ENGU 130: Writing & Grammar...Underline the thesis statements ... Use “because of” or “due to” to connect a clause with a noun/noun phrase: ... Underline the cause in each

4.1 Analyzing Causes and Effects

4.2 Essay Models

4.3 Vocabulary Practice

4.4 Essay Outline for Causes/Effects

Grammar:

4.5 as long as/provided that (sentence structure)

Writing about Causes & Effects

4.7 Future Continuous *

4.8 Future Perfect *

4.9 Future Perfect Passive *

* these grammar points will not be tested on the final

exam or the exit exam.

* Writing and Grammar with Future Tenses

Writing about Causes & Solutions

4.6 Causes & Solutions Essay and Practice

4 a

ENGU 130: Writing & Grammar

2

4.1 Analyzing Cause and Effect

In academic writing, you will often need to explain the causes of an event.

Look at the topics and discuss their causes with a partner or group:

1. What are causes of people not getting enough sleep?

2. Why do many people eat unhealthy food?

3. What can explain why rates of diabetes are rising in most countries?

4. What factors may contribute to people not going to university?

What words in the sentences above are used to show causes?

The same topics might ask about effects. Discuss the effects with a partner

or group:

1. What are some effects of people not getting enough sleep?

2. How does poor nutrition affect people’s lives?

3. What are the impacts on people as diabetes rates continue to rise?

4. How will not going to university affect a person’s future?

What words in the sentences above are used to show effects?

2nd event:

1st event:

CAUSE EFFECT

Sometimes, you must explain both causes and effects in your writing.

Complete the questions below with topics 1-4 from above:

1. What are the causes and effects of _________________________________?

2. Why do people ______________ and how does that food affect people’s lives?

3. Why are _________________, and what are the impacts of diabetes on people?

4. What are the causes and effects of__________________________________?

3

Analyzing Cause and Effect

Match the essay topics below with their causes and effects.

Discuss and write possible causes & effects for the following statements, and then

complete the sentences below.

“There are more young women than men at universities in the UAE.”

What are the reasons for this?

1. One cause is that _____________________________________________________

2. Another cause is that __________________________________________________

3. A third reason is that ___________________________________________________

“There are more young women than men at universities in the UAE.” What are the impacts of this on the country’s women, men, and the UAE itself?

1. One (positive) effect of this is that ________________________________________

2. A (negative) effect of this is that ___________________________________________

3. Another effect of this is that _____________________________________________

Depending on the essay question, your writing could focus on causes only, effects only, or

both: causes and effects, as the question below shows:

“There are more young women than men at universities in the UAE.” What are the reasons for this and what impact does it have on the UAE?

Causes 1. people want jobs

2. burning fossil fuels

3. bad driving

4. too much work to do

5. too many people use their cars

6. playing computer games instead of sports

Problems a. car accidents

b. childhood obesity

c. high levels of stress

d. traffic jams in cities

e. global warming

f. people moving to cities

Effects i. serious injuries

ii. rising sea levels

iii. air pollution

iv. overcrowding

v. rise in diabetes

vi. cannot relax

4

4.2 Essay Models for Causes and Effects

Essay 1: CAUSES

Stress is a major problem in many countries around the world.

What are some of the causes of stress in our life?

Stress is common in modern society and it is not good for people. It is an important

issue because of its possible impact on individuals, families and societies. The following

essay will discuss some of the causes of stress in our lives.

The main cause of stress for most people is work. Nowadays, many managers work

longer working hours than in the past because they want to get ahead of their competition.

Workers who are not managers may also be asked to work longer hours or do many different

jobs in one day if a company wants to save money. Furthermore, if the manager or

colleagues are unfriendly, the work atmosphere will be tense. Both of these situations can

lead to stress from work.

A second cause of stress may be the relationships and interactions we have with

people around us. People live in a modern, busy, and interconnected world. They have

neighbors who live near them, other drivers on the road beside them, many shoppers in the

malls they visit, and other travelers on the airplanes, trains and buses they use. If neighbors

cause problems or there is a traffic accident, people become stressed. Shopping and

travelling should be enjoyable, but even those activities can become stressful if there are

loud and impolite people around you.

