Cause, Effect and Purpose

Triggers · Results · Intentions · Logical Flow

💡 Pro Tip: Trong IELTS Writing và Reading, việc xác định rõ Nguyên nhân (Cause), Kết quả (Effect), và Mục đích (Purpose) là cốt lõi để duy trì sự mạch lạc (Coherence). Hãy di chuột vào các từ in đậm màu cam để xem định nghĩa và cách dùng chính xác.

A. Verbs Describing Cause & Effect

Instead of constantly using "cause" or "make", academic English utilizes specific verbs to show how one event leads to another. These verbs often take specific prepositions.

Key Verbs:

Trigger: Often used for sudden, negative events (e.g., The strike triggered a political crisis.).
Generate: Often used for ideas, income, or heat (e.g., The project generated a lot of interest.).
Prompt: To cause someone to take action or cause something to happen (e.g., The accident prompted a review of safety protocols.).
Facilitate: To make something easier or more likely to happen (e.g., The new software facilitated faster communication.).
Account for: To explain or be the reason for (e.g., Bad weather accounted for the delay.).
Stem from: To originate from a specific source (e.g., Her anxiety stems from a childhood trauma.).

B. Nouns Describing Causes and Results

Using noun phrases helps make your writing more formal and objective.

🎯 Rationale (for): The underlying reason or logic (e.g., What is the rationale for this decision?).
🎭 Motivations: The reasons why someone acts a certain way (e.g., His primary motivation is financial gain.).
🌱 Origins: Where something began (e.g., The origins of the universe.).
🌊 Impact / Effect (on): The result or consequence (e.g., The policy had a major impact on the economy.).
⛓️ Consequence (of): The result of an action (e.g., A direct consequence of climate change.).

C. Expressing Purpose & Intention

When you want to explain why an action was taken, use these formal structures:

With the intention of (doing something): They launched the campaign with the intention of raising awareness.
With a view to (doing something): He bought the land with a view to building a hotel. (Note the gerund after 'to').
In pursuit of: Many people move to the city in pursuit of better jobs.
For the purpose of: The meeting was called for the purpose of discussing the budget.

✍️ Comprehensive Practice

Hệ thống bài tập tự động chấm điểm. Hoàn thành toàn bộ các ô trống trước khi nộp bài.

Exercise 16.1: Verb Selection

Academic Verbs

Choose the most appropriate verb from Section A to complete each sentence.

1. The sudden drop in stock prices (started/caused suddenly) a panic among investors.

2. The professor hopes her lecture will (create/produce) some interesting debate among the students.

3. His fear of dogs (originates/comes) from an incident when he was a child. (Use base form).

4. The university built a new library to (make easier) better research habits among students.

5. Can you (explain the reason) for the sudden disappearance of the funds?

Exercise 16.2: Prepositions of Cause and Effect

Grammar Accuracy

Fill in the correct preposition that follows these academic nouns and verbs.

1. To have a major impact the environment.

2. What is the rationale this new policy?

3. This problem stems directly bad management.

4. He moved to Hollywood in pursuit an acting career.

5. A negative consequence global warming is sea-level rise.

Exercise 16.3: Expressing Purpose

Sentence Transformation

Rewrite the sentences using the specific phrases for "purpose" from Section C. Pay attention to grammar (gerund vs noun).

1. She went to Paris to study art. (with the intention)
➔ She went to Paris with the of studying art.

2. He bought the old house hoping to renovate it. (with a view)
➔ He bought the old house with a to renovating it.

3. The machine is designed so that it can test water purity. (for the purpose)
➔ The machine is designed for the of testing water purity.

4. They worked overtime because they wanted to finish early. (in pursuit)
➔ They worked overtime in of an early finish.

Exercise 16.4: Identify the Error

Error Correction

Each sentence contains ONE error relating to the vocabulary from the lesson. Type the correct word/preposition in the box.

1. The new tax laws will generate a heavy impact on small businesses. ➔

2. Her success accounts to her dedication and hard work. ➔

3. He studied medicine with a view to become a doctor. ➔

4. The government failed to explain the rationale of cutting the education budget. ➔

Exercise 16.5: Academic Essay Integration

Reading Context

Read the essay paragraph and fill in the blanks using the words provided below.
Words to use: account, consequence, facilitated, intention, stems, triggered

The recent economic crisis was initially (1) by the collapse of the housing market. However, experts argue that the problem (2) from a much deeper issue: unregulated banking practices. These loose regulations (3) risky lending behavior over the course of a decade. When the market crashed, a direct (4) was widespread unemployment. Currently, the government has passed new laws with the (5) of stabilizing the economy, but they must first (6) for the billions of dollars lost during the panic.