cause and effect essay ielts vocabulary

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Academic Vocabulary for Essays & IELTS Writing: 15 cause and effect POWER VERBS

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157 comments.

very useful leccion,thanks!

I MEANT LESSON

I knew what you meant. :) Good self-correction! Thanks for checking out the lesson, Rosa.

Thank you so much Mr Alex!!!You´re undoubtedly one of the best teachers on the internet!!

That’s very kind. Thanks. I’m always looking to improve.

useful, thanks

Any time. Thanks for studying with me.

Thank you Alex! These teachings will be very useful.

I’m glad to hear that, Timoni! Thanks for studying with EngVid, and good luck with your English journey!

thank you Alex but I need to many times again jeje

That’s okay. Some lessons need more time.

Alex, that was a great video! It is truly helpful and very beautiful

Aw, thanks Sofiia. I’ve never had someone call my lessons beautiful before. I’ll take it!

Thanx for the lesson, Alex! Keep it up!

Thanks, Valery. I’m glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks! such great vocabularies.

Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the lesson.

I didn’t get a chance earlier to thank you enough for your recommendation about some really good books. I had read the ‘wonder” by R.J. Palacio, and I can tell it was an extremely interesting book which I benefited a lot on so many levels. and I’m about to get the others, though that is not easy getting them in where I live. So, thank you so much

Hi Hassan, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! It’s probably my favourite book from the five I recommended in that video. I would suggest getting your hands on The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time next.

Thank you, certainly I will.

Very useful lesson, thank you Alex! A smile!

My pleasure! I’m glad it was useful, byte.

I join to previous students. Great lesson! I’m not in advenced level but everything was clear, no matter it was difficult. My result is 100!!!!! Thanks a lot, Alex!

That’s great, Larisa! I’m happy to hear that it was clear for more than just advanced students.

It was a very clear explanation, as always. I have had a good punctuation, this material is not much easy to memorize yet but despite of this, I appreciate a lot this work!

“I appreciate this work a lot!” My pleasure, hrodebert. I’m glad it was clear and useful.

Hallo Alex,

please, could be used this expressions in the IELTS speaking part ? (The questions about economy, politics, …) Or would it be too formal ?

Absolutely! I think your examiner would be quite impressed if you managed to use something like “this stems from…” or “this is triggered by…” in your speaking section. It’s more important to use a variety of tenses and structures in the speaking section, though.

Although I got eight out of ten It seems quite difficult to use. Just in case not look stupid among professors, I remember cause and effect power verbs. Thanks a lot.

You shouldn’t want to remember them to not look stupid in front of professors. You should want to remember them so you can use them in your own work, studies, etc. Good luck, Yurgen!

That was Great. Thanks

You’re welcome. Thanks for checking it out!

Thanks for sharing those “academics” expressions Alex. I’ve found them useful and rewarding. Perfects for a wonderful essay

Thanks, Freddy. I’m glad they were useful.

Thank you very much, teacher….!!!

Any time, Jakub. Thanks for checking out the lesson, as always.

Thanks Mr Alex …Great lesson ..Handsome Teacher

You’re welcome, husam. I’m glad you enjoyed it!

thanks, your work is incredible, congratulations.

Thanks, David. That’s really nice to hear. Have a great day!

10/10 ☺ . Thanks Alex for the great lesson. <3

You’re welcome, Jasmine. I’m glad you benefited from the lesson. Nice work on the quiz!

That’s a really great lesson, especially for me going to pass IELTS.

Thank you, Alex!

Good luck with your IELTS! I hope this vocabulary will be useful.

Great lesson. Thanks

My pleasure. Thanks for watching, Iva.

I got the 100 scores in the quiz. Thank you, teacher, Alex for letting me know how to improve my academic writing :)

Nice work, Mark! Keep it up.

80%. That was really useful!!

Thank you. I’m glad. The next step is to put this knowledge into regular practice. Otherwise, it’s easy to forget.

Thank you Alex !

Any time, Tyrion. Thank you for studying with me.

How are you ? I’m ur new student, i have seen your interesting of useful videos since 2 months ago after watching those videos, I’ve tired to search the quiz for understanding but still i haven’t got the quiz.. Could you please give me the link sir

Welcome to EngVid, Sathishsmart! The quiz is right under the video. It says “Test your understanding of this English lesson Test your understanding of the English lesson by answering these questions. You will get the answers and your score at the end of the quiz.”

All of the questions are multiple choice. I hope this helps and you’re able to find it!

thank you Alex.

that is useful

My pleasure, Sultan. Thanks for studying with me and with EngVid!

I’m happy to hear that! Thanks for checking out the lesson, Kebede.

these words will increase my score in Academic writing in the IELTS Exam

Absolutely! Good luck to you.

