an interactive anchor chart

Interactive anchor charts are a fun way to get students involved by building the anchor chart together! As you teach the lesson, fill in the anchor chart with your students. They can even write their own sticky notes to add, or write on the chart itself.

6. Use role plays

Prepare slips of paper ahead of time with ideas for students to act out. Tell the kids that they may make sound effects but may not use words. You can call for volunteers right away or, better yet, put the actors into small groups and give them 5 to 10 minutes to practice before showing the class.

The situations you include could be: You’re playing baseball, and a window breaks. You’re blowing a big chewing gum bubble, and it pops on your face. A football team makes a touchdown and the crowd cheers. You jump on the bed and get scolded. You run fast and earn a trophy. And so on. After every scenario is performed, the class identifies the cause and the effect.

7. Use sentence strips

Write causes on sentence strips and matching effects on other sentence strips. Make sure there are enough for your whole class. Pass out a sentence strip to each child with either a cause or an effect.

When you say “go,” have the kids walk around until they find a match. When they’re done, they can quickly share out their answers. This cause-and-effect lesson is a great way to get kids moving.

8. Create a cause-and-effect chain

To link multiple causes and effects, create a chain. This is a great way to show the many causes and effects that occur during a novel or longer story. Use different colored papers to code cause-and-effect so students can see whether there is a balance of the two across a story.

9. Cause-and-Effect match

Cut 3-by-4-inch cards from two different colors of construction paper. Once kids are in pairs, give each child two cards of each color. One color is for the causes (write a “C” on the back of these to help kids remember), and the other color cards are for the effects (write an “E” on the back of these).

Next, the pairs work together to come up with four different cause-and-effect events to record on their cards. For example, on one cause card, it might say: The mother bird sat on her nest. The effect card that matches it might say: The baby birds hatched out of their eggs. Once the pair has finished their cards, they mix them up, place them in an envelope, and write their names on the front.

The next day, set the envelopes around the room, like you’re having a scavenger hunt. Have pairs travel around the room with their partners to open envelopes, match causes and effects, mix the cards back up, put them back in the envelope, and move to the next open set.

10. Make flip books

These little books can be used in cause-and-effect lesson plans and much more! You might want to prep them for little ones, but older kids can usually make their own. Fold a 9-by-12-inch paper lengthwise (hot dog–style). Keep it folded and use a ruler to mark off the 3-, 6-, and 9-inch spots near the top and bottom.

Draw a line from the top to the bottom at each marked spot. Unfold the page and cut on the three lines from the bottom to the fold. Once the flip-book is created, kids draw four causes on the front and then lift each flap and draw four effects underneath. Need enrichment for higher-level kids? Have them draw or write several effects for each cause.

11. Fill out Mad Libs

Use fill-in-the-blank worksheets where the blank spaces are either the cause or effect of an action. Students can make up their own story while determining the cause and effect of their creation.

Check out these downloadable Mad Lib worksheets to get started.

12. Make comics

Take 9 x 12 construction paper (landscape format) and have kids fold it in half and then unfold it. Write “Cause” at the top of the left side and “Effect” at the top of the right side. Kids use crayons, markers, Sharpies, or watercolors to create a picture that shows a cause-and-effect relationship, in this case, with Pete the Cat.

13. Create cause-an-effect cards

Similar to the above cause-and-effect lesson plan, but instead of unfolding the paper, just leave it folded like a greeting card. I actually like to make the cards fairly small, then they can be grouped together in a little cause-and-effect museum for a fun display. The cards just have to be big enough for the kids to draw or write on them.

14. Call on Mother Goose

Have students pick out cause-and-effect scenarios from nursery rhymes. Nursery rhymes are short and have clear cause-and-effect to identify.

For more practice with cause-and-effect, have students rewrite the nursery rhyme to include a clearer or additional cause-and-effect using the same characters. For example, what might happen to the spider after Miss Muffet runs away? Or, what might Miss Muffet do next time she wants to eat her curds and whey?

15. Use photos

This cause-and-effect lesson plan could be done after kids have mastered the basics. Gather some interesting pictures from classroom magazines ( Scholastic , Weekly Reader , etc.) and regular magazines, or find them online on free-to-use sites like Pixabay . Look for pictures that have a lot going on in them because kids are going to be looking for several causes and effects, not just one. I would suggest NOT letting the kids search for pictures. Not everything is classroom friendly, and even if it were, it could be a distraction.

