Analyzing causes and effects is something we do all of the time. At school, we may be asked to analyze the effect on society of a technological innovation. In our personal lives, we might want to find out the cause of why we gained or lost weight. At work, we might investigate the chain of events that led to the success or failure of a new product or service. This process of finding out the why is at the heart of cause and effect writing.
For this essay, you will be writing a cause and effect essay on one of the following topics.
The success of a well-known company (such as Amazon, Netflix, or Apple)
The failure of a formerly successful company (such as Toys R Us, Sears, Blockbuster Video, Enron, Arthur Anderson, or Theranos)
A major disaster (such as the sinking of the Titanic, problems with the Boeing 737 Max, the destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger, or the Hindenburg tragedy)
The successful treatment, containment, or cure of a disease, or the spread of a disease
The causes of an increase, or decrease, in crime, homelessness, or poverty in a particular city
The reasons why a famous historical figure (such as John Adams, Richard Nixon, Nelson Mandela, or Margaret Thatcher) was successful or unsuccessful
Important note: if you choose this option, the person you choose must no longer be alive.
For this essay, you will need to find four or more sources. from high-quality, credible Internet sources. The purpose of using these sources is to provide support for your ideas in the form of facts, statistics, or expert opinion. Any time you make a claim, it needs to be supported.
Hint: Never start a sentence with “everybody knows …”
All sources listed in the references must be cited in text; all sources cited in text must be listed in the references.
Length: Four to five pages (1,000 to 1,250 words)
Compose the essay using Microsoft Word and using 12-point Times New Roman.
Format and cite sources using the seventh edition of APA.