Activity Sheet in English 10

Compose an argumentative essay

General Reminders: Use this activity sheet with care. Do not put unnecessary
mark/s on any part of the activity sheet. Use a separate sheet of paper in
answering the exercises. Read the directions carefully before doing each task.
Return this activity sheet to your teacher/facilitator once you are through with it.

Explore

Dear Learner, be joyful for this new day!

Today, you will tackle how to make an argument using writing supported with facts in a clear and
logical manner.
Read article below and answer the questions pre-stated.

 Reason Out: In the boxes provided after the essay, give three reasons why using mobile
phones while driving should be banned. Write your explanation opposite each box.

Have you ever seen someone using mobile phones while driving? Did you have a
conversation with the driver or did you argue with him/her?

Mobile Phones Should Be Banned While Driving

The risk of getting into a car accident while talking on a mobile phone while driving is
growing as the number of mobile phone subscribers increases. Engaging in a phone conversation
on a mobile phone while driving distracts the brain and delays reaction times which are more
likely to cause drivers to swerve between lanes, slow down and miss important signs. Mobile
phones should be banned while driving because they are risky.

An Australian study conducted in 2005, estimated that the risk of a collision when
using a mobile phone was four times higher than the risk when a mobile phone was not being
used. 456 drivers who owned phones, were involved in crashes. By collecting these drivers’
mobile phone records, scientists determined those who made telephone calls just before the time
of the crash. Case crossover analysis of mobile phone habits enabled the scientists to calculate
the increase in risk. Even hands-free devices were not that safer.

An earlier study in 2003, integrated data from questionnaires, mobile phone companies
and crash records kept by the police. It found that the overall relative risk (RR) of having an
accident for mobile phone users when compared to non-mobile phone users averaged 1.38
across all groups. The RR was then adjusted for kilometers driven per year and other crash
exposures. When this was done RR was 1.11 for men and 1.21 for women. The study also
revealed that increased mobile phone use correlated with an increase in RR.

However, there are some objections to the call for the ban of mobile phone use while
driving. According to the Associated Press, CTIA – The Wireless Association, a mobile phone
trade group in America, objected to a complete ban. Its vice-president, John Walls, is reported as
saying, “ we think that you can sensibly and safely use a mobile phone to make a brief call.”

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 Although there are objections, there is sufficient evidence to prove that using a mobile
phone while driving is risky. Using a mobile phone while driving, taxes the cognitive skills of the
brain at the expense of driving. The vast majority of drivers have no idea that using the mobile
phone while driving is risky.

http://learnenglishessay.blogspot.com/2011/12/argumentative-essay.html

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In the first activity, what you have read is an example of argumentative essay. The fact that you
were able to provide the appropriate reasons why using mobile phones while driving should be
banned is a sign that you are now ready to know more about it. Good job!

Learn
This time let’s continue using what you’ve learned from the first activity.

An argumentative essay tries to change the reader’s mind by convincing the reader to
agree with the writer’s point of view. It is a type of essay that presents arguments about both
sides of an issue. It could be that both sides are presented equally balanced, or it could be that
one side is presented more forcefully than the other.
In short, argumentative essay is an essay in which you agree or disagree with a certain
issue, using reasons to support your claims or opinions.

Characteristics of An Argumentative Essay

An argumentative essay attempts to be highly persuasive and logical. It usually assumes

that the reader disagrees with the writer, but it should be noted that the reader is no less
intelligent than the writer. Hence, an argumentative essay should be written objectively and
logically.
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An argumentative essay has the following characteristics:

 presents and explains the issue or case

 position is clearly and accurately stated
 gives reasons and support these reasons to prove its point
 refutes (proves wrong) opposing arguments
 uses evidence -facts or data- to support reasoning

Parts of An Argumentative Essay

1. Introduction
First is the introductory paragraph. It introduces the problem and gives the
background information needed for the argument and the thesis statement.
It explains the issue, including the summary of the other side’s arguments.
It contains the thesis statement which states clearly which side you are for.

