Cause and Effect — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. The town had a drought all summer. Farmers lost most of their crops. What signal word best connects these ideas?
A) but
B) or
C) therefore
D) before
The word 'therefore' connects the cause (drought) to the effect (farmers lost crops) by signaling a result.
2. Emma practiced her spelling words every night. She got a perfect score on the test. Which is the effect?
A) Emma practiced every night.
B) She got a perfect score.
C) The test was difficult.
D) Her mom helped her study.
The effect is what happened as a result. Getting a perfect score was the effect of practicing every night.
3. Which pair of sentences shows a cause and its effect? A) The dog was hungry. B) It rained on Tuesday. C) She filled the dog bowl. D) The park was crowded.
A) A and B
B) B and D
C) A and C
D) C and D
The dog being hungry (cause) led to someone filling the dog bowl (effect). The other options are unrelated events.
4. A story says: "Since the electricity went out, the family played board games by candlelight." What is the cause?
A) The family played board games.
B) They used candlelight.
C) The electricity went out.
D) They had fun together.
The cause is introduced by the signal word 'Since.' The electricity going out caused the family to play board games by candlelight.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. The volcano erupted, so ash covered the nearby villages.
The word 'so' signals the effect (ash covered villages) that followed the cause (volcano erupted).
2. Because the trail was muddy, the hikers wore their rain boots.
The word 'Because' introduces the cause (trail was muddy) that led to the effect (hikers wore rain boots).
3. The teacher explained the lesson twice. Therefore, everyone understood the topic.
The word 'Therefore' introduces the effect (everyone understood) caused by the teacher explaining twice.
4. He left the window open during the storm. As a result, the carpet got soaked.
The phrase 'As a result' signals the effect (carpet got soaked) caused by leaving the window open.
5. Since the concert was sold out, they watched it online instead.
The word 'Since' introduces the cause (concert sold out) that led to the effect (watched online instead).