100，and thank again

Nice job! Keep it up, Neal. :)

Very useful academic vocabularies.Thank you very much Alex.

You’re very welcome. Thanks for checking out the lesson, achiou85. Good luck with your studies.

Many thanx Alex… absolutely a useful lesson also you taught in a simple way!!

Probably, you’re the best teacher at explaining I’ve ever met! Thank you for the lessons!

Greeting! Sir, I am new learner here and I don’t know even single about to it so please provide me all content for new learner. Thank you very much. Now I am going watch. Your videos.

Thank you sir.! Very useful lesson.

100 these vacobulary will lead to improving about eng. thank u alex. ı hope my sentence is correct

I am still on the line that makes me unbelievably happy. The amazing way to pronounce the words and your brief explanations and also examples. Thanks for the video. You are amazing !!!

9/10 :) THANK YOU

I really appreciate your support, Adam. Thank you so much.

*appreciated

tnx for lesson and I got 100

Hey Alex!!! Just wanna thank you for this cheerfull lesson. As you said it can really come in handed knowing power verb like those.

“losing from the score 3 to 0, the result of game has caused coach carlos’s dismissal this morning which also gave rise to several fan protests”

I have a confuse. What’s the difference between “cute” and “adorable”?

thank you alex teacher

Thank you very much Mr. Alex!

This video is one of my favoutite. It’s incredibly useful! Thanks a lot for your great job.

great lesson ..

“Now I’m going to the next board”…nice touch. Your style is great, but you handwriting as lousy as mine! Wonder if it’s just because we both were not born with the english gene in our blood? Kidding. No offence meant. Thanks for sharing your magic with people who cannot afford some fancy school, but eager to make our place better than we found it and English as well. Thanks. We appreciate it. Take care!

very beautiful to learn

really difficult verbs

that is very useful for me,because there is something wrong with my essay and i need some advanced verbs to improve my writing skills.Thank you

hi there.I got 90 that was great.thank you

Alex brings about learning English in a right way.

Thank you so much I appreciate your work I am trying to enhance my writing after getting band 5 in this criteria.

Brillant lesson. I would like to congratulate you for your teacher’s skills?

Though this is the first time I’m leaving a comment, I’ve always enjoyed your teaching. Thank you!

how to whatch video?

you know Mr Alex .this video is really catching on .i would like to tell you also you are the best teacher of Enlish …you always help me through your interesting lessons .take your care and goodbye thank you so much Toufik from Algeria

Greatt thank you for the lessons

Thanks for your lesson it is helping me a lot .

I LOVED YOUR VİDEOS THANKS FOR YOUR EFFORT HAVE A NİCE LİFE :)

that was very effective thank you

Thanks, Alex. Your lesson helpful me to learn English.

thanks, alexyour lesson was very useful for me.

10/10 Thank you very much for this lesson!

nice quiz… i hope be better

Thank you Alex. This lesson was very usefull for me.

100 Score in quize result from my fantastic teacher Alex.

Thank you Mr. Alex nice tutorial

I am afraid you said 15 verbs, but you gave only 14 verbs.

thanks Alex

10 of 10 sounds good

It’s an excellent lesson Alex.. it’s useful to improve my writing skills. I like the way you explain, thanks for the video.

HI, Alex Thank you so much for the detailed explanation.

I have some questions about the following information. As an English teacher, I always want to help my students learn as much as possible, but sometimes I’m not sure which (phrasal) verb doesn’t have passive usage and which should have sb. as the subject. Can you help me check them? Thank you so much.

A create/produce/cause/trigger B A contribute to/result in/bring about/give rise to/lead to B A is responsible(accountable) for/is to blame for/answer for B B is created/produced/caused/triggered by A B is brought up by A(how about other phrasal verbs?)

10/10 thankss!!

awesome, there is a sentence that i have built already about your institution. improving my writing skills are caused by Vid English teachers

That thing I was looking for. Thanks.

10/10. Your success stems from your effort! Thank you very much for the useful lesson!

Hi Alex, you made good effort to bring this lesson for us will cause to give us good imagination to keep in our mind to use mature verb phrases while giving ielts.

Thanks! I’m very glad to learn through your website. I am very sure to be more by your support. Waiting for your always advice.

With regards!

Thanks Alex, it’s beautiful

It was useful and handy. Tank you Alex.

What an interesting platform. Thank you Alex.

wow, thank you so much that was a great lesson and I learnt a lot. You are an amazing teacher

I had join this channel one month ago, Looking for increase my skills because Toefl test. I can say, Alex, YOU ARE THE BEST. (on my opinion)

Keep Looking at you. Best Regards

thank you so much!

the video contains a lot of helpful information;

Good one. I got 9/10

Excellent lesson… I have been looking for a site like this for a long time. Thank you!

