In an explanation paragraph, you need to explain how or why something happens. Very often in social studies class, you will be asked to explore causes and effects of certain events.
Example: Write a paragraph explaining why so many Europeans moved to Canada during the nineteenth century.
The following words can help you to write a good explanation paragraph:
Cause | Effect |
because | therefore |
since | thus |
as a result of | consequently |
is due to | hence |
it follows that | |
if . . . then |
because
Example: People moved to Canada from Europe during the nineteenth century because they had poor living conditions in Europe.
since
Example: Since living conditions in Europe were terrible, many people moved to Canada.
as a result of
Example: People moved to Canada from Europe as a result of poor living conditions in Europe.
Effect
hence
Example: Living conditions were terrible in Europe. Hence, many people moved to Canada.