We just looked at some structures for cause that are sophisticated. Let’s now look at some structures for effect that are sophisticated.
Here is our chart:
Let’s look at each structure.
Fanboys. The fanboys is “so.” If the first sentence is short, you don’t have to add a comma. It is not wrong to put a comma but if the first sentence is short, it’s not necessary.
Advertisements equate high prices with effectiveness so consumers end up buying more expensive brands.
Transitions. Using a transition isn’t sophisticated but moving it is. The most popular place is to move in the middle of the sentence and remember you need 2 commas.
Let’s look at two examples:
1.Advertisements equate high prices with effectiveness. As a result, consumers end up buying more expensive brands.
Here is one possible answer:
Advertisements equate high prices with effectiveness. Consumers end up, as a result, buying more expensive brands.
Please don’t delete the period between the 2 sentences because that would create a run-on.
2.Advertisements often show beautiful people. Therefore, consumers believe the products will make them beautiful, too.
Here is one possible answer:
Advertisements often show beautiful people. Consumers believe the products, therefore, will make them beautiful, too.
Reduce 2 sentences. Here we can reduce. Let’s reduce the 2nd sentence. Do you remember the rules? The first rule is the same subject and the second rule is to be or not to be. Now we usually put the comma where the period is. If we have “so,” we delete it and add a comma where the “so” was.
WITH SO.
1.Most solar panels have no moving parts so they lower maintenance costs.
You have the same subjects.
The verb is not to be. You need to change the verb to “ing.” You always delete that subject.
Then delete the “so” and add a comma where the “so” was.
Here is the answer: Most solar panels have no moving parts, lowering maintenance costs.
2.Ice will decrease the blood flow to the injury so ice decreases inflammation and swelling.
You have the same subjects.
The verb is not to be. You need to change the verb to “ing.” You always delete that subject.
Then delete the “so” and add a comma where the “so” was.
Here is the answer: Ice will decrease the blood flow to the injury, decreasing inflammation and swelling.
WITH A TRANSITION. This type of reduction is only really used for transitions of effect. The transitions we use are “therefore, thus and thereby.”
1.Most solar panels have no moving parts. Therefore, they lower maintenance costs.
You have the same subjects.
The verb is not to be. You need to change the verb to “ing.” You always delete that subject.
Then delete the period and add a comma where the period is. KEEP the transition.
Here is the answer: Most solar panels have no moving parts, therefore lowering maintenance costs.
2.Ice will decrease the blood flow to the injury. Therefore, Ice decreases inflammation and swelling.
You have the same subjects.
The verb is not to be. You need to change the verb to “ing.” You always delete that subject.
Then delete the period and add a comma where the period is. KEEP the transition.
Here is the answer: Ice will decrease the blood flow to the injury, therefore decreasing inflammation and swelling.
Adverb Phrases. This structure has the same grammar as “because of.” See adverb phrase lesson.
Let’s do a little practice.
1.The government wants to make sure that every child gets a good education so it has a policy that primary schools and middle schools should be free for children.
Add a transition.
Move a transition.
Reduce 2 sentences with so.
Reduce 2 sentences with therefore.
Add an adverb phrase (as a result of).
2. Every city is separated into several districts and only one school is in the same district with the child’s family so the policy doesn’t work.
Add a transition.
Move a transition.
Reduce 2 sentences with so. (You can’t do it because the subjects are not the same).
Reduce 2 sentences with therefore. (You can’t do it because the subjects are not the same).
Add an adverb phrase (as a result of).
In our next lesson, we will look at both cause and effect structures and add them to the grammar of our writing by applying them to paragraphs.