Explanation
Exercises
B2 Pre-Advanced Writing · Lesson 19

Write a Cause-and-Effect Essay

Cause-and-effect essays require more than linking two events: you need to explain the mechanism connecting each cause to its consequence.

B2 Pre-AdvancedCause-and-effect essay35 min200–210 words
Lesson progress
Explanation · 1 / 4
Study the model carefully: both practice exercises ask questions about this exact text.
Learning objective

You will learn to distinguish causes from effects, develop more than one causal pathway, use precise cause-and-result language, and evaluate how strongly the factors are connected.

Model text

Why Do People Find It Harder to Be Bored? Waiting used to contain unavoidable empty moments: a bus arrived late, a friend was delayed, or a queue moved slowly. Today, many of those moments are immediately filled by a phone. One cause is obvious access. Entertainment, messages, news, and games are available within seconds, so choosing stimulation requires almost no effort. A second cause is habit. Because people repeatedly check their phones during short pauses, the action can become automatic. Over time, silence or inactivity may begin to feel unusual rather than neutral. Social expectations also contribute. Quick replies are often interpreted as politeness or efficiency, which gives people another reason to remain connected even when nothing urgent is happening. The effects are mixed. Constant access can make waiting more pleasant and allows people to use spare minutes productively. However, it may also reduce opportunities for the mind to wander without a specific task. Such periods can be useful for reflecting, noticing surroundings, or allowing ideas to develop slowly. The problem, therefore, is not that phones have eliminated boredom completely. It is that they have made escaping it so easy that people may rarely discover whether an empty moment could become useful on its own.

How to write

1
Define the development clearly
2
Analyse distinct causes rather than repeating one cause
3
Use cause-and-effect linkers precisely
4
Consider more than one consequence
5
End by clarifying the central relationship

Useful language

One cause is...A second cause...Over time,...also contributeThe effects are mixed.therefore,...

B2 Pre-Advanced focus: Develop ideas with specific evidence, varied linking, precise vocabulary, and a register appropriate to the text type.

Exercises:
1
2
3
Exercise 1 · Language in the model text

Write a Cause-and-Effect Essay

Read the model text closely. Analyse the exact grammar, vocabulary, linking, stance, and register choices.

Answer questions about this lesson’s unique model text.
Exercise 1 · 2 / 4
You need at least 5 correct answers out of 6.
Which excerpt most clearly performs this writing move: “Define the development clearly”?
What is the main writing function of “Over time” in “Over time, silence or inactivity may begin to feel unusual rather than neutral.”?
Which excerpt best demonstrates this writing move: “Use cause-and-effect linkers precisely”?
Why does the writer use “The effects are mixed” in “Quick replies are often interpreted as politeness or efficiency, which gives people another reason to remain connected even…”?
What does “However, it may also reduce opportunities for the mind to wander without a specific task.” mainly achieve in this model?
Why is “It is that they have made escaping it so easy that people may rarely discover whether an empty moment could become useful on…” effective near the end of the text?
Exercise 2 · Structure and development

Write a Cause-and-Effect Essay

Read the model text closely. Analyse how its ideas are ordered, developed, connected, and concluded.

Answer questions about this lesson’s unique model text.
Exercise 2 · 3 / 4
You need at least 5 correct answers out of 6.
Where does “Write a Cause-and-Effect Essay” first establish its central situation or purpose?
Which detail does the most work to develop the second stage of the text: “Analyse distinct causes rather than repeating one cause”?
Why does “Quick replies are often interpreted as politeness or efficiency, which gives people another reason to remain connected…” follow the preceding idea “Over time, silence or inactivity may begin to feel unusual rather than neutral.”?
What structural role does “However, it may also reduce opportunities for the mind to wander without a specific task.” play in this model?
Why does the model place “It is that they have made escaping it so easy that people may rarely discover whether an empty moment could become useful on…” near the end?
Which sequence best represents the organisation of “Write a Cause-and-Effect Essay”?
Exercise 3 · Independent writing

Write a Cause-and-Effect Essay

Apply the writing skills you analysed in this lesson’s model text.

Complete the writing task independently.
Exercise 3 · 4 / 4
Write 200–210 words. Up to 220 words is accepted.
Your task

Explain multiple causes of a change or behaviour and analyse their consequences without confusing cause and effect. Use your own ideas and examples; do not copy the model text.

  • Introduce the issue and define the central cause-and-effect focus
  • Develop at least two causes or contributing factors
  • Explain consequences with clear cause-and-effect language
  • Use examples or mechanisms to support the analysis
  • Use contrast or qualification where effects are mixed
  • Finish with a conclusion that synthesises causes and effects
One cause is...A second cause...Over time,...also contributeThe effects are mixed.therefore,...
Your writing
0 words · Target: 200–210

Your draft is saved automatically on this device.

Quick check
•Write about 200–210 words
•Introduce the issue and define the central cause-and-effect focus
•Develop at least two causes or contributing factors
•Explain consequences with clear cause-and-effect language
•Use examples or mechanisms to support the analysis
•Use contrast or qualification where effects are mixed
•Finish with a conclusion that synthesises causes and effects
•Use at least 9 clear sentences
AI feedback

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