The cause and effect essay explains or interprets why something had happened or
what particularly had happened. You may open your essay with a famous outcome or situation and study what caused such a
result. Another way of starting such an essay is to describe some event and then analyze its consequences. Many
students find difficulty in differentiating cause and effect. If you want to define the cause of something, ask yourself
why. Ask yourself “what” and you will determine the effect. The preparatory stage of writing this essay suggests
your determining causes and effects. There may be too many causes for you to cover in your essay and you are to
choose the main for presenting them in the scope of your writing. You must explain the reader that there are some
other minor reasons not mentioned in your essay. You must also decide whether you are writing to inform or to
persuade the reader and choose your style of writing accordingly. We advise you to concentrate only on the most
recent and direct causes (effects). Using supporting information will strengthen your essay. Feel free to provide
the reader with facts, give examples and so on. You may finish your cause and effect essay with a call for action.