Creative and Cool Cause/Effect Writing Activities

Useful cause/effect writing and pre-writing activities can include brainstorming, outlining, vocabulary sorting, gap fill exercises and sentence writing activities with picture cues. Teaching cause/effect is pretty enjoyable as it can be applied easily to just about any topic including the environment, technology, social issues,  social trends and behaviour.

1 Brainstorming cause/effect topics

This is a cause-effect topic  brainstorming worksheet for students writing cause effect essays. Students fill in the blank bubbles with suitable topics and sub-topics and think of causes or positive and negative effects related to these topics.

Brainstorm cause-effect topics (PDF)

2 Environmental issues  cause/effect worksheet (with audio and suggested answers)

         The listening/speaking exercise below is for discussing environmental issues in the classroom. Students have to try and describe the problem depicted in each picture and suggest  causes. effects and possible solutions to each problem. Students can listen to the audio before or after filling in the worksheet, depending on the level of their language skills.

Environmental issues  cause/effect worksheet)

(see the YouTube video)

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2 Cause-effect essay graphic organizer

This is a cause-effect brainstorming and academic essay planning worksheet for students writing cause effect essays.

Cause/effect graphic organizer (PDF)

3 Cause-effect vocabulary sorting

Below is a causes/effects transitions sorting exercise to help students improve their understanding of cause/effect language and writing techniques.

Cause-effect vocabulary sorting (PDF)

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4 Cause-effect essay brainstorming and  outlining

This is an exercise to help students brainstorm and develop ideas and begin outlining a cause/effect paragraph or essay.

Cause-effect brainstorming and outlining (PDF)

Related Cause/Effect Resources

4 cause/effect sample essays  (4 paragraph PDF)

5 Cause-effect transitions worksheet (with answers)

This worksheet is to help familiarize students with cause/effect transitions. Understanding and knowing how to use cause/effect transitions is essential for anyone who aims to be a good writer.

Cause-effect transitions 1 (PDF)

6  What effects has the computer had on our lives ? (Cause/effect transitions with answers)

This is a transitions and linking words exercise for a cause/effect essay. Well placed transitions help make essays easier to read and understand.

Cause-effect transitions 2 (PDF)

7  Cause/effect: complete the sentences

Students complete the sentences with their own ideas to demonstrate they understand the logic of cause and effect.

Cause-effect: complete the sentences (PDF)

8 Causes-effects ideas

In this cause/effect sentence writing worksheet students use the pictures to write appropriate cause/effect ideas. They decide whether they want write the causes or effects for each pictures and try to think of 3 causes or 3 effects.

Causes-effects ideas  1 (PDF)

Causes-effects ideas 2 (PDF)

9 Cause-effect for social issues

In this cause/effect worksheet students use the pictures to write their own ideas. They try and identify the social issues and think about causes, effects and solutions.

Causes-effects of social issues (PDF)

10 Cause-effect sentence writing

In this cause/effect essay writing worksheet students use the pictures and their own ideas to write appropriate cause/effect sentences.

Cause-effect sentence writing1 (PDF)

Cause-effect sentence writing 2 (PDF)

Cause-effect sentence writing 3 (PDF)