Match causes and effects in informational texts

Key notes:

Understanding cause and effect relationships can help you see how events or ideas in a text are connected to one another. Writers use signal words and phrases, like because, as a result of, led to and consequently, to connect causes with their effects.

The Norman victory at the Battle of Hastings led to many changes in the grammar and vocabulary of the English language.

Cause: The Normans won the Battle of Hastings.

Effect: The grammar and vocabulary of the English language changed.

In many industrial metropolitan areas, it is common to find cases of asthma, bronchitis and emphysema resulting from long-term exposure to air pollution.

Cause: Long-term exposure to air pollution often occurs in industrial areas.

Effect: It is common to see cases of asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema in these areas.

Learn with an example

🔥Read the text.

Some flowering plants adjust their scents to aid in survival. For example, the Brassica rapa plant in the turnip family has a floral fragrance that helps the plant attract pollinators. As a consequence, the plant attracts caterpillars that feed on it as well. If a caterpillar infestation occurs, the turnip plant decreases its floral scent using special scent signals in its leaves. A decrease in floral fragrance results in the plant becoming more attractive to parasitic wasps. These wasps kill the caterpillars, helping the plant to survive.

🔥Match causes with their effects.

The plant has a floral fragrance. The plant decreases its floral fragrance.
Causes Effects
The plant attracts caterpillars.
The plant attracts parasitic wasps.

Look at the cause-and-effect words in the passage.

Some flowering plants adjust their scents to aid in survival. For example, the Brassica rapa plant in the turnip family has a floral fragrance that helps the plant attract pollinators. As a consequence, the plant attracts caterpillars that feed on it as well. If a caterpillar infestation occurs, the turnip plant decreases its floral scent using special scent signals in its leaves. A decrease in floral fragrance results in the plant becoming more attractive to parasitic wasps. These wasps kill the caterpillars, helping the plant to survive.

These words help show how different causes and effects are connected in the text.

Causes Effects
The plant has a floral fragrance. The plant attracts caterpillars.
The plant decreases its floral fragrance.The plant attracts parasitic wasps.

🔥Read the text.

The respiratory system is composed of airways, lungs, blood vessels and muscles working together to supply oxygen to all parts of your body. The diaphragm, a muscle located beneath the lungs, plays an important role. When you inhale, the diaphragm squeezes, or contracts, and moves downwards. As a consequence, there is more room for the lungs to expand as they fill with air. When you exhale, the diaphragm relaxes and moves upwards, which leads to air being pushed out of the lungs.

🔥Match causes with their effects.

The diaphragm contracts and moves downwards.The diaphragm relaxes and moves upwards.
Causes Effects
Air moves into the lungs.
Air moves out of the lungs.

Look at the cause-and-effect words in the passage.

The respiratory system is composed of airways, lungs, blood vessels and muscles working together to supply oxygen to all parts of your body. The diaphragm, a muscle located beneath the lungs, plays an important role. When you inhale, the diaphragm squeezes, or contracts, and moves downwards. As a consequence, there is more room for the lungs to expand as they fill with air. When you exhale, the diaphragm relaxes and moves upwards, which leads to air being pushed out of the lungs.

These words help show how different causes and effects are connected in the text.

Causes Effects
The diaphragm contracts and moves downwards.Air moves into the lungs.
The diaphragm relaxes and moves upwards.Air moves out of the lungs.

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