Glue the picture to the top of a piece of construction paper (portrait format) or a piece of chart paper. Underneath the picture, divide the space in half and write “Cause” at the top of the left side and “Effect” at the top of the right side. Kids brainstorm and write down lots of different causes and effects for the same picture by looking at it in many ways.

16. Use a graphic organizer

Graphic organizers are a fantastic tool for students to use to organize information, like cause-and-effect. Grab this free cause-and-effect graphic organizer template to get you started. It’s a great way to add extra practice and reinforce the topic.

17. Teach students to locate clues

Teach upper elementary students that certain words like because ,  since ,  due to , and if … then , or words that help sequence events like first and  then , are signals that can help them find the cause or effect as they read.

Use this handout to help them and then have them practice by making up their own cause-and-effect sentences or by doing a version of the sentence-strips activity outlined above.

18. Play a game

Games are a great tool to use for cause-and-effect lesson plans. As an added bonus, games can be played independently. When a student finishes early or has some free time, have them test their mastery of cause-and-effect by having them play free online games that will both challenge them and reiterate what you taught. Ice cream lovers in your class?

Group students in teams and have them test their mettle in this game of cause-and-effect Jeopardy!

19. Get a digital worksheet

Once students are familiar with cause-and-effect graphic organizers, switch it up a bit! Grab this free digital worksheet template to add a new way of teaching cause-and-effect. It’ll pair perfectly with whatever you have planned for your cause-and-effect lesson.

20. Use sticky notes

Printing on sticky notes is so fun! Check our our how-to video here. Your students will love using them to learn. Plus, they can easily be pasted into their notebooks or stay on desks as a reminder.

21. Use interactive notebooks

Make your students’ notebooks come to life! Interactive notebooks help students study and retain information with foldable flaps and more. You can get the template of the one pictured here .

22. Do a scavenger hunt

Scavenger hunts make cause-and-effect lesson plans fun! The idea here is that student have to work together to find the cause of each clue. This will lead them to find the next scavenger hunt clue to keep going.

23. Create centers

Choose a handful of cause-and-effect lesson plans from this list and build centers. Students will enjoy learning the concept in a variety of ways. Plus, it ensures that there are multiple ways to learn and grasp this concept.

24. Experiment

Perhaps nothing exemplifies fun and exciting cause-and-effect lesson plans better than an experiment. Come up with a list of quick, simple experiments to do, such as putting lots of air in a balloon or putting pennies on the wings of a paper airplane. Then, as a class or in small groups, work together to come up with a simple hypothesis, using the words highlighted above. For example: The plant will grow  because we watered it consistently.  Or: If we mix the colors yellow and blue , then we will make green . Help students see that the setup of the experiment is the cause and what happens (the result) is the effect.

25. Use picture books

Picture books are great tools for cause-and-effect. The images on each page support students’ ability to infer details and connect one event to another.

While you’re reading, pause at each page turn to talk about what effect could happen next. And, have students identify the causes and effect that move a character through the story.

26. Create an adventure

Either read books that have students choose the next step, like this four-set of Oregon Trail books, or write your own. At each point in the story, talk about what could happen based on what has happened, and what might happen next. You decided not to visit the trading post, what might happen as you enter the desert?

• Buy it: The Oregon Trail adventures for less than $20 at Amazon.

27. Create another type of cause and effect chain

Create another type of cause-and-effect chain to show how events connect and build off of one another. You can use this format to model real life cause-and-effect, or to work out the causes and effects in a story or novel.

• Get it: cause-and-effect chains at The Owl Teacher.

28. Task box

For students who need additional practice, use this task box idea. Include pictures and phrases with clear a cause-and-effect, and have students match each one. A task box should be self-checking so include a way for students to check their work.

• Get it: cause-and-effect task box at Teaching Autism.

29. Tree diagram

As students advance from linking one cause to its effect, they’ll learn that sometimes causes build to create an overall effect. Use this tree diagram to show how that works in a story or informational text.

30. Cause-and-effect maze

Help students connect cause-and-effect, and see how an effect can become a cause, use a maze format. Write events in a story on a grid and create a path that students create by coloring in the causes and effects.

• Get it: Cause-and-effect maze at Teaching Made Practical.

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Reference Examples

More than 100 reference examples and their corresponding in-text citations are presented in the seventh edition Publication Manual . Examples of the most common works that writers cite are provided on this page; additional examples are available in the Publication Manual .

