causes essay vocabulary

Cause and Effect Essay Outline: Types, Examples and Writing Tips

20 June, 2020

9 minutes read

Author:  Tomas White

This is a complete guide on writing cause and effect essays. Find a link to our essay sample at the end. Let's get started!

What is a Cause and Effect Essay?

A cause and effect essay is the type of paper that the author is using to analyze the causes and effects of a particular action or event. A curriculum usually includes this type of exercise to test your ability to understand the logic of certain events or actions.

If you can see the logic behind cause and effect in the world around you, you will encounter fewer problems when writing. If not, writing this kind of paper will give you the chance to improve your skillset and your brain’s ability to reason.

“Shallow men believe in luck or in circumstance. Strong men believe in cause and effect.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

In this article, the  Handmade Writing team will find out how to create an outline for your cause and effect essay – the key to successful essay writing.

Types of the Cause and Effect Essay

Before writing this kind of essay, you need to draft the structure. A good structure will result in a good paper, so it’s important to have a plan before you start. But remember , there’s no need to reinvent the wheel: just about every type of structure has already been formulated by someone.

If you are still unsure about the definition of an essay, you can take a look at our guide:  What is an Essay?

Generally speaking, there are three types of cause and effect essays. We usually differentiate them by the number of and relationships between the different causes and the effects. Let’s take a quick look at these three different cases:

1. Many causes, one effect

This kind of essay illustrates how different causes can lead to one effect. The idea here is to try and examine a variety of causes, preferably ones that come from different fields, and prove how they contributed to a particular effect. If you are writing about World War I, for example, mention the political, cultural, and historical factors that led to the great war.

By examining a range of fundamental causes, you will be able to demonstrate your knowledge about the topic.

Here is how to structure this type of essay:

• Introduction
• Cause #3 (and so on…)
• The effect of the causes

2. One cause, many effects

This type of cause and effect essay is constructed to show the various effects of a particular event, problem, or decision. Once again, you will have to demonstrate your comprehensive knowledge and analytical mastery of the field. There is no need to persuade the reader or present your argument . When writing this kind of essay, in-depth knowledge of the problem or event’s roots will be of great benefit. If you know why it happened, it will be much easier to write about its effects.

Here is the structure for this kind of essay:

• Effect #3 (and so on…)

3. Chain of causes and effects

This is the most challenging type. You need to maintain a chain of logic that demonstrates a sequence of actions and consequences, leading to the end of the chain. Although this is usually the most interesting kind of cause and effect essay, it can also be the most difficult to write.

Here is the outline structure:

• Effect #1 = Cause #2
• Effect #2 = Cause #3
• Effect #3 = Cause #4 (and so on…)

Cause and Effect Essay Outline Example

Let’s take a look at an example. Below, you will find an outline for the topic “The causes of obesity” (Type 1) :

As you can see, we used a blended strategy here. When writing about the ever-increasing consumption of unhealthy food, it is logical to talk about the marketing strategies that encourage people to buy fast food. If you are discussing fitness trainers, it is important to mention that people need to be checked by a doctor more often, etc.

In case you face some issues with writing your Cause and Effect essay, you can always count on our Essay Writers !

How do I start writing once I have drafted the structure?

If you start by structuring each paragraph and collecting suitable examples, the writing process will be much simpler. The final essay might not come up as a classic five paragraph essay – it all depends on the cause-effect chain and the number of statements of your essay.

In the Introduction, try to give the reader a general idea of what the cause and effect essay will contain. For an experienced reader, a thesis statement will be an indication that you know what you are writing about. It is also important to emphasize how and why this problem is relevant to modern life. If you ever need to write about the Caribbean crisis, for instance, state that the effects of the Cold War are still apparent in contemporary global politics. 

Related Post: How to write an Essay introduction | How to write a Thesis statement

In the Body, provide plenty of details about what causes led to the effects. Once again, if you have already assembled all the causes and effects with their relevant examples when writing your plan, you shouldn’t have any problems. But, there are some things to which you must pay particular attention. To begin with, try to make each paragraph the same length: it looks better visually. Then, try to avoid weak or unconvincing causes. This is a common mistake, and the reader will quickly realize that you are just trying to write enough characters to reach the required word count.

Moreover, you need to make sure that your causes are actually linked to their effects. This is particularly important when you write a “chained” cause and effect essay (type 3) . You need to be able to demonstrate that each cause was actually relevant to the final result. As I mentioned before, writing the Body without preparing a thorough and logical outline is often an omission.

The Conclusion must be a summary of the thesis statement that you proposed in the Introduction. An effective Conclusion means that you have a well-developed understanding of the subject. Notably, writing the Conclusion can be one of the most challenging parts of this kind of project. You typically write the Conclusion once you have finished the Body, but in practice, you will sometimes find that a well-written conclusion will reveal a few mistakes of logic in the body!

Cause and Effect Essay Sample

Be sure to check the sample essay, completed by our writers. Use it as an example to write your own cause and effect essay. Link: Cause and effect essay sample: Advertising ethic issues .

Tips and Common Mistakes from Our Expert Writers

Check out Handmadewriting paper writing Guide to learn more about academic writing!

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3.8: The Language of Cause and Effect

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Below are some of the most common language structures used in cause/effect writing. As you review them, pay attention to the part of speech (noun, verb, adjective) and the preposition used in each structure.

Read the following sentences to highlight the cause signal words. Underline the causes .

1. The difference between income and housing costs has created a crisis of unaffordable housing options.

2. Real estate developers purchase properties and build luxury apartments throughout the city, thereby making it difficult for residents of average income to find affordable housing.

3. Economists attribute the 2008 economic recession to the unregulated housing market.

4. Homelessness results in health conditions that make people vulnerable to contagious diseases like COVID19.

5. Secure housing can lead to better health and emotional resilience.

Fill in the blanks with appropriate cause signal words from the box. Pay attention to the grammar and punctuation needed to make the sentence correct.

1. Genetic variants may ____________ a pattern of obesity in a family.

2. Weight gain can be ____________ medications such as antidepressants.

3. Obesity ____________ challenges to mental health and self-esteem.

4. Regular visits to green spaces such as parks, forests, and rural areas have ____________ on people’s moods and sense of well-being.

5. ____________ a dangerous or polluted community environment, residents may find it difficult to engage in physical activity outside.

Edit these sentences looking carefully at the use of the cause signal words:

1. Since some places are in a drought, as a result there is extreme fire danger in those forests.

2. Because of some places are in drought, many crops require extra irrigation.

3. Global warming which creates melting ice in the arctic and warmer water in the oceans.

4. Tornadoes are increasing in number and size the destruction in property is costly for states and residents.

5. Warmer water in the oceans results from stronger rain during hurricanes.

Highlight the effect signal words. Underline the effects .

1. Every year in the U.S. there are about a thousand tornadoes, thereby causing millions of dollars of damage and the death of over 70 people.

2. Tornadoes are extremely destructive and result in damaged houses, cars and businesses.

3. Strong winds in a tornado are responsible for flipping over cars or lifting them to another area.

4. Scientists have improved forecasting and warning systems for tornadoes; as a result, the number of deaths has decreased.

5. The National Weather Service monitors storms with a Doppler radar; consequently, tornado warnings can be issued in a timely manner.

Fill in the blanks with appropriate signal words to show the cause-effect relationship. Pay attention to the grammar and punctuation needed to make the sentence correct.

1. Many people do not have a basic understanding of how the internet works, ________ they do not know that their personal online privacy is often compromised.

2. A lot of time spent using electronic devices ____________ the students’ ability to socialize in a face to face environment.

3. Reading aloud to children has a positive ___________ their ability to learn to read.

4. The overall health of a nation is directly linked to the health of the population. __________, governments need to take measures to ensure the people are healthy.

5. Good nutrition and mental health go hand in hand. For example, a deficiency in vitamin B9 (found in leafy greens, legumes, and grains) can ________________ irritability, apathy, depression and other issues.

6. Researchers have found that the area of the brain associated with motor skills was greatly _____________ in children who had regular practice of a musical instrument.

The following adjectives are useful when describing the cause or effect more specifically. Choose five of the following and write a sentence that identifies a specific kind of cause or effect. Think of situations when these specific words would be appropriate.

Example: A common cause of obesity is a lack of physical activity.

1. __________________________________________________________________

2. __________________________________________________________________

3. __________________________________________________________________

4. ___________________________________________________________________

5. ___________________________________________________________________

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Cause & effect essays Aka reason and result

The Cause and effect essay is another common essay type, either as an essay type on its own, or as part of a larger essay which includes one or more paragraphs examining causes and effects. This page gives information on what a cause and effect essay is , how to structure this type of essay, and how to use cause and effect structure words (transition signals) for this type of essay. There is also an example cause and effect essay on the topic of women at work, as well as some exercises to help you practice this area.

What are cause & effect essays?

For another look at the same content, check out YouTube » or Youku » , or this infographic » .

A cause and effect essay looks at the reasons (or causes) for something, then discusses the results (or effects). For this reason, cause and effect essays are sometimes referred to as reason and result essays. They are one of the most common forms of organisation in academic writing. Sometimes the whole essay will be cause and effect, though sometimes this may be only part of the whole essay. It is also possible, especially for short exam essays, that only the causes or the effects, not both, are discussed. See the examples below.

• Discuss the causes and effects of global warming ['cause and effect' essay]
• Explain the high death rate in Chernobyl ['causes' only essay]
• Discuss the WTO and its effects on the Chinese economy ['effects' only essay]

There are two main ways to structure a cause and effect essay. These are similar to the ways to structure problem-solution essays , namely using a block or a chain structure. For the block structure, all of the causes are listed first, and all of the effects are listed afterwards. For the chain structure, each cause is followed immediately by the effect. Usually that effect will then be the cause of the next effect, which is why this structure is called 'chain'. Both types of structure have their merits. The former is generally clearer, especially for shorter essays, while the latter ensures that any effects you present relate directly to the causes you have given.

The two types of structure, block and chain , are shown in the diagram below.

Cause and Effect Structure Words

Cause and effect structure words are transition signals which show the cause and effect relationships. It is important to be clear which is the cause (or reason) and which is the effect (or result), and to use the correct transition word or phrase. Remember that a cause happens first , and the effect happens later .

Below are some common cause and effect structure words. X is used to indicate a cause, while Y is used to indicate the effect.

• The first cause of (Y) is (X)
• The next reason is (X)
• Because of (X), (Y)
• As a result of (X), (Y)
• As a consequence of (X), (Y)
• because/since/as (X)
• to result from (X)
• (X) results in (Y)
• to be the result of (X)
• (Y) is due to (X)
• Owing to (X), (Y)
• (Y) is because of (X)
• (Y) is the effect of (X)
• (Y) is the consequence of (X)
• Worsening pollution levels in cities are due to the increased use of cars.
• Because of the increased use of cars, pollution levels in cities are worsening.
• As a result of the increased use of cars, pollution levels in cities are worsening.
• The effect of the increased use of cars is a worsening of pollution levels in cities.
• The first effect of (X) is (Y)
• Another result of (X) is (Y)
• As a result, (Y)
• As a consequence, (Y)
• Consequently (Y)
• Therefore, (Y)
• (X) causes (Y)
• (X) has an effect on (Y)
• (X) affects (Y)
• (X) is one of the causes of (Y)
• (X) is the reason for (Y)
• Cars are used increasingly for urban transport. As a consequence , pollution levels in cities are worsening.
• Increased use of cars for urban transport adversely affects pollution levels in cities.
• Increased use of cars for urban transport is one of the causes of worsening pollution levels in cities.

Example essay

Below is a cause and effect essay. This essay uses the block structure . Click on the different areas (in the shaded boxes to the right) to highlight the different structural aspects in this essay, i.e. Causes, Effects, and structure words. This will highlight not simply the paragraphs, but also the thesis statement and summary , as these repeat the causes and effects contained in the main body.

Title: More and more women are now going out to work and some women are now the major salary earner in the family. What are the causes of this, and what effect is this having on families and society?

