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Writing: Cause/Effect and Problem/Solution
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P/S Tone
Problem/Solution
Fishbone Diagram
Keep in mind that tone is very important with these types of papers.
- Too emotional = audience skepticism
- Too logical = audience apathy
- Too dogmatic = audience offended
- Too ambiguous = audience confused
While you may be tempted to use the second person "you" or first person "we," leave it out for academic submissions.
(work proposals are entirely different)
The goal:
- Present a problem
- Identify solutions to that problem
- Argue which is the best solution so as to...
- Conclude by calling your audience to action
Examples
Cause/Effect
Cause exploration: Why do people overeat?
Effect exploration: What happens as a result of overeating?
Two Approaches: prove certain known cause result in a certain effect or prove a particular effect was due to certain causes
Remember...
There is a chronology at play!
A cause makes something happen.
An effect is the result of something that happened.
All Writing has a PURPOSE
Organizing C-E
P/S Outline
Several methods:
- Emphasis on cause
- Emphasis on effect
- Combination of both
Key is to clearly discuss causes and effects without confusion.
Purpose of Cause-Effect writing: delineate a relationship between two or more events
Purpose of Problem-Solution: persuade reader there is a problem and what is the best solution
- Interest your reader in the problem.
- Convince your reader that the problem is important and needs to be solved.
- Explain solutions clearly.
- Outline how is cost-effective, feasible and workable the solution is.
- Convince your reader that your solution is better than other solutions.
Example
Essay Structure
P/S Intro
Keep your basics:
- body paragraphs have a topic sentence and supporting details specific to the topic
- be mindful of transitions and use proper key words or phrases
topic: dropping literacy rates
Intro: link literacy problems to incarceration rates
Body:
- Solution 1: more funding for school to reduce class ratios
- Solution 2: at-home reading program
- Solution 3: volunteer reading coaches
- Critique solution 1: too costly
- Critique solution 2: low accountability, parents unable to assist (ELL, working etc.)
- Promote solution 3: low-cost, monitored workers which provide what students need 1-on-1
Provide background information to the problem, proper to your audience.
Thesis must outline the problem but not necessarily the solution (why?)