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Health issues: Cause and effect

Activity 3 · Hay fever, asthma, sunburn, dehydration, food poisoning and stress

The following activities are based on the audio recording titled Hay Fever Audio Recording.

Listen to the audio (opens in a pop-up window)

Most health problems follow a chain: something starts it (the cause), the body reacts, and you notice the result (the effect). In these six tasks you will put chains in order, match causes with effects, practise linking words and write your own sentences. Choose your answers from the drop-down lists.

Commas with linking words

Where the linking word is in the sentence decides whether you need a comma.

In the middle of the sentence: no comma.

He got a headache because he drank too little water.

At the beginning of the sentence: use a comma. Put it after the first part, before the second.

Because he drank too little water, he got a headache.

Linking phrases like “As a result,” and “Consequently,” start a new sentence and are followed by a comma.

He drank too little water. Consequently, he got a headache.