WRITING

GRAMMAR FOR WRITING

EXPLANATION

Cause and effect

When we write a ‘cause and effect’ essay, we need certain phrases to show the
relationship between the causes of the problem and its effects. Look at the
sentences below.

cause linking word or phrase effect

leads to
habitat
Deforestation causes
destruction.
results in

effect linking word or phrase cause

caused by
Habitat
due to deforestation.
destruction is
the result of

ONLINE 1 Using the information from your ideas maps in the Critical thinking
section on page 97, complete the flow charts by adding linking words.
More than one answer is possible. The first one has been done for you as
an example.

Global warming Melting glaciers are

(1) leads to (3)

higher temperatures, and higher temperatures, which are

(2) (4)

melting glaciers. global warming.

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 ENVIRONMENT UNIT 5

2 Complete the sentences using one linking word.

1 Deforestation in animal extinction and loss
of biodiversity.
2 Demand for food and energy are expected to rise
to the increase in the population.
3 Burning fossil fuels an increase in CO2 in the
atmosphere.
4 Flooding, heat waves and other extreme weather are all
by climate change.
5 Reducing livestock on farms may in lower
greenhouse gas emissions.
6 Submerged islands could be the of rising
sea levels.
7 Droughts will to forest fires and further
emission of carbon dioxide.
EXPLANATION

Using because and because of

because is a conjunction that introduces a reason. This usually contains a subject,
a verb and an object.
The environment is changing because humans are burning fossil fuels.
because of is a two-word preposition meaning as a result of. It is followed by a
noun phrase (made up of articles, adjectives and nouns).
The climate is changing because of human activity.

3 Complete the sentences using because or because of.

1 Rising sea levels are a potential problem flooding.
2 A loss of biodiversity will be problematic it will limit
new sources of food and medicine.
3 Humans are the cause of climate change
deforestation and burning fossil fuels.
4 Low-lying islands may be submerged rising sea levels.
5 Animal extinction rates are increasing habitat is being
destroyed.
6 People are now more interested in climate change
recent droughts.
7 The climate is changing human activity.

READING AND WRITING SKILLS 3 WRITING 99

 ACADEMIC WRITING SKILLS
EXPLANATION Topic sentences
A topic sentence is usually the first sentence in a paragraph. It introduces the
topic of the paragraph and links back to the main topic of the essay. We can use
a general statement, or we can include the topics of the supporting sentences.
Notice that both kinds of topic sentence refer to the main essay topic.
Using a general statement
a Human activity is causing the environment to change in a number
of ways.
b The environment is changing in three main ways.

Including the topics of the supporting sentences

c Humans are the cause of climate change because of deforestation and
burning fossil fuels.
d Rising temperatures, loss of biodiversity and rising sea levels are the
main results of climate change.

1 Look at the topic sentences (a–d) in the box above and answer the
questions.
1 Which sentences introduce paragraphs about the causes
of climate change?
2 Which sentences introduce paragraphs about the effects
of climate change?
3 How many supporting sentences will the paragraph for
sentence c have?
4 How many supporting sentences will the paragraph for
sentence d have?
2 Complete the sentences using ideas from the Critical thinking section on
page 97 and information in the box above.
1 , and are the
most obvious causes of climate change.
2 There are many effects of climate change including
and .
3 The environment is being affected in .
4 and will probably be the main
results of a change in the climate.
5 Humans are to blame for changing the climate in .

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 ENVIRONMENT UNIT 5

WRITING TASK
Outline the human causes of climate change. What effects will these have ONLINE
on the planet?

1 Read the introduction and conclusion below. Then write two paragraphs:
WRITE A
one about the human causes of climate change and another about the
FIRST DRAFT
effects.

Human activity is having a major effect on the environment, which

will cause many problems for human and animal life in the future. This
essay will set out the main causes of climate change and the effects of
human activity on the environment.

Human activity is clearly causing the climate to change and, as a result,

this is having a number of effects on the planet. It is important that we
try to reduce our negative impact on the planet as much as possible –
for example, by using renewable energy instead of fossil fuels – before
it is too late.

READING AND WRITING SKILLS 3 WRITING 101

 2 Use the task checklist to review your paragraphs for content and
EDIT
structure.

TASK CHECKLIST ✔
Have you included a number of causes and effects from your
notes in the Critical thinking section?

Have you used a suitable topic sentence for each paragraph?

Does the topic sentence link back to the main essay topic?

3 Make any necessary changes to your paragraphs.

4 Now use the language checklist to edit your paragraphs for language
errors which are common to B1 learners.

LANGUAGE CHECKLIST ✔
Have you used the correct collocations for the environment?

Have you used lead to, due to, cause, result, because and
because of correctly?

Have you used the correct tenses, nouns and adjectives?

5 Make any necessary changes to your paragraphs.

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 ENVIRONMENT UNIT 5

OBJECTIVES REVIEW
6 Check your objectives.

I can …
watch and understand
a video about global very not very
warming well well

scan to find detailed

pieces of information very not very
quickly well well

write a topic sentence

very not very
well well

write two cause–effect

paragraphs very not very
well well

WORDLIST
UNIT VOCABULARY ACADEMIC VOCABULARY
biodiversity (n) annual (adj)
climate change (n) area (n)
consequence (n) cause (v)
deforestation (n) challenge (n)
drought (n) decade (n)
emission (n) effect (n)
erosion (n) issue (n)
flood (n) the environment (n)
fossil fuel (n) trend (n)
glacier (n) predict (v)
global warming (n)
graze (v)
greenhouse gas (n)
submerge (v)
subsistence farming (n)

READING AND WRITING SKILLS 3 WRITING 103