Thanks for the lesson

Alex, very thank you for this awesome lesson. Wouldn’t you mind, please do a lesson where I could get some landscape to generate ideas for IELTS task 2 on different topics? I really appreciate your truthful bits of help Thanks.

thankyou so much Mr Alex

It’s the first time I’ve heard about the verb “stem from”, so it will be impressive in my essays.

It was really fun learning something new

Very helpful Alex I really appreciate all the effort you have put in to your video it really has helped thank you.

By the way I got full marks in the quiz.?

How could I practice these cause and effect power verbs?

You people are amazingly good , i don’t have the words to thank you .

Hi Alex! Is it okay to use these verbs in my speaking skills?

thats was a wonderfull class I expect that you increase your IELTS participation with new examples or exam simulation , I knowthis is very complicated for only one class but 3 or 4 helpfully us.

thanks a lot , you´re excelent teacher

Alex is an awesome teacher. Thanks a lot. My teacher. Love from your student, New Delhi, India

90% not bad lol

How can I replace this image with my pic please? Any idea?

Try this link !

Thanks a lot, Alexis! I have learned a lot with this video!!

It was a helpful lessons and it enhanced my vocabulary list. thanks a lot

I liked so much this lesson

I enjoyed so much this lesson

I enjoyed the lesson and the lecturing methodology as well!

The increasing new cases of covid-19 brought about new stricter measures, lead to a new Lockdown. Almost a year, since March 3, 2020, which was the first Lockdown, in Greece, the pandemic caused several problems to our lives and economies. While we are waiting for public vaccination, named “Eleftheria” (Freedom), is crucial to stay at home, wearing a mask, keep physical distance, and be responsible for the virus spreading.

There’s no doubt we are living in hard times. Politicians and doctors agreed that all these measures were based on the one-year observation of the virus. People are divided into those who believe and those who denied the existence of the virus. We are all exhausted.

I watched this video twice on May 7, 2021, and I took the quiz after watching it once. I got 10 correct out of 10.

Thank you so much Teacher

It was amazing lesson I have learnt so much thank you !

Being equipped with these academic vocabulary, I can assure that they might lead me to the standard of a successful essay writing in my career. Thank you Alex as being responsible for my delight of receiving such arsenal that will give rise to becoming me a wordsmith not so long. Mukhtar

7/10 thank a lot Alex (Kazakhstan, 16 oct2021) you are one of the best teachers engvid

Great lesson, and super applicable those examples. Good jod Alex!

very useful thanks

Hello, thanks, sir, for your effort. This video helped me really in my university essay, but I want to know if there is a difference between results from/of.

I appreciate it, it was enchanting, thanks a lot.

thanks very much for this effective lesson.

Thanks for this superb lesson dear Alex aka John Ritter from Toronto

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• Academic practice
• General practice
• Task 1 Academic
• Task 1 General
• Task 2 (essay)

How to write cause/effect essays in IELTS?

Cause and effect essay questions in IELTS Writing task 2 give you a problem and ask you to state the main causes of this problem and discuss its possible effects .

In this lesson you will see:

• how to generate ideas for causes and effects
• band 9 answer structure for causes/effects essay
• cause/effect model essay

This is an example of cause/effect IELTS writing task 2 question:

Today more people are overweight than ever before.

What in your opinion are the primary causes of this?

What are the main effects of this epidemic?

Generating ideas

After you’ve read the question, you can clearly determine the problem: growing number of overweight people .

But before you start to write your essay, it’s a good idea to think of 2-3 causes and 2-3 possible effects of the problem.

Causes of obesity :

• inactive lifestyle (relying on cars instead of walking, fewer physical demands at work, inactive leisure activities)
• unhealthy eating habits (eating fast-food, drinking high-calorie beverages, consuming large portions of food, eating irregularly)

Effects of obesity :

• physical health problems
• loss of productivity
• depressions and mental disorders

Now, after we’ve generated the main ideas for causes and effects, it’s time to use these ideas in our essay.

Band 9 answer structure

As you know, there are many ways to structure your essay, but we’ll use a structure that has been approved by many IELTS examiners to be high-scoring and coherent .

Band-9 essay structure :

Introduction

Body paragraph 1 - causes

Body paragraph 2 - effects

Let’s take a look at each of these sections in detail.

Write your introduction in two sentences:

Nowadays the number of overweight people is constantly growing.

This essay will discuss the main reasons of this epidemic and then describe the possible effects of the problem.

In my opinion, the foremost causes of obesity are inactive lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits.

Today more and more people rely on cars instead of walking, have less physical demands at work and prefer inactive leisure activities. This results in burning less calories and gaining weight.

