LESSON 3: WRITING

Cause Paragraph

Getting started
a. How has social media changed the way people establish and maintain
relationships?

Positive Negative

b. Watch this video to check your answer. What causes of those problems are
listed?

Activity You are going to write a paragraph on the topic below. In groups, discuss
1: with your
friends and complete the table.

Nowadays, many young people find it difficult to build strong relationships.

What are the causes of this issue?

Direct causes Indirect causes

EXAM NOTE 1 Direct and indirect causes 35

1. Direct Causes:
Activity Read the text below about one reason why many young people find it
2:
difficult to build strong relationships. Pay attention to the phrases in bold.
Categorize them into phrases that talk about causes and phrases that talk
about effec

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How Social Media Weakens Young People’s Relationships
In today’s digital world, many young people struggle to build strong relationships,
largely due to the influence of social media. While these platforms provide ways to
stay in touch, they often replace deep and meaningful connections with superficial
interactions. As a result, young people face difficulties in forming and maintaining
close relationships.
Social media discourages face-to-face communication. Since many young people
rely on messaging apps and social networks to communicate, they spend less time
engaging in real conversations. This, in turn, weakens their social skills, which
causes difficulty in expressing emotions or maintain long-lasting bonds. Because of
this lack of practice, they may feel awkward or uncomfortable in real-life interactions.
Additionally, social media creates unrealistic expectations of relationships. Owing
to the highly idealized content people share online, young users may develop
distorted views of friendships and romantic relationships. As a consequence,
they might compare their own relationships to unrealistic versions they see online,
leading to disappointment and dissatisfaction.

Cause Effect

Cause Phrases Effect Phrases

Due to + noun, clause. As a result, clause.
Owing to + noun, clause. As a consequence, clause.
Because of + noun, clause. Therefore, clause.
Since clause, clause. Consequently, clause.
Because clause, clause. Clause, which causes + noun.
Given that clause, clause. Clause, leading to + noun.
As clause, clause. Thus, clause.

Activity
3:
[Link] the correct linking word (because, so, as a result, therefore) to
complete the
sentences.
1. People see perfect photos on social media, they feel
insecure. 2 People feel insecure, they see

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perfect photos on social media.
3. Social media encourages constant comparison, relationships can become
weaker.
4. Many people misunderstand each other online, conflicts often happen.
5. Social media leads to jealousy and insecurity; it negatively affects friendships.
6. People spend less time in face-to-face interactions, their real-life connections
suffer.

3.2. Use the given phrases to connect the two sentences.

1. Many people use texting instead of talking in person. They struggle with
face-to-face communication. (Due to)
→

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2. Social media makes friendships seem perfect. Many users feel dissatisfied with
their own relationships. (As a result,)
→

3. Young people constantly check their phones. They have fewer meaningful
conversations.
(Because)
→

4. Social media encourages instant responses. Many people find it hard to have deep
discussions.
(In turn,)
→

5. People compare their lives to influencers. They feel insecure about their own
relationships.
(…which causes…)
→

6. Many users see only happy moments on social media. They believe their lives are less
exciting.
(Owing to)
→

7. Online conversations lack body language. It is easier for misunderstandings to

happen.
(…leading to…)
→

[Link] media allows people to stay connected over long distances. Some rely too
much on virtual relationships instead of real-life interactions. (As a consequence,)
→

[Link] young people avoid talking about their emotions in person. They become less
comfortable expressing feelings. (Since)
→

10. Social media creates unrealistic expectations for love and friendships.
They feel disappointed when reality does not match. (Because of)
→

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 Cause Phrases Effect Phrases
Due to + noun, clause. As a result, clause.
Owing to + noun, clause. As a consequence, clause.
Because of + noun, clause. Therefore, clause.
Since clause, clause. Consequently, clause.
Because clause, clause. Clause, which causes + noun.
Given that clause, clause. Clause, leading to + noun.
As clause, clause. Thus, clause.

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Activity Read the paragraph below. Match each sentence of the paragraph with its
4: purpose.

Nowadays, many young people find it difficult to build strong relationships.

What are the causes of this issue?

