What is a cause-and-effect relationship?

• A. A relationship describing time order only.
• B. A relationship between characters.
• C. A relationship between two events that occur independently.
• D. A relationship where one event makes another event happen.

Answer: (D)

A cause-and-effect relationship is when one event makes another event happen. This means the first event (the cause) leads directly to the second event (the effect). For example, flipping a light switch is the cause, and the light turning on is the effect.

In the question, the choice that says one event makes another event happen captures this idea of causation. The other possibilities don’t fit because describing time order only talks about which event happens first, not whether one event causes the other; a relationship between characters is about people, not events causing outcomes; and two events that occur independently happen without influencing each other.