To sum up, stress may be caused by work or everyday interactions. As long as these

are all parts of our everyday life, everyone is likely to be stressed. We must pay attention to

stressful situations in our lives and try to improve them so as to reduce our stress levels.

Look back at the essay. Circle any key words you see that indicate causes.

Read Essay 1 (causes) and Essay 2 (effects) on the next page. In both essays:

Underline the thesis statements

Underline the topic sentences.

5

Essay 2: EFFECTS

Stress is a major problem in many countries around the world.

What are some of the effects of stress in our life?

Stress is common in modern society and it is not good for people. The causes of stress

may be related to work, family, or other external factors, and the effects may be minor or serious.

The following essay will discuss some of the effects of stress in our lives.

A common effect of stress is that it can affect people’s health. For example, people who

have too much stress in their lives can develop high blood pressure, sleeping problems, and

unhealthy eating patterns. Providing that these conditions continue, they can lead to heart

problems or other health conditions.

Secondly, stress may result in some people having an unhealthy lifestyle. It is common for

some people to engage in addictive behavior, such as overeating. They do this after a stressful

experience to try to make themselves feel better. However, they do not actually solve the

problem which is the source of the stress. These bad habits could develop into more serious

addiction, which is worse than the stress itself.

Finally, some people are psychologically affected by stress. Stress can lead to

depression in some people. They lose interest in their work and family because they feel trapped

or helpless in their life. They feel like they can do nothing to change their stressful situation, and

little by little lose interest in the world around them. This is an extremely dangerous effect of

stress.

To conclude, stress causes health problems, leads to bad habits or possibly addiction,

and increases the risk of depression. These are all very serious effects, which can lead to

unhappiness. It is important that people are aware of the effects of stress, so they can reduce

impacts of stress and deal with it successfully.

1. Look back at the essay. Circle key words that indicate effects.

2. Notice that the introduction briefly mentions causes while the body discusses

effects. Is that OK?

3. How many body paragraphs are in essay 1 and essay 2? How many body

paragraphs should you put in your essay?

Essay Models for Causes and Effects (continued)

6

Stress is a major problem in many countries around the world.

What are some of the causes and effects of stress in our life?

Stress is common in modern society and it is not good for people. It is an important

issue because of its possible impact on individuals, families and societies. The following

essay will discuss some of the causes and effects of stress.

To begin with, there are several causes of stress. The most important one is that

some people work too much. This is a problem because when people cannot finish their

work, they worry. As a result, they cannot relax. Another cause of stress may be the people

around them. For example, if people have to drive on busy roads, shop in crowded malls,

and live near noisy neighbors, they may feel angry at people around them. Consequently,

that anger turns into stress.

Stress also has some significant effects. The main one is that it can affect people’s

health. For example, people who have too much stress can develop high blood pressure and

heart problems. Because of this, they may have to stop working. In addition, stress results

in some people taking up bad habits and have unhealthy lifestyles. If they develop an

addiction, they may focus on it and neglect their families. Therefore, their family life may

suffer.

In conclusion, stress has several causes and effects. Two of the main causes are

overworked employees and people around them, while the effects are problems which are

health-related and addictions. Stress can be a serious problem, but provided that we are

aware of its causes and effects, we can find ways to deal with it, such as by exercising or

enjoying our hobbies.

1. Does this essay give all the same information as the previous two essays?

2. What is similar and what is different?

Essay Models for Causes and Effects (continued)

Essay 3: CAUSES and EFFECTS

Underline the thesis statement

Underline the topic sentences.

7

IDENTIFYING CAUSES: because, because of/due to, a result of

1. Use “because” to connect two clauses:

We were stuck in traffic because there was a big event.

Because there was a big event, we were stuck in traffic.

Because is a subordinating conjunction used in complex sentences.

(Subject + verb because subject + verb OR Because subject + verb, subject + verb.)

2. Use “because of” or “due to” to connect a clause with a noun/noun phrase:

Some people get sick because of stress at work.

Some people get sick due to stress at work. .

Because of/Due to stress at work, some people get sick.

