FRESHMAN COMPOSITION, RHETORIC, GRAMMAR II

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INTRO. TO LITERARY RESEARCH & WRITING

INSTRUCTOR: James Maxfield

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English 1010 James Maxfield, Instructor

Cause and Effect

Cause and Effect—the rhetorical mode which allows the writer to examine events, conditions, situations, or other topical characteristics that become causes that lead to specific past, present, or future effects. This mode is among the most frequently used in persuasive writing as either the dominant or supporting strategy in argument writing. Cause and effect attempts to explain an event or circumstance. Cause and effect are functions of "consequences" and "influences" (Connors and Glenn 220), and the cause is the "bringing about of an action, event, condition, or result," and the effect is the result of those causes (D’Angelo). In cause and effect arguments, one logically implies the other. When you argue Cause to Effect, it is Inductive Reasoning; when you argue from Effect to Cause, it is Deductive Reasoning.

To use Cause and Effect, you must:

--identify and separate direct causes and effects from related causes and effects

*avoid overstating your claims--use qualifying words such as: seems, appears, often,

sometimes, maybe, perhaps, probably, seldom, might be, etc.

*avoid faulty logic (such as asserting or drawing conclusions based on coincidence or other logical fallacies (these will be covered later).

--identify multiple causes and effects—many situations have more than one cause or effect.

You will need to address them in your argument.

--determine a logical focus for your argument—you may focus on either the causes or the

effects of your given topic or situation—and sometimes both. Your emphasis will depend on your thesis and the relative strength and strategy of your argument.

--arrange your evidence in a logical, persuasive manner—emphatic order usually works

best—putting your strongest evidence (causes) in ascending order from least strong to

strongest, then following with the strongest effect, followed by additional effects.

Basic Inductive Model for using Cause and Effect as a Dominant Strategy (from D’Angelo):

Focus on Causes that lead to an Effect Focus on Effects that assert a Cause
Introduction (including thesis) Introduction (including thesis)
Cause 1 Cause given, asserted, or identified*
Cause 2 Effect 1
Cause 3 Effect 2
Cause 4, 5, 6 (as needed) Effect 3
Effect resulting from the causes Effect 4, 5, 6 (as needed)
Summary and Conclusion Summary and Conclusion

*It is possible to place your Cause last after identifying all of the Effects or place your Effect first before listing possible Causes. This would be Deductive Reasoning.

Note: Consult your Handbook on using Cause and Effect with Inductive and Deductive Reasoning (more on this topic later).

 

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