To find the reference example you need, first select a category (e.g., periodicals) and then choose the appropriate type of work (e.g., journal article ) and follow the relevant example.

When selecting a category, use the webpages and websites category only when a work does not fit better within another category. For example, a report from a government website would use the reports category, whereas a page on a government website that is not a report or other work would use the webpages and websites category.

Also note that print and electronic references are largely the same. For example, to cite both print books and ebooks, use the books and reference works category and then choose the appropriate type of work (i.e., book ) and follow the relevant example (e.g., whole authored book ).

Examples on these pages illustrate the details of reference formats. We make every attempt to show examples that are in keeping with APA Style’s guiding principles of inclusivity and bias-free language. These examples are presented out of context only to demonstrate formatting issues (e.g., which elements to italicize, where punctuation is needed, placement of parentheses). References, including these examples, are not inherently endorsements for the ideas or content of the works themselves. An author may cite a work to support a statement or an idea, to critique that work, or for many other reasons. For more examples, see our sample papers .

Reference examples are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Chapter 10 and the Concise Guide Chapter 10

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• Common Reference Examples Guide (PDF, 147KB)
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Textual works are covered in Sections 10.1–10.8 of the Publication Manual . The most common categories and examples are presented here. For the reviews of other works category, see Section 10.7.

• Journal Article References
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Data sets are covered in Section 10.9 of the Publication Manual . For the software and tests categories, see Sections 10.10 and 10.11.

• Data Set References
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Audiovisual Media

Audiovisual media are covered in Sections 10.12–10.14 of the Publication Manual . The most common examples are presented together here. In the manual, these examples and more are separated into categories for audiovisual, audio, and visual media.

• Artwork References
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Online media are covered in Sections 10.15 and 10.16 of the Publication Manual . Please note that blog posts are part of the periodicals category.

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Masks Strongly Recommended but Not Required in Maryland, Starting Immediately

Due to the downward trend in respiratory viruses in Maryland, masking is no longer required but remains strongly recommended in Johns Hopkins Medicine clinical locations in Maryland. Read more .

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COVID-19 Vaccine: What You Need to Know

The COVID-19 vaccine is very good at preventing serious illness, hospitalization and death. Because the virus that causes COVID-19 continues to change, vaccines are updated to help fight the disease. It is important to check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 vaccine information for the latest details. (Posted 11/22/23)

What is the COVID-19 vaccine?

The COVID-19 vaccine lessens the severity of COVID-19 by teaching the immune system to recognize and fight the virus that causes the disease.

For fall/winter 2023–2024, the updated COVID-19 vaccine is based on the XBB.1.5 variant. The updated vaccine is made by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Novavax. This season, only one shot of the vaccine is needed for most people, and there are no boosters. (People who are immunocompromised or ages 6 months to 4 years may need more than one 2023–2024 vaccine.)

How is the 2023–2024 COVID-19 vaccine different from previous COVID-19 vaccines?

The 2023–2024 COVID-19 vaccine targets XBB.1.5, a subvariant of Omicron. While none of the variants currently circulating are exact matches to the vaccine, they are all closely related to the XBB.1.5 strain. Studies show that the updated vaccine is effective against the  variants currently causing the majority of COVID-19 cases  in the U.S.

Who should get a COVID-19 vaccine?

Because the 2023–2024 vaccine is effective for recent strains of COVID-19, it is recommended that everyone stay up to date with this vaccine. Previous vaccines or boosters were not developed to target the more recent strains. For 2023–2024, the CDC recommends:

• Everyone age 5 and older receive one shot of the updated vaccine.
• Children ages 6 months to 4 years may need more than one shot to be up to date.
• People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised may need more than one shot.

You can review the full recommendations on the CDC’s Stay Up to Date with COVID-19 Vaccines webpage . Be sure to talk to your primary care doctor or pediatrician if you are unsure about vaccine recommendations.

What are the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine?

Side effects vary and may last one to three days. Common side effects are:

• Soreness at the injection site

COVID-19 Vaccine and Pregnancy

COVID-19 vaccines approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are safe and recommended for people who are pregnant or lactating, as well as for those r intending to become pregnant.

People who are pregnant or were recently pregnant are at a greater risk for severe COVID-19. Having a severe case of COVID-19 while pregnant is linked to a higher risk of pre-term birth and stillbirth and might increase the risk of other pregnancy complications.

What should parents know about the COVID-19 vaccine and children?

