Sample argumentative (persuasive) essay 1 Overview of this file Page Item 2 Essay without notations 6 Essay with notes Note: This essay is being provided to help you consider overall structure and organization of an argumentative essay, for example, by asking you to notice the thoroughness of explanations, and supporting details. It is not being provided to demonstrate appropriate academic English, nor proper APA citation, but you may note that the author has used citation in several paragraphs something we should do, as well. We should ensure that we use proper APA citation, as well as carefully writing a thoroughly thought-out & insightful essay. 1 This sample essay is based on an essay originally published at: http://people.oregonstate.edu/~petersp/orst/wr121_files/argument.htm#sample%20essays 1
Should SUVs be Illegal? On September 3, 1995 a fatal automobile accident occurred on Highway 26; a small red car lost control when it hit a patch of wet pavement and careened towards a white Chevy Suburban. The impact of the collision ripped the small red car into two pieces resulting in a large fireball and instantly killing the two 20 year old female occupants. No fatalities occurred within the Suburban (Smith). Had the Suburban been a smaller, more conventional car, the outcome of the accident may have been much different; no deaths may have occurred at all. SUVs are becoming a grave risk on the roads today. Unfortunately, SUVs seem to be constantly increasing in popularity. This escalation in popularity is cause for several annoyances, all of which seem to be directly related to their large size. There are many reasons why SUVs should be illegal or somehow regulated; among them, the primary reasons are that SUVs waste gas, they are too large and they are overall more dangerous than conventional cars. SUVs are not very environmental friendly. To begin, they have horrible gas mileage. www.fueleconomy.gov, a website dedicated to educating the public on the benefits of better fuel economy, has tables of the current fuel economy that 2004 automobiles are actually achieving. SUVs have a considerably lower fuel economy than more conventional cars; SUVs tend to average approximately 16 miles per gallon in the city and 20 miles per gallon on the highway, whereas conventional cars achieve in the range of 20 and 26 miles per gallon, respectively. Due to the SUVs excessive use of gasoline, they have a higher rate of emissions when compared to other cars. The rise in SUV popularity factored with the greater emissions of SUVs means that more and more gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide will be released into the atmosphere as time progresses. These gases have an adverse effect on Earth s climate; they are contributing factors to the greenhouse effect and therefore may contribute significantly to global warming (Environmental Protection Agency). There are current efforts to try and reduce these emissions, but they either will not be in production any time soon or are likely to be rejected altogether. For instance, many car manufacturers will be 2
introducing hybrid (vehicles that are powered by both gas and electricity) SUVs which will significantly increase gas mileage and thus reduce emissions. Unfortunately, these hybrid SUVs will not be seen until 2006 or later. Even when they are commercially available, it is uncertain as to how well they will be received by consumers. The Kyoto Protocol is another effort put forth by many nations to try and reduce the emission of pollutants into Earth s atmosphere. Regrettably, not all nations have agreed to comply with the Kyoto Protocol. In fact, George W. Bush rejected the Kyoto Protocol in March of 2001 (Burnett). The large size of SUVs is of great concern when dealing with safety. While more than merely a considerable annoyance, the large size of SUVs can impair visibility of people trying to see around them. While it is easy to see over the top of more traditional vehicles, SUVs block the line of sight for not only drivers of smaller cars, but also bicyclists or pedestrians trying to cross a road or enter traffic. Their overall wider body causes them to be more likely to strike other cars or objects than much smaller cars. Some might observe that semi trucks also block the line of sight for smaller vehicles. However there is a key difference between SUVs and semi trucks. Semi trucks actually have a justifiable reason and purpose for being so large, to transport products and materials in an efficient and costly manner. While some people do buy SUVs for their true purpose (recreation or hauling large objects and equipment), many people will use them for things that many other cars are capable of doing; a station wagon can go get groceries, take kids to sports, and carry large loads all at a fraction of the cost for gas. SUVs are simply an overall significant safety problem on today s roads. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is an organization that deals with the safety of all vehicles. They are the organization that gives cars safety ratings between one and five stars that so many people are familiar with. According to the NHTSA standard passenger cars have an average of a 12 percent chance of rolling over when involved with single-vehicle accidents. However, SUVs have more than twice the chance of rolling over with a 28 percent average chance when involved in single-vehicle 3