3. Use “a result of” to connect a result with a cause

Poor focus and concentration is a result of a lack of sleep.

The accident was a result of driving too fast.

4.3 Vocabulary to Write about Causes & Effects

1. Notice the verbs you can use to connect causes with effects:

VERBS IDENTIFYING CAUSES + EFFECTS: result in, lead to, cause

IDENTIFYING EFFECTS: effect or affect?

1. “Effect” is a noun. It means the same as “result”.

Synonyms: an impact or a consequence

• One effect of smoking is a cough.

• A cough can become an effect of smoking.

2. Affect is a verb. (S + V + O) - Synonyms: to impact, to influence.

• Exercise affects our body in a positive way.

• Smoking affects our body in a negative way.

• A lack of sleep will affect concentration.

Cause Having too much work

Driving too fast

results in

causes

leads to

Effect

high stress levels.

car accidents.

8

IDENTIFYING CAUSES Underline the cause in each of the following sentences. Then, highlight or circle the key

word(s) to show the relationship between cause and effect.

Example: A growing world population leads to increased waste production.

(cause) (key word(s)

1) Lack of vitamin C results in poor health.

2) Because of the poor sound quality of the recording, many students failed the listening test.

3) I could not concentrate during the exam because there was too much noise outside.

4) Smoking causes emphysema, a condition which affects the lungs making it difficult to breathe.

5) Due to a lack of computer skills, he is finding it impossible to get a job.

WHAT IS THE CAUSE? Write a cause in each of the following sentences.

a) Everyone likes him because _____________________________________.

b) Because ______________________________, I missed the beginning of the lesson.

c) ___________________________________________ caused the accident.

d) ________________________________ caused a lot of laughter.

e) _________________________________ resulted in success.

IDENTIFYING EFFECTS Underline the effect in each of the following sentences. Then, highlight or circle the key word(s)

to show the relationship between cause and effect.

Example: A growing world population leads to increased waste production.

(key word(s) (effect)

1) The high temperatures this winter could be due to global warming.

2) Due to poor weather conditions, flight number 333 to Hong Kong is delayed.

3) Lack of discipline in the classroom leads to poor results among students.

4) Spending too much time in front of a computer causes eye problems.

5) The cause of the crash was human error.

WHAT IS THE EFFECT? Write an effect in each of the following sentences:

a) Because the bus was late, _______________________________________.

b) _____________________________ because he is so friendly and helpful.

c) The war caused ________________________________________________.

d) His poor management skills resulted in ______________________________.

e) Her hard work contributed to ______________________________________.

Vocabulary Practice

9

4.4 Write about Causes or Effects

For your first essay, you may write about: only causes, only effects, or both.

Choose one of the topics on pages 2-3. Write ideas for the essay in the outline below.

Introduction Paragraph: ____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Thesis Statement: ____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Body 1 Paragraph:

Topic Sentence 1: (cause or effect 1) or (sentence to explain you will discuss causes of ___)

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Body 2 Paragraph:

Topic Sentence 2: (cause or effect 2) or (sentence to explain you will discuss effects of ___)

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Body 3 Paragraph: * (*if you want a third cause or effect, but not required)

Topic Sentence 3: (cause or effect 3)

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Conclusion Paragraph:

Restate your thesis statement: ____________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

Summarize mains points (topic sentences):___________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

Give a final comment or idea: _____________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

10

Look at how the writer used “as long as” and “provided/providing that,” in the last essays:

As long as these are all parts of our everyday life, everyone is likely to be stressed.

Stress can be a serious problem, but provided that people are aware of its causes and effects, they can find ways to prevent or reduce it.

Providing that these conditions continue, they can lead to heart problems or other health conditions.

These words mean “on the condition that…” or “in the case that…” The meaning is the

same as “if”. You could substitute “if” instead of those words.

The expression “so long as” may be used instead of “as long as”.

So long as these are all parts of our everyday life, everyone is likely to be under stress.

4.5 Grammar: As/so long as… & Provided/providing (that)…

WRITING OR SPEAKING PRACTICE

Look at this short dialogue between two students. Farouk makes a request. His friend

Hassan agrees but on one condition.