Moreover, the problem is accentuated by the growing number of people, who eat irregularly and consume large portions of high-calorie food. For example, about 50% of the adult population in Europe with so-called disordered eating suffer from obesity.

The possible effects of this problem include physical health problems and loss of productivity.

First of all, obesity results in incorrect functioning of the human body and contributes to the risk of developing some chronic illnesses. For example, as body fat percentage increases, the person’s metabolism worsens, which in turn may result in diabetes or heart diseases.

Secondly, overweight people are very unhealthy and often suffer from stress and tiredness. This lessens their work capacity and results in lower productivity. For example, it has been proven that an obese person needs to put more effort to complete some task than a person with normal weight.

For the conclusion you need simply to restate the problem and sum up the causes and effects that you described in your body paragraphs:

To sum up, obesity is a big problem that affects a lot of people nowadays. It’s mainly caused by inactive lifestyle and eating disorders and results in severe health problems and loss of productivity.

Model essay

Nowadays the number of overweight people is constantly increasing. This essay will discuss the main reasons of this epidemic and then describe the possible effects of the problem.

In my opinion, the foremost causes of obesity are inactive lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits. Today more and more people rely on cars instead of walking, have less physical demands at work and prefer inactive leisure activities. This results in burning less calories and gaining weight. Moreover, the problem is accentuated by the growing number of people, who eat irregularly and consume large portions of high-calorie food. For example, about 50% of the adult population in Europe with so-called disordered eating suffer from obesity.

The possible effects of this problem include physical health problems and loss of productivity. First of all, obesity results in incorrect functioning of the human body and contributes to the risk of developing some chronic illnesses. For example, as body fat percentage increases, the person’s metabolism worsens, which in turn may result in diabetes or heart diseases. Secondly, overweight people are very unhealthy and often suffer from stress and tiredness. This lessens their work capacity and results in lower productivity. For example, it has been proven that an obese person needs to put more effort to complete some task than a person with normal weight.

To sum up, obesity is a big problem that affects a lot of people nowadays. It’s mainly caused by inactive lifestyle and eating disorders and results in severe health problems and loss of productivity.

(251 words)

IELTS Writing Task 2  Causes and Effects: Sample Answer

Requirements

This question type is very similar to causes and solutions and requires you to identify causes or reasons of an issue or problem and discuss the effects it has. The topics are usually social and nothing controversial.

The wording of the questions can vary. For example....

“What do you think are the reasons for this?”  “Why is this happening?”

“What are the consequences of this trend?”  “How does this affect the country?”

Sample Answer

Nowadays, professionals from developing countries have a tendency to emigrate to richer countries to find employment. This essay will discuss both the causes of this phenomenon and the issues that affect the nations they are leaving. 

The primary reasons skilled employees from emerging nations seek work in more developed countries are a higher standard of living along with professional development. For instance, the average monthly salary for a white-collar worker, such as a teacher, in a developing country pales in comparison to their counterparts in so-called first world nations even though they perform identical duties and responsibilities. Additionally, outdated facilities and equipment in poor states hampers the ability of professionals such as doctors to practice contemporary medicine and improve their skills.      

The effect this trend has on developing countries is invariably negative, particularly with regards to the nation’s social and economic development. According to Scientific American magazine, every year, more than 4,000 foreign graduates of international medical schools come to the United States for a residency program and very few return home to take up employment in their native countries. This brain drain denies countries the talents of their brightest and best and limits a country’s ability to progress as they are continuously faced with the challenge of retaining the most able professionals.

In conclusion, a comfortable material lifestyle coupled with the opportunity to advance one’s career are the main reasons why professionals migrate to richer countries. The countries they leave behind struggle to find suitably qualified replacements and thus suffer from social and economic stagnation.

Sample: Causes and Effects. PDF

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How to write an IELTS cause and effect essay

By ieltsetc on July 1, 2018

The IELTS cause and effect essay is one of the easier 'types' and you can prepare the collocations that you need beforehand. Here are some high-level collocations.

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Cause and effect – key IELTS vocabulary

- “because” , ‘as a result”and “as a consequence” are used with a verb and “because of”,”as a result of” and “as a consequence of” with a noun - “due to” is normally used with negative situations and “thanks to with “positive situations”  

• The children survived  because   they received help. 
• Because  they received help ,  the children survived.
• The children survived  because of  the help.
• I stayed at home  due to  the rain.
• Violence in films has probably caused crime to rise.
• Intensive farming has led to many smallholders becoming unemployed.
• The problems of air pollution affect the quality of life in many parts of the world.
• Mass immigration has undoubtedly changed many societies.
• One cause of this problem is a fall in educational standards.
• One positive result of this would be better international.
• People helped.  Consequently,  the children survived.
• People helped.  For this reason,  the children survived.
• People helped ;  as a consequence,  the children survived.
• He saw starving children,  so   he helped them .

