Find the Cause and Effect
Underline the cause with one line. Underline the effect with two lines. Circle the signal word.
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This is sheet #81224601.
How to do it
- Find the signal word and circle it.
- Underline the cause with one line.
- Underline the effect with two lines.
Teaching tip
Ask "Why did it happen?" for the cause and "What happened?" for the effect. This sheet is aligned with Common Core RI.3.2.
About this worksheet
Sentences with because, so and since. Underline the cause once and the effect twice.
What kids practice
The main idea is what a paragraph is mostly about, and details tell more about it. Cause and effect explains why something happened and what happened because of it. Point of view is who is telling the story. Third graders find each of these in what they read and separate their own point of view from a character's.
Watch for
- Picking one interesting detail as the main idea.
- Mixing up the cause and the effect, especially when the effect comes first in the sentence.
- Thinking a story is first person just because a character talks in quotes.
It's free to print, with Fewer, Standard or More on the page and an answer key. See the full main idea, cause and effect, point of view guide for 3rd grade.
More sheets in this set
- See it all
1. Main Idea, Cause and Effect ChartMain idea and details, cause and effect with signal words, and first and third person point of view. 
2. Pick the Main IdeaShort nonfiction paragraphs, each with three sentences to choose from.
3. Main Idea and DetailsRead a paragraph, then write the main idea and two details on handwriting lines.
4. Cause and Effect MatchCauses like "The power went out" to match with effects like "We used flashlights."
6. Who Is Telling the Story?Short passages told in first person or third person, with a clue word to write.
7. The Character and MeShort scenes where a character has an opinion. Write the character's view, then your own.