Cause and Effect Text Structure
Cause/Effect text structure:
-Looks at causes and effects of a topic or event
-Key or Signal Words: Due to, because, cause, effect, as a result of, if, then, consequently, since
- Authors use a cause/effect text structure to show the cause and effect relationship of a topic or event
Cause & Effect Example Paragraph:
This paragraph shows the relationship between families being too busy to cook at home, the cause, and the effect of eating out at a restaurant for dinner more often. Some of the key or signal words that help us recognize this text structure are present in this paragraph.
Everyone has to eat, can you agree? It is not always easy to please everyone all of the time when preparing meals for a busy family. Children these days have a many different activities, this causes less time for families to eat around a traditional family table. Families are so busy they don’t always have time to prepare a home cooked meal every night. The effect of families being busy is an increase in eating out for dinner. Another effect is an increase in the amount of money spent on food due to families eating out more often.
Everyone has to eat, can you agree? It is not always easy to please everyone all of the time when preparing meals for a busy family. Children these days have a many different activities, this causes less time for families to eat around a traditional family table. Families are so busy they don’t always have time to prepare a home cooked meal every night. The effect of families being busy is an increase in eating out for dinner. Another effect is an increase in the amount of money spent on food due to families eating out more often.
This paragraph shows the causes associated with a busy family and the effects on the family. Now we can fill in our graphic organizer to see the cause and effect in a visual format. To do this we will put the cause in the first box and the associated effects in the second box. In this case we have multiple causes and effects.
Test yourself - Click here to find the answers
What is the correct definition of the cause/effect text structure?
1. Looks at the cause and effect relationship of a topic
2. Looks at the similarities and differences between two topics
3. Looks at the description of a topic
4. Looks at the problem and solution relationship of a topic
5. Looks at the sequence of events related to a topic
Which of the following is an example of a Key or Signal word for cause/effect text structure?
1. Specifically
2. On the other hand
3. As a result of