accidents (NHTSA). This increased chance of rollover is of great concern, considering that rollovers have a higher rate of fatalities than any other type of automobile accident (NHTSA). The only person at an advantage when driving is the one in the SUV; everyone else must be inconvenienced while the SUV driver rides high. This unfair advantage is especially present when an SUV is involved in an accident with a normal sized car. Being bigger, SUVs have a much greater mass than smaller cars; the average SUV weighs about 900 more pounds than the average car (Graham). Simple physics show that this increase mass means that the SUV would beat the smaller car to a pulp. The fact that SUVs are traditionally higher off the ground does not improve the situation much either. This increased height means that their bumpers actually ride higher than bumpers on regular cars. Bumpers act as a sort of buffer, but in the case of an SUV they act more as a battering ram when hitting a smaller vehicle since they ride right over the smaller car s bumper. Something needs to be done about SUVs. If they continue to be left unchecked we will see a rapid rise in environmental deterioration as well as more fatal automobile accidents. John D. Graham, founder of the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, believes that SUVs need to be somehow civilized. Efforts need to be put forth by such organizations as the NHTSA to help make SUVs safer and more environmentally safe (Graham). If SUVs are to stay legal then they will have to undergo some serious changes before they will be fit for everyday driving. One of those changes is already underway, the hybrid SUVs. However, other things such as their increased chance of rollover and dangerously high bumpers have still not been completely addressed. Perhaps somehow lowering both the center of gravity as well as bumpers will help make the SUV a more acceptable driving machine. 4
References 2 Bio of John D Graham. Office of Management and Budget. 5 November 2003 http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/inforeg/bio.html Burnett, H. Sterling. Is the Clean Power Act Really Just Kyoto Cloaked as Bad Economics? 18 December 2001. National Center for Policy Analysis. 5 November 2003 http://www.ncpa.org/prs/adv/2001/ma01dec18.html Graham, John D. Civilizing the Sport Utility Vehicle. Issues in Science & Technology Winter2000/2001: Vol. 17, Issue 2 Global Warming Emissions. 15 August 2003. Environmental Protection Agency. 5 November 2003 http://yosemite.epa.gov/oar/globalwarming.nsf/content/emissions.html Hummer http://www.hummer.com Rollover. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA). 5 November 2003 http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/rollover/index.htm Smith, Quinton. Small Fixes Aren t Enough for Blood Alley. The Oregonian 7 August 2003: East Zoner 2 The references list on this page is reprinted verbatim from the original essay (see URL at footnote #1). This is not an APA style references list. 5
Should SUVs be Illegal? On September 3, 1995 a fatal automobile accident occurred on Highway 26; a small red car lost control when it hit a patch of wet pavement and careened towards a white Chevy Suburban. The impact of the collision ripped the small red car into two pieces resulting in a large fireball and instantly killing the two 20 Effort is spent to introduce the essay with a dramatic example of what the author will demonstrate that SUVs are bad. year old female occupants. No fatalities occurred within the Suburban (Smith). Had the Suburban been a smaller, more conventional car, the outcome of the accident may have been much different; no deaths may have occurred at all. SUVs are becoming a grave risk on the roads today. Unfortunately, SUVs seem to be constantly increasing in popularity. This escalation in popularity is cause for several annoyances, all of which seem to be directly related to their large size. Clear thesis statement shows topic & author's position regarding the topic There are many reasons why SUVs should be illegal or somehow regulated; among them, the primary reasons are that SUVs waste gas, they are too large and they are overall more dangerous than conventional cars. SUVs are not very environmental friendly. To begin, they have horrible gas mileage. www.fueleconomy.gov, a website dedicated to educating the public on the benefits of better fuel economy, has tables of the current fuel economy that 2004 automobiles are actually achieving. SUVs have a considerably lower fuel economy than more conventional cars; SUVs tend to average approximately 16 miles per gallon in the city and 20 miles per gallon on the highway, whereas conventional cars achieve in the range of 20 and 26 miles per gallon, respectively. Due to the SUVs excessive use of gasoline, they have a higher rate of emissions when compared to other cars. The rise in SUV popularity factored Topic sentence is brief, but direct. Shows main topic (SUV) & an idea relating to that topic: environmental harm. 1 st main supporting idea: poor gas mileage following from the 1 st main supporting idea (see above), the 2 nd main supp~ idea is given: harmful emissions with the greater emissions of SUVs means that more and more gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide will be released into the atmosphere as time 6
progresses. These gases have an adverse effect on Earth s climate; they are contributing factors to the greenhouse effect and therefore may contribute significantly to global warming (Environmental Protection Agency). There are current efforts to try and reduce these emissions, but they either will not be in production any time soon or are likely to be rejected altogether. For instance, many car manufacturers will be introducing hybrid (vehicles that are powered by both gas and electricity) SUVs which will significantly increase gas mileage and thus reduce emissions. Unfortunately, these hybrid SUVs will not be seen until author is using a helpful strategy: mention what might be an opposing idea (sthg which might disprove your argument) & then show how that idea is faulty or mistaken 2006 or later. Even when they are commercially available, it is uncertain as to how well they will be received by consumers. The Kyoto Protocol is another effort put forth by many nations to try and reduce the emission of pollutants into Earth s atmosphere. Regrettably, not all nations have agreed to comply with the Kyoto Protocol. In fact, George W. Bush rejected the Kyoto Protocol in March unfortunately, author did not include a concluding sentence here. this is not suitable. of 2001 (Burnett). The large size of SUVs is of great concern when dealing with safety. While more than merely a considerable annoyance, the large size of SUVs can impair visibility of people trying to see around them. While it is easy to see over the top of more traditional vehicles, SUVs block the line of sight for not only drivers of smaller cars, but also bicyclists or pedestrians trying to cross a road or enter traffic. Their overall wider body causes them to be more likely to strike other cars or objects than much smaller cars. Some might observe that semi trucks Suitable topic sentence: introduces main idea (SUVs's large size) & an idea relating to that topic: they are a safety problem 1 st supporting idea: SUVs prevent others from seeing clearly also block the line of sight for smaller vehicles. However there is a key difference between SUVs and semi trucks. Semi trucks actually have a justifiable reason and purpose for being so large, to transport products and materials in an efficient and costly manner. While some people do buy SUVs for their true purpose Again, the author uses the helpful strategy of refuting an opposing idea. 7
