The Essay

• You will be presented with a short passage followed by a specific prompt that asks you to develop an idea.

Example:

• Why aren’t people getting the message [about distracted driving]? It wasn’t long ago that seatbelts were optional; that some drivers thought nothing of having “one more for the road” before getting behind the wheel. But behaviors do change. Unfortunately, the longer that change takes, the more deaths and injuries will result.

• Adapted from “Distracted driving message not getting through” by Greg Knill.

• Explain whether or not there should be a complete ban on texting while driving.

The Essay

While you are writing your essay, focus on your:

• Thesis statement

• Support

• Paragraph Structure

• Grammar and Mechanics

The Essay

Introductions have two goals:

• They introduce the topic of your essay, and they catch your reader’s attention.

• Your thesis statement, which is the main argument of your essay, usually appears in the introduction.

Introduction

• Avoid dictionary definitions (especially for words that your reader likely knows already like “love” or “happiness”). Definitions are useful only if you are using a term that a general audience might be unfamiliar with.

• Avoid “essay language” (example: “in this essay I will argue”, “my first point will be”, etc).

• Avoid vague or general statements that don’t say much about your topic. These statements often begin with phrases like “in today’s society,” or “throughout history.”

Some things to avoid when writing introductions:

The thesis statement says what your essay is about. It is a promise to your reader—you must be sure that the rest of the essay keeps that promise. Thesis statements should be clear and direct.

• Vague: Many drivers are unfocused.

• Better: Drivers need to avoid distractions like texting while operating a car.

Thesis Statement

• Support is the part of your essay that convinces a reader, and it should be specific.

• It can come from a variety of places, but since you are writing on the spot, it will most likely come from your own experiences. Take a look at the example thesis and supports on the next slide.

Support

Thesis: Drivers need to avoid texting while operating a car.

Support:

a. Texting while driving is dangerous.

b. Texting while driving is illegal and can result in a significant fine.

c. Texting while driving distracts drivers and they may miss their destination and/or turn.

Support

A paragraph:

• is a series of sentences held together by an idea or topic

• is either long or short but has its own particular focus

• often contains a topic sentence that explains what the paragraph is about, and supporting points that back up the topic sentence

• often contains a concluding sentence that can reiterate the original point of the paragraph, transition into the next paragraph, or make conclusions

Paragraph Structure

Take a look at the example below. The underlined sentence is the topic sentence—it provides the reader with an idea of what the paragraph is about. The sentences after that develop the idea even further and provide support for the topic sentences.

Texting while driving is dangerous and can result in serious injury or death. In Ontario, distracted driving, like driving while texting, is responsible for more deaths than drunk driving, which used to be the number one cause of death until three years ago. In 2015, there were 69 distracted driving related deaths in Ontario, and that number seems to be getting higher every year. If drivers pay attention to their phones and not the road in front of them, they will miss things like slowing traffic, pedestrians, errors from other drivers, etc.

Paragraph Structure

• Proper planning will be key to writing a successful essay for the test, and you should take 5-10 minutes to create an outline of your ideas.

• While that may seem like a lot of time, your writing will be much more focused if you take the time to plan in the beginning.

Essay Outlining

Here is an example outline for an essay that describes why there

should be a ban on texting while driving.

Thesis Statement:

• Drivers need to avoid distractions like texting while operating a

car.

Outline Example

Supporting Point 1:

• Texting while driving distracts drivers and who may miss their

destination and/or turn.

Examples and explanations:

a. paying attention to the phone means not reading road signs

b. drivers may become lost

Outline Example

Supporting Point 2:

• Texting while driving is illegal and can result in a significant fine.

Examples and explanations:

a. fines range from 400 dollars to over 1000 dollars

b. drivers also lose demerit points, which can raise insurance

costs

Outline Example

Supporting Point 3:

• Texting while driving is dangerous.

Examples and explanations:

• a. kills more people every year than drunk driving

• b. paying attention to phone allows you to missing things

Outline Example

• Concluding Statement: While technology is a huge part of our daily lives, surely drivers can take a break long enough to get to their destinations.

Outline Example

• Your conclusion is essentially your last chance to make an impression on your readers; because your conclusion is the last thing your reader sees, it is an extremely important, and memorable, part of your paper.

Some Suggestions

• Do not introduce a new idea or topic that belongs in the body of your essay

• Avoid ending with the same wording of your thesis statement--paraphrase your thesis and put it into new words

Conclusions

• Here is an example essay.

• It contains a strong thesis statement, supporting points articulated in clear topic sentences, and strong examples that back up the thesis.

Example Essay

• Why aren’t people getting the message [about distracted driving]? It wasn’t long ago that seatbelts were optional; that some drivers thought nothing of having “one more for the road” before getting behind the wheel. But behaviours do change. Unfortunately, the longer that change takes, the more deaths and injuries will result.

• Adapted from “Distracted driving message not getting through” by Greg Knill.

• Explain whether or not there should be a complete ban on texting while driving.

Example Question:

Reading the paper, eating a bagel, and putting on makeup are just some of the things Ontario drivers have been spotted doing while driving. More and more frequently, distracted driving is becoming the cause of many accidents, and texting while driving in particular is become more and more of an issue. Drivers need to avoid distractions like texting while operating a car.

Texting while driving distracts the driver and they may miss their destination and/or turn. While this isn’t a life and death situation, it can still be quite aggravating. Distracted drivers might miss road signs that indicate where to turn. Ifdrivers don’t know where they are going, if they don’t pay close attention to road signs, they could become lost. Even if a driver does know where they are going, they could easily miss a turn and drive for quite some time before they realize they are going the wrong way.

If safety isn’t enough to make a driver think twice, distracted driving fines might do the trick. Texting while driving is illegal, and can result in a significant fine. Drivers caught texting behind the wheel face fines between 400-1000 dollars. While 400 may seem steep, drivers can also lose 3 demerit points which can significantly increase insurance costs tothe point where they are unaffordable.

Finally, driving while distracted can be dangerous and result in serious injury or death. In Ontario, distracted driving, like driving while texting, is responsible for more deaths than drunk driving, which used to be the number one causeof death until three years ago. In 2015, there were 69 distracted driving related deaths in Ontario, and that number seems tobe getting higher every year. If you pay attention to your phone and not the road in front of you, you will miss things like slowing traffic, pedestrians, errors from other drivers, etc.

While technology is a huge part of our daily lives, surely we can take a break long enough to get to our destination. Texting is not a life or death situation, but staying focused on the road is.

Example Essay

You’re Finished!