Cause and Effect in Reading Quiz

Grade 3 · English · Quiz

Practice identifying cause and effect relationships in sentences and short passages.

Questions

1. Read this: 'Jake forgot his lunch, so he was hungry all afternoon.' What is the EFFECT?

   1. Jake forgot his lunch
   2. Jake went to school
   3. Jake was hungry all afternoon
   4. Jake ate breakfast
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   Answer: Jake was hungry all afternoon

   The word 'so' signals the effect. Jake forgetting his lunch (cause) led to him being hungry all afternoon (effect).

2. Which sentence shows a cause-and-effect relationship?

   1. The dog is brown and fluffy.
   2. Sara wore a blue dress.
   3. Since it was hot outside, they went swimming.
   4. The book has 200 pages.
   Show answer

   Answer: Since it was hot outside, they went swimming.

   'Since it was hot' (cause) led to 'they went swimming' (effect). The word 'since' is a signal that a cause follows.

3. In a cause-and-effect relationship, the effect always happens before the cause.

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   Answer: False

   The cause always comes FIRST — it is what makes the effect happen. The effect follows the cause.

4. Which question helps you find the CAUSE in a passage?

   1. What happened?
   2. Why did this happen?
   3. Where did this happen?
   4. Who was there?
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   Answer: Why did this happen?

   To find the cause, ask 'Why did this happen?' The answer to that question gives you the cause.

5. The phrase 'as a result' signals that what follows is the ________ of something that happened earlier.

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   Answer: effect

   'As a result' introduces the outcome — the effect — of something that already occurred.

6. Read this: 'Due to the heavy snow, school was closed and the roads were icy.' How many effects are shown?

   1. None
   2. One
   3. Two
   4. Three
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   Answer: Two

   The heavy snow is one cause with two effects: school closing AND icy roads.

7. Signal words like 'because' and 'therefore' help readers spot cause-and-effect relationships in a text.

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   Answer: True

   Signal words are the reader's biggest clue. 'Because' often introduces a cause; 'therefore,' 'so,' and 'as a result' often introduce effects.

8. A student reads: 'The plant died because nobody watered it.' What is the CAUSE?

   1. The plant died
   2. Nobody watered the plant
   3. The plant was old
   4. The weather was hot
   Show answer

   Answer: Nobody watered the plant

   The word 'because' signals the cause. 'Nobody watered the plant' is the reason (cause) the plant died (effect).

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