Farouk: Could you give my homework to the teacher today since I’ll be absent?

Hassan: Yes, no problem, as long as you have it now, because I’m going right now.

Complete Farouk’s and Hassan’s requests and conditions to each other:

1. Farouk: Could you lend me some coins so I can get some water?

Hassan: OK, _______________________________________________________

2. Farouk: Can I borrow your iPad for a minute? I forgot to bring mine to class.

Hassan: Alright, ____________________________________________________

3. Farouk: I didn’t understand today’s lesson. Will you explain it to me after class?

Hassan: Sure, _____________________________________________________

4. Hassan: I don’t have any paper today. Could you lend me a sheet?

Farouk: That’s fine _________________________________________________

5. Hassan: I don’t understand my new app. Do you think you can you help me?

Farouk: Yes, _____________________________________________________

6. Hassan: I need a ride to university tomorrow. Would you be able to take me?

Farouk: Sure, ____________________________________________________

11

Look at the essay prompt below and two possible styles for the essay.

How is this question different than other types of questions we have seen so far?

4.6 Causes of a Problem & Solutions Essay

Globally, the amount of waste produced is increasing rapidly. This

creates problems with disposal.

What has caused the increase in waste and what solutions are there?

Introduction

+

Body 1: Causes

+

Body 2: Solutions

+

Conclusion

Introduction

+

Body 1: 1st Cause and solution

+

Body 2: 2nd Cause and solution

+

Conclusion

In groups, discuss the essay topic above. What are some possible causes and solutions? Write an introduction to the above prompt:

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________

12

Model Essay: Causes and Solutions – Increased Waste Production

You have written an introduction, now look at body 1 & 2 and the conclusion of the model below.

First, complete the sentences with key words for causes or effects (page 7). After that identify

the different parts of the essay in the right column using the terms below.

Today, waste production in the world is growing… Background & Thesis

1 To begin with, there are several ……………….. of

increased waste production. 2 The most important one is that the

population of the world has increased. 3 ………….. the world

population has grown, we have more people consuming more goods.

4 As a result, there is more waste. 5 Another ……………….. is that

society has become a disposable society. 6 For instance, so

many things are disposable like plastic bags, plates, tissues, plastic

bottles and cans. 7 In addition, people have more money nowadays

and buy more goods than in the past. 8 When they are tired of

these goods or just want to change them, they get rid of them, and

that ………..waste.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9 However, there are solutions to help deal with the

increasing amount of waste. 10 The first solution is that people

should be encouraged to recycle waste. 11 For example, the plastic

from water bottles can be recycled into new plastic products. 12 If

people process their waste by recycling more, less waste will be

produced. 13 Another solution is that companies should develop

cleaner, greener technology to use in their businesses. 14 For

example, supermarkets can use bags that are made of paper instead

of plastic………..paper breaks down more quickly than plastic.

15 Therefore, when people need to throw away paper bags, it will not

………… the environment as much.

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16 In conclusion, although the issue of increased waste has

…………which are hard to change, there are solutions to this

problem. 17 The causes are more people which ……….more waste

and a disposable lifestyle. However, people could recycle and

companies could use more environmentally-friendly products to

reduce waste. 18 Governments should make new laws to force

people and companies to have effective waste management.

16

17

18

• explanation

• example and reason

• summary of main ideas

• result

• example

• topic sentence 1

• suggestion

• 1st cause

• conditional

• 2nd cause

• 2nd solution

• result

• topic sentence 2

• 1st solution

• explanation

• thesis again

• 3rd cause

• example

13

Discuss the following questions with your partner.

1. Have you ever grown vegetables at home in your garden?

2. Where do most of the fruits and vegetables in your country come from?

3. What do farmers use to make their plants grow better?

4. What are some problems farmers face when they are growing their crops?

5. How do farmers fight the insects which want to eat their crops?

6. Have you heard of organic farming? What is it?

7. Why do people pay more money for organic food?

Causes of a Problem and Solutions Essay Discussion

farm crops spray pesticides insect(s) scientist dangerous chemicals

A

F

E

D

C B

Match the words to the pictures that you see below.

