In a cause-and-effect statement, if heavy rainfall leads to flooding, what is the effect?

In a cause-and-effect statement, if heavy rainfall leads to flooding, what is the effect?

• A. Heavy rainfall
• B. Flooding
• C. Drought
• D. Tornado

Answer: (B)

In a cause-and-effect statement, the effect is the outcome that happens because of the cause. The phrase "leads to" signals that what follows is the result. So in the statement where heavy rainfall leads to flooding, flooding is the effect—the result of the heavy rainfall. The other options don’t fit as the effect: heavy rainfall is the cause, not the outcome; drought would be a lack of rain, not an immediate result of heavy rain; and a tornado is a different type of weather event not implied by this direct cause-and-effect link. Therefore, flooding is the effect.

In a cause-and-effect statement, the effect is the outcome that happens because of the cause. The phrase "leads to" signals that what follows is the result. So in the statement where heavy rainfall leads to flooding, flooding is the effect—the result of the heavy rainfall. The other options don’t fit as the effect: heavy rainfall is the cause, not the outcome; drought would be a lack of rain, not an immediate result of heavy rain; and a tornado is a different type of weather event not implied by this direct cause-and-effect link. Therefore, flooding is the effect.