In the past, most women stayed at home to take care of domestic chores such as cooking or cleaning. Women's liberation and feminism have meant that this situation has been transformed and in contemporary society women are playing an almost equal role to men in terms of work. This has had significant consequences , both in terms of the family , for example by improving quality of life and increasing children's sense of independence , and also for society itself with greater gender equality . The main reasons behind the increase of women in the workplace are women's liberation and feminism. The women's liberation movement originated in the 1960s and was popularised by authors such as Simone de Beauvoir. As a consequence of this, new legislation emerged, granting women equal rights to men in many fields, in particular employment. Because of feminist ideas, men have taken up roles which were previously seen as being for women only, most importantly those related to child rearing. As a result of this, women have more time to pursue their own careers and interests. These have led to some significant effects, both to family life and to society as a whole. Although the earning capacity of a woman in her lifetime is generally much less than that of a man, she can nevertheless make a significant contribution to the family income. The most important consequence of this is an improved quality of life. By helping to maintain a steady income for the family, the pressure on the husband is considerably reduced, hence improving both the husband's and the wife's emotional wellbeing. Additionally, the purchasing power of the family will also be raised. This means that the family can afford more luxuries such as foreign travel and a family car. A further effect on the family is the promotion of independence in the children. Some might argue that having both parents working might be damaging to the children because of a lack of parental attention. However, such children have to learn to look after themselves at an earlier age, and their parents often rely on them to help with the housework. This therefore teaches them important life skills. As regards society, the most significant impact of women going to work is greater gender equality. There are an increasing number of women who are becoming politicians, lawyers, and even CEOs and company managers. This in turn has led to greater equality for women in all areas of life, not just employment. For example, women today have much stronger legal rights to protect themselves against domestic violence and sexual discrimination in the workplace. In conclusion, the increasing number of women at work has brought about some important changes to family life, including improved quality of life and increased independence for children, as well as affecting society itself. It is clear that the sexes are still a long way from being equal in all areas of life, however, and perhaps the challenge for the present century is to ensure that this takes place.

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Below is a checklist for cause and effect essays. Use it to check your own writing, or get a peer (another student) to help you.

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Author: Sheldon Smith    ‖    Last modified: 16 January 2022.

Sheldon Smith is the founder and editor of EAPFoundation.com. He has been teaching English for Academic Purposes since 2004. Find out more about him in the about section and connect with him on Twitter , Facebook and LinkedIn .

Compare & contrast essays examine the similarities of two or more objects, and the differences.

Cause & effect essays consider the reasons (or causes) for something, then discuss the results (or effects).

Discussion essays require you to examine both sides of a situation and to conclude by saying which side you favour.

Problem-solution essays are a sub-type of SPSE essays (Situation, Problem, Solution, Evaluation).

Transition signals are useful in achieving good cohesion and coherence in your writing.

Reporting verbs are used to link your in-text citations to the information cited.

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Cause & Effect Language

by AEUK | Jul 15, 2022 | Grammar

Cause and Effect Language

What is  Cause & Effect ?

Cause and effect is a relationship between events or things where one is the result of the other or others. This is a combination of action and reaction. Something happens (a cause) that leads to an effect.

In academic writing it is necessary to be able to express the relationship between causes and their effects, or effects and their causes.

Academic Cause & Effect Video

A short 6-minute video on cause and effect language.

Video Worksheet  – click here

Pdf lesson download.

  Cause and Effect L anguage  [new 2020]

This lesson helps improve students’ awareness of cause and effect  language.  It includes a language review section, lots of guided practice and freer paragraph writing practice  ( example ). Time: 60mins.   Level *** ** [ B1/B2/C1]     TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

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Cause & effect language review.

Other cause & effect language phrases

Nouns indicating causality.

One   reason  why Xs have declined is that … A   consequence  of vitamin A deficiency is blindness. The  causal role  of X in Y has been demonstrated by … The most likely   causes  of X are poor diet and lack of exercise. The  causes  of X have been the subject of intense debate within … X can have profound health  consequences  for older people. Physical activity is an important   factor  in maintaining fitness. Many other medications have an  influence  on cholesterol levels.

Expressing a causal relationship tentatively

X may have been an important factor in … X may have contributed to the increase in … X may have played a vital role in bringing about … X may have been caused by an increase in …

In the literature, X has been associated with Y. A high consumption of X could be associated with infertility. X in many cases may be associated with certain bacterial infections.

Taken from: www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/explaining-cause-and-effect/ 

Task: Select a suitable word or phrase from the language review table to complete the gaps in the sentences.

For a detailed worksheet and more exercises – buy the  download below.

Task:   Rewrite the following sentences using the information in brackets.

1. Lowering interest rates could be a way to stimulate economic growth. (Use the verb ‘ stem’ ).

  _____________________________________________________________________________________

2. Most poor countries are poor because of the institutions and organisations that govern them. (Use the noun ‘ result ’).

 A way to stimulate economic growth could stem from lowering interest rates.

Most poor countries are poor as a result of the institutions and organisations that govern them.

Task:  Complete the gaps in the following paragraph. Pay attention to grammar and punctuation.

Overpopulation can be defined as a population that exceeds its carrying capacity within a particular environment. A key a) ________________ areas becoming densely populated is a decline in the mortality rate and an increase in the birth rate. These trends can be largely b) ____________________  technological advancement, which has c) ____________ the creation of important vaccines, fertility treatment and improved medical facilities in general.

Overpopulation can be defined as a population that exceeds its carrying capacity within a particular environment. A key a) factor in areas becoming densely populated is a decline in the mortality rate and an increase in the birth rate. These trends can be largely b) attributed to technological advancement, which has c) led to the creation of important vaccines, fertility treatment and improved medical facilities in general.

[possible answers]

Task:  Use different colour highlighters to show the causes, the effects & the cause/effect language.

In many countries, more and more people are moving from rural areas to urban ones. Over half of the world’s population currently live in cities and of these, thirty-four are known as megacities. The reasons for this increased urbanisation depends on two types of factors known as ‘push’ and ‘pull’. Firstly, the proliferation of people moving to cities stems from push factors such as unemployment, lower wages and poor living conditions. As a result, cities are a more attractive option due to their pull factors of providing more jobs, higher salaries and an overall increased standard of living .

In many countries, more and more people are moving from rural areas to urban ones. Over half of the world’s population currently live in cities and of these, thirty-four are known as megacities. The reasons for this increased urbanisation depends on two types of factors known as ‘push’ and ‘pull’. Firstly, t he proliferation of people moving to cities stems from push factors such as unemployment, lower wages and poor living conditions. As a result, cities are a more attractive option due to their pull factors of providing more jobs, higher salaries and an overall increased standard of living .

Cause & Effect Language Download

This lesson helps improve students’ awareness of cause and effect  language.  It includes a language review section, lots of guided practice and freer paragraph writing practice  ( example ). Time: 60mins.   Level *** ** [ B1/B2/C1]    / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

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  Causes, Effects & Related L anguage 

This lesson helps improve students' awareness of cause and effect  language.  It includes a language review section, lots of guided practice and freer paragraph writing practice  ( see worksheet example )  Time: 60mins.   Level *** ** [ B1/B2/C1]  / Webpage link.   / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

  Comparatives & Superlatives  

This lesson helps improve students' awareness of compare and contrast  language.  It includes a language review section, lots of guided practice and freer paragraph writing practice ( see worksheet example )  Time: 60mins.   Level *** ** [ B1/B2/C1]  / Webpage link.  / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

  Compare & contrast : comparatives and superlatives

This lesson helps improve students' awareness of compare and contrast  language.  It includes a language review section, lots of guided practice and freer paragraph writing practice ( see worksheet example )  Time: 60mins.   Level *** ** [ B1/B2/C1] .  / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

  Academic Conditionals

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Countable and uncountable nouns

This lesson helps improve students' awareness of countable & uncountable nouns .  It includes a language review section, lots of guided practice and freer paragraph writing practice (see worksheet example) Time: 60mins.   Level *** ** [ B1/B2/C1]   TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

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This lesson helps improve students' awareness of modal verbs .  It includes a language review section, lots of guided practice and freer paragraph writing practice  ( see worksheet example )  Time: 60mins.   Level *** ** [ B1/B2/C1]   TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Nominalisation (verbs / adjectives to nouns)

An introduction to nominalisation. This worksheet shows the basics of nominalising, practises changing verbs and adjectives to nouns, and includes four exercises from guided practice through to freer practice. Very good writing practice activity with a fair amount of challenge for all levels.  Level ** ** * [B1/B2/C1] (see example sheet)   TEACHER MEMBERSHIP   /   INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

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Noun Phrases Worksheet 1

This lesson highlights what noun phrases are and provides valuable practice. it focuses on the key concepts of quantifiers, adjectives and nouns, noun + noun, noun + preposition and noun phrase combinations ( example ).   level *** ** [b2/c1]  / teacher membership / institutional membership.

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Noun Phrases Worksheet 2

This lesson is designed to help students write more concisely by using noun phrases. it takes students through a whole range of tasks including noticing the language in context, eight guided practice tasks and five freer practice activities. there's a language review sheet included too (see example ).   level *** ** [b2/c1]   teacher membership  / institutional membership, academic passive structures & nominalisation.

An introduction to the impersonal passive structure 'it is said that...' , to infinitive passive form ' it is claimed to be...'. and how to nominalise verbs to nouns to show formality in writing. This worksheet provides key information and 10 writing questions (example) . Level **** * [B1/B2/C1] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Relative clauses:  defining & non-defining clauses

This lesson is to support students in their understanding and use of defining & non-defining relative clauses.The lesson includes four tasks of guided practice and two tasks of freer practice  ( see worksheet example )  Time: 60mins.   Level *** ** [ B1/B2/C1] .  / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Sentence Structure 1:  Simple, compound, complex & complex  compound  

This lesson is to support students in their understanding and practice of the four types of sentence structures: simple, compound, complex and complex-compound. It includes noticing, guided and freer practice ( see worksheet example )  Time: 60mins.   Level *** ** [ B1/B2/C1] / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Sentence Structure 2:  Fragment, run-on & comma splice  sentences 

This lesson helps improve students'  sentence structure through identifying and practising fragments, run-ons and comma splice sentences. It includes noticing, guided and freer practice ( see worksheet example )  Time: 60mins.   Level *** ** [ B1/B2/C1] / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

  Sentence Structure 3:  Complex sentence structure (STEM)

This lesson is to support students in their understanding and practice of complex sentence structure. The worksheets focus on three structures: adverbial, adjective and noun clauses and contain key explanations and sentence and paragraph-level practice within a STEM context   ( see worksheet example) Time: 90mins.   Level *** ** [ B1/B2/C1]   TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Tense Review (3 lessons: analysis, gap fill, speaking)

This is a great lesson to introduce / revise English Tenses. Lesson 1: students discuss a number of sentences & identify the tense & reason for use. Give out Tense handout ( here ) to consolidate. Lesson 2:  tense review gap fill. Lesson 3: speaking exercise with lots of questions using the tenses. Example    Level **** * [B1/B2/C1 ] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

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Verb Patterns

This lesson helps improve students' awareness of verb patterns (verb + infinitive, verb + to infinitive, verb + gerund, verb + that clause, verb + wh-clause)  .  It includes a language review section, lots of guided practice and freer paragraph writing practice ( see worksheet example) Time: 60mins.   Level *** ** [ B1/B2/C1]   TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

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

Test your understanding of this English lesson

158 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

It is a very informative video as always. Thnak you so much for your great videos.

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Unit 03: Reasons and Results – The Cause-and-Effect Essay

“Why did that happen?” “What were the effects?”

These are common questions about many events, actions, conditions in the world. That’s what this unit is all about: reason and result. Or, as writing instructors say, cause and effect. It’s a very useful — and very common — writing strategy both in school and out of school.  In this unit, you will study use the same topic from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights , but you’ll take a look at the issue from a new angle. To do this, you’ll learn more about common cause-and-effect essay structures as well as the grammar and vocabulary to support them.

Key academic vocabulary in this unit

• clause /klɔz/  noun  – a group of words with a subject and a verb
• create  /kriˈeɪt/  verb –  to make something new
• discrimination /dɪˌskrɪmɪˈneɪʃ(ə)n/ noun – unfair treatment of someone
• format / ˈfɔrˌmæt / noun –  the arrangement, organization, or structure of something
• involve /ɪnˈvɑlv/ verb – to include something or someone as a part of an activity, event, or situation
• isolate /ˈaɪsəˌleɪt/  verb  –  to keep someone or something away
• potential /pəˈtenʃ(ə)l/  noun and adjective  – possible in the future
• predict /prɪˈdɪkt/  verb – to say what will happen in the future
• significant  / sɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt / adjective – large, noticeable, important, or meaningful
• summary  /ˈsʌməri/ noun – a short description that gives only the most important information without all the details

Coalescence Copyright © 2023 by Timothy Krause is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Writing Cause and Effect Essays for English Learners

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Cause and effect composition is a common type of writing in English that shows up often on important tests and is, therefore, necessary to master. Develop your cause and effect writing skills by first reviewing the structures and practices of standard essay writing and then diving into what makes a successful cause and effect essay.

Cause and Effect Writing

As when writing any other essay, you need to use evidence and examples as well as attention-grabbing techniques when doing cause and effect writing. The key difference between standard essays and cause and effect essays is that cause and effect composition addresses topics or problems by outlining the causes and effects, or reasons and results, of several components of a topic.

Cause and effect essays are generally organized by problems, outcomes, and possible solutions. Though cause and effect writing isn't exclusively used to address problems, this type of composition often involves writing prose that proposes solutions to an issue—cause and effect writers can use the consequences of various occurrences to speculate about how to solve a dilemma.

No matter what the purpose of your cause and effect essay, the first thing you need to do to start writing is brainstorm.

