Analyzing causes and effects is something we do all of the time. At school, we may be asked to analyze the effect on society of a technological innovation. In our personal lives, we might want to find out the cause of why we gained or lost weight. At work, we might investigate the chain of events that led to the success or failure of a new product or service. This process of finding out the why is at the heart of cause and effect writing.
For this essay, you will be writing a cause and effect essay on one of the following topics.
The success of a well-known company (such as Amazon, Netflix, or Apple)
The failure of a formerly successful company (such as Toys R Us, Sears, Blockbuster Video, Enron, Arthur Anderson, or Theranos)
A major disaster (such as the sinking of the Titanic, problems with the Boeing 737 Max, the destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger, or the Hindenburg tragedy)
- The successful treatment, containment, or cure of a disease, or the spread of a disease
- The causes of an increase, or decrease, in crime, homelessness, or poverty in a particular city
- The reasons why a famous historical figure (such as John Adams, Richard Nixon, Nelson Mandela, or Margaret Thatcher) was successful or unsuccessfulÂ
- Important note: if you choose this option, the person you choose must no longer be alive.
- Other topics are possible, but consult your professor if you have an idea that is not on this list.
- There are three main possible ways to organize a cause and effect essay.
Effects of a major cause (Example: The tremendous loss of life from the sinking of the Titanic was due to colossal arrogance.
- Causes for a major effect (Example: The two main reasons that Tesla is so successful are environmentalism and distracted driving.)
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