Advanced Vocabulary of CAUSE and EFFECT:

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IELTS Cause Effect essays: Stop exaggerating your arguments

A lot of IELTS teachers tell students that their “ideas don’t matter”, but this is simply NOT true. Yes, you are free to agree or disagree with any question (so there is no “right” opinion) but if you need a high IELTS score, then it is extremely important that your ideas are both relevant and convincing. In this week’s blog, I want to show you how to drastically improve the quality of the arguments in your essay by giving ideas that are less dramatic, which can be a real problem in IELTS Cause Effect essays in particular!

IELTS ideas that are relevant and convincing

I expect most of you know that “relevant” just means having ideas that address the question, but what does “convincing” mean? Well, it means having arguments that make the examiner nod his or her head in agreement because they are REALISTIC. The mistake that students make again and again is giving arguments that are just too DRAMATIC (and, therefore, not convincing at all).

Often, this is because students try to give BIG reasons for trends, rather than focusing on more subtle explanations. As I said, this is usually a problem in IELTS Cause Effect Essays. Take this question  for example:

In many countries, the tradition of having family meals together is disappearing. Why is this happening? What will the effects of this be on the family and society?

Most students are able to cope with the first question fairly well. Why are people eating together less? Often I am given these very good arguments:

• In most households today, both parents work and simply do not have enough time to prepare a meal that can be eaten around a table. 👏👏👏
• People tend to eat more often outside the home i.e. children eat at school / parents in a canteen 👍👍👍
• Children take part in after school activities and so coordinating one meal that can be eaten by everybody at the same time is hard. 👌👌👌

Great – all of these arguments are relevant and convincing i.e. I accept that these are REAL reasons for this trend. The problems start when students have to think of the effects of this problem. Most are able to see that not eating as a family can have a negative impact on family structures. However, when it comes to explaining what that negative effect is, almost all students come up with EXTREME arguments:

• Children of families who do not eat together turn to crime and often commit murder . –  REALLY? 😳😳😳
• Children from families that have disintegrated usually end up being drug addicts . – REALLY? 🤔🤔🤔
• Parents who do not eat together get divorced . – REALLY? 🤯🤯🤯

These are real arguments given by my students in recent weeks but, I want you to ask yourself, ARE THESE TRUE?  Do you really think that the main reason for youth crime is not having a family meal? Or that children who eat in front of the TV always become addicted to drugs? Or that the divorce rate is affected by a lack of family meals? I don’t! I think that these are over-simplified arguments that are far too extreme to be convincing (and therefore won’t score more than a 6.0 for Task Response).

The really sad thing here is that these students are actually on the right path to a good idea – they have just gone way too far. All they need to do is bring their arguments one or two steps back to something more realistic and widely accepted. To do this, ask yourself “why” you think these arguments are true:

• Why do children “commit crimes”? Well, probably because they weren’t supervised closely enough by their parents and so problems weren’t spotted.
• Why do people get divorced? It is probably because they don’t spend enough quality time with each other and so start to drift apart.
• Do you see? Once we move a step back from the DRAMATIC ideas of crime and divorce and start digging a bit deeper into why these problems could come about, we actually arrive at some very good more subtle arguments. Let’s turn these ideas into a paragraph:

Unfortunately, this trend can lead to a number of negative outcomes. Firstly, when families sit down and eat together every day, it is easy for the parents to see subtle changes in their children’s behaviour that could be warning signs of an underlying problem. For example, they might be experiencing some difficulties at school such as bullying, or they may have fallen out with friends. Once family members eat separately, the opportunity for daily observation is lost and, as a result, younger family members’ problems can go unrecognised. Over time, this can lead to them becoming depressed or acting out in other ways, which could affect their schoolwork or their ability to interact with others in society in general. In the same way, if the adult members of the family both work long hours, then a shared meal might be the only time that they have to really connect each day. Thus, not having this meal can result in them becoming distanced. In the worst cases, this might lead to the breakdown of communication and even, eventually, in divorce.

Can you see the difference? I have taken the same ideas (crime and divorce) but have developed them in a much more realistic and convincing way! Notice that I have kept “divorce”, but I have shown that it is the final worst case scenario rather than the inevitable end. Honestly, I still think that this argument is a bit too dramatic, but at least now it is more convincing as I have given a REASON for this idea.

So, if you are struggling for ideas for your IELTS Cause Effect Essays, my advice is don’t fall back on EXTREME arguments to support your ideas. Try to take a step back and offer the examiner an opinion that is more reasoned and less dramatic. If you can do this, you will be far more likely to get a 7.0 or even an 8.0 or 9.0 for Task Response.

