New York State Elementary Test Prep- ELA 4- 4th Grade

cause effect banner

Do you want to get the most information out of
everything you read?

Then you need to understand
what the words are telling you.

Let's look at cause and effect.

Cause ...

...is an action that makes something else happen.

Effect ...

...is a result of that action.

Often cause and effect relationships are signaled by words and phrases such as:

so, since, as a result, because, and therefore.

Here are some examples of some cause and effect relationships.

Alligators almost became extinct because people killed too many of them.	Cause - People killed too many of them. Effect - Alligators almost became extinct.
You should brush your teeth often so you don't get cavities.	Cause - You should brush your teeth often. Effect - You won't get cavities.
Since we ran out of milk, we went to the grocery store.	Cause - We ran out of milk. Effect - We went to the grocery store.
Powerful winds blew the roof off the house, and as a result, the family had nowhere to live.	Cause - Powerful winds blew the roof off the house. Effect - The family had nowhere to live.

Hint! When trying to determine which event in a
sentence is the cause and which is the effect, think about
which of the events happened first.

Cause always happens first.
Effect always happens second (or after the first event).

Click on the flower for some practice.