Cause and Effect in English ð
1. Signal Words
Signal words are like signposts that tell you whether a word or phrase is a cause or an effect. Recognizing these words helps you understand the relationship between two events.
- Cause: because, since, as a result of, due to, for this reason, owing to, on account of
- Effect: so, therefore, hence, consequently, as a result, thus, accordingly, the outcome was
- Transitional: meanwhile, therefore, then, as a consequence, in turn
2. Sentence Structures
Beyond signal words, the structure of a sentence can also show a cause-effect relationship.
- Simple sentences: These can directly connect cause and effect with conjunctions like "because" or "so."
- Compound sentences: Coordinating conjunctions like "and" or "but" can join clauses expressing cause and effect.
- Complex sentences: Subordinate clauses introduced by words like "if," "because," "since," or "when" establish the cause-effect relationship.
- Conditional sentences: "if" clauses often introduce the cause, and the main clause presents the effect.
3. Additional Techniques & Examples
- Direct cause-effect: I studied hard (cause), so I got an A on the test (effect).
- Complex sentence: Since I missed the bus (cause), I was late for work (effect).
- Conditional sentence: If we don't recycle (cause), the environment will suffer (effect).
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