Unit 10 · Global Challenges & Change · Lesson 46
Big Issues
Learn to link cause and effect using structures like 'owing to', 'as a result' and 'consequently'. You'll analyse a global issue at B2+.
Warm-up · §1
5 minGet talking
Which global issue do you think about most — and least — in your daily life?
One local problem you'd trace to a global cause. Explain the chain.
How do you actually get news: apps, radio, family, social feeds? Trust level 1–10.
Grammar focus · §2
8–10 minCause and effect — the full toolkit
Quick rule
CAUSE first, EFFECT after → 'owing to / due to / because of' + noun. EFFECT first, CAUSE after → 'as a result / consequently / therefore'.
Pattern builder
Cause + noun
owing to / due to / because of + noun
e.g. Owing to poor planning, delays continued.
Cause + clause
because / since / as + clause
e.g. Since costs rose sharply, the project stalled.
Effect linker
as a result / consequently / therefore / hence
e.g. Wages stagnated. Consequently, savings fell.
Explanatory
which is why / the reason (why) …is that
e.g. Rents outpaced wages, which is why many people are stuck at home.
Compare
| Cause first | Effect first | Register |
|---|---|---|
| Because / since | So / that's why | Informal / neutral |
| Owing to / due to | As a result / consequently | Formal / academic |
| Thanks to (positive) | Hence / therefore | Positive cause / formal effect |
Examples
- →
Owing to rising sea levels, low-lying regions are being displaced.
- →
The reforms failed, largely due to weak enforcement.
- →
There was no clear plan; as a result, the project stalled.
- →
Costs doubled overnight. Consequently, the policy was reversed.
- →
The reason (why) many young people can't afford housing is that wages have not kept up with rents.
Common mistakes
Owing to costs rose sharply, the project stalled.
✓ Owing to a sharp rise in costs, the project stalled.
'Owing to' + noun phrase, not a clause. Use 'because' or 'since' for a clause.
As a result of, the project stalled.
✓ As a result, the project stalled. / As a result of the delay, the project stalled.
'As a result' stands alone; 'as a result of' needs a noun after it.
Consequently the project stalled because of costs.
✓ Costs rose sharply; consequently, the project stalled.
Don't stack cause and effect linkers in the same clause.
Natural English
In academic writing, 'owing to' and 'due to' are often interchangeable, but the safest rule: 'due to' after 'be' (The delay was due to X), 'owing to' at the start of a clause (Owing to X, the delay…).
Deep dive (full explanation)
B2+ writers link causes and effects with a wider range than 'because'. Choose between causal (owing to, due to, thanks to) and consequential (as a result, consequently, therefore) forms — plus the more advanced 'which is why', 'the reason (why)…is that'.
Question 1.'Costs rose sharply. ___, the project stalled.'
Question 2.'___ rising sea levels, low-lying regions are being displaced.'
Question 3.'The reason many young people can't afford housing ___ that wages haven't kept up.'
Question 4.'Wages stagnated. ___, savings fell.'
Question 5.Which is WRONG?
Build the sentence → spot the natural chunks → say it aloud → reply like a real conversation.
1.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
2.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
Quick check 1.'Costs rose sharply. ___, the project stalled.'
Quick check 2.'___ rising sea levels, low-lying regions are being displaced.'
Vocabulary · §3
5–7 minWords & phrases to own
inequality
unequal distribution of resources or opportunities.
displacement
being forced to leave your home.
sustainability
meeting needs without harming the future.
food security
reliable access to enough affordable food.
conflict
serious disagreement, often violent.
aid
help (usually money, food, expertise) given to people in need.
policy
a course of action agreed by a government or organisation.
reform
a change made to improve a system.
root cause
the deepest underlying reason.
knock-on effect
an indirect result of an action.
vulnerable
easily harmed by external forces.
resilience
the ability to recover from difficulty.
Activate it now
Use each word about a real issue you follow.
- Make it yours#1
Which issue affects your daily life most directly? Explain the chain.
knock-on effectroot cause - Your view#2
Aid: essential response or a system that traps people? Defend a side.
aidvulnerable - Rank#3
Rank hardest to solve: inequality, climate, conflict, food security, displacement.
inequalityconflictfood securitydisplacement - Complete#4
Finish: 'One policy I'd change tomorrow is ___ because ___.'
policyreform - Discuss#5
Is 'resilience' a useful goal or a way of asking people to endure the unfair?
resiliencesustainability
Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.
Pronunciation · §4
3–4 minWeak forms in linkers
Linkers weaken heavily in speech: 'owing to' → OH-wing-tuh; 'due to' → JOO-tuh; 'as a result' → az-uh-ri-ZULT; 'consequently' → CON-suh-kwuntly (stress on first syllable).
- OH-wing-tuh rising costs
- JOO-tuh weak planning
- az-uh-ri-ZULT, savings fell
- CON-suh-kwuntly, the policy was reversed
- HENCE the sharp drop
Reading · §5
8–10 minThe Same Storm, Different Boats
Listen to the passage
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
'We're all in the same storm, but not in the same boat.' The line, from a pandemic-era social post, keeps being right. Global challenges — climate, conflict, inequality, food security — hit everyone, but their weight lands unevenly. Owing to accidents of geography, wealth and passport, some people ride out a crisis on a cruise ship while others are clinging to a plank. Take climate. The countries producing the least emissions are, statistically, the ones being displaced first. Owing to rising sea levels and stronger storms, whole coastal communities are already relocating. The root cause is decades of choices made largely elsewhere; the knock-on effects — lost land, migration, conflict over resources — are being felt where the choices weren't made. Good policy tries to close that gap. Aid can help; reforms in trade and debt can help more. But the most lasting response is resilience — building systems that vulnerable communities can lead themselves, rather than depend on. The reason so many aid programmes fail is that they treat symptoms and leave the root cause untouched. Big issues can feel too big to think about. The useful move is smaller: pick one, learn the chain of cause and effect, and follow it long enough to speak about it seriously.
