Cause-effect

In academic writing it is necessary to be able to express the relationship between causes and their effects, or effects and their causes. Study this paragraph from a student's essay. The language of cause and effect is highlighted in red:

... In terms of physical health, there are other risks arising from young people's use of social media. Eye diseases can be caused by spending long periods online, as the decreased blink-rate when staring at the computer or mobile screens can lead to eyes becoming too dry (Patel et al. 1991).

The writer is asserting that staring at a computer screen for long periods -> blinking less often -> eyes becoming too dry -> eye disease. Notice the chain of cause and effect, and how an effect can become a cause of something else. The paragraph continues:

... Additionally, an increasingly sedentary lifestyle is a danger. Many tasks can now be achieved more conveniently online; because of this, it is less likely that teens will go outside and do exercise, resulting in higher rates of obesity. According to a study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (2009), Australian adults who use the internet frequently are 1.5 to 2 times fatter than those who never use computers.

Cause, then effect

Verbs for cause / effect:

  • lead to
  • result in
  • give rise to

Nouns for cause / effect:

  • effect of
  • result of
  • consequence of

Connectors for cause / effect:

  • ... as ...
  • ... consequently, ...
  • ... therefore, ...

 

Effect, then cause 

Verbs for effect / cause:

  • result from
  • be caused by
  • be produced by

Nouns for effect / cause:

  • cause of
  • reason for
  • source of

Connectors for effect / cause:

  • ... because of ...
  • ... due to ...
  • ... as a result of ...

 

Collocating prepositions

In order to achieve a natural and academic style it is important to use the correct preposition which collocates with the verb, noun or phrase.

Test Yourself 1

Choose the correct option.

There was no electricity at the recording location, only acoustic or battery-operated instruments were used.

Many of these problems can be avoided, since they   misuse of the equipment.

 

Copper conducts heat well    its atoms contain only one free valence electron in the outer shell.

Relaxation can reduce the negative    stress on the immune system.

The    sanitising the arm first is to minimise risk of infection during the blood donating process.

Test Yourself 2

Complete with the correct collocating preposition.

  1. The company's financial losses were in part due     poor management.
  2. The patient's hair began to fall out as a result    the radiation therapy she was receiving for bowel cancer.
  3. Part of the problem stemmed     friction between regular and auxiliary firecrew.
  4. An underground fire which left thousands of people without power and caused travel chaos in central London was caused    an electrical fault.
  5. The number one reason    foreclosure differs by state and region, but this essay will consider some of the current economic theories for the distressed housing market.
  6. It is widely believed that many jobs will be lost as a consequence    the trade agreement.
  7. Owing     the rising cost of fuel, more commuters are turning to public transport.
  8. The IFRS have prepared a paper that explains how the proposed new criteria would apply to liabilities arising    lawsuits.
  9. Certain company bosses threatened their staff with redundancy and forced them to meet aggressive sales targets. This led    a catastrophic drop in morale.
  10. Any abuse of contributors or other site member with result     the removal of your comment and a possible ban from the forum.