Cause and Effect

In life, causes come before their effects. But when we write and speak, we can describe causes before or after their effects.

Read the following passage.

Khadijah was excited for her barbecue. She bought all the supplies she needed. She stacked the hot dogs, veggie burgers and salsa in her pantry and went outside to light the grill. An hour later, the barbecue was a success. But then her neighbor asked for ice. Khadijah knew she had bought some. She searched the kitchen but couldn’t find any. Confused, she looked around. Then she saw the large puddle of water inside a plastic bag on her kitchen counter. She had forgotten to put the ice into the freezer. On the countertop, the ice melted because of the heat.

Which sentence describes a cause after its effect?

• A. “On the countertop, the ice melted because of the heat.”

• B. “Confused, she looked around.”

• C. “She searched the kitchen but couldn’t find any.”

• D. “An hour later, the barbecue was a success.”

“Because of,” “therefore” and many other words and phrases connect causes to effects. We can call these “signal words” because they give us signals about causes and effects.

Which word in the following sentence connects a cause to its effect?

Aaron was really tired, so he fell asleep on the train.

• was

• on

• really

• so

An effect of one thing can become a cause for something else. Cause and effect can create a whole chain of linked events.

Read the following story.

Mira wanted to make sure she made it to class on time. She searched for her bike lock, but she couldn’t find it anywhere. Finally, she found it buried under a pile of laundry. “How did that get there?” she wondered. She grabbed the lock and headed for her bike. She knew she was already late for class, so she took a shortcut. The sidewalk there was broken, and Mira pedaled hard. She was making good time, but suddenly, she heard a pop and then a hiss. She got off her bike. Her tire was flat.

Which of the following correctly describes how the events in this story are connected?

• A. Because Mira was running late for class, she could not find her bike lock. Since she got a flat tire, she took a shortcut over broken sidewalk.

• B. After searching for her missing bike lock, Mira was running late for class. For that reason, she took a shortcut on her bike over broken sidewalk. That’s how she got a flat tire.

• C. Mira took a shortcut over broken sidewalk, so she was late for class. Because of this, she got a flat tire. That’s why she couldn’t find her bike lock.

• D. Mira got a flat tire on her way to class. As a result, she was late and searched for her missing bike lock.

We don’t always learn the effects of an action right away.

Read the following story.

Brianna had always wanted a house by the sea. She loved how the ocean’s salt made her skin feel soft and how the changing tides kept some animals alive. She finally found a spot near the beach, a few feet from the dunes. It was a perfect location. In the summer, she learned, the warm water attracted dolphins just off the coast. She and her family built a small stone cottage there. After many years, the stone walls of her house began to crumble from the sea spray, and Brianna’s house began to sink back into the sand.

Which effect of the ocean does Brianna learn about after she builds her house?

• that the ocean spray has made her house crumble

• that the ocean’s salt makes her skin feel soft

• that the changing tide keeps some animals alive

• that the ocean’s warm water attracts dolphins in the summer heat

You can use what you know about cause and effect to make predictions as you read. Think through what could result from a character’s actions. As you read, be on the lookout for effects, and see if your prediction was correct.

Read the following passage.

Branson looked around the dark and dusty basement. It would be a challenge to make such a threatening space look welcoming. He knew he had a lot of work to do. He reached for an old packet of balloons and blew one up...only to have it pop. He took another one out of the bag and blew into it. Again, pop! Branson grabbed the third balloon and blew into it.

Which of the following events will most likely happen next?

• The basement will flood.

• Branson will bake a cake.

• The balloon will pop.

• The balloon will lift Branson off the floor.

In life, causes happen ________ their effects.

• up to a year after

• 
  before

• at the same time as

• before or after

In the following sentence, what is the cause?

Since Jeremiah was sick, he didn’t take the math test.

• Jeremiah was sick

• he didn’t take the math test

• Since

In the following sentence, what is the effect?

The boy slipped due to the ice on the stairs.

• The boy slipped

• the ice on the stairs

• due to

In the following sentence, what signal word or phrase points out the cause?

As a result of studying daily, Cynthia earned 100% on her next science test.

• 
  daily

• next

• as a result of

• studying

What could be a cause for Bethany giving Maliyah a present?

• Bethany received a thank you card

• Bethany received a present in return

• The toy store was closed

• Maliyah had a birthday party