Brainstorm Topics

Step 1: Come up with ideas. Get started brainstorming topics right away—the objective of brainstorming is to generate as many ideas as possible before writing. Brainstorming helps you think creatively about a cause and effect topic in order to come up with something that you truly want to write about. Don't get caught writing about a topic that doesn't interest you because you didn't take the time to brainstorm.

When brainstorming for cause and effect essays specifically, be sure to think of both reasons and results. Follow each idea from its cause to its effect to make sure that your arguments are well-founded so that you don't waste time on ideas that won't go anywhere.

The following cause and effect example ideas show the results of a successful brainstorming session.

Write an Outline

Step 2: Create an outline. An outline provides a map for your writing and you should never try to write an essay without one. Some teachers even require you to write an outline before you are allowed to start an introductory or body paragraph because they improve the quality of writing so significantly.

Use ideas from your brainstorming session to "jot down", or quickly write, ideas for how your whole essay might progress (these do not have to be in complete sentences). An outline makes organizing much easier but does not have to be rigid—feel free to make changes as needed. See the following cause and effect essay outline example for help.

Title: How Fighting Fast Food Can Help End Obesity

I. Introduction

• Hook: Statistic about obesity
• Thesis statement:   Obesity has become the number one threat to good health in developed countries.

II. Body Paragraph 1: Availability and overeating

• Fast food is everywhere
• Impossible to ignore
• Buy too much fast food too often because it's everywhere
• Obesity, heart problems, diabetes, etc.
• Easier to resist when you have a plan
• Meal prep, take different routes, etc.

III. Body Paragraph 2: Affordability and overspending

IV. Body Paragraph 3: Convenience

V. Conclusion

• End obesity by teaching people how dangerous fast food can be

Cause and Effect Language

Step 3: Choose the right language. Now you can write a great cause and effect essay using your outline. There are several language formulas that can effectively show cause and effect relationships, so take the time to choose the best ones for your piece. As always, vary your sentence structures for a smoother read and use plenty of evidence to write a convincing essay, then try some of these phrases to take your cause and effect arguments to the next level.

Cause Language

• There are several reasons for...
• The main factors are...
• The first cause is...
• [Cause] leads to or might lead to [effect]
• This often results in...

Effect Language

• Before [cause]...Now [effect]...
• One of the results/outcomes of [cause] is...Another is...
• A primary effect of [cause] is...
• [Effect] often occurs as a consequence of [cause].

Linking Language

Make your cause and effect essay more coherent with linking language—or sentence connectors—that make the relationships between causes and effects crystal clear.

Use the following conjunctive adverbs to smoothly transition from one idea to the next in your cause and effect writing.

• In addition
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• Introducing Phrasal Verbs to ESL Students
• Showing Cause / Effect in Written English
• Sentence Connectors: Showing Opposition in Written English
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IELTS writing task 2: How to write a causes solution essay

Step by step guide to writing an IELTS causes solution essay.

Updated : January 2024

A common type of IELTS task 2 essay is a problem solution or causes solution essay. Here you will need to write about the causes of the problem in main body one and recommendations or possible solutions that could solve the issue in main body two. I could have a 3rd body paragraph but I prefer the 2 main body approach.

In this lesson we will look at:

1. A good structure for a causes/problem solution essay. 2. How to analyse the question. 3. Tips on thinking of ideas for the essay. 4. Getting ideas effectively. 5. How to paraphrase the question and write a good introduction. 6. How to build main body paragraphs. 7. How to write an effective conclusion. 8. Model Answer.

In this type of IELTS essay, you can either write about 2 problems and 2 solutions or just 1 problem and 1 solution as long as you develop and extend your ideas. Both are fine there is no one particular magic structure that will guarantee a high band score.

Example of one problem one solution structure.

Analyse the question.

This is the first thing that needs to be done before getting ideas or writing anything. Let’s look at the question.

All over the world, societies are facing a growing problem with obesity. This problem affects both children and adults. What are the reasons for this rise in obesity, How could it be tackled?

Keywords: all over the world, societies, a growing problem, obesity, affects children and adults,

(The general topic is about obesity, however, we need to focus on the issues. Keywords such as “all over the world” “societies” ” affects children/adults” “growing problem” It is important to write about the issues by looking at the keywords, not just a general essay on obesity.)

Instruction words: These words show what kind of essay you will need to write, there are 5 essay types and each structure is different. In this case, the instruction words are: “what are the reasons for this? ” and “how could it be tackled?” . I have to write about the reasons for the problem and how can the problem be solved. This is a causes solution essay.

Tips on getting ideas for the essay.

1. listing pros and cons or problems and solutions:.

This idea might work well for a problem solution essay or an advantage disadvantage essay but for the other types of essay, it might not work very well. You just list problems on the left and solutions on the right. (I will use this method in this lesson.) but remember we only choose one or two problems and solutions to write about.

This took me about 2 minutes to list them, so now I need to select just 1 or 2 problems and 1 or 2 solutions and write about those. I do not need all these ideas, be selective here.

Important: do not just write a list of problems in the essay. You have to explain the causes of the problem and give specific examples and a suggestion for what action should be taken in the body paragraphs. You only need to write about 1 or 2 problems and suggest solutions. Don’t waste time brainstorming ideas or going into too much detail because you will not have time.

2. Asking questions to yourself:

This technique is very useful for getting ideas quickly, remember that you don’t have much preparation time before writing. So you write a statement and ask yourself questions, like having a conversation with yourself. This works well for an opinion essay or discussion essay.

By the way, you can just use one problem and one solution and still get a Band 7 if the essay is well supported and developed.

You have a little conversation with yourself to get ideas and then write some notes. Imagine you are with a friend and they are having a conversation with you about this topic. Keep it short though because you have to now think of paraphrasing the question and writing a thesis statement.

Giving Examples

You do not need to be an expert on the topic, but you need to give an opinion and support it with specific examples. Another thing to bear in mind is the specific examples you give do not have to be accurate. For example, if I say “the consumption of fast food in the UK has risen by 24% since 2002 “ that sounds fine, but if I say “ it has risen by 98% “ then that just doesn’t sound believable.

Click this link on how to give examples in body paragraphs.

Tip: The IELTS test is not a general knowledge test. It is designed to test your English ability and the way you can back up your arguments with examples. Many students are scared and think their facts, opinions or statistics will be cross-checked. The examiner is not going to check online to see if your facts or statistics are correct, they just don’t have time to do that.

How to paraphrase the question and write an effective introduction.

Now it is time to paraphrase the question for the introduction and add a thesis statement. Here is the question again.

Paraphrased version:

Nations worldwide are dealing with the increasing issue of obesity. This is a cause for concern for all age groups.

These are the words and phrases that I have paraphrased using synonyms.

• All over the world – Worldwide
• Societies – Nations
• Are facing a growing problem with.. – Are dealing with the increasing issue of…
• This problem affects both children and adults – This is a cause for concern for all age groups

Have you noticed that I didn’t paraphrase everything?  It is not necessary to change every single word. Also, I changed the phrase “All over the world, societies are….” to a much simpler “ Nations worldwide” . It’s not just about paraphrasing words with synonyms the grammar can be slightly altered too. Now I need to state the causes of the problems and possible solutions in the Thesis statement.

The Thesis Statement.

There are two main causes, overconsumption of fast food and a lack of exercise. Possible solutions would be a government tax on fast food and special incentives on gym membership to get people exercising.’

Keep the thesis statement short and to the point. Another method is to state the causes of the problem and refer to the fact that there are possible solutions to the issue. This means you will have a much more concise thesis statement. Example below.

This is caused by overconsumption of fast food and a lack of exercise, however, some steps can be taken to resolve this.

Remember: Your main body paragraphs will reflect the thesis statement so you must plan your thesis statement well.

Here is the introduction in full.

Nations worldwide are dealing with the increasing issue of obesity. This is a cause for concern for all age groups. There are two main causes, overconsumption of fast food and lack of exercise. Possible solutions would be a government tax on fast food and special incentives for gym membership to get people exercising.

This introduction is around 54 words. Keep it concise it is not necessary to have a long introduction.

Main body paragraphs.

I have chosen 2 key problems which are fast food and lack of exercise so I want to stick with those and not go off onto another topic. Do not suddenly change your ideas in the middle of writing you will lose time. Take a look at the idea below.

One of the reasons people are becoming obese these days is that they eat junk food like hamburgers and chips. The solution is for the government to raise taxes on fast food.

Is there enough detail here? Is there anything missing from this paragraph? How can I improve it? The answer is that I need more detail and a specific example, not just a general example . I need to explain what can be done to solve the problem. I can also write about what the result of the solution could be.

In this case, I will go with 2 causes 2 solutions

Key: Green = main topic sentence, Blue = give an explanation, Purple = give an example,  Orange = give a possible solution,  Grey = result of the possible solution (you don’t have to use this though)

• One of the reasons that people are becoming overweight these days is that they are eating more junk food, ready meals and convenience food rather than cooking healthy meals at home. This is because many people tend to lead a busy life and after a long day at work it is easier to just buy ready meals in the supermarket or get a takeaway. For instance, In the UK sales of these types of foods have risen dramatically since 1990. This is due to busy people seeing cooking at home as time-consuming. To tackle this issue the government should take steps to increase tax on high fat, high sugar or unhealthy foods. Therefore consumers would think twice about the foods they consume, which could lead to them losing weight.

Now I will use the same technique to write the main body 2 paragraph about lack of exercise.

• Another problem that needs to be considered is the lack of exercise. As a result of leading a busy life or work pressures, many people are just too tired to go to the gym or join a sports club. For example, after a hard day at work, most people prefer to just come home and sit in front of the TV. It goes without saying that when people have time off they tend to relax rather than going to a gym. One possible solution is for employers to consider the health and well being of their employees and offer in-house company gyms or special incentives, such as discounts to join a sports or fitness club. If this is implemented it would have a positive effect on peoples health and a reduction in weight gain.

Some key phrases for introducing the causes of the problem and giving solutions

• Problem: One of the main reasons for…..   Solution : To tackle this issue…..
• Problem: Another problem to consider is…  Solution : One possible solution is….
• Problem : One main cause of…….   Solution : The way forward could be to…..
• Problem: A particular cause for concern is …   Solution: To solve this problem…

Examples for introducing problems: 


• One of the main reasons for people becoming overweight these days is that they are eating junk food, ready meals and convenience food…
• Another problem that needs to be considered is the lack of exercise…..

Grammar for showing possible results/outcomes: 


• Therefore, consumers would think twice about the food they consume…..
• As a result, this would have a positive effect on peoples health…..
• Unless action is taken, the problem will get worse……
• If the government takes steps to address the issue, the problem could be resolved…
• This would result in a reduction of obesity/This would lead to a reduction in obesity…

Key point on giving examples in body paragraphs: Something that is important for backing up your supporting points is giving specific examples, such as “In the UK sales of these types of food have risen dramatically since 1990” . You can give statistics but they are not really necessary. The examiner is not going to google your information and check. The aim of this is to show how you can use examples to back up your points.

How to write a good conclusion.

Now let’s take a look at the conclusion. Here you need to briefly summarise the 2 problems and 2 solutions with a recommendation or prediction sentence.

Key: Green = cohesive device,  Orange = summarise the 2 problems,  Blue = summarise the 2 solutions,  Purple = recommendation or prediction sentence

• In conclusion, being overweight is an increasing issue because of consumption of fast food, convenience foods and lack of exercise due to work commitments. The government needs to look at taxing fast food and companies should set up incentives for gyms, sports or fitness clubs. Unless this issue is tackled soon, then the problem of obesity will lead to a higher mortality rate in the future.

The last sentence is optional (the recommendation prediction sentence) but this is a good idea to include if you think the essay is under 250 words.
 The conclusion should briefly repeat the main points you were writing about in the main bodies of the essay. Be sure to keep the conclusion short and simple, about 3 sentences is enough.

You must write a conclusion, If you do not write a conclusion you will lose a Band score in task response. One useful method is to paraphrase your introduction in the conclusion.

Examples of cohesive devices to conclude.

• In conclusion
• To conclude

Just choose one of these in the conclusion. Some words that should not be used to conclude are ‘ All in all, Finally, Lastly, in the end, In a nutshell, I reckon … ‘ don’t use these, they are informal or are inappropriate.

Model Answer (2 causes 2 solutions)

Nations worldwide are dealing with the increasing issue of obesity. This is a cause for concern for all age groups. There are two main causes, over-consumption of fast food and lack of exercise. Possible solutions would be a government tax on fast food and special incentives for gym membership to get people exercising.

One of the reasons that people are becoming overweight these days is that they are eating more junk food, ready meals and convenience food rather than cooking healthy meals at home. This is because many people tend to lead a busy life after a long day at work it is easier to just buy ready meals in the supermarket or get a takeaway. For instance, In the UK, sales of these types of foods have risen considerably since 1990, this is due to busy people seeing cooking at home as time-consuming. To tackle this issue the government should take steps to increase the tax on high fat, high sugar or unhealthy foods. Therefore, consumers would think twice about the foods they consume, which could lead to them losing weight.

