Understanding Cause and Effect
Learning to talk about cause and effect is essential for expressing relationships between events, actions, and their consequences. The two most common words we use are “because” and “so”.
Using “Because”
“Because” introduces the reason or cause for something. It answers the question “Why?”
Structure: Result + because + cause
- I stayed home because I was feeling sick.
- She studied hard because she wanted to pass the exam.
- They cancelled the picnic because it was raining.
Using “So”
“So” introduces the result or effect of something. It shows what happened as a consequence.
Structure: Cause + so + result
- I was feeling sick, so I stayed home.
- She wanted to pass the exam, so she studied hard.
- It was raining, so they cancelled the picnic.
Key Difference
Notice that “because” and “so” express the same relationship but in opposite directions:
✓ I went to bed early because I was tired. (reason first)
✓ I was tired, so I went to bed early. (result first)
Check Your Understanding
Complete this quiz to test your knowledge of cause and effect relationships.
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