📖 Introduction
Have you ever wondered why something happened in a story? Perhaps a football match was cancelled because it rained heavily, or a learner received an award because she worked hard.
In reading, events usually happen for a reason. The cause explains why something happens, while the effect tells what happens as a result.
Understanding cause and effect helps readers follow stories, understand informational texts and make better predictions about events.
🎯 What You’ll Learn
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
- explain the meaning of cause and effect.
- identify causes and their effects in a passage.
- recognise signal words that show cause-and-effect relationships.
- use cause-and-effect relationships to understand texts more clearly.
💡 Let’s Explore
What Is a Cause?
A cause is the reason why something happens.
It answers the question:
“Why did this happen?”
Examples
- Heavy rain fell all night.
- Liam studied hard for his test.
- The glass slipped from the table.
Each of these is a cause.
What Is an Effect?
An effect is what happens because of the cause.
It answers the question:
“What happened as a result?”
Examples
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Heavy rain fell all night. | The roads became flooded. |
| Liam studied hard. | He passed his examination. |
| The glass slipped from the table. | It broke into pieces. |
Signal Words
Writers often use special words to show cause and effect.
Cause Signal Words
- because
- since
- due to
- as
- because of
Effect Signal Words
- therefore
- so
- as a result
- consequently
- thus
These words help readers identify the relationship between events.
Example 1
Because Mia watered the plants every day, they grew quickly.
- Cause: Mia watered the plants every day.
- Effect: The plants grew quickly.
Example 2
The power went out during the storm, so the family used candles.
- Cause: The power went out during the storm.
- Effect: The family used candles.
🌟 Example
Read the paragraph.
Oliver forgot to charge his tablet the night before. The next morning, the battery was empty, so he could not use it during his online lesson.
Cause
Oliver forgot to charge his tablet.
Effect
The battery was empty, and he could not use the tablet during his lesson.
🌍 Real-Life Example
A school organised a tree-planting programme to make the environment greener.
Because many learners volunteered to help, hundreds of trees were planted around the school and nearby community.
A few years later, the area became cooler and more attractive because the trees provided shade and cleaner air.
This shows that one action can lead to several positive effects.
💡 Tips for Identifying Cause and Effect
✔ Ask yourself, “Why did this happen?”
✔ Then ask, “What happened because of it?”
✔ Look for signal words such as because, so, therefore and as a result.
✔ Read the whole passage before deciding.
✔ Remember that one cause can have several effects, and one effect can sometimes have more than one cause.
✨ Quick Tips
💡 A cause explains why something happens.
➡️ An effect is what happens because of the cause.
🔍 Look for signal words such as because, so and as a result.
🌟 Understanding cause and effect helps you understand stories and informational texts more easily.
🎯 Let’s Practise!
Read the passage before answering Questions 1–8.
The School Recycling Project
The school noticed that large amounts of paper and plastic were being thrown away every day. Because of this, the teachers started a recycling project and placed recycling bins around the school. Many learners began sorting their waste correctly. As a result, the school produced less rubbish, and the environment became cleaner.
A. Choose the Correct Answer
1. What caused the school to start the recycling project?
A. The school wanted to build a new playground.
B. Too much paper and plastic were being thrown away.
C. The learners wanted longer holidays.
D. The weather became warmer.
2. What was one effect of the recycling project?
A. The school day became shorter.
B. Learners stopped attending school.
C. The school produced less rubbish.
D. More homework was given.
3. Which words in the passage are signal words that show cause and effect?
A. Every day
B. Correctly
C. Because of this; As a result
D. Around the school
B. True or False
4. A cause explains why something happens.
5. The phrase as a result often introduces a cause.
C. Short Answer
6. Explain the difference between a cause and an effect.
7. Write two effects of the school’s recycling project.
8. Think of something that happened at home or school. Describe one cause and one effect.
Answers: 1 B 2 C 3 C 4 True 5 False