Another problem that needs to be considered is the lack of exercise. As a result of leading a hectic life with pressures at work, many people are just too tired to go to the gym or join a sports club. For example, after a hard day at work, most people prefer to just come home and sit in front of the TV. Furthermore, when people have time off they tend to relax rather than go to a gym. One possible solution is for employers to consider the health and well being of their employees and offer in-house company gyms or special incentives, such as discounts to join a sports or fitness club. If this is implemented it would have a positive effect on peoples health and a reduction in weight gain.

In conclusion, being overweight is an increasing issue because of consumption of fast food, convenience foods and not enough exercise due to work commitments. The government needs to look at taxing fast food and companies should set up incentives for gyms, sports or fitness clubs.

Note:   The essay doesn’t have to be this long , I did this for example purposes only, aim for around 260 to 290 words as you will not have the time to write a long essay in the exam.

There is no magic structure that can guarantee you a high band score for an IELTS essay. You can have 1 problem 1 solution as long as it is well supported or 2 problems 2 solutions or a 3rd body paragraph.

Just work with whatever you feel comfortable with. The essay must have an introduction and a conclusion though, and no more than 3 body paragraphs.

Any questions? comment below.

2 thoughts on “IELTS writing task 2: How to write a causes solution essay”

I would like to appreciate the way you explained each and everything in a very simple and concise way. Appreciated.

Thanks, glad it was useful.. Ray

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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.

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

IELTS causes and solutions essay - band 9 guide

In this lesson you will learn how to write a high-scoring causes & solutions essay in IELTS Writing . As an example, the model essay will be about loss of bio-diversity . Basically, causes & solutions essay is one of the most common question types in IELTS writing task 2. This question asks you to describe causes and propose solutions for a given problem .

In this lesson you will see:

• question sample + model answer
• band 9 answer structure for causes & solutions essay
• effective strategies to produce ideas for your answer

IELTS problems & solutions question sample

For example, this is the question you’ve got for IELTS writing task 2:

Influence of human beings on the world's ecosystem is leading to the extinction of species and loss of bio-diversity.

What are the primary causes of loss of bio-diversity?

What solutions can you suggest?

Of course, the topics for causes & solutions essay may vary, but the answering strategy is pretty much the same for all essays of causes/solutions type.

Producing ideas

As you know, it’s recommended to spend about 40 minutes on IELTS Writing task 2. But before starting to write your essay, it’s a good idea to dedicate 2-4 minutes to producing some ideas for your essay. This way you’ll know what to write about and your essay will be more structured.

To produce ideas for causes and solutions essay, you have to determine 3 things :

• Causes of this problem
• Solutions to this problem

The problem is already given: loss of bio-diversity (in other words, some animals and plants are dying out).

Now let’s think about its causes and solutions. Don’t be afraid of simple ideas! Remember: getting a high score means writing simple things well. Here are some ideas that may come to your mind:

When humans artificially transform the environment (build roads, houses etc.), they destroy animals’ natural habitat.

Pollution negatively changes the flow of energy, the chemical constitution of the environment and the climate in general, so a lot of species cannot live under such conditions and die out.

When the activities connected with capturing and harvesting a natural resource are too intense in a particular area, the resource becomes exhausted. Example: too intense farming exhausts the soil; too frequent fishing, which doesn’t leave enough time for fish to reproduce, makes fish disappear.

After you’ve though of the possible causes, you can use them in your writing. You can invent more reasons of this problem, but usually, it’s enough to give 1-2 causes in your writing .

Possible solutions :

• protect areas

Protecting areas where human activity is limited and avoiding overexploitation of resources are the best ways to save the environment and prevent species from dying out.

Informing the general population about the disadvantages of loss of biodiversity will encourage people to be more conscious of the environment.

1-2 solutions are enough for a good essay. Now, after we’ve collected some ideas, it’s time to structure our thoughts into an essay.

Band 9 answer structure for causes & solutions essay

There may be many possible answering strategies, but we’ll use this good and time-tested essay structure:

Introduction

• Body paragraph 1 – causes
• Body paragraph 2 – solutions

Write the introduction in 2 sentences:

Despite knowing about biodiversity’s importance for a long time, human activity has been causing massive extinctions of different species.

This essay will examine the main causes of loss of biodiversity and possible solutions of this problem.

Body paragraph 1 - causes

The two main causes of species extinction are change of their habitats and overexploitation of natural resources.

When humans artificially transform the environment, they destroy vegetation and animals’ natural habitat. For instance, to build new roads people are cutting down the trees and cementing the soil, altering the environment. Because of that, a lot of species are dying out.

Also, when the activities connected with capturing and harvesting a natural resource are too intense in a particular area, the resource becomes exhausted. For example, too frequent fishing doesn’t leave enough time for fish to reproduce and makes them disappear.

In other words, human activities often deplete local flora and fauna and cause loss of bio-diversity.

Body paragraph 2 - solutions

Some possible solutions to this problem are protecting natural areas and promoting awareness among people.

By protecting areas where human activity is limited and avoiding overexploitation of its resources, we can save the untouched environment and prevent species from dying out. Moreover, the next step in fighting bio-diversity loss is informing the general population about the dangers of this problem. This way, people will be more conscious of the environment and won’t overuse or destroy its resources.

To conclude, people’s activities that change the environment have negative impact on the world's ecosystem.

However, we can significantly lessen the extinction of species by protecting natural areas and enlightening people as to this problem.

Model essay for IELTS Writing causes/solutions question

The model band-9 essay for this question will look as follows :

Despite knowing about biodiversity’s importance for a long time, human activity has been causing massive extinctions of different species. This essay will examine the main causes of loss of biodiversity and possible solutions of this problem.

The two main causes of species extinction are change of their habitats and overexploitation of natural resources. When humans artificially transform the environment, they destroy vegetation and animals’ natural habitat. For instance, to build new roads people are cutting down the trees and cementing the soil, altering the environment. Because of that, a lot of species are dying out. Also, when the activities connected with capturing and harvesting a natural resource are too intense in a particular area, the resource becomes exhausted. For example, too frequent fishing doesn’t leave enough time for fish to reproduce and makes them disappear. In other words, human activities often deplete local flora and fauna and cause loss of bio-diversity.

Some possible solutions to this problem are protecting natural areas and promoting awareness among people. By protecting areas where human activity is limited and avoiding overexploitation of its resources, we can save the untouched environment and prevent species from dying out. Moreover, the next step in fighting bio-diversity loss is informing the general population about the dangers of this problem. This way, people will be more conscious of the environment and won’t overuse or destroy its resources.

To conclude, people’s activities that change the environment have negative impact on the world's ecosystem. However, we can significantly lessen the extinction of species by protecting natural areas and enlightening people as to this problem.

(263 words)

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Writing skills

• 1 Writing skills
• 2 Writing: A class or company newsletter
• 3 Writing skills: advertising
• 4 Writing skills: Cause and effect
• 5 Writing skills: Fables
• 6 Writing skills: formal and informal writing
• 7 Writing skills: Letter of complaint
• 8 Writing skills: Mini saga
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• 11 Writing skills: Thinking about writing

Writing skills: Cause and effect

By Lexy Holt

• No comments

To bring attention to the need for lexical variation in a good essay and to increase range of cause and effect phrases and topic related vocabulary.

• To bring attention to the need for lexical variation in a good essay.
• To increase range of cause and effect phrases and topic related vocabulary.
• To provide a lexical resource for future essay writing.

Target language

Cause and effect so/ As a result/ are due to/The consequence of/ Owing to/one effect of/ This is because/ as/ Hence/ consequently/ The effect of/ consequent (levels)/ therefore/ (creates)/ As a result/ For this reason/ Thus/ as a consequence

Lexical variation Population/( uninhabitable)/ overcrowding/ teeming with people/ inhabitants/ too dense a population/ over peopled/ crowded with people/ crawling with cars/ overpopulation/ epidemic of people/ most populous nation/ overcrowded

Time: 1 hour plus writing task for homework

Materials (see attached)

• Cards  (cut up one card for each student)
• Prediction task  (one copy on an OHP or one copy between two)
• Reorder following sentences (one copy each)
• Analysis worksheet (one copy each)
• Vocabulary extension worksheet (one copy each)
• Homework sheet (one copy each)
• Model essay – Answer Key (one copy each)

Lesson steps

• As a warm-up exercise, give one card, from ‘Cards’, to each student.  (Make sure you are using matching cause and effects).  Tell students to mill until they have found their partner. (5 minutes)
• Tell the new pairs to then sit down and connect their sentences by introducing a phrase which expresses the relationship of cause and effect. (5 minutes)
• Pairs read out their sentences and the teacher marks up cause and effect phrases on the board as they come up. (5 minutes)
• Tell the class they are now going to read some sentences which use (hopefully) some different cause and effect phrases.  They are taken from an essay entitled ‘Describe some of the problems caused by overcrowding in modern cities’ and write this title on the board.  (2 minutes) 
• Put  ‘Prediction task‘ on the OHP (alternatively give out one copy between two) and cover over all but the top unfinished sentence.  Students guess the ending, shout out their answers and the nearest answer gets a point/ sweet/ counter etc. (15 minutes)
• Explain again that the prediction task comes from the essay on the board and give out ‘Reorder the following sentences‘ and the ‘Analysis worksheet‘ to complete individually.  Explain that in writing such an essay you need to list a lot of problems of a single cause (overcrowding) so a lot of cause and effect phrases are needed.  Also you would need a lot of words which function as an alternative to the topic word, in this case, ‘overcrowding’. (15 minutes)
• Be available to help as the students work through the worksheet.  Give out ‘Model essay – Answer Key ‘ and allow students to check through it quickly before looking at it as a class (see teachers’ notes.)  (10)
• Give out  ‘Vocabulary extension worksheet ‘ explaining that the words on the sheet come from other common essay themes, one of which they will write an essay on for homework.  You could work through this as a class, answering questions about the slight differences in meaning, in order to keep the pace up and finish on a chatty note. (5)
• Give out ‘Homework sheet ‘ for homework.

  Teacher's notes   (numbers correspond to lesson steps above)

• If your class doesn’t like moving around, give each pair a complete set of jumbled cards to match up.  However, still limit one sentence to each pair for connecting them with a phrase.
• Some students’ written work lacks coherence because of a paucity of cause and effect in their ideas.  This step will help focus these students on the need to use clear connections in their written work.
• The idea here is that if you make the introduction of these phrases fun, students will have a better chance of remembering them (step six gives further comprehension and analytical focus on the target phrases) .
•  And 8) are simply to prepare for written homework so keep the pace relaxed and chatty and reiterate that the point of their homework is to produce a piece of writing that has a good range of topic vocabulary and cause and effect phrases.

These materials are prepared by Lexy Holt a former winner of the Lesson share competition.

Writing skills: cause and effect

• British English
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• Intermediate
• Language / Skill
• Lesson Plan / Teacher's Notes
• Printable Worksheet
• Sentence structure
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• Upper-Intermediate

Writing: A class or company newsletter

Writing skills: advertising.

Writing skills: Fables

Writing skills: formal and informal writing

Writing skills: letter of complaint.

Writing skills: Mini saga

Writing skills: news story, writing skills: statistical report.

Writing skills: Thinking about writing

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In this lesson by Karen Richardson, students work collaboratively to produce a class newsletter.

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This lesson looks at a few techniques for ‘thinking’ about writing. There are 3 tasks: brainstorming, loop writing and speed writing.

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Words to Use in an Essay: 300 Essay Words

Hannah Yang

Table of Contents

Words to use in the essay introduction, words to use in the body of the essay, words to use in your essay conclusion, how to improve your essay writing vocabulary.

It’s not easy to write an academic essay .

Many students struggle to word their arguments in a logical and concise way.

To make matters worse, academic essays need to adhere to a certain level of formality, so we can’t always use the same word choices in essay writing that we would use in daily life.

If you’re struggling to choose the right words for your essay, don’t worry—you’ve come to the right place!

In this article, we’ve compiled a list of over 300 words and phrases to use in the introduction, body, and conclusion of your essay.

The introduction is one of the hardest parts of an essay to write.

You have only one chance to make a first impression, and you want to hook your reader. If the introduction isn’t effective, the reader might not even bother to read the rest of the essay.

That’s why it’s important to be thoughtful and deliberate with the words you choose at the beginning of your essay.

Many students use a quote in the introductory paragraph to establish credibility and set the tone for the rest of the essay.

When you’re referencing another author or speaker, try using some of these phrases:

To use the words of X

According to X

As X states

Example: To use the words of Hillary Clinton, “You cannot have maternal health without reproductive health.”

Near the end of the introduction, you should state the thesis to explain the central point of your paper.