14

A Therefore, farmers sometimes use chemicals on their crops which are toxic to achieve this goal, and as a result, they cause problems for humans, animals, and the soil.

B The following essay will discuss the causes of farmers using chemicals on their crops and solutions to avoid this.

C Nowadays, there are more people in the world, so we need more food to feed everyone.

1 General Background - C

2 Essay topic

3 Thesis

D As a result, they think they will have a large, healthy harvest.

E This is because the chemical companies tell the farmers the chemicals are safe, so they can make money selling them.

F The most important one is that farmers believe that the chemical products will increase their production in the easiest way.

G Another cause is that the farmers actually believe the chemicals are safe, so they use them.

H To begin with, there are a couple of main causes why farmers use chemical pesticides and herbicides on farms.

I However, if farmers spray vegetables with poisons which kill insects, the vegetables may absorb some of these poisons.

J For example, the chemical manufacturers tell the farmers all they need to do is spray the pesticide or herbicide on their crops, and they will not need to worry about any weeds or insects.

K Consequently, people who eat these vegetables may risk developing diseases such as cancer.

4 Topic Sentence - causes

5 1st Cause

6 Example

7 Result

8 2nd Cause

9 Explanation

10 Contrast + Condition

11 Result

Discuss possible solutions with a partner and write a paragraph on Blackboard.

L Therefore, I recommend consumers to put pressure on farmers to grow organic food.

M In conclusion, farmers use dangerous chemical products on their crops for a couple of main reasons but there are solutions they can find to avoid using them.

N Farmers could use organic processes and scientists could develop safer products for farmers to use.

12 Thesis again

13 Summary of solutions

14 Opinion/Advice

Causes & Solutions Model Essay Completion

1. In groups, organize the sentences by matching the letters and numbers in the column

on the right. The first one (C) is done for you.

2. Complete body paragraph 2 by writing possible solutions for the problem.

These days, most farmers use dangerous chemical herbicides and pesticides on their food

crops, which can lead to problems for humans, animals, and the soil.

What do you think are the causes of this? What solutions can you suggest as alternatives to

using chemicals?

15

Causes of a Problem & Solutions Writing Practice

A growing number of professionals such as doctors, scientists, teachers, and

engineers are leaving their own poorer countries to work in developed countries.

What problems might this situation cause?

What solutions can you suggest to deal with this situation?

These days, many children have difficulty paying attention in their classes at school.

What are some reasons for this and some solutions to help them?

Some people spend more money than they earn, causing financial problems in their life.

Why do some people spend more than they earn?

What can be done to help people control their spending?

Bookstores are selling fewer books nowadays compared to the past, causing many of

them to close.

Why might bookstores be losing business and customers?

What might bookstores do to help keep their businesses strong?

16

The TIME MACHINE spoke to Maitha about her future using these tenses:

Future Simple: Subject + will (not) + verb base (infinitive)

People will depend on you…

Future Continuous: Subject + will (not) + be + present participle (verb + ing)

Hamad will be travelling….

Use the future continuous tense to describe what activity will be happening at a

certain time, in the future.

Note: Some verbs which refer to feeling, emotion, and knowledge (stative verbs) are not used in the future continuous tense. Examples are verbs like: know, like, love, want, seem, believe, want, hear, etc.

Wrong:

The Time Machine - Part 1

4.7 The Future Continuous (Progressive) Tense

On her way home from school, Maitha found a mysterious machine marked TIME MACHINE. Being a curious young lady, Maitha dropped her books, climbed inside, and looked around. She saw the machine had two settings, one for PAST and one for FUTURE, and a big red button that said DON’T TOUCH. Maitha changed the setting to PAST and slammed her fist on the button. The machine whirred and purred, spun and lunged, and made lots of noise. When Maitha looked out the door, she saw herself as a young girl! The machine suddenly started to speak:

“When you were a child, your parents were living in a small house in Fujairah.”

“When your baby brother was born, you were 6 years old.”

“When your mother dropped you off at school the first time, you were crying.”

“When you graduated from secondary school, you were still wearing braces.”

