📖 ReadingGrade 2Lesson 12
← Back🔒 PDF with full access

Understand Cause and Effect

Lesson preview: the Mini Lesson and Vocabulary are open to everyone. Guided practice, exercises, the parent checklist and the printable PDF worksheet come with full access (free 7-day trial or membership).

Learning Objectives

  • 1Identify the cause of an event — what made it happen
  • 2Identify the effect of an event — what happened as a result
  • 3Use signal words like because, so, since, and as a result to find cause-and-effect links in a story
📘

Mini Lesson

In stories — just like in real life — events do not happen by accident. One thing causes another. Understanding cause and effect helps you understand why things happen in a story, not just what happens.

Cause and effect — the key idea

  • The cause is why something happened — the reason or trigger.
  • The effect is what happened as a result.
  • A cause always comes before its effect.
  • Example: It rained all night (cause) → the playground was flooded (effect).

Signal words to look for

  • because → introduces the cause: "The playground was flooded because it rained."
  • so → introduces the effect: "It rained, so the playground was flooded."
  • since / as a result / therefore / that is why → also point to cause or effect.

Two questions to ask

  • For the cause: ask "Why did this happen?"
  • For the effect: ask "What happened because of this?"
  • One cause can have more than one effect, and one effect can have more than one cause!
Cause and Effect Arrow DiagramA diagram with a CAUSE box on the left containing It rained all night, a large arrow in the middle, and an EFFECT box on the right containing The playground was flooded. Below shows the same idea rewritten with because and with so.Cause → EffectCAUSEIt rainedall night.Ask: WHY?EFFECTThe playgroundwas flooded.Ask: WHAT happened?The playground was floodedbecauseit rained.It rained,sothe playground was flooded.
CAUSE (it rained) leads to EFFECT (playground flooded), shown with a "because" sentence and a "so" sentence.
Cause and Effect Signal Words and ChainA reference box listing signal words: because, so, since, as a result, therefore, that is why. Below it shows a three-link cause-and-effect chain: forgot umbrella leads to got wet leads to caught a cold.Signal Words & Chainsbecause · so · sinceas a result · therefore · that is whyA chain of causes and effects:forgotumbrellagot wetin the raincaughta coldAn effect can become the next cause!
Signal words list and a three-link cause-and-effect chain — forgot umbrella → got wet → caught a cold.
💡

Ask yourself: "Why did this happen? What happened because of it? Can I spot a signal word — because, so, since — that helps me see the link?"

Vocabulary
Cause
Why something happened — the reason or trigger for an evente.g. It rained all night — the rain is the cause of the flooded playground
Effect
What happened as a result of the causee.g. The playground was flooded — the flood is the effect of the rain
Signal word
A word that shows a cause-and-effect link between two parts of a sentencee.g. because, so, since, as a result, therefore, that is why
Chain
A series of linked causes and effects, where one effect becomes the next causee.g. Forgot umbrella → got wet → caught a cold
Free · 7 days · No credit card

Unlock the full HSEA system for 7 days.

Add your first kid profile and your 7 days start: every lesson in every grade, saved progress for each child. Nothing to set up, no card required, nothing to cancel.

  • ✓ All 1,680 lessons, Grades 1–6, every subject
  • ✓ Profiles + saved progress for every kid
  • ✓ Printable lessons with answer key
Start your 7-day free trial →
Already convinced? See full membership plans →
← Lesson 11: Describe Characters and SettingsLesson 13: Predict What Will Happen Next →