If you’re not sure how to introduce your thesis, try using some of these phrases:

In this essay, I will…

The purpose of this essay…

This essay discusses…

In this paper, I put forward the claim that…

There are three main arguments for…

Example: In this essay, I will explain why dress codes in public schools are detrimental to students.

After you’ve stated your thesis, it’s time to start presenting the arguments you’ll use to back up that central idea.

When you’re introducing the first of a series of arguments, you can use the following words:

First and foremost

First of all

To begin with

Example: First , consider the effects that this new social security policy would have on low-income taxpayers.

All these words and phrases will help you create a more successful introduction and convince your audience to read on.

The body of your essay is where you’ll explain your core arguments and present your evidence.

It’s important to choose words and phrases for the body of your essay that will help the reader understand your position and convince them you’ve done your research.

Let’s look at some different types of words and phrases that you can use in the body of your essay, as well as some examples of what these words look like in a sentence.

Transition Words and Phrases

Transitioning from one argument to another is crucial for a good essay.

It’s important to guide your reader from one idea to the next so they don’t get lost or feel like you’re jumping around at random.

Transition phrases and linking words show your reader you’re about to move from one argument to the next, smoothing out their reading experience. They also make your writing look more professional.

The simplest transition involves moving from one idea to a separate one that supports the same overall argument. Try using these phrases when you want to introduce a second correlating idea:

Additionally

In addition

Furthermore

Another key thing to remember

In the same way

Correspondingly

Example: Additionally , public parks increase property value because home buyers prefer houses that are located close to green, open spaces.

Another type of transition involves restating. It’s often useful to restate complex ideas in simpler terms to help the reader digest them. When you’re restating an idea, you can use the following words:

In other words

To put it another way

That is to say

To put it more simply

Example: “The research showed that 53% of students surveyed expressed a mild or strong preference for more on-campus housing. In other words , over half the students wanted more dormitory options.”

Often, you’ll need to provide examples to illustrate your point more clearly for the reader. When you’re about to give an example of something you just said, you can use the following words:

For instance

To give an illustration of

To exemplify

To demonstrate

As evidence

Example: Humans have long tried to exert control over our natural environment. For instance , engineers reversed the Chicago River in 1900, causing it to permanently flow backward.

Sometimes, you’ll need to explain the impact or consequence of something you’ve just said.

When you’re drawing a conclusion from evidence you’ve presented, try using the following words:

As a result

Accordingly

As you can see

This suggests that

It follows that

It can be seen that

For this reason

For all of those reasons

Consequently

Example: “There wasn’t enough government funding to support the rest of the physics experiment. Thus , the team was forced to shut down their experiment in 1996.”

When introducing an idea that bolsters one you’ve already stated, or adds another important aspect to that same argument, you can use the following words:

What’s more

Not only…but also

Not to mention

To say nothing of

Another key point

Example: The volcanic eruption disrupted hundreds of thousands of people. Moreover , it impacted the local flora and fauna as well, causing nearly a hundred species to go extinct.

Often, you'll want to present two sides of the same argument. When you need to compare and contrast ideas, you can use the following words:

On the one hand / on the other hand

Alternatively

In contrast to

On the contrary

By contrast

In comparison

Example: On the one hand , the Black Death was undoubtedly a tragedy because it killed millions of Europeans. On the other hand , it created better living conditions for the peasants who survived.

Finally, when you’re introducing a new angle that contradicts your previous idea, you can use the following phrases:

Having said that

Differing from

In spite of

With this in mind

Provided that

Nevertheless

Nonetheless

Notwithstanding

Example: Shakespearean plays are classic works of literature that have stood the test of time. Having said that , I would argue that Shakespeare isn’t the most accessible form of literature to teach students in the twenty-first century.

Good essays include multiple types of logic. You can use a combination of the transitions above to create a strong, clear structure throughout the body of your essay.

Strong Verbs for Academic Writing

Verbs are especially important for writing clear essays. Often, you can convey a nuanced meaning simply by choosing the right verb.

You should use strong verbs that are precise and dynamic. Whenever possible, you should use an unambiguous verb, rather than a generic verb.

For example, alter and fluctuate are stronger verbs than change , because they give the reader more descriptive detail.

Here are some useful verbs that will help make your essay shine.

Verbs that show change:

Accommodate

Verbs that relate to causing or impacting something:

Verbs that show increase:

Verbs that show decrease:

Deteriorate

Verbs that relate to parts of a whole:

Comprises of

Is composed of

Constitutes

Encompasses

Incorporates

Verbs that show a negative stance:

Misconstrue

Verbs that show a positive stance:

Substantiate

Verbs that relate to drawing conclusions from evidence:

Corroborate

Demonstrate

Verbs that relate to thinking and analysis:

Contemplate

Hypothesize

Investigate

Verbs that relate to showing information in a visual format:

Useful Adjectives and Adverbs for Academic Essays

You should use adjectives and adverbs more sparingly than verbs when writing essays, since they sometimes add unnecessary fluff to sentences.

However, choosing the right adjectives and adverbs can help add detail and sophistication to your essay.

Sometimes you'll need to use an adjective to show that a finding or argument is useful and should be taken seriously. Here are some adjectives that create positive emphasis:

Significant

Other times, you'll need to use an adjective to show that a finding or argument is harmful or ineffective. Here are some adjectives that create a negative emphasis:

Controversial

Insignificant

Questionable

Unnecessary

Unrealistic

Finally, you might need to use an adverb to lend nuance to a sentence, or to express a specific degree of certainty. Here are some examples of adverbs that are often used in essays:

Comprehensively

Exhaustively

Extensively

Respectively

Surprisingly

Using these words will help you successfully convey the key points you want to express. Once you’ve nailed the body of your essay, it’s time to move on to the conclusion.

The conclusion of your paper is important for synthesizing the arguments you’ve laid out and restating your thesis.

In your concluding paragraph, try using some of these essay words:

In conclusion

To summarize

In a nutshell

Given the above

As described

All things considered

Example: In conclusion , it’s imperative that we take action to address climate change before we lose our coral reefs forever.

In addition to simply summarizing the key points from the body of your essay, you should also add some final takeaways. Give the reader your final opinion and a bit of a food for thought.

To place emphasis on a certain point or a key fact, use these essay words:

Unquestionably

Undoubtedly

Particularly

Importantly

Conclusively

It should be noted

On the whole

Example: Ada Lovelace is unquestionably a powerful role model for young girls around the world, and more of our public school curricula should include her as a historical figure.

These concluding phrases will help you finish writing your essay in a strong, confident way.

There are many useful essay words out there that we didn't include in this article, because they are specific to certain topics.

If you're writing about biology, for example, you will need to use different terminology than if you're writing about literature.

So how do you improve your vocabulary skills?

The vocabulary you use in your academic writing is a toolkit you can build up over time, as long as you take the time to learn new words.

One way to increase your vocabulary is by looking up words you don’t know when you’re reading.

Try reading more books and academic articles in the field you’re writing about and jotting down all the new words you find. You can use these words to bolster your own essays.

You can also consult a dictionary or a thesaurus. When you’re using a word you’re not confident about, researching its meaning and common synonyms can help you make sure it belongs in your essay.

Don't be afraid of using simpler words. Good essay writing boils down to choosing the best word to convey what you need to say, not the fanciest word possible.

Finally, you can use ProWritingAid’s synonym tool or essay checker to find more precise and sophisticated vocabulary. Click on weak words in your essay to find stronger alternatives.

There you have it: our compilation of the best words and phrases to use in your next essay . Good luck!

Good writing = better grades

ProWritingAid will help you improve the style, strength, and clarity of all your assignments.

Hannah Yang is a speculative fiction writer who writes about all things strange and surreal. Her work has appeared in Analog Science Fiction, Apex Magazine, The Dark, and elsewhere, and two of her stories have been finalists for the Locus Award. Her favorite hobbies include watercolor painting, playing guitar, and rock climbing. You can follow her work on hannahyang.com, or subscribe to her newsletter for publication updates.

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How to Plan & Write IELTS Problem Solution Essays

IELTS problem solution essays are the most challenging essay type for many people. The way they are worded can vary hugely which can make it difficult to understand how you should answer the question.

Generally, you’ll be asked to write about both the problem, or cause, and the solution to a specific issue. Sometimes, however, you will only be required to write about possible solutions.

The 3 essay types:

• Problem and solution
• Cause and solution
• Just the solution

Hence, it’s essential that you analyse the question carefully, which I’ll show you how to do in this lesson. I’m also going to demonstrate step-by-step how to plan and write IELTS problem solution essays.

Here’s what we’ll be covering:

• Identifying IELTS problem solution essays 
• 6 Common mistakes
• Essay structure
• How to plan
• How to write an introduction
• How to write main body paragraphs
• How to write a conclusion

Want  to watch and listen to this lesson?

Click on this video.

Click the links to see lessons on each of these Task 2 essay writing topics. 

Once you understand the process, practice on past questions. Take your time at first and gradually speed up until you can plan and write an essay of at least 250 words in the 40 minutes allowed in the exam.

The Question

Here are two typical IELTS problem solution essay questions. They consist of a statement followed by the question or instruction.

1. One problem faced by almost every large city is traffic congestion.

What do you think the causes are? What solutions can you suggest?

2. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the number of endangered species has increased significantly and we have witnessed more mass extinctions in this period than in any other period of time.

State some reasons for this and provide possible solutions.

These are some examples of different ways in which questions can be phrased. The first half of the questions relate to the problem or cause, the second half to the solution.

What issues does this cause and how can they be addressed?

What are some resulting social problems and how can we deal with them?

What problems arise from this and how can they be tackled?

Why is this? How might it be remedied?

What are the reasons for this, and how can the situation be improved?

Why is this happening, and what measures can be taken to tackle this problem?

And here are a few questions where you only have to write about the solution.

How can this situation be improved?

What solutions can you suggest to deal with this problem?

How can this problem be solved?

What measures could be taken to prevent this?

It’s important that you are able to recognise the common synonyms, words and phrases used in problem solution questions. Here are the key words and their synonyms used in the questions above.

• Problem  – issues, resulting, situation
• Cause  – reasons, why
• Solution  – deal with, addressed, tackled, remedied, improved, measures taken, solved, prevent

Before we move on to some common mistakes, I want to quickly explain the difference between a problem and a cause. Read the following examples.

Problem – I've missed the last bus home after visiting my friend for the evening.

Cause – I misread the timetable and thought the bus left at 22.45 when it actually left at 22.35.

The ‘cause’ is the reason for the ‘problem’.  We’ll be looking at question analysis in more detail in a minute.

6 Common Mistakes

These six errors are common in IELTS problem solution essays.

• Confusing problem and causes questions.
• Having too many ideas.
• Not developing your ideas.
• Not developing both sides of the argument equally.
• Not linking the problems and solutions.
• Not being specific enough.

It is common for an essay to consist of a list of problems and solutions without any of them being expanded on or linked to each other. Sometimes, a student will focus on just the problem or only the solution which leads to an unbalanced essay. Both these issues will result in a low score for task achievement.

You must choose just one or two problems and pick solutions directly linked to them. Explain them and give examples.

Another serious error is to write generally about the topic. You need to be very specific with your ideas. Analysing the question properly is essential to avoiding this mistake. I’ll show you how to do this.

Essay Structure

Now let’s look at a simple structure you can use to write IELTS problem solution essays. It’s not the only possible structure but it’s the one I recommend because it’s easy to learn and will enable you to quickly plan and write a high-level essay.

1)  Introduction

• Paraphrase the question
• State 1 key problem/cause and related solution

2)  Main body paragraph 1 – Problem or Cause

• Topic sentence – state the problem or cause
• Explanation – give detail explaining the problem or cause
• Example – give an example

3)  Main body paragraph 2 – Solution

• Topic sentence – state the solution
• Explanation – give detail explaining the solution

4)  Conclusion

• Summarise the key points 

This structure will give us a well-balanced essay with 4 paragraphs.

One Problem/Cause & Solution or Two?

Most questions will state problems, causes and solutions in the plural, that is, more than one. However, it is acceptable to write about just one.

This will give you an essay of just over the minimum 250 words. To write about two problems/causes and solutions will require you to write between 350 and 400 words which are a lot to plan and write in the 40 minutes allowed.

It is better to fully develop one problem/cause and solution than ending up with one idea missing an explanation or an example because you run out of time.

The step-by-step essay structure I’m going to show you includes one problem and solution but you can write about two if you feel able to or more comfortable doing so.

How To Plan IELTS Problem Solution Essays

Here’s the question we’re going to be answering in our model essay followed by the 3 steps of the planning process.

One problem faced by almost every large city is traffic congestion.

What do you think the causes are? What solutions can you sugge st?

• Analyse the question
• Generate ideas
• Identify vocabulary

# 1  Analyse the question

This is an essential step in the planning process and will ensure that you answer the question fully. It’s quick and easy to do. You just need to identify 3 different types of words:

1. Topic words

2.  Other keywords

3.  Instruction words

Topics words are the ones that identify the general subject of the question and will be found in the statement part of the question.