2. Body
The body of the essay contains the reasons. Each paragraph talks about one
reason. The reason is included in the topic sentence and is supported by details or
materials. These supporting materials can be examples, statistics, personal
experience, or quotations.

3. Conclusion
The conclusion restates the main claim and gives one or two general statements
that exactly summarize the arguments and support the main premise.

Example:
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, tailgating, 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.

The first reason why aggressive driving should be avoided is it causes crashes.
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 tailgating 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
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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 March 2021 from:

http://learnenglishessay.blogspot.com/2011/12/argumentative-essay.html

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.

Engage

Directions: From the first example of argumentative essay entitled, “Mobile Phones Should Be
Banned While Driving”, identify its parts by rewriting the essential statements in the box.

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 Mobile Phones Should Be Banned While Driving

Introduction:

Body:

Conclusion:

Congratulations! Job well done! Now, you are ready to take on the writing experience.

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 Apply
Now, you will use what you have understood from the explanations above.

A. Directions: Supply the appropriate parts from the boxes provided below.

As online learning becomes more common and more and more resources are converted to digital
form, some people have suggested that public libraries should be shut down and, in their place,
everyone should be given an iPad with an e-reader subscription.

Proponents of this idea state that it will save local cities and towns money because libraries are
expensive to maintain. They also believe it will encourage more people to read because they won’t
have to travel to a library to get a book; they can simply click on what they want to read and
read it from wherever they are. They could also access more materials because libraries won’t
have to buy physical copies of books; they can simply rent out as many digital copies as they
need.

However, it would be a serious mistake to replace libraries with tablets. First, digital books and
resources are associated with less learning and more problems than print resources. A study
done on tablet vs book reading found that people read 20-30% slower on tablets, retain 20% less
information, and understand 10% less of what they read compared to people who read the same
information in print. Additionally, staring too long at a screen has been shown to cause
numerous health problems, including blurred vision, dizziness, dry eyes, headaches, and eye
strain, at much higher instances than reading print does. People who use tablets and mobile
devices excessively also have a higher incidence of more serious health issues such as
fibromyalgia, shoulder and back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and muscle strain. I know that
whenever I read from my e-reader for too long, my eyes begin to feel tired and my neck hurts. We
should not add to these problems by giving people, especially young people, more reasons to look
at screens.

Second, it is incredibly narrow-minded to assume that the only service libraries offer is book
lending. Libraries have a multitude of benefits, and many are only available if the library has a
physical location. Some of these benefits include acting as a quiet study space, giving people a
way to converse with their neighbors, holding classes on a variety of topics, providing jobs,
answering patron questions, and keeping the community connected. One neighborhood found
that, after a local library instituted community events such as play times for toddlers and
parents, job fairs for teenagers, and meeting spaces for senior citizens, over a third of residents
reported feeling more connected to their community. Similarly, a Pew survey conducted in 2015
found that nearly two-thirds of American adults feel that closing their local library would have a
major impact on their community. People see libraries as a way to connect with others and get
their questions answered, benefits tablets can’t offer nearly as well or as easily.

While replacing libraries with tablets may seem like a simple solution, it would encourage people
to spend even more time looking at digital screens, despite the myriad issues surrounding them.
It would also end access to many of the benefits of libraries that people have come to rely on. In
many areas, libraries are such an important part of the community network that they could
never be replaced by a simple object.
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Introduction:

Body:

Conclusion:

B. Directions: Choose and write an argumentative essay from the topics given below.

1. The vaccination program of the government/should the citizens be vaccinated?

2. Is COVID real?
3. Opening borders of Ormoc City/Municipalities borders for its neighboring
cities/municipalities amidst the threat of COVID.

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KEY TO THE ANSWERS

Explore:

Answers may vary.

Engage:

Answers may vary.

Apply:

Answers may vary.

Prepared by:

RAYMUND M. PEPITO

References
https://blog.prepscholar.com/argumentative-essay-examples
https://essayclick.net/blog/argumentative-essay-outline
https://examples.yourdictionary.com/argumentative-essay-examples.html
https://slideplayer.com/slide/16845121/
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-a-good-argumentative-essay

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