“When you….

Maitha had had enough! She didn’t want to see any more about the past. She was curious about the future! She changed the dial to FUTURE and slammed her hand down on the button again. Again, the machine whirred and purred, spun and lunged, and made lots of noise. When Maitha looked out the door this time, she saw herself as a 32 year old woman. The machine started to speak:

“When you are 32, you will be married to Hamad, and you will be living in Abu Dhabi.”

“You will be raising 3 children, who will make you very happy.”

“You will be working part time in a community social service center.”

“People will depend on you a great deal at work, which will create stress for you.”

“Hamad will be travelling a lot for his job, and…..”

Maitha decided that she had seen enough, for now... It was late and she needed to get home. She pushed the button again, saw that she was back to her time, and jumped out of the machine. She grabbed her bags and ran home to think about what had happened.

Past Future

Present

17

The next day after school, Maitha went back to the Time Machine. The button was still on “the future” from the day before. She pushed the button again, and waited to hear what else the machine had to say about her future. It began to say…..

“When you are 40, your 3 children will have graduated from high school.”

“Hamad will have changed jobs and will not be travelling so much.”

“You also will have changed jobs. You will now be the supervisor at your workplace”

“You will have met and helped many new people because of your work.”

“One of your children will have married, but you will not have become a grandmother yet.”

At that point Maitha stopped the machine. It was all very interesting, but she didn’t

understand the grammar the machine was using. What was that new verb tense?

The Time Machine - Part 2

4.8 The Future Perfect Tense

Think about the questions below and write a sentence about what you think may be

likely for your future, when you are 32! Use the future simple or future continuous.

1. Where do you think you will (may/might) be living?

2. Will you be living near your parents?

3. Will you be married?

4. Do you think you will have a job? If so, where will (may/might) you be working?

5. If you don’t think you will have a job, what will (may/might) you be doing instead?

6. Will you be following a similar lifestyle to now, or will it be very different?

Practice Future Continuous

18

The second time the TIME MACHINE spoke to Maitha, it mainly used this tense:

Future Perfect Tense: Subject + will (not) + have + verb participle (verb 3)

You will have met ……

You will not have become…..

Use the future perfect tense to describe an activity or events that will have

already happened (or not happened) by a certain time, in the future.

Think about the questions below and write a sentence about what you think may have

happened to you, by the time you are 40! Use the future perfect (or future simple).

7. Do you think you will have had children?

8. Will you be healthy or do you think you will have had health problems?

9. Will you have travelled to many foreign countries?

10. Will you have learned any new hobbies or skills?

11. What will you have achieved in your life?

12. Will many things have changed in your life compared to your life today? What?

Practice Future Perfect

Past Future

Present

Use ideas from your answers to questions 1-12 (pages 17-18) to write about

your possible life in the future.

• Write 2 paragraphs: The first one will describe what you can imagine for yourself at age 32, and the second one what you can imagine for yourself at age 40.

• Use a variety of future tenses in both paragraphs: future simple, future continuous, and future perfect.

Online Writing Practice 4

19

Maitha decided to listen one last time to see what the machine had to say about the future. She turned the “future” button back on and heard the following:

“The UAE will have changed a lot by 2040.”

“A cross country train system will have been built.”

“Flying taxis will have been developed by UAE engineers.”

“More taxes will have been created by the government to get more money.”

“Artificial intelligence will have been perfected and human-like robots will have been designed to help people in their homes.”

“Mobile phones will have been replaced by………….”

Wow, Maitha thought. That was crazy! She couldn’t believe it!

Do you believe it? Do you agree or disagree those events will have happened by 2040? Discuss if you agree or disagree.

The last time the TIME MACHINE spoke to Maitha, it also used this tense:

Future Perfect Passive Tense:

Subject + will (not) + have + been + verb participle (verb 3)

Flying taxis will have been developed by UAE engineers.

More taxes will have been created by the UAE government …..

These sentences mean:

UAE engineers will have developed flying taxis.

The UAE government will have created more taxes

4.9 The Future Perfect Passive Tense

The Time Machine - Part 3

Past Future

Present