One problem faced by almost every large city is traffic congestion .

So, this question is about ‘ traffic congestion’ .

Many people will do this first step of the process and then write about the topic in general. This is a serious mistake and leads to low marks for task achievement.

What we need to do now that we know the general topic, is to understand exactly what aspect of traffic congestion we're being asked to write about.

The  other keywords  in the question tell you the specific topic you must write about. 

By highlighting these words, it’s easy to see that you are being asked to write about the problem of traffic congestion in large cities. Your essay must only include ideas relevant to these ideas.

The instruction words are the question itself. These tell you the type of IELTS problem solution essay you must write. This is a ‘causes and solutions’ question.

# 2  Generate ideas

The next task is to generate some ideas to write about.

There are several different ways to think up ideas. I cover them fully on the  IELTS Essay Planning  page.

We’re going to use the ‘friends technique’. This is the method I prefer as it allows you to take a step back from the stress of the exam situation and think more calmly.

Here’s how it works. Imagine that you are chatting with a friend over a cup of coffee and they ask you this question. What are the first thoughts to come into your head? Plan your essay around these ideas.

Doing this will help you to come up with simple answers in everyday language rather than straining your brain to think of amazing ideas using high-level language, which isn’t necessary.

You might want to try this yourself before reading on for my ideas.

Here are my ideas:

• Too many cars on the roads – increasing numbers of people own cars, more convenient than buses & trains
• Inadequate public transport – crowded, old & dirty
• Poor road layout
• Rush hour traffic – most people travel to & from work at the same times each day
• Car sharing, park-and-ride scheme, congestion charge
• Improve public transport – more frequent and better quality
• Improve infrastructure – bus lanes, cycle lanes will make it safer for people to cycle
• Flexible working hours

For each cause you think of, immediately write down a possible solution. This you will ensure that the problems and solutions you think of are linked.

You don’t need to spend long on this as you only need one or two ideas.

I’ve got more far more ideas here than I need as I spent more time thinking about it that I would in the real exam. I’m going to pick just one cause to develop in the essay and one or two solutions.

My advice on making your selection is to choose ideas you can quickly think of an example to illustrate.

Here are my choices:

Cause  – Too many cars on the roads.  Why? – increasing numbers of people own cars, more convenient than buses & trains

Solution  – Park-and-ride schemes

We’re almost ready to start writing our IELTS problem solution essay but first, we have one more task to do.

# 3  Vocabulary

During the planning stage, quickly jot down some vocabulary that comes to mind as you decide which cause and solution you are going to write about, especially synonyms of key words. This will save you having to stop and think of the right language while you’re writing. For example:

• traffic jam
• heavy traffic
• private transport
• infrastructure

With that done, we can focus on the first paragraph of the essay – the introduction.

How To Write an Introduction

Good  introductions to IELTS problem solution essays have a simple 2 part structure:

• State 1 key problem/cause and related solution/s (outline sentence)
• Have 2-3 sentences
• Be 40-60 words long
• Take 5 minutes to write

1)  Paraphrase the question

Start your introduction by paraphrasing the question.

Question: One problem faced by almost every large city is traffic congestion.

                  What do you think the causes are? What solutions can you suggest?

Paraphrased question:  

O ne of the most serious issues facing the majority of large urban areas is traffic jams.  

Note my use of synonyms to replace key words in the question statement. You don’t have to replace every key word but do so where possible whilst ensuring that your language sounds natural.

2)  Outline statement

Now we need to add an  outline statement  where we outline the two main points that we’ll cover in the rest of the essay, that is, the cause and the solution I chose earlier. Here they are again.

Cause  – Too many cars on the roads.  Why? – increasing numbers of people own cars, more convenient than buses & trains

And, this is one way to develop them into an outline sentence.

Outline statement:

The main reason for this is that there are too many private cars on the roads these days and a viable solution is to introduce more park-and-ride schemes.

So, let’s bring the two elements of our introduction together.

     Introduction

This introduction achieves three important functions:

• It shows the examiner that you understand the question.
• It acts as a guide to the examiner as to what your essay is about.
• It also helps to keep you focused and on track as you write.

The two ideas in your introduction will become your two main body paragraphs.

Main body paragraph 1  –  Too many cars on the roads  

Main body paragraph 2  –  Park-and-ride schemes

How To Write Main Body Paragraphs

Main body paragraphs in IELTS problem solution essays should contain 3 things:

• Topic sentence – outline the main idea
• Explanation – explain it and g ive more detail

Main Body Paragraph 1

The  topic sentence  summarises the main idea of the paragraph. That’s all it needs to do so it doesn’t have to be complicated.

It plays an important role in ensuring that your ideas flow logically from one to another. It does this by acting as a signpost for what is to come next, that is, what the paragraph will be about.

If you maintain a clear development of ideas throughout your essay, you will get high marks for task achievement and cohesion and coherence.

We’ll now take the idea for our first main body paragraph and create our topic sentence.

Obviously, we’re going to write about the cause of the problem first.

Main body paragraph 1  –  Too many cars on the roads 

Topic sentence:  

The number of people owning cars increases year on year, with most families now having more than one car. 

Next, we must write an  explanation sentence  that develops the idea.

Explanation sentence: 

Most people like the convenience of travelling at the time they want to rather than being restricted to public transport timetables, so they prefer to drive themselves around rather than taking the bus or train. This is despite the fact that they frequently have to sit in long traffic queues as they near the city centre.

Finally, we add an  example  to support our main point. If you can’t think of a real example, it’s fine to make one up, as long as it’s believable. The examiner isn’t going to check your facts. Alternative, you could add another piece of information to support your idea.

Example sentence:

Whenever I have to attend a meeting in the city, I always drive because it means that I can leave home when I want to rather than getting stressed about getting to the station in time to catch the train.

That’s the 3 parts of our first main body paragraph complete. Here’s the finished paragraph.

We now follow the same process for our second main body paragraph.

Main Body Paragraph 2

Main idea 2  –   Park-and-ride schemes

First, we write the  topic sentence  to summarise the main idea. 

Topic sentence:

A solution that is proving successful in many areas is park-and-ride schemes.

Now for the  explanation sentence  where we expand on this idea.

Explanation sentence:

This is where you park your car for free in a large car park on the outskirts of the city and take a bus for the final part of your journey. The fee you have to pay for the bus trip is usually very small and this public transport system is generally very regular, running every ten minutes or so.

Finally, an  example  to support this point.

A survey carried out in the city of Exeter showed that the rush hour congestion decreased by 10% when the council set up a park-and-ride scheme to the north of the city. There was an additional drop of another 10% in traffic volume when a second scheme began operating to the south.

That’s the 3 parts of our second main body paragraph complete. Here’s the finished paragraph.

Now we need a conclusion and our IELTS problem solution essay is done.

How To Write a Conclusion

The conclusion is a summary of the main points in your essay and can generally be done in a single sentence. It should never introduce new ideas.

If you're below the minimum 250 words after you’ve written your conclusion, you can add a prediction or recommendation statement.

Our essay is already over the minimum word limit so we don’t need this extra sentence  but you can learn more about how to write a prediction or recommendation statement for IELTS problem solution essays on the Task 2 Conclusions page.

The conclusion is the easiest sentence in the essay to write but one of the most important.

A good conclusion will:

• Neatly end the essay
• Link all your ideas together
• Sum up your argument or opinion
• Answer the question

If you achieve this, you’ll improve your score for both task achievement and cohesion and coherence which together make up 50% of the overall marks. Without a conclusion, you’ll score below band 6 for task achievement.

You can start almost any final paragraph of an IELTS problem solution essay with the words:

• In conclusion

        or

• To conclude

Now all you need to do is briefly summarise the main ideas into one sentence.

Here’s a top tip . Go back and read the introduction to the essay because this is also a summary of the essay. It outlines what you are going to write about.

To create a good conclusion, you simply have to paraphrase the introduction. 

Introduction:

Here is the same information formed into a conclusion.  I’ve also added a personal statement at the end to link back to one of my example sentences. You don’t have to do this but in this case, I think that it rounds the essay off better.

That’s it. We’ve completed our essay. Here it is with the 4 paragraphs put together.

Finished IELTS problem solution essay.

Go through this lesson as many times as you need to in order to fully understand it and put in lots of practice writing IELTS problem solution essays from past exam questions. Practice is the only way to improve your skills.

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More help with ielts problem solution essays & other task 2 essays.

IELTS Writing Task 2  – T he format, the 5 question types, the 5 step essay writing strategy & sample questions. All the key information you need to know.

The 5 Types of Task 2 Essay   – How to recognise the 5 different types of Task 2 essays. 15 sample questions to study and a simple planning structure for each essay type.

Understanding Task 2 Questions  – How to quickly and easily analyse and understand IELTS Writing Task 2 questions.

How To Plan a Task 2 Essay  – Discover why essay planning is essential & learn a simple 4 step strategy, the 4 part essay structure & 4 methods of generating ideas.

How To Write a Task 2 Introduction  – Find out why a good introduction is essential. Learn how to write one using a simple 3 part strategy & discover 4 common mistakes to avoid.

How To Write Task 2 Main Body Paragraphs  – Learn the simple 3 part structure for writing great main body paragraphs and also, 3 common mistakes to avoid. 

How To Write Task 2 Conclusions  – Learn the easy way to write the perfect conclusion for a Task 2 essay. Also discover 4 common mistakes to avoid.

Task 2 Marking Criteria  – Find out how to meet the marking criteria in Task 2. See examples of good and poor answers & learn some common mistakes to avoid.

The 5 Task 2 Essay Types:

Step-by-step instructions on how to plan & write high-level essays. Model answers & common mistakes to avoid.

   Opinion Essays

   Discussion Essays

  Problem Solution Essays

  Advantages & Disadvantages Essays

  Double Question Essays

Other Related Pages

IELTS Writing Test  – Understand the format & marking criteria, know what skills are assessed & learn the difference between the Academic & General writing tests.

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Cause and effect transition words for results and reasoning

Cause and effect transition words are important parts of speech when you want to link two actions or occurrences together and describe how one affects the other.

You may also hear these words and phrases referred to as ‘ discourse markers of reason ‘ or ‘ result transition words ‘ because they help with expressing the reason why a particular result will or will not occur.

Below you can find some of the most common transition words for cause and effect used in English, as well as some less common ones that may be reserved for formal writing such as essays and academic papers.

In each section we will explain how to structure sentences correctly using these words. We have also included lots of example sentences to help you understand how they might be used in everyday English.

Cause and effect transition words

When learning new reasoning transition words, it’s important to know not just what they are, but how to use them in a sentence.

Each of the words and phrases listed below can generally accompany either the cause or the effect in a clause, but not both.

Additionally, some of these discourse markers can only be used to state the effect before the cause; others only work when stating the cause before the effect. A few can be used either way.

Therefore, it’s important to consider which type of sentence you are forming, and structure it with an appropriate cause and effect transition word.

You might also want to describe conditional results, and we cover how to do this at the end of the article.

Simple transition words for cause and effect

Let’s begin with some of the most simple cause and effect transition words:

• Because (of)
• As a result of
• In order to/that

These are simple to learn because they all function in the same way. You just need to pay attention to which ones come before the cause, and which ones come before the effect.

“The class achieved excellent grades as a result of their teacher’s dedication.” “I’m going to be late because I missed my bus.” “ Thanks to an anonymous donor, the charity has been able to build a new animal shelter.” “ Due to unforeseen circumstances, the cafe will be closed today.” “ Since it’s your birthday, you may choose anything you like for breakfast.” “ As there is rain forecast today, we’d better not go to the zoo.” “ In order to make our guests more comfortable, we have introduced ergonomic seating.”

It doesn’t matter whether you are stating the cause or the effect first; you just move the position of the discourse marker accordingly. Here are the same statements, arranged the other way around:

“ As a result of their teacher’s dedication, the class achieved excellent grades.” “ Because I missed my bus, I’m going to be late.” “The charity has been able to build a new animal shelter thanks to an anonymous donor.” “The cafe will be closed today due to unforeseen circumstances.” “You may choose anything you like for breakfast, since it’s your birthday.” “We’d better not go to the zoo as there is rain forecast today. “We have introduced ergonomic seating in order to make our guests more comfortable.”

Note that it is not so common to use ‘because’ to begin a sentence, but it is still correct.

More advanced cause and effect transition words

There are other expressions which are not so forgiving and cannot so easily move position in a sentence.