The CDC recommends the 2023–2024 vaccine for adolescents and teenagers ages 12 and older, and for children ages 6 months through 11 years.

• Children age 5 and older need one shot of the updated vaccine.

Children are less likely to become seriously ill from COVID-19 than adults, although serious illness can happen. Speak with your pediatrician if you have questions about having your child vaccinated.

If I recently had COVID-19, do I need a 2023–2024 vaccine?

If you recently had COVID-19, the CDC recommends waiting about three months before getting this updated vaccine. If you encounter the virus again, having the updated vaccine will:

• Lessen your risk of severe disease that could require hospitalization
• Reduce the chance that you infect someone else with COVID-19
• Help keep you protected from currently circulating COVID-19 variants

How long should I wait to get this vaccine if I recently had an earlier version of a COVID-19 vaccine or booster?

People age 5 years and older should wait at least two months after getting the last dose of any COVID-19 vaccine before receiving the 2023–2024 vaccine,  according to CDC guidance .

Is natural immunity better than a vaccine?

Natural immunity is the antibody protection your body creates against a germ once you’ve been infected with it. Natural immunity to the virus that causes COVID-19 is no better than vaccine-acquired immunity, and it comes with far greater risks. Studies show that natural immunity to the virus weakens over time and does so faster than immunity provided by COVID-19 vaccination.

Do I need a COVID-19 booster?

The 2023–2024 vaccine is a one-shot vaccine for most people, and there is no booster this season. (People who are immunocompromised or ages 6 months to 4 years may need more than one 2023–2024 vaccine.)

The FDA calls this an updated vaccine (not a “booster” like previous shots) because it builds a new immune response to variants that are currently circulating. This change reflects the current approach of treating COVID-19 similarly to the flu, with preventive measures such as an annual vaccination.

When should I get a COVID-19 vaccine?

Like the flu and other respiratory diseases, COVID-19 tends to be more active in the fall and winter, so getting a vaccine in the fall is recommended.

How quickly does the COVID-19 vaccine become effective?

It usually takes about two weeks for the vaccine to become effective. The CDC website provides more information on how the COVID-19 vaccines work .

How long does the COVID-19 vaccine last?

Studies suggest that COVID-19 vaccines are most effective during the first three months after vaccination.

Is it safe to get a flu and COVID-19 vaccine at the same time?

Yes, it safe to get both shots at the same time. Keep in mind that each has similar side effects and you may experience side effects from both.

Is the COVID-19 vaccine safe?

Yes. COVID-19 vaccines approved by the FDA meet rigorous testing criteria and are safe and effective at preventing serious illness, hospitalization and death. Millions of people have received the vaccines, and the CDC continues to monitor their safety and effectiveness as well as rare adverse events.

Where can I get a COVID-19 vaccine?

The COVID-19 vaccine is available at pharmacies. See vaccines.gov to find a convenient location.

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What’s the Israel-Palestine conflict about? A simple guide

It’s killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions. And its future lies in its past. We break it down.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced many millions of people and has its roots in a colonial act carried out more than a century ago.

With Israel declaring war on the Gaza Strip after an unprecedented attack by the armed Palestinian group Hamas on Saturday, the world’s eyes are again sharply focused on what might come next.

Keep reading

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Hamas fighters have killed more than 800 Israelis in assaults on multiple towns in southern Israel. In response, Israel has launched a bombing campaign in the Gaza Strip, killing more than 500 Palestinians. It has mobilised troops along the Gaza border, apparently in preparation for a ground attack. And on Monday, it announced a “total blockade” of the Gaza Strip, stopping the supply of food, fuel and other essential commodities to the already besieged enclave in an act that under international law amounts to a war crime.

But what unfolds in the coming days and weeks has its seed in history.

For decades, Western media outlets, academics, military experts and world leaders have described the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as intractable, complicated and deadlocked.

Here’s a simple guide to break down one of the world’s longest-running conflicts:

What was the Balfour Declaration?

• More than 100 years ago, on November 2, 1917, Britain’s then-foreign secretary, Arthur Balfour, wrote a letter addressed to Lionel Walter Rothschild, a figurehead of the British Jewish community.
• The letter was short – just 67 words – but its contents had a seismic effect on Palestine that is still felt to this day.
• It committed the British government to “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people” and to facilitating “the achievement of this object”. The letter is known as the Balfour Declaration .
• In essence, a European power promised the Zionist movement a country where Palestinian Arab natives made up more than 90 percent of the population.
• A British Mandate was created in 1923 and lasted until 1948. During that period, the British facilitated mass Jewish immigration – many of the new residents were fleeing Nazism in Europe – and they also faced protests and strikes. Palestinians were alarmed by their country’s changing demographics and British confiscation of their lands to be handed over to Jewish settlers.

