Cause and effect CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH VOCABULARY IN USE ADVANCED

CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH VOCABULARY IN USE ADVANCED

UNIT 67

Cause and effect

A

‘Cause’ verbs and their collocations The differences between these verbs are best learnt by observing their typical collocations. Cause usually collocates with negative results and situations. The new computer system has caused us a lot of problems. His stomach cancer was caused by exposure to radiation. Produce is more neutral, and deals with more concrete results. It is used in formal contexts. Scientists can produce statistics and figures that can prove almost anything. Cooking the dish for a long time at a very low heat produces the best results. While cause usually collocates with negative situations, give can be used for positive or negative ones. Give is less formal than cause. Our dog has given us a lot of pleasure over the years. This car is giving me so much trouble, I’m going to get rid of it Generate is often used in contexts where people are forced to do more than usual, and in computer contexts. It sometimes has a rather negative feel. It is used in formal contexts. It’s going to be difficult to generate sufficient interest in the project. The government will have to generate the extra funds somehow or other. Language help Cause and give are often used for things happening without people doing anything, e.g. The hurricane caused terrible damage. Produce and generate usually suggest some sort of intervention by people, e.g. His presentation generated a lot of interest in the project.

B

Other ‘cause’ words The news provoked a feeling of despair in everyone. The events precipitated / sparked a political crisis. [quickly, suddenly caused] The invention of the car brought about great changes in society. [gradually produced] Your action has resulted in a formal complaint from a member of the public. [produced] His problems stem from his difficult childhood. [be a result of] Have you any grounds for suspecting him? [cause, reason] The proposal has implications for traffic in the area. [is likely to cause certain results] My argument is based on the available data. [has been developed as a result of = the available data provide the basis for my argument]

EXERCISES

67.1	Decide which verb from the opposite page best fits each gap. There may be more than one possible answer. 1 The decision by the government to relax the regulations has ___________ a lot of investment in the poorer regions. 2 We need to___________  a list of names and addresses by six o’clock tonight. 3 Her death was ___________ by a sign falling from a shop front in the heavy winds. 4 The Governor’s remarks almost ___________ a full-scale war between the two regions. 5 His stupidity ___________ in none of us being able to get home that night. 6 Your letters have ___________ me so much pleasure. Please don’t stop writing them. 7 The book ___________ a lot of anger amongst female readers. 8 I don’t necessarily want to ___________ a crisis, but I have some bad news to tell you all.
67.2	A preposition is missing from each of these sentences. Add it in the correct place 1 I have good grounds believing that he is lying. 2 My suspicions are based what I saw with my own eyes. 3 The government’s decision has serious implications the economy. 4 His fear of flying stems a film he once saw. 5 I’m glad to say that all her hard work has resulted success. 6 The riots will probably bring a change of government. 7 A considerable amount of damage was caused the tornado.
67.3	Rewrite these sentences using the word in brackets. 1 Because of the crash on the motorway, all traffic is being severely delayed. (caused) 2 Thanks to your advice, we got there on time. (resulted) 3 There is a lot of interest in the minister’s comments about tax law. (generated) 4 She has many problems now as a consequence of her previous poor decisions. (stem) 5 There were many flight cancellations because of bad weather. (brought)
67.4	Use any of the words and expressions from the opposite page to connect the events in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column, as shown.
67.5	Over to you Write sentences about something in your life which has: • caused you a lot of problems.  • given you a lot of happiness. • provoked a feeling of anger in you. • resulted in embarrassment for you. • brought about a change in your life.

ANSWER KEY

67.1 1 C 2 B 3 D 4 C (accelerate is not normally used for people) 5 B 6 D 7 D 8 B 9 B 10 A 67.2 1 I have good grounds for believing that he is lying. 2 My suspicions are based on what I saw with my own eyes. 3 The government’s decision has serious implications for the economy. 4 His fear of flying stems from a film he once saw. 5 I’m glad to say that all her hard work has resulted in success. 6 The riots will probably bring about a change of government. 7 A considerable amount of damage was caused by the tornado. 67.3 Suggested answers: 1 The crash on the motorway has caused all traffic to be severely delayed. 2 Your advice resulted in our getting there on time. 3 The minister’s comments about tax law have generated a lot of interest. 4 Her many problems stem from her previous poor decisions. 5 The bad weather brought about many flight cancellations. 67.4 Possible answers: 2 The higher taxes have sparked off riots in three cities. 3 Icy roads have caused a number of serious accidents this week. 4 My old car has caused me / given me endless problems and involved me in a lot of expense. 5 This software can generate stunning images and graphics. 6 Jealousy caused the break-up of his marriage.