(recreation or hauling large objects and equipment), many people will use them for things that many other cars are capable of doing; a station wagon can go get groceries, take kids to sports, and carry large loads all at a fraction of the cost for gas. SUVs are simply an overall significant safety problem on today s roads. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is an organization that deals with the safety of all vehicles. They are the organization that gives cars safety ratings between one and five stars that so many people are familiar with. According to the NHTSA standard passenger cars have an average of a 12 percent chance of rolling over when involved with single-vehicle accidents. However, SUVs have more than twice the chance of rolling over with a 28 percent average yet again, the author didn't provide a concluding sentence. This is inappropriate topic sentence: shows main idea (SUVs) & main point related to that topic: they're an overall safety problem 1 st supporting idea: they are unsafe in car accidents. Notice the author built up to the evidence they wanted to provide. chance when involved in single-vehicle accidents (NHTSA). This increased chance of rollover is of great concern, considering that rollovers have a higher rate of fatalities than any other type of automobile accident (NHTSA). The only person at an advantage when driving is the one in the SUV; everyone else must be inconvenienced while the SUV driver rides high. This unfair advantage is especially present when an SUV is involved in an accident with a normal sized car. Being bigger, SUVs have a much greater mass than smaller cars; the average SUV weighs about 900 more pounds than the average car (Graham). Simple physics show that this increased mass means that the SUV would beat the smaller car to a pulp. The fact that SUVs are traditionally higher off the ground does not improve the situation much either. This increased height means that their bumpers actually ride higher than bumpers on regular cars. Bumpers act as a sort of buffer, but in the case of an SUV they act more as a battering ram when hitting a smaller vehicle since they ride right over the smaller car s bumper. 2 nd supporting idea: SUVs get less damage in accidents compared with the smaller cars they have an accident with. A part of the 2 nd supporting idea: an example of how SUVs are at an advantage in a car accident (Scan the paragraph for more examples!) unfortunately, there is no concluding sentence here.. 8
Something needs to be done about SUVs. If they continue to be left unchecked we will see a rapid rise in environmental deterioration as well as more fatal automobile accidents. John D. Graham, founder of the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, believes that SUVs need to be somehow civilized. Efforts need to be put forth by such organizations as the NHTSA to help make SUVs safer and more environmentally safe (Graham). If SUVs are to stay legal then they will have to undergo some serious changes before they will be fit for everyday driving. One of those changes is already underway, the hybrid SUVs. However, other things such as their increased chance of rollover and dangerously high bumpers have still not been completely addressed. Perhaps somehow lowering both the the author begins to conclude by briefly summarizing their essay (enviro~ problems & fatal accidents...) The author finishes by noting some changes that may need to be created/enforced to make SUVs suitable. center of gravity as well as bumpers will help make the SUV a more acceptable driving machine. Overall, the essay mostly did what a successful argumentative essay needs to do. That is, this essay did the following things well: a) introduced the topic with a useful, illuminating, and dramatic example which the author later used/referred to during their arguments b) offered a distinct thesis statement which clearly showed the idea which the author wanted to promote c) offered 3 body paragraphs full of explanations and supporting evidence d) concluded the essay by summarizing their main ideas However, it is noted that the author did not: include concluding sentences at the end of body paragraphs 9
offer a stronger ending to their conclusion paragraph (and, offer conclusions rather than summarizing) offer stronger suggestions on how to solve the problems that SUVs present (it's too easy to say this is a problem! but that's not helpful; thoughtful, effective writers say this is a problem, and this is the solution: ) avoid informal English (the author avoided it somewhat but needed more effort) use APA citation 10
References 3 Bio of John D Graham. Office of Management and Budget. 5 November 2003 http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/inforeg/bio.html Burnett, H. Sterling. Is the Clean Power Act Really Just Kyoto Cloaked as Bad Economics? 18 December 2001. National Center for Policy Analysis. 5 November 2003 http://www.ncpa.org/prs/adv/2001/ma01dec18.html Graham, John D. Civilizing the Sport Utility Vehicle. Issues in Science & Technology Winter2000/2001: Vol. 17, Issue 2 Global Warming Emissions. 15 August 2003. Environmental Protection Agency. 5 November 2003 http://yosemite.epa.gov/oar/globalwarming.nsf/content/emissions.html Hummer http://www.hummer.com Rollover. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA). 5 November 2003 http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/rollover/index.htm Smith, Quinton. Small Fixes Aren t Enough for Blood Alley. The Oregonian 7 August 2003: East Zoner Note: This References list is not formatted according to APA citation guidelines! Do not use it as a reference for your own citation work. 3 The references list on this page is reprinted verbatim from the original essay (see URL at footnote #1). This is not an APA style references list. 11