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How to write a causal Analysis Essay that scores an A

It is human nature to want to understand things and what causes them. When we see, hear, or experience something we do not understand, we often try to find out the cause or the explanation either from family and friends or from the internet.

In college, you will be required occasionally to find out the causes, effects, or reasons for various phenomena via causal analysis essay assignments.

This article details everything important about causal analysis essay assignments, including the structure and the steps for writing one.

What Is a Causal Analysis Essay?

Strictly put, a causal analysis essay assignment or an academic writing task requires you to explain the cause of a specific phenomenon analytically.

Causal analysis essays are sometimes referred to as cause-and-effect essays. Because they also reveal how one thing (cause) leads to another (effect). In this respect, when writing a causal analysis essay, you first begin by stating your claim and then backing it up using arguments and supporting facts. You need to show how a specific issue correlates to an underlying problem.

For example, you can be tasked with writing about how the global COVID-19 pandemic led to the rise of e-learning. You need to explore e-learning adoption before and post the pandemic to unravel the real issues that amount as cause and the effects of these issues on e-learning adoption.

Structure of a Causal Analysis Essay

The structure of a causal analysis essay is the typical short essay structure. It is a five-paragraph structure essay with an introduction paragraph, 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion paragraph. If you follow this structure to write your essay, as your professor expects, you will end up with an academic paper with a strong logical flow.

Find out what to include in each paragraph of your causal analysis essay in the subsection below. 

1. Introduction Paragraph

In the introduction paragraph of an essay , you introduce the topic you want to discuss in your essay. You should aim to make your introduction paragraph as interesting as possible. Failure to do so may make your paper uninteresting or boring for the reader. And you do not want this if you are aiming for an excellent grade.

In addition, make sure your introduction paragraph provides background information to make the reader understand what will be discussed. You should restrict the background information to 50 words to avoid overloading the reader with unnecessary information in your intro.

After providing background information, you should include your thesis statement or central argument. Your thesis statement is your most important statement. This is because it sets the tone or the theme for the essay. So, you should be very keen when writing it to ensure it is on point. Remember, a good thesis statement is detailed enough to leave room for argumentation.

2. Body Paragraphs

In your first body paragraph, your first sentence should be your strongest argument supporting your thesis statement. Since this is a causal analysis essay, the strongest argument will naturally be the most significant cause or effect of the phenomena described in your introduction paragraph. The first sentence should be followed by evidence or explanation, plus examples where possible. The evidence should be followed by a closing sentence that wraps everything up nicely. Ensure that you follow the basic rules of paragraphing in essay writing .

The second body paragraph should focus on the second strongest argument favoring your thesis statement. As with the first paragraph, the argument should be followed by the evidence/explanation and a closing sentence. The first sentence in the third body paragraph should state the third strongest argument in favor of your thesis statement. The rest of the paragraph should follow the structure of the other body paragraphs.

3. Conclusion

After writing a good introduction with your thesis statement and three body paragraphs, each focusing on a single cause or critical point, you must wrap up the essay with an excellent conclusion . Your conclusion should restate the thesis and the key causes in your causal analysis essay. It should also include a nice closing sentence that wraps the entire essay up.

Causal Analysis Essay Outline

Now that you know the causal analysis essay structure, it is time to discover the outline and how to create one. Knowing how to create one will help you create one and ensure your paper is well-structured and organized.

How to create a causal analysis essay outline

I. Introduction

• Hook statement (Write an interesting fact or statement about the topic)
• Background information (Highlight the background information about the topic that you will include)
• Thesis statement (State the central argument you will be discussing in your essay)

II. Body paragraph 1

• Topic sentence (State the strongest argument (the first cause) in support of your thesis)
• Evidence (Highlight the critical evidence you will use to support the argument above)
• Concluding sentence (Write the sentence you will use to close out this paragraph)

III. Body paragraph 2

• Topic sentence (State the second strongest argument (the second cause) in support of your thesis)

IV. Body paragraph 3

• Topic sentence (State the third strongest argument (the third cause) in support of your thesis)

V. Conclusion

• Restate your thesis
• Summarize your key arguments
• Closing statement (Write the sentence you will use to conclude your essay)

As you can see above, a causal analysis essay outline is similar to the standard outline for short academic papers. To create your own causal analysis essay, follow the instructions above. Just make sure your outline is as comprehensive as possible to make writing the actual easy a walk in the park.

