Question

Which of the following correctly identifies the purpose of a cause and effect essay?
A) To explain the reasons and/or results of an event or situation
B) To show the impact of an event or situation on the reader
C) To convince the reader that the writer's claim is right
D) To describe in detail a place, person, or thing

Answer 1

Hint: Cause and effect essay, as the name suggests, tells us about the cause and effect or the relationship between two things. It has two subjects. It generally shows how one thing or one person influences the other thing or another person.

Complete answer:
Cause and effect is a rhetorical style of writing. It must always contain well-researched points so that we can make a strong argument to show the relationship between two subjects. There must be a chronological order to the occurrence of events.

Now let us analyze the given options:
Option A: Correct Answer. This is correct because in a cause and effect essay the reasons and results of a situation are explained. Such essays are written primarily to find out the reason why an event has occurred and what it has resulted in.
Option B: Incorrect Answer. This is incorrect because it tells about the general impact of an event and is not specifically designed as per its specific impact on the reader of the essay. Also, it also gives details regarding the reasons related to the occurrence of an event.
Option C: Incorrect Answer. This is incorrect because the cause and effect essay is mainly written to present evidence of the relationship between two subjects and not specifically to convince a reader. Though it has to be written in a convincing way.
Option D: Incorrect Answer. This is incorrect because this is the characteristic of descriptive essays.

Thus the correct answer is option ‘A’.

Note: In a cause and effect essay there can be 1) One cause and many effects 2) Many causes and one effect 3) many causes and many effects. Therefore, to write an effective essay the subjects must be clearly identified before we begin to write.