Match causes and effects in informational texts
key notes :
Understanding cause and effect can help you figure out how events or ideas in a text are connected to one another. Writers often use signal words to show that a cause or effect is about to be given.
A cause is the reason why something happens. Causes usually come after words like because, since, when, as a result of, the effect of and due to.
An effect is what happens because of the cause. Effects usually come after words like so, therefore, thus, consequently, for this reason, the cause of, lead to and result in.
Alligators almost became extinct because people over-hunted them.
Cause: People over-hunted alligators.
Effect: Alligators almost became extinct.
There hasn’t been much rain, so the harvest will be small this year.
Cause: There has been little rainfall.
Effect: The harvest will be small.
Learn with an example
Read the text.
In 2015, the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus said it would remove elephants from its shows. The circus had kept its elephants in cages. Living in cages is not good for elephants, so the elephants were sent to a centre in the US state of Florida. The centre provides eighty hectares for the elephants to wander. The centre also offers a chance for people to study elephants more easily. This is because scientists can get closer to trained elephants than they can to wild ones.
Match causes with their effects.
| Scientists will be able to study the elephants at the centre. | The elephants were sent to a centre in Florida. |
| Cause | Effect |
| It’s bad for elephants to live in cages. | |
| It’s easier to get close to trained elephants than wild ones. |
Look at the cause-and-effect words in the passage.
In 2015, the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus said it would remove elephants from its shows. The circus had kept its elephants in cages. Living in cages is not good for elephants, so the elephants were sent to a centre in the US state of Florida. The centre provides eighty hectares for the elephants to wander. The centre also offers a chance for people to study elephants more easily. This is because scientists can get closer to trained elephants than they can to wild ones.
These words help show how different causes and effects are connected in the text.
| Cause | Effect |
| It’s bad for elephants to live in cages. | The elephants were sent to a centre in Florida. |
| It’s easier to get close to trained elephants than wild ones. | Scientists will be able to study the elephants at the centre. |
Read the text.
Scientists have long wondered if there is life on other planets. In 2015, NASA announced that they had found liquid water on Mars. Water is necessary to support life. Since Mars has water, many people have guessed that simple life forms could live on Mars. The best way to find out if there really is life on Mars is to study its soil and rocks. Therefore, NASA plans to carefully study Mars dirt for signs of life.
Match causes with their effects.
| NASA found liquid water on Mars. | Signs of life could be found in the soil and rocks on Mars. |
| Cause | Effect |
| People think that Mars may contain some forms of life. | |
| NASA plans to study Mars dirt. |
Look at the cause-and-effect words in the passage.
Scientists have long wondered if there is life on other planets. In 2015, NASA announced that they had found liquid water on Mars. Water is necessary to support life. Since Mars has water, many people have guessed that simple life forms could live on Mars. The best way to find out if there really is life on Mars is to study its soil and rocks. Therefore, NASA plans to carefully study Mars dirt for signs of life.
These words help show how different causes and effects are connected in the text.
| Cause | Effect |
| NASA found liquid water on Mars. | People think that Mars may contain some forms of life. |
| Signs of life could be found in the soil and rocks on Mars. | NASA plans to study Mars dirt. |
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