Cause–Effect Pattern

With the cause-effect pattern, you attempt to organize the message around cause-to-effect or effect-to-cause relationships. That is, you might move from a discussion of the origins or causes of a phenomenon (for example, rising fuel costs) to the eventual results or effects (increases in the cost of airplane tickets). You can also work in reverse, starting with a description of present conditions and then examining apparent or possible causes. The choice of strategy is often based on which element—cause or effect—is more familiar to the intended audience: if you’re talking about fuel prices, for example, it might be best to start with the cost of gasoline—a very familiar expense—and work backward from there. The cause–effect pattern of organization is especially useful when your purpose is to get your audience to agree with or understand your point rather than to call people to action.