Which of the following best indicates a causal relationship in a narrative sequence?

• A. Time cues indicate sequence.
• B. The author’s name signals cause.
• C. Look for cause-and-effect cues such as 'therefore,' or 'as a result' to indicate a causal relationship.
• D. A list of events with no transitions.

Answer: (C)

In a narrative, causal relationships show how one event leads to another, and the clearest markers are explicit cause-and-effect signals. The best choice points you to phrases like therefore or as a result, which directly connect a cause to its effect. When you see something like “It rained all night; therefore the picnic was canceled,” you can trace exactly how the earlier event (rain) caused the later outcome (cancellation).

Time cues, by contrast, only establish the order of events, not why they happen. A name doesn’t signal anything about events, and a simple list of events with no transitions leaves you without a link explaining how one event leads to the next. So: look for those cause-and-effect phrases to identify a causal relationship.