Words and phrases that accompany the result or effect

The following transition words for cause and effect are used in the clause which states the result or effect:

• As a result [note: this is different to ‘as a result of’]
• Consequently
• Accordingly
• In that case
• With the result that
• Under those/these circumstances
• With this in mind
• With this intention
• To this/that end
• For this reason
• For this purpose
• With this purpose in mind
• For the same reason
• This/which means that
• In the hope that

“You’ve done an excellent job during your first three months at the company. Therefore , we’re awarding you a permanent contract.” “Manufacturing costs have increased a lot in the past year. As a result , we’ll have to raise our prices if we want to maintain a steady profit.” “We all had to work overtime at the office so that we could finish the project on time.” “I know there have been a lot of rumors going around the office lately. With this in mind , I want to set the record straight.” “Over half of our staff are off sick. Under these circumstances , we have no choice but to close the business temporarily.” “You must wash your hands regularly so as to avoid the spread of infections.” “One lane of the road is closed for repairs, with the result that the traffic is backed up for miles.” “They spent the day busking in the hope that they would have enough money to buy dinner.”

‘In that case’ is used to respond to information from someone else:

Giles: I’m going to order chocolate cake for dessert. Nicola: In that case , I’ll get a dessert too.

Note that hence and thus are not often used as conjunctions in spoken English, or in everyday writing. You may still see them used in traditional storytelling or in formal writing such as essays and papers. Overall, though, these words are being used less and less.

See also: Affect or effect – what’s the difference?

Words and phrases that accompany the cause or reason

Next, we have transition words which are placed in the clause that states the cause or reason:

• For fear that
• For the purpose of
• On account of
• In light of
• Seeing that/as

“Hannah never walks under a ladder, for fear that it will bring her bad luck.” “The store is closed today for the purpose of staff training.” “ In view of the recent attacks, we have increased the number of police on the street.” “ Seeing as Christmas is only a few weeks away, I’d better start shopping for gifts.” “ Owing to the recession, we are having to lay off some staff.” “We have stopped accepting cash on account of the high number of forged bills we were receiving.” “ Based on the evidence provided, we must presume this man is guilty.”

See also: Presume vs assume

Cause and effect transition words with conditions

Sometimes you need to state that a certain result will occur IF a certain condition applies. In this case, you need conditional result transition words .

The most common way to express conditions is with ‘If… then…’:

“If it’s sunny tomorrow then I’ll walk to work.”

And often we replace ‘then’ with a comma:

“If it’s sunny tomorrow, I’ll walk to work.”

We can also reverse this structure:

“I’ll walk to work if it’s sunny tomorrow.” “I’ll walk to work tomorrow if it’s sunny.”

We have a separate article about if vs whether , in case you’re wondering about the difference.

However, there are many more varied cause and effect transition words for conditional results. If an outcome is based on a condition that may or may not be met (in the future), try using one of these:

• In the event that/of
• Assuming that
• On the condition that
• Provided that

“ In the event that it rains, we’ll have to perform the concert in the hall instead of the garden.” “ Assuming that there are no objections, we will proceed.” “I’ll come with you to the movies, as long as I can choose the film.” “ Unless we receive this payment by the end of the week, your account will be put on hold.” “ Whenever it’s sunny, we walk along the beach.” “You may go out with your friends, provided that you are home by 8pm.” “ Only if I make a profit on this novel will I consider writing another.” “Remember to bring your coat, otherwise you’ll be cold.”

‘Otherwise’ can also be used to present the alternative option in a scenario:

“If it’s sunny tomorrow, I’ll walk to work. Otherwise , I’ll take the bus.”

We have covered a lot of cause and effect transition words here! Can you think of any others? Feel free to leave a comment below to share them.

If you found this article useful, take a look at these other articles which cover different kinds of discourse markers:

Addition transition words Compare and contrast transition words Similarity transition words Discourse markers for giving examples Discourse markers for order and structure Discourse markers for concluding

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• 40 Useful Words and Phrases for Top-Notch Essays

To be truly brilliant, an essay needs to utilise the right language. You could make a great point, but if it’s not intelligently articulated, you almost needn’t have bothered.

Developing the language skills to build an argument and to write persuasively is crucial if you’re to write outstanding essays every time. In this article, we’re going to equip you with the words and phrases you need to write a top-notch essay, along with examples of how to utilise them.

It’s by no means an exhaustive list, and there will often be other ways of using the words and phrases we describe that we won’t have room to include, but there should be more than enough below to help you make an instant improvement to your essay-writing skills.

If you’re interested in developing your language and persuasive skills, Oxford Royale offers summer courses at its Oxford Summer School , Cambridge Summer School , London Summer School , San Francisco Summer School and Yale Summer School . You can study courses to learn english , prepare for careers in law , medicine , business , engineering and leadership.

General explaining

Let’s start by looking at language for general explanations of complex points.

1. In order to

Usage: “In order to” can be used to introduce an explanation for the purpose of an argument. Example: “In order to understand X, we need first to understand Y.”

2. In other words

Usage: Use “in other words” when you want to express something in a different way (more simply), to make it easier to understand, or to emphasise or expand on a point. Example: “Frogs are amphibians. In other words, they live on the land and in the water.”

3. To put it another way

Usage: This phrase is another way of saying “in other words”, and can be used in particularly complex points, when you feel that an alternative way of wording a problem may help the reader achieve a better understanding of its significance. Example: “Plants rely on photosynthesis. To put it another way, they will die without the sun.”

4. That is to say

Usage: “That is” and “that is to say” can be used to add further detail to your explanation, or to be more precise. Example: “Whales are mammals. That is to say, they must breathe air.”

5. To that end

Usage: Use “to that end” or “to this end” in a similar way to “in order to” or “so”. Example: “Zoologists have long sought to understand how animals communicate with each other. To that end, a new study has been launched that looks at elephant sounds and their possible meanings.”

Adding additional information to support a point

Students often make the mistake of using synonyms of “and” each time they want to add further information in support of a point they’re making, or to build an argument . Here are some cleverer ways of doing this.

6. Moreover

Usage: Employ “moreover” at the start of a sentence to add extra information in support of a point you’re making. Example: “Moreover, the results of a recent piece of research provide compelling evidence in support of…”

7. Furthermore

Usage:This is also generally used at the start of a sentence, to add extra information. Example: “Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that…”

8. What’s more

Usage: This is used in the same way as “moreover” and “furthermore”. Example: “What’s more, this isn’t the only evidence that supports this hypothesis.”

9. Likewise

Usage: Use “likewise” when you want to talk about something that agrees with what you’ve just mentioned. Example: “Scholar A believes X. Likewise, Scholar B argues compellingly in favour of this point of view.”

10. Similarly

Usage: Use “similarly” in the same way as “likewise”. Example: “Audiences at the time reacted with shock to Beethoven’s new work, because it was very different to what they were used to. Similarly, we have a tendency to react with surprise to the unfamiliar.”

11. Another key thing to remember

Usage: Use the phrase “another key point to remember” or “another key fact to remember” to introduce additional facts without using the word “also”. Example: “As a Romantic, Blake was a proponent of a closer relationship between humans and nature. Another key point to remember is that Blake was writing during the Industrial Revolution, which had a major impact on the world around him.”

12. As well as

Usage: Use “as well as” instead of “also” or “and”. Example: “Scholar A argued that this was due to X, as well as Y.”

13. Not only… but also

Usage: This wording is used to add an extra piece of information, often something that’s in some way more surprising or unexpected than the first piece of information. Example: “Not only did Edmund Hillary have the honour of being the first to reach the summit of Everest, but he was also appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.”

14. Coupled with

Usage: Used when considering two or more arguments at a time. Example: “Coupled with the literary evidence, the statistics paint a compelling view of…”

15. Firstly, secondly, thirdly…

Usage: This can be used to structure an argument, presenting facts clearly one after the other. Example: “There are many points in support of this view. Firstly, X. Secondly, Y. And thirdly, Z.

16. Not to mention/to say nothing of

Usage: “Not to mention” and “to say nothing of” can be used to add extra information with a bit of emphasis. Example: “The war caused unprecedented suffering to millions of people, not to mention its impact on the country’s economy.”

Words and phrases for demonstrating contrast

When you’re developing an argument, you will often need to present contrasting or opposing opinions or evidence – “it could show this, but it could also show this”, or “X says this, but Y disagrees”. This section covers words you can use instead of the “but” in these examples, to make your writing sound more intelligent and interesting.

17. However

Usage: Use “however” to introduce a point that disagrees with what you’ve just said. Example: “Scholar A thinks this. However, Scholar B reached a different conclusion.”

18. On the other hand

Usage: Usage of this phrase includes introducing a contrasting interpretation of the same piece of evidence, a different piece of evidence that suggests something else, or an opposing opinion. Example: “The historical evidence appears to suggest a clear-cut situation. On the other hand, the archaeological evidence presents a somewhat less straightforward picture of what happened that day.”

19. Having said that

Usage: Used in a similar manner to “on the other hand” or “but”. Example: “The historians are unanimous in telling us X, an agreement that suggests that this version of events must be an accurate account. Having said that, the archaeology tells a different story.”

20. By contrast/in comparison

Usage: Use “by contrast” or “in comparison” when you’re comparing and contrasting pieces of evidence. Example: “Scholar A’s opinion, then, is based on insufficient evidence. By contrast, Scholar B’s opinion seems more plausible.”

21. Then again

Usage: Use this to cast doubt on an assertion. Example: “Writer A asserts that this was the reason for what happened. Then again, it’s possible that he was being paid to say this.”

22. That said

Usage: This is used in the same way as “then again”. Example: “The evidence ostensibly appears to point to this conclusion. That said, much of the evidence is unreliable at best.”

Usage: Use this when you want to introduce a contrasting idea. Example: “Much of scholarship has focused on this evidence. Yet not everyone agrees that this is the most important aspect of the situation.”

Adding a proviso or acknowledging reservations

Sometimes, you may need to acknowledge a shortfalling in a piece of evidence, or add a proviso. Here are some ways of doing so.

24. Despite this

Usage: Use “despite this” or “in spite of this” when you want to outline a point that stands regardless of a shortfalling in the evidence. Example: “The sample size was small, but the results were important despite this.”

25. With this in mind

Usage: Use this when you want your reader to consider a point in the knowledge of something else. Example: “We’ve seen that the methods used in the 19th century study did not always live up to the rigorous standards expected in scientific research today, which makes it difficult to draw definite conclusions. With this in mind, let’s look at a more recent study to see how the results compare.”

26. Provided that

Usage: This means “on condition that”. You can also say “providing that” or just “providing” to mean the same thing. Example: “We may use this as evidence to support our argument, provided that we bear in mind the limitations of the methods used to obtain it.”

27. In view of/in light of

Usage: These phrases are used when something has shed light on something else. Example: “In light of the evidence from the 2013 study, we have a better understanding of…”

28. Nonetheless

Usage: This is similar to “despite this”. Example: “The study had its limitations, but it was nonetheless groundbreaking for its day.”

29. Nevertheless

Usage: This is the same as “nonetheless”. Example: “The study was flawed, but it was important nevertheless.”

30. Notwithstanding

Usage: This is another way of saying “nonetheless”. Example: “Notwithstanding the limitations of the methodology used, it was an important study in the development of how we view the workings of the human mind.”

Giving examples

Good essays always back up points with examples, but it’s going to get boring if you use the expression “for example” every time. Here are a couple of other ways of saying the same thing.

31. For instance

Example: “Some birds migrate to avoid harsher winter climates. Swallows, for instance, leave the UK in early winter and fly south…”

32. To give an illustration

Example: “To give an illustration of what I mean, let’s look at the case of…”

Signifying importance

When you want to demonstrate that a point is particularly important, there are several ways of highlighting it as such.

33. Significantly

Usage: Used to introduce a point that is loaded with meaning that might not be immediately apparent. Example: “Significantly, Tacitus omits to tell us the kind of gossip prevalent in Suetonius’ accounts of the same period.”

34. Notably

Usage: This can be used to mean “significantly” (as above), and it can also be used interchangeably with “in particular” (the example below demonstrates the first of these ways of using it). Example: “Actual figures are notably absent from Scholar A’s analysis.”

35. Importantly

Usage: Use “importantly” interchangeably with “significantly”. Example: “Importantly, Scholar A was being employed by X when he wrote this work, and was presumably therefore under pressure to portray the situation more favourably than he perhaps might otherwise have done.”

Summarising

You’ve almost made it to the end of the essay, but your work isn’t over yet. You need to end by wrapping up everything you’ve talked about, showing that you’ve considered the arguments on both sides and reached the most likely conclusion. Here are some words and phrases to help you.

36. In conclusion

Usage: Typically used to introduce the concluding paragraph or sentence of an essay, summarising what you’ve discussed in a broad overview. Example: “In conclusion, the evidence points almost exclusively to Argument A.”

37. Above all

Usage: Used to signify what you believe to be the most significant point, and the main takeaway from the essay. Example: “Above all, it seems pertinent to remember that…”

38. Persuasive

Usage: This is a useful word to use when summarising which argument you find most convincing. Example: “Scholar A’s point – that Constanze Mozart was motivated by financial gain – seems to me to be the most persuasive argument for her actions following Mozart’s death.”

