Questions: Cause and Effect in Plots

Question 1

What is a **cause** in a story?

• A. The ending of the story
• B. Why something happens
• C. A character's favorite food
• D. The title of the book

Answer: (B)

A cause is the reason something happens. The effect is what happens as a result.

Question 2

Every event in a story has a cause that made it happen.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: True

True. In well-told stories, things happen because of other things. Characters' actions lead to results.

Question 3

If a character is lost in the woods, what might be the cause?

• A. The author wanted to write something
• B. The character wandered off the path without paying attention
• C. The book is too long
• D. Nothing causes it—it just happens

Answer: (B)

Characters usually get lost because they made a choice (wandered off, weren't paying attention, etc.). That choice is the cause.

Question 4

Effects are always good things for the character.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: False

False. Effects can be good or bad. A character's action might have a positive effect or a negative effect.

Question 5

Tell a cause-and-effect chain from a story: What happened first, and what did it cause to happen next?

Model answer: Example: Cause: The main character didn't listen to a warning. Effect: They walked into danger. That caused another character to have to rescue them.

Good responses show understanding that events connect—one thing causes the next, creating the plot.