Cause & Effect Basics
What is the cause in this sentence?
“Maria missed the bus because she woke up late.”
Waking up late.
You forgot to charge your phone overnight. What is the likely effect?
Your phone battery is low or dead.
In a passage, the character forgot her umbrella. It began to rain. What is the effect?
She got wet.
Name one signal word that shows an effect.
So / as a result / therefore
Identify the cause: “The lights flickered because the power line was damaged.”
The power line was damaged.
What is the effect in this sentence?
“During the storm, the power went out.”
The power went out.
It started raining during recess. What is the effect?
Students had to go inside.
A boy watered his plant every day. It grew tall. Identify the cause.
He watered his plant every day.
What signal word is in this sentence? “She felt tired because she stayed up late.”
because
Find the effect:
“Since the teacher explained it clearly, the class understood the lesson.”
The class understood the lesson.
Which word often signals a cause-and-effect relationship?
Because / so / therefore
A student practiced speaking English every day. What is a possible effect?
Their speaking skills improved.
A story says, “The bakery smelled delicious, so the customers lined up.” What is the effect?
Customers lined up.
What is the signal phrase?
“Due to heavy snow, the event was postponed.”
Due to.
Which happened first?
“The store hired more workers so customer wait times became shorter.”
The store hired more workers.
Identify the effect: “The students studied hard for their test, so they earned high scores.”
They earned high scores.
People recycle more plastic. What is one effect?
Less waste in landfills.
A text shows pollution in a river. Fish started to die. What is the cause?
Pollution in the river.
Is this a cause or effect?
“Consequently, the team lost the game.”
Effect.
Identify BOTH cause and effect:
“The dog barked loudly, causing the baby to wake up.”
Cause: The dog barked loudly.
Effect: The baby woke up.
Identify the cause: “Since the roads were icy, school was canceled.”
The roads were icy.
A computer system crashes during a class assignment. What is an effect?
Students cannot finish their work (or must restart).
A paragraph explains that the town built new bike lanes, leading to more people biking. What is the effect?
More people are biking.
Rewrite this cause-and-effect sentence using a signal word:
“She was hungry. She ate lunch.”
She was hungry, so she ate lunch.
Choose the sentence that shows cause and effect:
A. “The sky was blue today.”
B. “It rained all night, so the streets flooded.”
B.