ISL Week 17

Argumentative Essay- Aggressive Driving Should be Avoided

(1)Aggressive driving is a phenomenon, which has only recently got the
public worried. (2)The National Highway Traffic Safety Council (NHTSC)
defines aggressive driving as the operation of a motor vehicle in a manner
that endangers or is likely to endanger persons or property. (3)Actions such
as running red lights, improper passing, overtaking on the left, improper lane
change, failing to yield, improper turns, running stop signs, tailgaiting,
careless driving and speeding are examples of aggressive driving.. (4)Such
actions are dangerous to other road users. (5)Aggressive driving should be
avoided because it causes crashes, injuries and fatalities.

(6)The first reason why aggressive driving should be avoided is it

causes crashes. (7)According to NHTSC between 78 percent (excessive
speed) and 100 percent (improper passing) of the cases of aggressive driving
resulted in traffic crashes and 96 percent of the drivers cited for following too
closely or tailgaitng caused crashes as a result of their aggressive driving.
(8)Moreover, running red light, improper passing, and overtaking on the
left topped other categories of aggressive driving in contributing to traffic
crashes.

(9)Another reason why aggressive driving should be avoided is it

causes injuries.(10) NHTSC states that the percentages of the injuries caused
by aggressive driving are, in almost all categories of aggressive driving, above
100 percent. (11)Furthermore, the Department of Highway Safety (DHS)
reports that this is due to the fact that each motor vehicle crash accounts for
one or more injuries. (12) It was found that of the ten categories of aggressive
driving, running red light, failing to yield, and running stop signs are the
most serious factors contributing to injuries.

(13)Yet another reason why aggressive driving should be avoided is it

causes fatalities. (14)Overtaking on the left appears to be the most important
contributing factor in traffic fatalities as it relates to aggressive driving. (15)
Improper lane change, running stop sign and running red light rank
second through four in terms of their contribution to traffic fatalities (DHS,
2008).

(16)The above evidence shows that aggressive driving causes

crashes, injuries and fatalities. (17) Hence, aggressive driving should be
avoided. (18)Since the opening of the North-South Highway, the number of
kilometers of roads in the country has increased by one percent while the
number of vehicle miles driven has increased by 35 percent. (19) More cars
and more drivers are also on the road, leading to more aggressive drivers.

]Source: Retrieved September 2009 from: http://www.aaafoundation.org.

Mizell, Louis. (2007). Aggressive driving, road & travel.]

IDENTIFICATION OF THE PARTS OF THE ESSAY

The essay Aggressive Driving Should be Avoided is an example of an
argumentative essay. It is organized in the way of an argumentative essay.
(The numbers in the essay denote the sentence numbers which will be used
here to identify the parts of the essay).

It starts with an introduction which offers a definition of aggressive driving (1),

(2) and (3), and further explains the issue (4). Finally it ends with the
premise/thesis statement which clearly states the stand taken by the writer
(5).

As three reasons are stated in the premise, there are three body paragraphs;
each mentioning one reason. Each paragraph starts with a topic sentence
which states one of the reasons [(6), (9) and (13)]. Each of these reasons is
well-supported by supporting details: (7) and (8) in the second paragraph;
(10), (11) and (12) in the third paragraph; and (14) and (15) in the fourth
paragraph which is the final body paragraph.

The last paragraph of the essay is the conclusion. It summarizes the three
reasons stated in the premise (15). The conclusion restates the stand taken
by the writer, that is, aggressive driving should be avoided (17). Sentences
(18) and (19) are general statements which support the main premise. These
are optional.

It should be noted that this essay uses statistics to support the main idea. This
lends credibility to the argument.

WRITING OPINION STATEMENTS

In argumentative writing, you need to convince your readers to agree with
your point of view or opinion. You can achieve this goal by supporting your
opinions with strong evidence. A careful study of the essay Aggressive
driving should be avoided will reveal that the writer uses statistics from the
National Highway Traffic Safety Council (NHTSC) and the Department of
Highway Safety (DHS) two wellrespected organizations - to lend support to
his opinions. Statistics from very reliable sources as those used in the essay
provide very strong evidence which can easily sway the readers to the writers
point of view. There are different sources of evidence that can be used in
argumentative essays. Besides statistics published by reliable sources,
research findings, examples and opinions of experts in their fields are some of
the other sources of evidence. You also can use forceful words to state your
opinions. These words can make readers rethink their views about the issue

being discussed. There are many examples of such words in the essay. They
are:

raised public opinion (1);

dangerous to other road users (4);
should be avoided (5);
causes crashes, injuries and fatalities (5);
resulted in (7);
accounts for (11),
the most important contributing factor (14);
has increased (18); and
leading to more aggressive drivers (19).

ISL Week 17
Expository Essay- My dog, Romeo
My dog, Romeo, is the best pet anyone could have. He is beautiful and easy
to care for. Playing with him is lots of fun. He always takes care of me. There
isn't a better pet anywhere.

Romeo is a beautiful tricolor Sheltie. He is mostly black with white and a bit of
brown. Caring for him is easy because I simply have to make sure he has
fresh water and food every day. I exercise him by throwing his toys. Romeo is
a good pet because he is nice looking and doesn't require much care.

Romeo is lots of fun to play with. He loves to play catch. He follows me

around the house with a toy and drops it on my foot so I will kick it. He can
catch just about anything, but his favorite is chasing a Frisbee. I really have
fun playing with Romeo.

Romeo takes care of me. He always follows me when I leave a room. When I
am sitting on the couch he plops down right beside me. When we are outside
in the woods he always makes sure that I keep up with the rest of the family.
He always watches out for me.

As you can see, Romeo is a great pet. I am proud of him and he doesn't
require much care. Playing with him is always enjoyable. He watches over me
and keeps me safe. Romeo is absolutely the best pet anyone could even
have!