Steps For Writing a Causal Analysis Essay

In this section, you will discover how to write an actual causal analysis essay. Let's begin.

1. Read the essay prompt carefully

 The fact that you are reading this article means you already know you need to write a causal analysis essay. You probably got this information from the essay prompt. If you did, it means you are already on the right track. You now need to read the prompt carefully again.

Read it carefully to understand the essay question or prompt entirely. Also, read it carefully to understand the essay requirements. Failure to follow the requirements in your essay assignment could be costly for you; it could result in an inferior grade.

So, the first step to writing a causal analysis essay is to read the prompt carefully to understand the question and the requirements.

2. Research the essay topic and create a thesis

After reading and understanding the essay topic, the next thing you need to do is to research the essay topic. Research is important as it will help you understand the topic better and decide how you will answer it.

When conducting research, you should note the key points related to the essay topic. The typical causal analysis essay assignment will require you to discuss the causes of a specific phenomenon. Therefore, focus on noting the key causes of the phenomenon you have been asked to write an essay on in the prompt.

Once you have researched to the extent that you fully understand the topic, you should create a thesis statement. The statement should explain what your entire essay will be focusing on. A typical thesis statement for a causal analysis essay sounds like this, 'The main causes of global poverty are conflict, climate change, and inequality.'

3. Create an outline

You should create an outline after researching your paper and creating a thesis statement. Simply follow the instructions we have provided in the section above this one to create your causal analysis essay outline. You should find it easy to create an outline for your essay since you have already created a thesis statement and you know the leading causes you will be discussing in your essay.

Make sure your outline is as comprehensive as it can be. When you create a comprehensive outline, you make your work easy. In other words, you make writing the actual essay very easy. When creating an outline, the most important things you should not forget to outline include the opening sentence, the thesis statement, the main supporting arguments, and the closing sentence.

4. Write the essay

When you are done creating an outline for your essay, you should take a short break and then embark on writing the essay following the outline as a guide. With a comprehensive outline, you shouldn't find writing your causal analysis essay challenging. You should refer to the outline for guidance when you get stuck in any part of your essay.

The best way to write the essay is sequential. Begin with the introduction, then the body paragraphs, and lastly, the conclusion. Write your essay in a simple and easy-to-understand language. And keep in mind that your goal is to make it as smooth flowing as possible.

5. Add in-text citations

Once you are done writing your causal analysis essay, you need to add the in-text citations. Don't just add them randomly. Add citations to the ideas or points that are not yours. Add in-text citations throughout your essay. This will make your work look credible. You will also get points for proper referencing if you follow the required format or style.

Of course, the only way you can have in-text citations to add to your essay in this step is if you note the source of each note you made during your research. So, indicate the source next to each note you make during research.

6. Take a break

You should take a break after writing your essay, adding in-text citations and a references page. This is very important at this juncture. Because it allows your brain to rest and forget about the essay, at least momentarily, ensure the break lasts for at least six hours. If you take such a break, you will have a fresh pair of eyes when you look at your essay in the next step.

7. Edit your essay

After taking a break, you should edit your essay. Since you took a break in the previous step, you will have a fresh pair of eyes that should make it easy to catch mistakes. Read your essay aloud to make sure you catch all the issues, errors, and mistakes. Read it slowly to make sure you do not miss anything.

After editing your essay , give it to someone to read it and identify any mistakes you might have missed. Then check the identified mistakes if they are actual mistakes and edit them out of your essay. When you complete this step, your causal analysis essay will be ready for submission.

Tips For Writing an Excellent Causal Analysis Essay

If you want to write a good causal analysis essay, follow the above steps. If you want to write an excellent causal analysis essay, incorporate the tips below when following the steps above.

