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Verbs of Cause and Effect

🎓 Verbs of Cause and Effect in Academic Writing

Verbs of cause and effect are action words used to describe how one action or situation causes another to happen. They are essential in academic and formal writing to express logical relationships between ideas.

🧠 Why Use Them in Academic Writing?

  • ✅ Clarify how and why things happen
  • ✅ Add objectivity and precision
  • ✅ Improve the flow of logical arguments
  • ✅ Replace informal connectors like so or because

🔧 Common Verbs of Cause and Effect

Verb Meaning Example
cause To be the reason something happens The fire caused major damage.
lead to To result in something Lack of investment led to poor performance.
result in To have a specific outcome The delay resulted in missed deadlines.
bring about To make something happen (often positive) The new policy brought about change.

đŸ§± Sentence Patterns

  • [Cause] + verb + [Effect]
    Poor planning resulted in failure.
  • Noun + passive structure
    The cancellation of the event was caused by the storm.

🔄 Informal vs. Formal Rewriting

Informal Formal / Academic
It rained, so the event was canceled. Heavy rainfall caused the cancellation of the event.
She didn’t sleep well, so she was tired. Lack of sleep led to her tiredness.

🎯 Tips for Use

  • ✔ Use verbs like cause, lead to, and result in in academic essays, reports, and analysis tasks.
  • ✔ Avoid vague verbs like “make” or “get” in formal writing.
  • ✔ Vary your language to show lexical range.
  • ✔ Use noun phrases: the failure of the system, the introduction of reforms.

✅ Using verbs of cause and effect helps you write with precision, formality, and academic clarity.

📝 Instruction: Rewrite each sentence using the word in brackets

Use: cause, lead to, result in, bring about

  1. He submitted false documents, so his visa application was denied. (lead to)

  2. Since the air conditioning wasn’t working, the room was too hot. (result in)

  3. The director didn’t approve the budget, which delayed the project. (cause)

  4. The new highway reduced travel time. (bring about)

  5. Because the report lacked evidence, it was considered invalid. (lead to)

  6. There was a network failure, so we couldn’t send the file. (result in)

  7. They introduced new training programs, and employee performance improved. (bring about)

  8. As the battery was damaged, the device wouldn’t switch on. (cause)

  9. The public supported the campaign, so awareness increased. (bring about)

  10. Because the system was outdated, it crashed frequently. (lead to)

  11. The speaker used complex terms, which confused the audience. (result in)

  12. There was heavy rainfall, so the river overflowed. (cause)

  13. His lack of preparation made him nervous during the presentation. (lead to)

  14. They didn't invest in security, which resulted in a major data leak. (result in)

  15. The government launched a vaccination drive, and infection rates dropped. (bring about)

  16. He ignored the instructions, so the machine broke down. (cause)

  17. Due to long hours and stress, many employees took sick leave. (result in)

  18. The artist’s creativity and hard work led to global recognition. (bring about)

  19. She didn’t include references in her paper, so it was rejected. (lead to)

  20. The journalist exposed corruption, which caused political tension. (cause)