Question 1.Which countries are being displaced first by climate?
Question 2.What is the root cause described?
Question 3.What is the most lasting response according to the writer?
Question 4.The writer's advice on 'big issues'?
Q1.The writer says global challenges hit everyone equally.
Q2.The writer says aid programmes often fail because they treat symptoms, not root causes.
Q3.The writer recommends learning one issue in depth.
Listening · §6
8–10 minA short panel discussion (about 1:30)
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Show transcript
Chair:Let's start with climate migration. What's actually driving it?
Nia:Rising seas, longer droughts, stronger storms. Owing to those, coastal communities are already moving.
Chair:And the root cause?
Nia:Decades of emissions from wealthy economies. The knock-on effects — food insecurity, conflict — hit poorer regions first.
Chair:Does aid help?
Rafa:It helps in emergencies. But the reason so many programmes fail is that they treat symptoms.
Chair:So what works?
Rafa:Reform. Trade, debt, land rights. Consequently, local systems can actually build resilience.
Chair:Optimistic or not?
Nia:Cautiously. The politics are hard. The economics are getting easier.
Question 1.According to Nia, what is driving climate migration?
Question 2.Who feels the knock-on effects first?
Question 3.Why does Rafa say programmes fail?
Question 4.What does Rafa recommend?
Exam skills · §7
5 minStrategy focus — Cause & effect essays in Writing Part 2
Task
Weak essays repeat 'because' six times. Strong essays alternate cause structures with effect structures.
Strategy
Per paragraph, use ONE cause linker + ONE effect linker: 'Owing to X, Y is happening. As a result, Z.' Vary in the next paragraph with 'The reason why…is that…' + 'Consequently…'.
Example
Owing to decades of high emissions from wealthy economies, low-lying regions are experiencing displacement at unprecedented speed. As a result, entire coastal communities are being forced to relocate — often to countries with limited resources to receive them.
Practice · §8
8–10 minFill in the blank
Question 1.Costs rose sharply. ___, the project stalled.
Question 2.___ rising sea levels, low-lying regions are being displaced.
Question 3.The deepest underlying reason = the ___ cause.
Question 4.An indirect result of an action = a ___-on effect.
Question 5.The ability to recover from difficulty = ___.
Question 6.Reliable access to enough affordable food = food ___.
Q1.Fill: 'O___ to rising costs, the plan collapsed.' (formal cause + noun)
Q2.Fill: 'Wages stagnated; c___, savings fell.' (formal effect)
Q3.'Being forced to leave your home' = d___.
Writing · §9
5 minPut it in writing
Your task
Write a 140–180 word paragraph on ONE global issue of your choice. Use at least TWO cause structures and TWO effect structures, plus FIVE items of global issue vocabulary.
Your answer
Show model answer
Global food insecurity is often described as a supply problem. In reality, it's largely a distribution problem — one made worse by climate shocks and conflict. Owing to increasingly unpredictable rainfall, harvests in several major food-producing regions are becoming less reliable. As a result, prices spike, and low-income households cut back first, often on the most nutritious foods. The root cause is deeper than any single failed harvest. It sits at the intersection of climate change, trade policy, and inequality. Consequently, technical fixes — more fertiliser, better seeds — only ever cover half the problem. Aid can bridge emergencies, but the reason so many programmes fail long-term is that they treat symptoms and leave the underlying policy untouched. What works is reform: fairer trade rules, local storage, land rights, and investment in resilient farming systems that vulnerable communities lead themselves. Hence the shift, in serious policy circles, from 'sending food' to 'building the system that grows it'.
Speaking · §10
10–15 minMake it a real conversation
ROLEPLAY — Speaking on a panel. Your teacher/partner asks: 'What's really driving [issue of your choice]?' Answer in 60–90 seconds using TWO cause structures, TWO effect structures and FIVE global-issue vocabulary items.
Useful phrases
- • Owing to ___
- • The root cause is ___
- • As a result, ___
- • Consequently, ___
- • The knock-on effects include ___
- • The reason so many programmes fail is that ___
- InterviewerWhat's actually driving climate migration?
- You_______________
- InterviewerSo does aid help?
- You_______________
- InterviewerOptimistic or not?
- You_______________
Optional · Teacher-led
Teacher Activities
Optional group extensions. ~20 min total
Homework · §11
Take-homeTake it home
Write a 150-word paragraph on any global issue using two cause + two effect structures.
Record a 90-second voice note explaining one root cause / knock-on chain for an issue you follow.
Write true sentences with: inequality, displacement, root cause, knock-on effect, resilience, reform.
Watch a 3-minute news analysis and note two cause + two effect linkers.
Recap · §12
2–3 minWhat you've learned
- You can use owing to, due to, as a result, consequently, hence.
- You can talk about global challenges with B2+ vocabulary.
- You can trace root causes to knock-on effects.
- You're ready for Lesson 47 — 'Voices of Change'.