Wayground
Cause and Effect - Printable ELA Worksheets class 3 - Wayground

Cause and Effect

Emma Maness

Created by Emma Maness

20 questions

3rd Grade

ELA

Updated Oct 2026

This Grade 3 English worksheet gives students focused practice identifying cause and effect in sentences and familiar everyday situations. Across 20 multiple-choice questions, students define cause as the reason something happens and effect as the result, identify a cause or effect from short statements, choose a logical missing cause or effect, and classify a marked part of a sentence as the cause or effect. The worksheet uses accessible examples involving weather, school, home routines, birthdays, plants, and sports, helping students connect the concept to recognizable events. It is a free printable worksheet with a complete answer key, making it useful for independent practice, guided instruction, review, or a quick comprehension check after teaching cause and effect. The multiple-choice format lets teachers quickly see whether students can distinguish the two relationships and apply them beyond simple definitions.

Worksheet settings

Font size

S
M
L
XL
WaygroundWorksheets

Cause and Effect

Total questions: 20

Name
Class
Date
1.

The ______ is the "reason why something happened."

a)

Cause

b)

Effect

2.

The ______ is the "result of what happened."

a)

Cause

b)

Effect

3.

"It is raining, so I grabbed my umbrella."

What is the cause?

a)

"It is raining"

b)

"I grabbed my umbrella"

4.

"The boy hit a ball and broke the window."

What is the effect?

a)

"The boy hit a ball"

b)

"broke the window"

5.

" I fell off the swings on the playground, so I started crying."

What is the effect?

a)

"I fell off the swings on the playground"

b)

"I started crying"

6.

Today is Alanna's birthday.

What could be the effect?

a)
She got into trouble.
b)
She did not get any presents.
c)
She got birthday cake.
d)
She scraped her leg.
7.
All of the cows ran out of the pen!
What was the cause?
a)
A truck came speeding by.
b)
The farmer milked his cows.
c)
The gate was open.
d)
A dish fell off the table.
8.

Dark clouds appeared in the sky.

What could be the effect?

a)
Rain began to pour down from the sky.
b)
A chilly wind was blowing.
c)
A cow began to moo loudly.
d)
I got a headache.
9.

Paul overslept. 

What is the effect?

a)
He was late for school.
b)
He was very hungry.
c)
His dog kept barking.
d)
His parents bought a new car.
10.

I got in trouble.

What could be the cause?

a)
I gave my mom a rose I picked.
b)
I did my homework after school.
c)
I cleaned my room.
d)
I lied to mom.
11.

The dishes were dirty.

What could be the effect?

a)
Mom put them on the table.
b)
They broke.
c)
Mom put them in the dish washer.
d)
I put them in the trash can.
12.

We are out of milk.

What could be the effect?

a)
My dog ran away.
b)
We missed the bus.
c)
We could not have cereal for breakfast.
d)
We had sandwiches for lunch.
13.

Joe's favorite plant died.

What could be the cause?

a)
The plant did not get enough water.
b)

Joe took care of the plant.

c)
The plant got plenty of sun.
d)
The plant was pretty.
14.
Karen practiced kicking the ball, so she made the soccer team this year. 
Is the red part of the sentence the cause or the effect?
a)
Cause
b)
Effect
15.
The teacher started to talk, so the students stopped and paid attention. 
Is the red part of the sentence the cause or the effect?
a)
Cause
b)
Effect
16.
Because she finished all of her homework, Amy was allowed to go to her friend's house. 

Is the red part of the sentence the cause or the effect?
a)

Cause

b)

Effect

17.
The lake was not frozen yet, so we could not go ice skating. 

Is the red part of the sentence the cause or the effect?
a)
Cause
b)
Effect
18.
Jessica played in the mud and she got very dirty. 
Is the red part of the sentence the cause or the effect?
a)
Cause 
b)
Effect
19.
The car had a flat tire, so we had to call a tow truck. 

Is the red part of the sentence the cause or the effect?
a)
Cause 
b)
Effect
20.
Since I left the pizza in the oven, it started to burn. 

Is the red part of the sentence the cause or the effect?
a)
Cause
b)
Effect
WaygroundAnswer Key

Cause and Effect

Total questions: 20

1.
a)

Cause

2.
b)

Effect

3.
a)

"It is raining"

4.
b)

"broke the window"

5.
b)

"I started crying"

6.
c) She got birthday cake.
7.
c) The gate was open.
8.
a) Rain began to pour down from the sky.
9.
a) He was late for school.
10.
d) I lied to mom.
11.
c) Mom put them in the dish washer.
12.
c) We could not have cereal for breakfast.
13.
a) The plant did not get enough water.
14.
b) Effect
15.
a) Cause
16.
b)

Effect

17.
b) Effect
18.
a) Cause 
19.
b) Effect
20.
b) Effect

Browse by subjects

Browse by grades

Browse by format

FAQs

What does this cause-and-effect worksheet help Grade 3 students learn?

This Grade 3 English worksheet helps students distinguish a cause—the reason something happens—from an effect—the result that follows. Its 20 multiple-choice questions ask students to identify causes and effects in short sentences, choose logical outcomes or reasons in everyday scenarios, and classify a marked sentence part as cause or effect. Completing these varied items builds students’ ability to recognize and apply cause-and-effect relationships in context.

How can I use this worksheet to teach cause and effect?

Begin by modeling the difference between a reason and a result, using one of the worksheet’s familiar examples, such as rain causing someone to grab an umbrella. Then have students explain why each answer is connected before selecting an option, especially when choosing a likely cause for an event or a likely effect of dark clouds. Use the marked-part questions near the end to check whether students can identify the relationship within a complete sentence rather than relying only on definitions.

What mistakes should I watch for when students complete this cause-and-effect worksheet?

Students may reverse the cause and effect, such as choosing “I grabbed my umbrella” as the cause instead of “It is raining.” They may also select an answer that is possible but unrelated to the stated event, such as choosing a headache as the effect of dark clouds, or confuse the marked part of a sentence when the word “so” signals the relationship. Ask students to explain which event happened first and which event resulted from it.

How do I assign and grade this cause-and-effect worksheet?

You can assign this worksheet as a printable PDF or as a digital quiz on Wayground. It includes a complete answer key for checking the 20 multiple-choice responses, and printable submissions can be graded by scanning student work with the Wayground for Teachers app. The printable format also gives schools an option for reducing screen time while students practice identifying causes and effects.

How can I differentiate this cause-and-effect worksheet for my students?

In the worksheet’s Advanced Settings, adjust font spacing or font size to make the short cause-and-effect sentences and answer choices easier to read. You can also enable a dyslexia-friendly font or translate the worksheet into another language when that supports access to the multiple-choice items. These options preserve the worksheet’s focus on identifying reasons, results, and logical relationships.

Where can I find more free worksheets like this on Wayground?

Wayground offers a comprehensive collection of free printable worksheets and practice problems across all subjects, with downloadable PDFs and answer keys to support essential skills and concepts. Browse more resources at https://wayground.com/en-us/worksheets.

© 2026 Wayground Inc.

Accessibility and Inclusion