50 Cause and Effect Journal Prompts
Dr. Richard Nordquist is professor emeritus of rhetoric and English at Georgia Southern University and the author of several university-level grammar and composition textbooks.
Updated on June 23, 2019
When we ask the question "Why?" about a subject, we usually begin to explore its causes. When we ask "So what?" we consider the effects. Cause-and-effect writing involves drawing connections between events, actions, or conditions so as to achieve a clearer understanding of the subject.
Whether we choose to focus on causes (the reasons for something) or on effects (the consequences of something) depends on our subject and our purpose for writing. In practice, however, the relation of cause to effect is often so close that one can't be considered independently of the other.
You'll find that some of the following topic suggestions emphasize causes while others focus on effects, but keep in mind that these two approaches are closely related and not always easy to tell apart.
50 Writing Prompts: Causes and Effects
- The effect of a parent, teacher, or friend on your life
- Why you selected your major
- The effects of cramming for an examination
- The effects of peer pressure
- Why some students cheat
- The effects on children of a broken marriage
- The effects of poverty on an individual
- Why one college course is more rewarding than another
- Why many people don't bother to vote in local elections
- Why more and more students are taking online classes
- The effects of racial, sexual, or religious discrimination
- Why people exercise
- Why people keep pets
- The effects of computers on our everyday lives
- The downside of smartphones
- The environmental effects of bottled water
- Why reality shows are so popular
- The effects of pressures on students to get good grades
- The effects of a coach or teammate on your life
- The effects of not keeping a personal budget
- The causes of noise (or air or water) pollution
- The effects of noise (or air or water) pollution
- Why so few students read newspapers
- Why many Americans prefer foreign-built cars
- Why many adults enjoy animated movies
- Why baseball is no longer the national pastime
- The effects of stress on students in high school or college
- The effects of moving to a new town or city
- Why sales of DVDs are declining
- Why growing numbers of people shop online
- The effects of the rapid increase in the cost of going to college
- Why students drop out of high school or college
- Why college mathematics (or any other subject) is so difficult
- Why some roommates don't get along
- Why adults have more fun than children on Halloween
- Why so many people eat junk food
- Why many children run away from home
- The long-term effects of unemployment on a person
- The influence of a book or a movie on your life
- The effects of music downloading on the music industry
- Why texting has become such a popular means of communication
- The effects of working while attending school or college
- Why workers in fast food restaurants often have low morale
- The effects of not getting enough sleep
- Why increasing numbers of children are overweight
- Why TV shows and movies about zombies are so popular
- Why bicycles are the best form of transportation
- The effects of video games on young children
- The causes of homelessness in your community
- The causes of eating disorders among young people