• Ensure your essay is straightforward to read and understand to give your professor an easy time grading it. This will increase your chances of getting an excellent grade.
• Ensure you include a strong thesis statement at the end of your introduction paragraph. Without a strong thesis statement, your essay will be challenging to follow.
• Ensure there is no vague phrase or statement in your essay. This will make your essay stronger and more credible. It will also ensure you don't lose marks for clarity.
• Use examples generously in your essay. This will make it easier to understand. It will also make it more authentic and useful.
• Do not belabor points in your essay. Simply explain your key points clearly and concisely. Do not go round and round in circles saying the same thing in different words.
• Support any specific idea or point you include with evidence. You are just a high school or undergraduate student; nobody will take your word for all the key claims and arguments you make. So back everything important you say with evidence from credible sources.
• Do not forget to proofread your essay thoroughly. Doing this is the only way you will convert your ordinary causal analysis essay into something extraordinary.

Example Of a Causal Analysis Essay

A typical causal analysis essay will describe the causes of a problem or a phenomenon. It is a cause-and-effect essay. This section will provide an example of a causal analysis essay. We hope this short causal analysis essay example will make it easy for you to write your own causal analysis essay.

Why do teenagers use drugs, and the negative effects of using drugs? Drug use is prevalent nowadays among teenagers, especially in urban areas across the country. Most teenagers who use drugs use it because of peer pressure or as a reaction to bullying and other sorts of trauma. Drugs use among young people often results in various negative effects, including poor well-being, negative self-image, and addiction. Teenager drug use often leads to poor well-being. Various studies have shown that teenagers who use drugs often suffer from poor health and well-being. This is because the drugs they use without a prescription are dangerous and often produce unpleasant symptoms. The only way drug-using teenagers can reverse this trend is if they say no to drugs. Teenagers who use drugs often end up having a negative self-image. The negative self-image is often brought out by the secrecy surrounding drug use and the negativity associated with drug use. The negative self-image can sometimes lead to depression or even attempted suicide. The best thing about this effect of drug use is that it can be reversed through therapy or an intervention. Teenagers who use drugs usually end up getting addicted. Drug addiction is a terrible condition that forces those with it to repeatedly seek the 'high' the drugs offer. This can lead to dependence and a terrible addiction. It can also lead to the addict stealing to get money for the drugs. Despite the negative effects of addiction, it can also be eliminated. In conclusion, Drugs use among youth can lead to negative effects such as addiction, poor self-image, and poor well-being. These negative effects show that drug use can be hazardous for young people and that efforts should be made to put an end to it. Without robust efforts to put an end to drug use among youth, likely, a section of the youth will forever be lost to drugs.

Causal Analysis Topics

Choosing a good causal analysis essay topic will help ensure your essay is exciting and fun to read. Check out our causal analysis topics below to get inspiration to create your fun causal analysis essay topic.

• What are the effects of too much internet on the personalities of children?
• Why is cyberbullying such a big issue in the current world?
• What has been the positive impact of technology in the healthcare industry?
• What is the impact of technology on teaching methods?
• What are the negative effects of misinformation on the internet?
• What causes the increasing number of mass shooting incidents in the country?
• What caused the emergence of the feminist movement?
• Why is there gender bias in American politics?
• What has led to the calls for stricter gun laws in the United States?
• What led to the most recent US government shutdown?
• Why did the coronavirus pandemic have a huge negative impact on the world economy?
• What are the causes of the age-old Palestinian conflict?
• What led to the separation of the KOREA peninsula?
• Why are cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin rapidly gaining popularity?
• What has led to the recent increase in cases of cyberbullying?
• What is the cause of global warming and its impact on the world?
• What are the negative effects of water pollution?
• The biggest causes of environmental pollution
• What caused the Iranian Revolution?
• What caused the French Revolution?
• What were the biggest causes of the First World War?
• Why was Mussolini very successful in spreading fascism in Italy?
• Explain why homeschooling is gaining popularity across the world.
• What made China halt its one-child policy?
• Why do so many people still oppose the Obamacare Act?

Parting Shot!

The information presented in this article is sufficient for any college student to write an excellent causal analysis essay. So, if you have time, all you need to do is to follow the structure, the steps, and the tips presented in this article to develop the perfect causal analysis essay.

Related Reading:

• How to write a good case study
• Tips and steps for writing an excellent analytical essay
• How to know that an article is peer-reviewed.

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