Plus, the lessons are interactive, so you will pause and participate in every lesson. But that’s not the best part! Once you become my student, you will be able to message me with any questions you have at any time , so you won’t be on the IELTS journey on your own anymore! And, every writing package now includes access to our free daily live lessons for reading, speaking, and listening.  🚀

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Cause and Effect

 A cause-effect relationship is a relationship in which one event (the cause) makes another event happen (the effect). A good example is an alarm clock. The alarm rings (the cause) and you wake up (the effect). 

The most common words to express cause and effect are because and so . Because introduces the cause; so introduces the effect.

I woke up because my alarm went off .

    effect                            cause

My alarm went off so I woke up . 

      cause                          effect

Being able to describe cause-effect relationships is a crucial skill for academic writing. The following phrases will help you to do this. 

In these two examples, you first use the phrase, state the effect (in italics) , and then the cause (underlined).

One reason ( for )

One of the causes ( of )

One reason for traffic congestion is inadequate public transportation .

One of the causes of traffic congestion is inadequate public transportation .

When using the following phrases, you first state the effect , then a comma, the phrase and then the cause .

Due to 

Blood sports should be made illegal , owing to the high level of suffering they cause animals .

Blood sports should be made illegal , due to the high level of suffering they cause animals .

 With these phrases you first state the cause , the phrase and then the effect . 

Causes 

Smoking causes/leads to a number of illnesses, such as cancer and diabetes . 

A poor work ethic can lead to fewer career opportunities.

With these phrases you first state the effect , then the phrase, and then the cause . 

A result of

Brought about by

Global warming is a result of / brought about by many factors .

Pollution is a result of / brought about by heavy traffic .

⇨ Look at how some of these phrases are used in the following passage. 

Reading for Pleasure… and Success!

For ESL learners, developing a reading habit is a prerequisite for success.

To achieve a mastery of the English language – or indeed any language, it is important to read for pleasure. Good exam marks are often the result of having a reading habit. One reason for this is that when students read, they learn new vocabulary in context. Furthermore, learning to enjoy reading leads to students spending more of their time immersed in books, which improves their English. 

My ebook 'IELTS Essay Writing'  contains exercises to go with this lesson - Click here -   https://ieltsdavid.com/shop/ols/products/ielts-essay-writing-by-david-richards  

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IELTS Cause/Effect Essay Sample 1 – Crime

In this post, we will look at a cause/effect essay example from the IELTS writing task 2 test. Students often ask if the questions are repeated year after year and the answer is no, but the topics are. There are so many questions written each year, you may find your practice answering various questions on different topics. For example, you could write essays to answer questions about education or the environment, which benefits you because you learn vocabulary associated with those topics and develop ideas that can help you in your writing test.

Practising writing IELTS task 2 essays on a range of topics is a great way to learn new vocabulary for those topics, but also to practice your essay structures. You begin to develop your ideas around those topics, thinking of examples and giving your opinions.

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If you would like to learn how to structure a cause/effect essay  please click the button below >

Take a look at the IELTS essay example below >>

Numerous ex-convicts re-offend soon after they have been freed from jail. This essay will first discuss why this is happening and secondly the negative impact it has on society.

On the one hand, the primary cause of ex-prisoners committing crimes as soon as they are out of prison is because they think that this could be the fastest way to earn money. Having a criminal record means that it is hard to find employment, which means that ex-cons cannot find suitable jobs. Most employers would be very hesitant to hire someone who has a criminal record, even though the person might have the right skills for the position. For example, an ABC 5 documentary in 2016 reported that 90% of employers would not hire an employee if they had committed criminal offences.

On the other hand, this has a detrimental effect on society, because new offences will be committed and the taxpayers will keep paying for these criminals. This will also indicate the need to have bigger prisons to accommodate prisoners, which furthermore affects the budget of a city. If more prisons are required, taxes will rise and the community will pay for these people to stay incarcerated. For example, in 2016, the Caloocan City municipality reported that they allocated 80 million pesos to extend their city jails, and this was funded by taxpayers.

In conclusion, the lack of opportunities for ex-convicts to restart their lives is the reason why they tend to commit the same mistakes. The effect is immense not only for the individual but for the whole country as well, for this can affect the economic stability.

(Word count – 270 / Band score 8)

The following video will give you contains sample Essay in audiovisual format.

Instructor Feedback on IELTS CAUSE AND EFFECT Question Essay: Crime

• Task Achievement  – The essay provides an answer to the question asked, supported by relevant examples.
• Coherence and Cohesion  – The answer has been divided into clear logical paragraphs and each main body paragraph only has one main idea. There are cohesive links between the main body paragraphs .
• Lexical Resource  – There is evidence of a wide range of vocabulary, with no errors in the text.
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy  – The answer has no grammatical errors. The sentences have a wide range of structures. 

