Cause and Effect examples
Cause and Effect explains why something happened or what a change will lead to: one or more causes, the effects they produce, and what follows.
These are fictional teaching examples, not accounts of real events.
Example 1
Why did the team use different versions of the poster?
Two things combined. The approved poster went out as an attachment, but the shared folder still held the earlier draft, and neither file was marked as out of date. Volunteers preparing signs had two reasonable places to look.
Some printed the attachment while others used the folder, so both versions appeared at the event, showing two different start times.
Sending a new version is not enough while the old one still looks current. I would replace the draft in the shared folder, mark it clearly, and link everyone to that one place whenever a poster changes.
How the answer works
- Cause
- Name each cause that produced the outcome, with evidence or a fair hedge.
- Effects
- Say what happened, or will happen, as a result.
- Implication
- Say what follows: a change, something to keep doing, or what to expect.
Why it works: Two conditions combine: two places to look and an unmarked draft. The answer shows how together they produced mixed posters, says what to expect, and the fix removes both.
Example 2
Why did so many more visitors stay for the whole open day this year?
This year most visitors stayed for the whole afternoon; last year about half had left by two.
The main reason seems to be the new timetable: we spread the talks between the workshops instead of saving them all for the end, so something new was always starting within twenty minutes. Keeping the café open all day helped too, because families no longer left to find lunch. Better weather may have played a part, but several visitors mentioned the timetable without being asked.
We should keep both changes next year and ask visitors on the way out what kept them there.
How the answer works
- Effects
- Say what happened, or will happen, as a result.
- Cause
- Name each cause that produced the outcome, with evidence or a fair hedge.
- Implication
- Say what follows: a change, something to keep doing, or what to expect.
Why it works: It explains a success, opens with the effect, names two causes that combined, admits the weather as a possible factor, and keeps what worked.
Example 3
What will the high street closure mean for the Saturday market?
I expect noticeably fewer shoppers, and some stalls opening late, for the four weeks the high street is closed.
The closure will divert the bus away from the square, and most of our older regulars come by bus. It will also block the van route, so stallholders will have to unload from the side street, which takes longer. None of this is certain, but the bus change alone could cost us many regulars.
Before the first Saturday, we should tell customers where the temporary stop will be and agree an earlier unloading time.
How the answer works
- Effects
- Say what happened, or will happen, as a result.
- Cause
- Name each cause that produced the outcome, with evidence or a fair hedge.
- Implication
- Say what follows: a change, something to keep doing, or what to expect.
Why it works: It predicts the effects of an announced change, opens with the effects, explains how the closure will produce them, stays hedged, and prepares for what it expects.
What makes the difference?
The same kind of answer can sound complete while leaving an important part unclear.
Why did the choir sell fewer tickets this year?
Not quite
Sales fell because we put the price up. Nothing else that changed really matters.
It names one cause and ignores another change the speaker knows about. If a second change also kept people away, cutting the price alone may not bring them back.
Make it clearer
Two changes came together: the price rose by three pounds, and the concert moved from a Saturday to a Thursday, when many families have school the next morning. The regulars we asked mentioned both changes.
Sales fell by about a third, with the biggest drop in family tickets.
So the price alone does not explain the drop, and cutting it while we stay on a weekday may not bring people back.