39. Compelling

Usage: Use in the same way as “persuasive” above. Example: “The most compelling argument is presented by Scholar A.”

40. All things considered

Usage: This means “taking everything into account”. Example: “All things considered, it seems reasonable to assume that…”

How many of these words and phrases will you get into your next essay? And are any of your favourite essay terms missing from our list? Let us know in the comments below, or get in touch here to find out more about courses that can help you with your essays.

At Oxford Royale Academy, we offer a number of  summer school courses for young people who are keen to improve their essay writing skills. Click here to apply for one of our courses today, including law , business , medicine  and engineering .

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In photos: At least 83 dead as historic flooding hits southern Brazil

By Jintak Han | May 7, 2024

Record-breaking floods in Brazil’s southern Rio Grande do Sul state have killed at least 83 people over the past week, and another 111 were reported missing, local authorities said Monday.

Renan Mattos/Reuters

In the state capital, Porto Alegre, water levels of the Guaíba River peaked at 17.5 feet (5.33 meters) on Sunday — far exceeding the previous record of 15.6 feet (4.76 meters) observed in 1941, according to the prefectural government.

At least 291 people were injured, while damage from the rains forced more than 129,000 people from their homes. Approximately 20,000 took refuge in schools, gymnasiums and other temporary shelters.

May 6 | Porto Alegre, Brazil

An aerial view of the flooded Beira-Rio Stadium.

A group of volunteers on a flooded street.

Giulian Serafim/AFP/Getty Images

A car is filled with water on a flooded street in the Menino Deus neighborhood.

A military truck transports people out of the flooded area.

Nelson Almeida/AFP/Getty Images

Volunteers help residents evacuate from their homes in the Farrapos neighborhood.

May 5 | Porto Alegre, Brazil

An area after the flooding of Guaíba River.

May 5 | Canoas, Brazil

People are rescued after flooding.

Amanda Perobelli/Reuters

People are rescued by residents.

Rescue workers evacuate a flood victim.

A flooded street.

Anselmo Cunha/AFP/Getty Images

People wade through floodwaters.

People walk through floodwaters.

May 5 | Roca Sales, Brazil

Houses destroyed by floods.

Gustavo Ghisleni/AFP/Getty Images

May 5 | Jacarezinho, Brazil

People walk inside a shop destroyed by flash floods.

Diego Vara/Reuters

May 5 | Encantado, Brazil

An injured dog lies in the mud after heavy rains and floods.

Volunteers provide food, medical attention and clothing to people rescued from flooded houses at a gas station used as a meeting point.

Carlos Fabal/AFP/Getty Images

Julio Manichesque walks on the roof of his house after floods.

A flooded area after the flooding of Lake Guaiba.

May 4 | Porto Alegre, Brazil

A woman is evacuated from a flooded area.

May 4 | Canoas, Brazil

Rescue teams and volunteers help flood victims.

Alisson Moura/AFP/Getty Images

A man is rescued by military firefighters.

May 4 | Roca Sales, Brazil

A man is rescued after being injured during the floods.

May 3 | Eldorado do Sul, Brazil

Floodwaters overtake the streets.

May 3 | Porto Alegre, Brazil

A man wades through a flooded section of the city.

Carlos Macedo/AP

Residents of coastal islands near the shore of Lake Guaíba carry their belongings after being rescued.

Isaac Fontana/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

May 2 | Encantado, Brazil

A woman carries two rescued cats.

People and a dog are rescued from the islands of Lake Guaíba.

May 1 | Encantado, Brazil

Houses next to the Taquari River are submerged by floodwaters.

May 1 | Sinimbu, Brazil

A house partially destroyed by heavy rains.

A resident climbs a rescue truck.

May 3 | Encantado, Brazil

A woman walks through mud as she tries to get to her house.

May 2 | Lajeado, Brazil

Two men are rescued by military firefighters.

Jeff Botega/Agencia RBS/Reuters

People throw bags across a puddle as they evacuate flooded areas.

Vehicles covered in mud.

Horses wade through a flooded beach along the Jacui River.

People and their pets are rescued from the flooding.

Renan Mattos/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Residents are rescued by the Brazilian army.

Displaced people take shelter in a public facility.

A displaced person rests at a shelter.

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Photo editing and production by Jintak Han and Troy Witcher

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arts and letters

The Black Female Artists Redefining Minimalism

A new generation of painters and sculptors are finding creative freedom by making rigorously pared-down work.

“Liquid A Place,” a 2023 sculpture by Torkwase Dyson that was installed in Palm Desert, Calif. Credit... Lance Gerber

Supported by

By Adam Bradley

• May 10, 2024

JENNIE C. JONES was a 20-year-old art student when she first saw the work of the minimalist painter and sculptor Ellsworth Kelly installed at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1989. These were some of Kelly’s signature panels: bold, monochromatic shapes of saturated color in oil on canvas. They were flat like paintings but sculptural in their defiance of right angles. Jones recalls being struck most of all by what Kelly’s work displaced. It occupied the second floor of the museum’s two-story sculpture court, which had been redesigned the previous year to showcase classical sculpture and painting. “They took down all these other artists to put up this suite,” Jones says. “I was so secretly envious that Kelly was able to hold that space.” Such freedom claimed by a renowned white male artist stood in contrast to her own growing sense as a young Black woman artist of being pigeonholed, of that same freedom — of space, of form — not being available to her.

Today, Jones, 55, is a celebrated minimalist whose work on paper and canvas, in sculpture and sound, is scrupulously reduced to its geometries, its tones, its colors. Next April, she will take over the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s roof garden, where she’ll debut her first multiwork outdoor sculptural installation. She occasionally paints in acrylic directly onto acoustic panels, sometimes in muted grays and whites that very nearly appear to blend into the wall. Seeing Kelly’s radical reductivism on such a grand scale was a provocation, one that redirected her trajectory. “Where am I in this story?” Jones thought. Over time, she found answers, both in the work of artists like Kelly and in what she calls “alternative origin stories” through which she traced her nascent interest in minimalism to the Black diasporic tradition, from Gabonese masks and Cameroonian mud huts to Miles Davis’s spare solos performed with his back turned to the audience.

JONES IS ONE of several contemporary Black women artists for whom minimalism — long marked by its hypermasculinity and by the conspicuous absence of nonwhite artists — has unexpectedly become an expressive language in which they are fluent but don’t always, or only, choose to communicate. The first wave of minimalism in America emerged as a postwar avant-garde that sought to extinguish artist subjectivity in favor of the object — a rejection of the excesses of self-expression and of the cult of genius that had come to define Abstract Expressionism and other movements of the 1940s and ’50s. In response to political polarization, economic instability and war, minimalists in the 1960s called for austerity and a return to aesthetic first principles: A work of art should reveal nothing more than itself; or as Frank Stella put it in 1966, “What you see is what you see.” Minimalism embraced cheap, mass-produced materials — plywood, granite, brick, metal — in order to, in the late Carl Andre’s words, “get down to something which resembles … some kind of blankness.” One of the most famous works of minimalism is Andre’s “ Equivalent VIII ” (1966), an arrangement of 120 firebricks, about which the artist told the BBC, “My work doesn’t mean anything.”

Drawing upon a minimalist vocabulary of object and image, Jones and her peers often bring to bear a more personal and expressly political set of conceptual and aesthetic aims. Aria Dean , 30, a New York-based sculptor and theorist who crafts “objects that speak to the truth of the process of their coming into being,” cites the influence of Robert Morris , who used basic carpentry techniques to argue that art should allow “the spectator to focus on their physical relationship to the work, the particularity of its space of encounter in real time.” Bethany Collins, 39, who lives in Chicago, occasionally makes simple shapes on handmade paper that have been compared to the work of Agnes Martin ; she also recently completed a series titled “ Old Ship ,” in which she uses pink granite dust from the base of a dismantled Confederate monument in Charlottesville, Va., to forge three-dimensional forms on canvas inspired by architectural details from the Old Ship A.M.E. Zion Church in her hometown, Montgomery, Ala. Nikita Gale , 40, lives in Los Angeles and uses manufactured materials that riff on the legacies of Andre and Michael Heizer. In the artist’s 2022 exhibition “ End of Subject ” at New York’s 52 Walker gallery, everyday objects like barricades became metonyms for the ways in which individuals organize, divide and view one another in social settings.

In making such work, they are often still — as Jones was in 1989 — coming up against the expectation that their art should hew to a different set of traditions. Though the history of nonfigurative work by Black artists is rich and deep, from Sam Gilliam to Alma Thomas , Norman Lewis to Stanley Whitney , Black art has long borne the expectation of figuration and of explicit political statement. The imperative to make meaning clear — and to do so primarily through figuration — has its roots in a tradition of resistance. It is a matter not simply of style but of political necessity: that the Black artist’s mastery of form could serve as evidence against white supremacy’s mismeasure of Black creativity. Images of noble and beautiful Blackness could also function as a necessary counterbalance to the pernicious output of Black stereotypes found throughout the history of Western art. The greatest champion of the power of such images was W.E.B. Du Bois, who argues in his essay “ Criteria for Negro Art ” (1926) that “[a]ll art is propaganda and ever must be, despite the wailing of the purists. … I do not care a damn for any art that is not used for propaganda.” Both the commercial marketplace and Black people themselves have called upon Black artists to render Black faces, Black bodies, Black lives.

Jones recalls, several years ago, being at the home of a Black collector who clinked his wineglass and announced to the table that he was puzzled at first when an institution asked him to host a dinner in Jones’s honor. “I didn’t know from her work that she was Black,” he said. Jones was quick to reply, “I didn’t know you were Black, either, until tonight. What are you saying?” For Jones, minimalism offers a subversive aesthetic strategy, coded like the talking drums of her enslaved ancestors. It’s also no coincidence that Jones and her peers are making minimalist work in a moment that mirrors the conditions that gave birth to minimalism in the first place. In a noisy and contentious cultural moment, perhaps restraint, a conscious quiet, a studied refusal, might be the most powerful statement of all.

STILL, IT’S A fair question to ask: What does a mirrored cube have to say about geopolitical unrest? What do blocks of color on canvas care about deforestation in the Amazon? On the surface, minimalism is not politically prescriptive, though the minimalists of the 1960s could be propagandists, too, using their platform to promote political causes. One of the first major minimalist group shows, featuring works by Andre, Dan Flavin, Donald Judd, Robert Mangold and others at New York’s Paula Cooper Gallery in 1968, was a benefit for Veterans Against the War and the Student Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam. In 1970, when the United States was engaged in a secret bombing campaign of Cambodia, Morris produced five detailed proposals for war memorials; one of them, called “Crater With Smoke,” was to be, in minimalist fashion, just that. That same year, in a symposium in Artforum titled “The Artist and Politics,” Judd submitted a handwritten letter that began , “I’ve always thought that my work had political implications,” and continued to explain that he was influenced by “the events of the ’50s, the continued state of war, the destruction of the U.N. by the Americans and the Russians, the rigid useless political parties, the general exploitation and both the Army and [the Red Scare tactics of Joseph] McCarthy.”

“The choice of being an artist for me is bound in the condition of politics,” the Beacon, N.Y.-based painter and sculptor Torkwase Dyson , 51, explains. Dyson creates surfaces that often underscore the means of their making, accumulating depth of color and texture through the accretion of pigment and washes, blowing paint across canvas, scratching and scoring what she’s built up to reveal tensions on the surface and what lies beneath. These formal practices are an outgrowth of her critical perspectives on power and politics, which she traces in part to the work of the post-minimalist painter Mel Bochner , “who was asking radical, spatial questions — questions about language and class and production and belonging.” Dyson has distilled much of her efforts into a vocabulary of shapes and forms, what she calls “hyper shapes,” that comprise her theory of Black Compositional Thought, an “ecosystem of geometries connected to liberation strategies.” These hyper shapes began as visualizations of the various enclosures that enslaved Black Americans used as vehicles for their own liberation: The hull of the ship docked in Richmond, Va., in which Anthony Burns stowed away for Boston becomes in Dyson’s hands a curved line; the box in which Henry “Box” Brown mailed himself to freedom becomes a square.

There is another Black artistic tradition, one that promotes beauty as an end in itself and insists upon indeterminacy as the closest approximation to the lived experience of being Black in America. John Coltrane’s “ Alabama ” (1963) expresses the anguish and rage against the Ku Klux Klan’s murder of four little girls at 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., without language, in the doleful tones of tenor saxophone, piano, bass and drums alone. For the artists who make such pieces, minimalism’s austerity and self-restriction hold the potential for freedom. At a time in which the market for demonstrably Black art is booming, the avant-garde might well reside in work that denies the easy consolation of signposting and signaling in favor of a subterranean and subversive mode that resists literal interpretation, that demands rumination, self-reflection and might even deflect consumption. In this regard, minimalism is both a style and a strategy for Black artists today. “My responsibility,” Jones says, “is to afford myself all the creative freedoms that my ancestors didn’t have.”

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