Want to check more Cause and Effect Essay Samples? Check the IELTS Cause/Effect Question Essay Examples

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• Cause & Effect Essay

IELTS Cause and Effect Essay: Skin Whitening

This cause and effect essay is about the issue of skin whitening products: why people are using them and their possible dangers for health and society.

Take a look at the question:

In many parts of the world today there is a profitable market for products which lighten or whiten people’s skin. Outline the reasons for using such products and discuss what effects they have in terms of health and society.

There are three things you must discuss:

• The reasons why they are used
• Their effects on health
• Their effects on society

This causes and effects essay has been organized into two body paragraphs. The first dicussing the reasons, and the second discussing the effects on health and society.

There are other ways to organize it of course. For example, you could have three paragraphs, each discussing one of the points above.

Cause and Effect Essay

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

In many parts of the world today there is a profitable market for products which lighten or whiten people’s skin.

Outline the reasons for using such products and discuss what effects they have in terms of health and society.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge.

Write at least 250 words.

Cause and Effect Essay - Model Answer

In many countries, particularly places like Asia, skin whitening products are incredibly popular and provide huge profits for the companies involved in their sale. This essay will examine the reasons why people use these products and the effects this has on people’s health and on society.

The principal reason that people use skin whitening products is because whiter skin is seen to be more desirable than darker skin. To understand why, we need to firstly look at history. In ancient times, those people of a higher status tended to stay indoors, whilst people of a lower status worked outside, usually farming. As a result, those people who were indoors had much lighter skin, which means that whiter skin is now associated with having a higher status than dark skin. Another reason, which is partly related to this, is the desire for the ‘Western’ look. For example, plastic surgery to creat western eyelids and noses is common in Asia, and the white skin is part of this. These beliefs and images are also perpetuated in the media, with adverts showing people with white skin as more successful and attractive.

However, despite the fact that having whiter skin may improve a person’s self-esteem, these products can have negative effects. Regarding health, there are reports that people are harming their skin permanently as some products bought over the counter have prescription-strength ingredients. For instance, some contain steroids or toxins which can severely damage the skin and other parts of the body. In terms of society, there are also detrimental effects. Such behaviour perpetuates the belief that ‘white’ is better than ‘black’, and thus those with darker skin may experience discrimination.

In conclusion, people use whitening products due to the fact that white skin, usually through the media, is portrayed as more desirable. However, steps should be taken to change this image as the drawbacks of this are clear, with potentially dangerous consequences for people’s future health and society as a whole.

(328 Words)

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IELTS Advanced Speaking: Cause and Effect

In this tutorial, you will learn:

• the definitions of cause and effect
• the language phrases needed to talk about cause and effect
• when and how to use this language in your IELTS speaking exam

IELTS Speaking: Using Cause and Effect Language in your IELTS Speaking Test (part 3).

To express cause and effect in English, we use certain words and phrases.

• as a consequence of
• as a result of

To express cause and effect, these words or phrases will either be followed by a noun or a verb.

IELTS Speaking

When we talk about a situation that makes another situation happen, we talk about cause and effect. We use certain expressions such as because, due to, since, and as to talk about causes and effects. In this lesson, you will learn the meanings of cause, effect, and affect. You will also learn how to express cause and effect in English.

Followed by a noun

These cause/effect phrases are followed by a noun or noun phrase.

In the following examples, the noun or noun phrase will be in green . The cause always comes after the cause/effect signal word or phrase.

Signal word/phrase + Cause , + Effect Effect + Signal word/phrase + Cause

1. Due to Sara’s procrastination , she did not pass the IELTS exam . Signal phrase: Due to Cause: Sara’s procrastination Effect: She did not pass the IELTS exam Signal word/phrase + Cause , + Effect

2. He failed the test because of his poor preparation strategy. Signal phrase: Because of Cause: His poor preparation strategy Effect: He failed the test Effect + Signal word/phrase + Cause

3. As a result of the traffic , we canceled the group study session. Signal phrase: As a result of Cause: The traffic Effect: We canceled the group study session Signal word/phrase + Cause , + Effect

4. Donald could not attend owing to his impeachment . Signal phrase: Owing to Cause: Donald’s impeachment Effect: Donald could not attend Effect + Signal word/phrase + Cause

5. He was fired as a consequence of lies . Signal phrase: As a consequence of Cause: Lies Effect: He was fired Effect + Signal word/phrase + Cause

Followed by a verb

These cause/effect signal words are followed by a subject + verb or verb phrase.

