Question

Which of the following is an invalid cause-and-effect sequence?

Answer 1

The answer is: Joseph was unhappy, and then the phone rang.   This is an invalid cause-and-effect sequence because the 2 independent clauses don’t follow. There was no particular reason stated explaining why Joseph is not happy. The phone ringing has nothing to do with his emotional state.   The rest of the options make sense, except for this.    

Answer 2

Joseph was unhappy, and then the phone rang.

This is an invalid cause-and-effect sequence because there is no clear indication that one event caused the other.