How to Use Causality Correctly in Your Writing

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Organize your writing so that it becomes very clear what kind of cause-and-effect relationship exists between different elements of your argument.

LINEAR Causality

A is the reason why B happens; B is the reason why C happens; etc.

CORRECT WAY of using it:

A: A previously-public land is rezoned for upper-scale commercial development.

B: Land prices in that neighborhood skyrocket.

C: Property taxes of average homes go through the roof.

D: Older residents with fixed income cannot afford the higher taxes.

E. They start to sell their homes and move out.

F: The neighborhood’s demographic profile change with the influx of young affluent professionals with small kids.

INCORRECT CAUSALITY: When the older residents with fixed income started to sell their homes, the property taxes went through the roof. As a result, land prices rose and a previously-public land was rezoned for upper-scale commercial development.

ONE-TO-MANY Causality

A gives rise to B, C, etc. Without A, neither B nor C can exist.

CORRECT WAY of using it:

A: Discovery of atomic energy gave rise to…

B: Nuclear energy plants.

AND

C: Atomic bomb.

INCORRECT CAUSALITY: Atomic bomb gave rise to nuclear energy plants thanks to which atomic energy was discovered.

A: Invention of automobile gave rise to…

B: Suburbia since one could drive to work from many miles way.

AND

B. Our dependence on Middle Eastern oil.

AND

C. Drive-in movie theaters and drive-through fast food joints.

INCORRECT CAUSALITY: Since we have drive-in movie theaters and drive-through fast food joints, and since we import most of our oil from Middle East, we live in suburbia.

MANY-TO-ONE Causality

A and B together give rise to C. Unless BOTH A and B happen, C cannot exist.

CORRECT WAY of using it:

A: James survives two tours of duty.

AND

B: James is wounded badly while serving as a Marine.

Give rise to:

C: James becomes a vocal and credible advocate for the wounded veterans.

INCORRECT CAUSALITY: James became a vocal and credible advocate for the wounded veterans after which he served for two tours of duty.

A: An oxygen atom,

AND

B: Two Hydrogen atoms combine to create

C: A water molecule.

MANY-TO-MANY Causality is usually too complex to handle in writing. Try to break down such relationships into one of the above three cause-and-effect models.

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