In these examples, the subject + verb or verb phrase is in purple . The cause comes after the cause/effect signal word or phrase. Signal word/phrase + Cause , + Effect Effect + Signal word/phrase + Cause

1. Because Jared was dishonest , he ended up in jail. Signal word: Because Cause: Jared was dishonest Effect: He ended up in jail

2. He lost a lot of money because the court proved he was guilty. Signal word: Because Cause: the court proved he was guilty Effect: He lost a lot of money

3. The student passed her exam since she had improved with honest feedback. Signal word: Since Cause: improved with honest feedback Effect: student passed her exam These cause/effect signal words are followed by a subject + verb or verb phrase.

In your IELTS exam, learn with caution ! Try to learn these structures so they sound natural. The first time you use these you may need to recall the grammar structure (this ok!). But in the exam only use these structure if you can use them without having to recall the grammar structure. Learn them to such a level they become automatic and fluent… how? Repetition is the mother of all learning!

You can download or listen to the audio version here:

| Direct Download Here | Stitcher | iTunes | Spotify | Soundcloud |  Transcript |

More helpful IELTS speaking tutorials:

• IELTS Speaking Idioms
• How to give your opinion in the speaking exam
• Making notes for speaking part 2
• How to speak about your hobbies in part 1
• How to get band 9 in your IELTS Speaking
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How to Write ‘Causes (Reasons) and Effects’ Type of Essay in IELTS Writing Task 2

In “causes and effects” type of essay, IELTS examiners want you to discuss the causes or reasons of the problem in one paragraph.The likely effects of that problem in the second paragraph separately. Therefore, it is important that you find out relevant points of causes (reasons) and effects  for IELTS Writing . Please note that in this question, you should not make any paragraph about solutions.

Let’s look at an example:

Obesity in children is a serious problem in a number of countries..

What are the causes of obesity in children?

Discuss the possible alarming effects of this problem in the future.

Solution: .

With this type of essay, you have two points to be discussed: 1.   Causes of obesity in children in developed countries.

2.   Effects of obesity in the future in developed countries.

You must discuss both of them by giving reasons and support them with examples.

If you do not discuss any of the above two points in the essay, you will lose marks.

So, in this type of essay, you must explain both the points.

How to structure it?

The essay can be structured mainly in 4 paragraphs as follows:

 Introduction

Causes & Reasons

Further structuring of the paragraphs can be done as follows:

a. Introduction

Paraphrase the Question

Outline the sentence

b. -Body Paragraph 1 (Causes (reasons))

State the cause (reason)

Explain how it is the cause (reason)

Write an example

c.  (Effects)

State the likely effect

Explain how this can be the possible effect

d.  Conclusion

Sentence 1- Write summary of the main points Here, Four paragraphs are sufficient to explain your point of view. So,You may use any other structure you are comfortable with.This structure is approved by the IELTS examiners to help the students write in an effective and cohesive manner.

Sample Question:

Also, You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Here, Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer:

Here, Over the past few years, developed countries have encountered various cases of children suffering from the problem of obesity. This essay will discuss the possible causes for this increasing problem among children and also suggests the possible consequences that may result in case of negligence.

Furthermore, To embark upon, one of the main causes of obesity among children is poor diet as they are often seen eating junk food. At almost every corner of the street, one can found restaurants offering mouth tempting fast foods. Kids at home also are found to eat processed food because their parents do not find sufficient time for preparing the food. For example, packaged foods are purchased and kept in fridge for days. This food is not fresh and healthy. Hence affects their health, leading to build up of fat and compromising their fitness.

As a result, there are many possible consequences faced by the children. One such ill-effect is the risk of developing health related severe diseases like diabetes. So,This kind of debilitating illness implies that the child would need to be injected with insulin for the whole life. Moreover, overweight children are often found to be bullied . For example, many overweight kids are found disturbed facing the negative stigma of being obese

Here,On the whole, it is evident that there are various causes responsible for obesity among children and can lead to serious consequences in the future.  Also, It is the duty of their parents and relatives to ensure that appropriate steps are taken to prevent this problem from getting worst in the future.

(279 words)

Vocabulary and Phrases:

Useful vocabulary for causes (reasons).

• One of the causes/The reason is that
• Because/Since
• Due to this/Because of/Owing to/Lead to
• As a result/Lead to the problem/Can attribute to

Useful vocabulary for Effects

• Consequence of/As a result of/Because of/Due to
• Make/Create/Change/Effect/Affect/Result
• Risk of/Leading to

Write an essay of about 250 words on the following topics. Use the vocabulary mentioned above. 1. Also,There are a number of skin-whitening products available in the market. State the reasons why people are using these products? Discuss the possible negative outcomes of using these products.

2. Here,With the advancement of technology, social interaction among people has affected to a greater extent. What are the reasons of reduced social interaction? Suggest whether this would lead to a positive or negative effect in the future.

3. So,Almost everybody nowadays is found using personal vehicle for travelling purpose. What are the reasons of this increasing trend? Explain what negative outcomes may be faced in the society due to this.

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