1. Chapter 13: Causal Arguments ENG 113: Composition I

2. What is a Causal Argument? O Causal arguments attempt to find causes or identify possible effects O Identifies the causes of an event or situation and takes a stand on what actually caused it O Focuses on effects, taking a position on what a likely outcome is, has been, or will be O In an essay you: O Search for the causes of an event or situation O Examine a number of different possible causes before concluding that a particular cause was the most likely one O Consider the possible outcomes or results of a given event or situation O Conclude that one possible effect would most likely occur

3. Examples O Are designated bicycle lanes really safer cyclists? O Is autism caused by childhood vaccines? O Is fast food making Americans fat? O Does the death penalty discourage crime? O Do charter schools improve students’ academic performance? O Does profiling decrease the likelihood of a terrorist attack?

4. Visual Arguments

5. Understanding Cause-and- Effect Relationships O Cause and effect relationships can be very complex O A single event or situation can have many possible results O Not all results are equally significant O An event or situation may have more than one cause O Identifying cause(s) may be difficult

6. Main and Contributory Causes O In a causal argument, you focus on: O Identifying what you believe is the most important cause O Presenting arguments that convince readers why it is the most important cause O Showing why other causes are not as important O Identifying factors, if necessary, that are not causes and explaining why

7. Main and Contributory Causes Continued O The most important cause is the main cause O May be difficult to identify O May not be the most obvious cause O The less important causes are the contributory causes O Identifying the main cause is important because you will use it to structure and support your argument

8. Immediate and Remote Causes O The immediate cause is the most obvious cause because it occurs right before an event O May not be the main cause O Remote causes are factors that occurred further in the past but O May have had a greater impact

9. Causal Chains O A causal chain is a sequence of events in which one event causes the next, which in turn causes the next, and so on

10. Causal Chains Continued O When you write a causal argument, you can organize your essay as a causal chain O Example: Childhood Obesity Epidemic O Thesis: US Elementary Schools are at fault for causing American children to fail to see the importance of a healthy lifestyle O Elementary schools do not stress the importance of exercise and nutrition in gym and health classes O As a result, children do not understand the importance of regular physical activity and eating right O With little incentive to learn the essentials of a healthy lifestyle, children establish bad habits such as playing video games and snacking on junk food O As a result, American children are more likely to be overweight or obese O Concluding Statement: Because the habits of a healthy lifestyle are established early, US elementary schools need to take responsibility for encouraging children to eat right and exercise

11. Key Words for a Causal Argument O When you write causal arguments, choose verbs that indicate causal connections O Bring about O Create O Lead to O Encourage O Influence O Contribute to O Originate in O Cause O Use transitional words to help readers follow your argument O Consequently O As a result O Repeat key words to help identify individual causes and effects O Cause O Effect O Outcome O Result

12. Post Hoc Reasoning O Post Hoc Reasoning is the incorrect assumption that because an event precedes another event, it has caused the event O As you develop your causal argument, be careful not to assume that every event that somehow precedes another event has somehow caused it

13. Structuring a Causal Argument O Introduction O Establishes a context for the argument by explaining the need to examine causes or consider effects O States the essay’s thesis O Evidence (first point in support of the thesis) O Discusses less important causes or effects O Evidence (second point in support of the thesis) O Discusses major causes or effects O Refutation of opposing arguments O Considers and rejects other possible causes or effects O Conclusion O Reinforces the argument’s main point O Includes a strong concluding statement