I have attached the pdf of my essay.

Your task is to write a Cause/Effect essay exploring some aspect of your life that impacted you in a significant way and molded you into the person that you are today . Remember that you are selecting only ONE of these perspectives as your primary focus: cause OR ef fect . For example, if you are a parent, you can write about what caused you to want to have children OR you can write your essay on the effects that having children has had on your life. In each essay , the focus is YOU and your experiences, first and foremost; you are not writing a general essay on parenting or making an argument about who should have children and/or what people should keep in mind when having children. Your focus is YOU . What happened to cause you to decide to have children? OR What ef fects have your children had on your life?

DO THIS : “Having children has affected how I spend my leisure time, how I spend money , and it has given me a new purpose in life.” NOT THIS : “Having children affects parents in many ways: how they spend leisure time, how they spend money, and how they feel toward themselves.” The first essay focuses on the author; the second focuses on any parent. YOU W ANT TO FOCUS ON YOU . You will need to rely exclusively on personal experience, but make sure you are not turning this into a narrative essay . For instance, if you turn in 3 pages detailing one single moment (the moment your child was born, for example), that is one story and not a cause/ef fect essay . You need multiple examples (taken from various moments in your life ) in each paragraph, each with enough specifics to be effective proof.

Here are some notes on the various sections of your paper:

BODY P ARAGRAPHS: th 2/9/2021 Cause/Effect Essay - Submit Essay here https://learn.vccs.edu/courses/353673/assignments/7252988?module_item_id=24227096 2/4 Keep in mind: You should have at least three body paragraphs that each focus on one cause or ef fect. These body paragraphs should each have a topic sentence at the start that highlights the main idea of that paragraph.

Then you should “prove” that topic sentence with a series of examples from your life. For example, if you were writing about the ef fects of adopting a dog:

Having a dog has meant that my husband and I have had to change our schedules to accommodate our dog’s needs. Before we adopted Freddie, we could stay away from home all day long or go out of town without a second thought. Now though, we need to always take Freddie’ s needs into account, and this means making sure he is not home alone for extended periods of time. Sometimes this has meant leaving an event early, such as when we left our friends’ wedding reception earlier than we might have otherwise because we didn’t want him to be alone for too long. Other times, it has meant stopping home to let him out and feed him during a busy day . Just a few weeks ago, I had a doctor appointment before I was scheduled to teach a class. My husband had to work, so this meant that I had to allot enough time to come home to let Freddie out and feed him, or else Freddie would have gone over 8 hours without going to the bathroom, and he would have missed his dinner . Additionally, if we go out of town, we need to arrange for his care. Fortunately , my in laws live locally, so they are able to care for him, which is much more convenient and cheaper than having to find somewhere to board him or hire a pet-sitter . My husband and I typically take a trip out to Arizona to visit my parents around the holiday season, and my in laws graciously take care of Freddie while we are gone each year. In preparing for our trip, we try to make Freddie’s care easier on them by thinking ahead to what he might need while we are gone: we measure out the right amount of kibble for him each day in zip lock bags, make sure he is up to date on his monthly medications, and we bring over some items from home when we drop him of f, such as his bed and a few of his favorite treats and toys. Making these accommodations means we have to think ahead to make sure we have accounted for Freddie’s needs, but doing so has made our marriage stronger; we always communicate our schedules to one another , we compromise on care duties, and we make sacrifices together for the well-being of our dog.

My paragraph focused on one objective: to prove how the effects of pet ownership has changed my schedule. I could have outlined this as follows:

1. Effect 1: Freddie’ s changes to our schedules 1. Evidence 1: Not having Freddie home along for too long 1. Example 1: Leaving wedding 2. Example 2: Stopping home in between appt and class 2. Evidence 2: Arranging for care when we leave town 1. Arizona trip 1. Getting things together for Freddie 2. Why this effect is significant 1. Stronger communication 2/9/2021 Cause/Effect Essay - Submit Essay here https://learn.vccs.edu/courses/353673/assignments/7252988?module_item_id=24227096 3/4 2. Working as a team Compromising Note that my paragraph had two pieces of evidence, with specific examples from my life explaining the effects of each of them, and the ends of my paragraphs focused on explaining why each point is significant . This last part is particularly important, and so many writers forget this part: you need to tie everything together and explain why these examples matter . Don’t expect your reader to do it for you!!

INTRODUCTION & THESIS STATEMENT Your paper should have an introduction leading into your thesis statement. Try to find a “hook” for your audience that introduces your topic in a general, but interesting way . For example, my intro might be:

Pets can be great practice for future parents. While having a dog is much dif ferent from having a baby, some of the lessons of pet ownership can transfer well to parenting. And in both experiences, the lives of parents and pet owners change dramatically once these creatures enter our lives and depend on us for their health and well-being. Almost six years ago, on October 15 , 2011, my husband and I adopted a two-year-old Basset Hound named Freddie. He has impacted my life in many dif ferent ways over the years: I’ve learned to appreciate the simple pleasures in life more, I now have a constant companion at home, and I’ve learned the importance in making sacrifices so that my dog’s needs are always met.

My “hook” is the comparison between pet ownership and parenting. There are lots of ways to start an introduction; find one that you think would best interest your audience.

PAPER ONE CHECKLIST (NOTE THA T YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WRITE THESE IN ORDER. Start with whatever section is easiest to write!!!):

_____ Introduction that grabs reader ’s attention and presents your thesis _____ Thesis statement: a sentence at the end of your intro that states your main point (what you are going to write about: the causes of something or the ef fects of something). Think of this as a statement that sets up your “argument”; that “argument” is to prove that these causes or ef fects are impactful.

_____ Paragraph one: the first cause/effect you’ve chosen + 2-3 specific examples of experiences that exhibit this quality + an explanation for why this cause/ef fect is significant _____ Paragraph two: the second cause/effect you’ve chosen + 2-3 specific examples of experiences that exhibit this quality + an explanation for why this cause/ef fect is significant th 2/9/2021 Cause/Effect Essay - Submit Essay here https://learn.vccs.edu/courses/353673/assignments/7252988?module_item_id=24227096 4/4 _____ Paragraph three: the third cause/ef fect you’ve chosen + 2-3 specific examples of experiences that exhibit this quality + an explanation for why this cause/ef fect is significant _____ A short conclusion that restates your thesis Formatting requirements: At least 1000 words Double-spaced 12 point standard fonts (Times New Roman, Garamond, Arial, etc.) Standard 1 inch margins on all sides Your name should be on every page Remember to use spell check and grammar check before turning anything in EXTRA CREDIT : Have your paper looked at by a writing tutor OR reference librarian for 5 points of extra credit. Get “Proof of V isit” form signed by your tutor or a business card from the librarian and attach it with your final copy via Canvas (consider taking a photo and attaching it as a jpeg in case you don’t have a scanner).