Paragraph Function

The challenge many young people today have with building strong
relationships can be attributed to several factors.

First, since they spend a significant amount of time on social

media, many young people communicate by texting and online
messaging rather than in- person interactions.

For example, many young people lack confidence when talking

face-to-face, as they are used to communicating through short
messages or emojis.

As a result, their social skills become weaker, making it harder for

them to share their feelings or keep close friends.

Another reason is that due to work and school, many individuals

prioritize their careers and personal goals over relationships.

As a consequence, friendships and family relationships may weaken

over time, leading to feelings of isolation.

For example, professionals who work long hours often struggle to

maintain friendships, as they rarely have opportunities to socialize
and form deep connections with others outside their job.

These examples show that social media and modern lifestyles both
make it harder for young people to build strong relationships.

A. Example for the first cause E. Topic sentence (main idea of the
B. Introduce the second cause and paragraph)
reasoning F. Effect of the second cause
C. Effect of the first cause G. Introduce the first cause and reasoning
[Link] for the second cause H. Summary or conclusion

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Activity
5:
5.1. Read the sentences below. Decide if each one is formal or informal.
Write F (Formal) or I (Informal).

1. Social media makes people feel bad because they see all the perfect
stuff their
friends post.
2. Social media negatively affects relationships because it encourages
people to
compare themselves with others, leading to feelings of jealousy and
insecurity.
3. People get super annoyed when their friends ignore their texts on social
media.
4. This constant comparison damages self-esteem and weakens
friendships.
5. Most people on social media just post the cool parts of their lives,
which can make
others feel left out.
6. On social platforms, people usually share only the best parts of their lives,
which can
make their friends feel inadequate or left out.
7. It’s super easy to have fights online because people don’t get your tone.
8. Since most communication happens through short texts or comments, it
is easy to
misinterpret the tone or meaning of a message.
9. This lack of clear communication can lead to unnecessary conflicts
and EXAM
strain NOTE 4 Identifying Formal and Informal Writing
relationships.
Formal Writing is used in academic essays, reports, and professional
10. People freak outItwhen
communication. they
follows getgrammar
strict left on read.
rules and uses precise vocabulary.
Informal Writing is used in everyday conversations, text messages, and
casual emails. It has a relaxed tone and may include slang or contractions.

Formal Writing Informal Writing

Uses academic vocabulary (negatively Uses simple words and slang (feel
affects, misinterpret, inadequate). bad, cool parts, freak out).
Avoids slang and casual phrases
(super
annoyed, freak out).
No contractions (it is instead of it’s). Includes contractions (it’s, don’t).
Sentences are structured and use Sentences are often shorter or more
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 linking casual
words (because, as a result). in tone.

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5.2. Now, rewrite the informal sentences below in a formal style, using what you
learned from the examples.
1. Social media makes people feel bad because they see all the perfect stuff their
friends post.
→
2. People get super annoyed when their friends ignore their texts on social media.
→
3. Most people on social media just post the cool parts of their lives, which can
make others feel left out.
→
4. It’s super easy to have fights online because people don’t get your tone.
→
5. People freak out when they get left on read.
→

Activity Read another paragraph discussing why young people find it hard to build
6: strong
relationships.
6.1. Discuss in groups, point out why the writing style is not appropriate for an
academic essay. These days, many young people have a hard time making strong
friendships, and there are a couple of big reasons why. First, social media makes
everything look perfect. People only show the best parts of their lives, so when young
people compare their own friendships to these pictures and videos, they feel
disappointed. They might wonder, “Why isn’t my life this fun?” For example, teenagers
see influencers always traveling, going to parties, and spending time with lots of
friends. Because of this, their own friendships might seem boring. As a result, they
stop putting in effort and start pulling away from their friends. Another reason is that
people focus more on work and personal goals than relationships. Since they spend so
much time studying or working, they don’t always make time for friends or family. For
example, many young adults move to different cities to find better jobs. When that
happens, they lose touch with old friends and don’t see their family as much. Over
time, their social group gets smaller, and it’s harder to make new connections. In
short, social media and busy life goals make it more difficult for young people to build
strong relationships.

Notes

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