A cause helps explain why something happened. An effect is the resulting event or change. A passage may state the relationship directly, imply it through details or describe events without establishing that one caused the other.
The important question is not just “What happened first?” It is “What does the passage show made this happen?” These original examples help Year 5 and Year 6 students separate event order from explanation.
The effect can appear first in the sentence
Compare these sentences:
Because the gate was locked, the visitors used the side entrance.
The visitors used the side entrance because the gate was locked.
Both give the same relationship: locked gate → use of side entrance. Changing the order of the clauses does not reverse the cause and effect.
Words such as “because”, “therefore”, “so” and “as a result” can help. Read the complete sentence rather than assigning a fixed role to whichever event appears first.
Worked example: identify the immediate cause
A strong gust blew the classroom door shut. The sudden bang startled Eli, who dropped the stack of papers he was carrying. The papers scattered across the floor.
What immediately caused Eli to drop the papers?
- A. He was startled by the bang.
- B. He wanted to close the door.
- C. The papers were already on the floor.
- D. Someone asked him to stop carrying them.
Answer: A. The passage directly connects the startling noise with Eli dropping the papers. The gust starts the chain, but the question asks for the immediate cause of his action. B and D introduce motives or instructions not stated. C reverses the sequence.
The chain is: gust → door shuts → bang startles Eli → papers are dropped → papers scatter. A question about the first event in the chain would need a different answer.
A relationship may be implied
Jo reached the bus stop just as the bus pulled away. She looked at the next departure time, took out her phone and called her grandfather for a lift.
The text suggests that missing the bus prompted Jo to arrange another ride. It does not use “because”, but the connected actions support that inference.
We cannot conclude that the next bus was cancelled or that Jo was going to an exam. Those might explain a similar situation, but they are not supplied here. Keywords are useful signals; they are not the only source of evidence.
Do not confuse “after” with “because of”
The school installed new benches in March. Library borrowing increased in April.
This gives an order in time. By itself, it does not show that the benches caused the increase in borrowing. A passage would need further information connecting the changes.
A reading question may ask what the writer claims, rather than what has been conclusively proved in the real world. Answer that wording carefully: report the claim when asked, and distinguish it from evidence when evaluating the argument.
More than one cause can contribute
The garden beds dried quickly because the weather stayed hot and the watering system failed. The class moved the seedlings into shade while the system was repaired.
Which pair explains why the beds dried quickly? Hot weather and a failed watering system. Both are stated causes. Moving the seedlings is a response to the problem, not an explanation for how it began.
Do not reduce a two-part explanation to one part unless the question asks for just one cause. Equally, do not assume that every detail in the paragraph contributes to the outcome.
One cause can have several effects
The heavy rain flooded the lower path. Walkers used the upper track, and the maintenance team closed the footbridge until it could be inspected.
The passage describes more than one consequence of the rain and flooding. If asked which route walkers used, answer “the upper track”. If asked why the bridge was closed, refer to the need for an inspection after the flooding rather than choosing another true detail about walkers.
A distractor can be true but answer a different question. Match the specific cause or effect named in the question.
Make a small diagram during practice
Write each event in a short phrase and connect supported relationships with arrows. For multiple contributing causes, draw two arrows towards the same outcome. Use question marks where the relationship is only a possibility.
This is a practice strategy, not a claim about permitted exam materials. Check the instructions for the particular test before writing on papers or using separate working sheets.
Review with three questions
- What outcome is the question asking about?
- Which sentence or connected details explain that outcome?
- Does my answer reverse the relationship, skip an important link or add a cause not given?
For more evidence-based reading, try narrative comprehension or finding word meaning in context. Reading samples are available through the QASMT and BSHS pages.