کدام تغییر به کدام نتیجه رسید؟

وقتی دربارهٔ علت و نتیجه می‌نویسیم، متن ممکن است از شواهدش مطمئن‌تر به نظر برسد. در این موقعیت هیچ آمار حضوری نداریم. برای پیش‌بینی از might و could کمک بگیرید و بعد بگویید چه چیزی باید بررسی شود.

نمونه

Moving the book club from Friday evening to Saturday morning might make it easier for members who finish work late on Fridays to attend. They could arrive less rushed and have more time to discuss the book. On the other hand, some members may have family plans on Saturday mornings, so attendance might fall for them. A lively discussion would not prove that the new time alone caused the improvement; the choice of book or the people attending could matter too. The club could compare attendance at several meetings before and after the change and ask members which time they prefer. Until then, the new schedule is an experiment, not a proven success.

نویسنده هم اثرِ مثبت ممکن را می‌بیند، هم منفی را؛ و راهی برای آزمودن پیشنهاد می‌کند.