What happened during the 1930s?

• Escalating tensions eventually led to the Arab Revolt, which lasted from 1936 to 1939.
• In April 1936, the newly formed Arab National Committee called on Palestinians to launch a general strike, withhold tax payments and boycott Jewish products to protest British colonialism and growing Jewish immigration.
• The six-month strike was brutally repressed by the British, who launched a mass arrest campaign and carried out punitive home demolitions , a practice that Israel continues to implement against Palestinians today.
• The second phase of the revolt began in late 1937 and was led by the Palestinian peasant   resistance movement, which targeted British forces and colonialism.
• By the second half of 1939, Britain had massed 30,000 troops in Palestine. Villages were bombed by air, curfews imposed, homes demolished, and administrative detentions and summary killings were widespread.
• In tandem, the British collaborated with the Jewish settler community and formed armed groups and a British-led “counterinsurgency force” of Jewish fighters named the Special Night Squads.
• Within the Yishuv, the pre-state settler community, arms were secretly imported and weapons factories established to expand the Haganah, the Jewish paramilitary that later became the core of the Israeli army.
• In those three years of revolt, 5,000 Palestinians were killed, 15,000 to 20,000 were wounded and 5,600 were imprisoned.

What was the UN partition plan?

• By 1947, the Jewish population had ballooned to 33 percent of Palestine, but they owned only 6 percent of the land.
• The United Nations adopted Resolution 181, which called for the partition of Palestine into Arab and Jewish states.
• The Palestinians rejected the plan because it allotted about 55 percent of Palestine to the Jewish state, including most of the fertile coastal region.
• At the time, the Palestinians owned 94 percent of historic Palestine and comprised 67 percent of its population.

The 1948 Nakba, or the ethnic cleansing of Palestine

• Even before the British Mandate expired on May 14, 1948, Zionist paramilitaries were already embarking on a military operation to destroy Palestinian towns and villages to expand the borders of the Zionist state that was to be born.
• In April 1948, more than 100 Palestinian men, women and children were killed in the village of Deir Yassin on the outskirts of Jerusalem.
• That set the tone for the rest of the operation, and from 1947 to 1949, more than 500 Palestinian villages, towns and cities were destroyed in what Palestinians refer to as the Nakba , or “catastrophe” in Arabic.
• An estimated 15,000 Palestinians were killed, including in dozens of massacres.
• The Zionist movement captured 78 percent of historic Palestine. The remaining 22 percent was divided into what are now the occupied West Bank and the besieged Gaza Strip.
• An estimated 750,000 Palestinians were forced out of their homes.
• Today their descendants live as six million refugees in 58 squalid camps throughout Palestine and in the neighbouring countries of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt.
• On May 15, 1948, Israel announced its establishment.
• The following day, the first Arab-Israeli war began and fighting ended in January 1949 after an armistice between Israel and Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria.
• In December 1948, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 194, which calls for the right of return for Palestinian refugees.

The years after the Nakba

• At least 150,000 Palestinians remained in the newly created state of Israel and lived under a tightly controlled military occupation for almost 20 years before they were eventually granted Israeli citizenship.
• Egypt took over the Gaza Strip, and in 1950, Jordan began its administrative rule over the West Bank.
• In 1964, the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) was formed, and a year later, the Fatah political party was established.

The Naksa, or the Six-Day War and the settlements

• On June 5, 1967, Israel occupied the rest of historic Palestine, including the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Syrian Golan Heights and the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula during the Six-Day War against a coalition of Arab armies.
• For some Palestinians, this led to a second forced displacement, or Naksa, which means “setback” in Arabic.
• In December 1967, the Marxist-Leninist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine was formed. Over the next decade, a series of attacks and plane hijackings by leftist groups drew the world’s attention to the plight of the Palestinians.
• Settlement construction began in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. A two-tier system was created with Jewish settlers afforded all the rights and privileges of being Israeli citizens whereas Palestinians had to live under a military occupation that discriminated against them and barred any form of political or civic expression.

