Cause/Effect

What is it?

• An exploration of reasons and results
• A way to make connections
• Helps us make sense of our world

Steps

• Choose a topic
• Make sure it is manageable
• Conduct a rhetorical situation analysis

Strategies

• Stay focused on purpose of analysis
• Paper on waste?  
• Are you informing, persuading, speculating on solutions?

More Strategies

• Adapt content/tone to purpose and readers
• Think rigorously--look beyond the obvious c and e
• Thesis should focus paper on causes, effects, or both
• choose an organizational pattern

Chronological Pattern

• discuss causes/effects in order they occur
• Ex: Gulf Oil Spill--water, land, people

Emphatic Pattern

• discuss causes/effects by importance/severity
• Gulf Oil Spill--land, water, people

Final Strategy

• Use language that shows complexity
• Say "most likely" or "it is probable"

Now brainstorm.
Use list of
prob/sol topics.