The first Intifada 1987-1993

• The first Palestinian Intifada erupted in the Gaza Strip in December 1987 after four Palestinians were killed when an Israeli truck collided with two vans carrying Palestinian workers.
• Protests spread rapidly to the West Bank with young Palestinians throwing stones at Israeli army tanks and soldiers.
• It also led to the establishment of the Hamas movement, an off-shoot of the Muslim Brotherhood that engaged in armed resistance against the Israeli occupation.
• The Israeli army’s heavy-handed response was encapsulated by the “Break their Bones” policy advocated by then-Defence Minister Yitzhak Rabin. It included summary killings, closures of universities, deportations of activists and destruction of homes.
• The Intifada was primarily carried out by young people and was directed by the Unified National Leadership of the Uprising, a coalition of Palestinian political factions committed to ending the Israeli occupation and establishing Palestinian independence.
• In 1988, the Arab League recognised the PLO as the sole representative of the Palestinian people.
• The Intifada was characterised by popular mobilisations, mass protests, civil disobedience, well-organised strikes and communal cooperatives.
• According to the Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem, 1,070 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces during the Intifada, including 237 children. More than 175,000 Palestinians were arrested.
• The Intifada also prompted the international community to search for a solution to the conflict.

The Oslo years and the Palestinian Authority

• The Intifada ended with the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993 and the formation of the Palestinian Authority (PA), an interim government that was granted limited self-rule in pockets of the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.
• The PLO recognised Israel on the basis of a two-state solution and effectively signed agreements that gave Israel control of 60 percent of the West Bank, and much of the territory’s land and water resources.
• The PA was supposed to make way for the first elected Palestinian government running an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with its capital in East Jerusalem, but that has never happened.
• Critics of the PA view it as a corrupt subcontractor to the Israeli occupation that collaborates closely with the Israeli military in clamping down on dissent and political activism against Israel.
• In 1995, Israel built an electronic fence and concrete wall around the Gaza Strip, snapping interactions between the split Palestinian territories.

The second Intifada

• The second Intifada began on September 28, 2000, when Likud opposition leader Ariel Sharon made a provocative visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound with thousands of security forces deployed in and around the Old City of Jerusalem.
• Clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli forces killed five Palestinians and injured 200 over two days.
• The incident sparked a widespread armed uprising. During the Intifada, Israel caused unprecedented damage to the Palestinian economy and infrastructure.
• Israel reoccupied areas governed by the Palestinian Authority and began construction of a separation wall that along with rampant settlement construction, destroyed Palestinian livelihoods and communities.
• Settlements are illegal under international law, but over the years, hundreds of thousands of Jewish settlers have moved to colonies built on stolen Palestinian land. The space for Palestinians is shrinking as settler-only roads and infrastructure slice up the occupied West Bank, forcing Palestinian cities and towns into bantustans, the isolated enclaves for Black South Africans that the country’s former apartheid regime created.
• At the time the Oslo Accords were signed, just over 110,000 Jewish settlers lived in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Today, the figure is more than 700,000 living on more than 100,000 hectares (390sq miles) of land expropriated from the Palestinians.

The Palestinian division and the Gaza blockade

• PLO leader Yasser Arafat died in 2004, and a year later, the second Intifada ended, Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip were dismantled, and Israeli soldiers and 9,000 settlers left the enclave.
• A year later, Palestinians voted in a general election for the first time.
• Hamas won a majority. However, a Fatah-Hamas civil war broke out, lasting for months, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians.
• Hamas expelled Fatah from the Gaza Strip, and Fatah – the main party of the Palestinian Authority – resumed control of parts of the West Bank.
• In June 2007, Israel imposed a land, air and naval blockade on the Gaza Strip, accusing Hamas of “terrorism”.

The wars on the Gaza Strip

• Israel has launched four protracted military assaults on Gaza: in 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2021. Thousands of Palestinians have been killed, including many children , and tens of thousands of homes, schools and office buildings have been destroyed.
• Rebuilding has been next to impossible because the siege prevents construction materials, such as steel and cement, from reaching Gaza.
• The 2008 assault involved the use of internationally banned weaponry, such as phosphorus gas.
• In 2014, over a span of 50 days, Israel killed more than 2,100 Palestinians, including 1,462 civilians and close to 500 children.
• During the  assault , called Operation Protective Edge by the Israelis, about 11,000 Palestinians were wounded, 20,000 homes were destroyed and half a million people displaced .