Transitioning from Paragraphs to Essays

There are two main causes of road accidents.

First of all, the most common cause of traffic accidents is the carelessness of
some drivers.

People who drive recklessly and ignore the traffic rules are more likely to bring
about accidents.

These people may be in a hurry or may be arrogant and think that they are
above the rules.

For example, speeding and driving through red lights are two ways of
breaking the law that can lead to accidents.

A second predominant cause of accidents is bad conditions.

Even a very careful driver can have an accident if the roads are slippery
because of rain or ice.

Furthermore, on a foggy day or in the dark it can be very hard to see the cars
and the road around you.

Research shows that inexperienced drivers have more accidents than veteran
drivers during bad weather.
ITU SFL CDO Fall 2011, updated Spring 2012

Transitioning from Paragraphs to Essays

All in all, these are the most common causes of traffic accidents.

PARAGRAPH (156 words)

TOPIC SENTENCE

ESSAY (348 words)

INTRODUCTION PARAGRAPH
= 2-3 sentence background + thesis statement

There are two main causes of A road accident can completely change your life in
road accidents. (8)
an instant, but most people dont think about that
when they are driving. It is only after the accident
happens that people think about what could have
been if they had done something different.
There are several different causes of road
accidents, but most can fall into two main
types, which are careless driving and bad
conditions. (66)
FIRST SUPPORTING SECTION
FIRST BODY PARAGRAPH
First of all, the most common
cause of traffic accidents is the
carelessness of some drivers.
People who drive recklessly and
ignore the traffic rules are more
likely to bring about accidents.
These people may be in a hurry
or may be arrogant and think that
they are above the rules. For
example, speeding and driving
through red lights are two ways of
breaking the law that can lead to
accidents. (71)

First of all, the most common cause of traffic

accidents is the carelessness of some drivers.
People who drive recklessly and ignore the traffic
rules are more likely to bring about accidents.
These people may be in a hurry or may be
arrogant and think that they are above the rules.
For example, speeding and driving through red
lights are two ways of breaking the law that can
lead to accidents. Also, if drivers are talking
on the phone their attention can be
distracted and this definitely contributes to
accidents. One final way that carelessness
causes accidents is when drivers get angry
at traffic. Psychologists say that drivers who
are experiencing road rage make poor
decisions and can make the roads dangerous
for everyone. (124)

SECOND SUPPORTING SECTION

SECOND BODY PARAGRAPH

A second predominant cause of

accidents is bad conditions. Even
a very careful driver can have an
accident if the roads are slippery
because
of
rain
or
ice.
Furthermore, on a foggy day or in
the dark it can be very hard to
see the cars and the road around
you.
Research shows that

A second predominant cause of accidents is bad

conditions. Even a very careful driver can have an
accident if the roads are slippery because of rain
or ice. Furthermore, on a foggy day or in the dark
it can be very hard to see the cars and the road
around you. Research shows that inexperienced
drivers have more accidents than veteran drivers
during bad weather. Bad weather can be even
more dangerous if the rain or snow occurs

ITU SFL CDO Fall 2011, updated Spring 2012

Transitioning from Paragraphs to Essays

inexperienced drivers have more during rush hour. In addition, bad conditions
accidents than veteran drivers can also be a result of the age of the car. If
during bad weather. (65)
the car is old, the brakes or tires may be in
poor condition, which can prevent the driver
from reacting properly on wet or crowded
roads. (123)
CONCLUDING SENTENCE

CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH = concluding sentence

+ comment

All in all, these are the most

common
causes
of
traffic All in all, careless driving and bad weather
accidents. (12)
conditions are the most common causes of
traffic accidents. For the common good, we
should all do our best to be calm and attentive on
the roads. (35)
CREATING THESIS STATEMENTS for a CAUSE/EFFECT ESSAY. The Thesis Statement should include
a list, using parallel structure, of the items in the body. The Concluding Sentence should
REPHRASE the Thesis Statement.
PARAGRAPH TOPIC
SENTENCE
Why are people living
longer than in the past?

ESSAY THESIS STATEMENT

Brainstorm:

Why do some students fail

at school?
Brainstorm:

What are the effects of

crime on society?
Brainstorm:

CREATING THESIS STATEMENTS for a CAUSE/EFFECT ESSAY. The Thesis Statement should include
a list, using parallel structure, of the items in the body. The Concluding Sentence should
REPHRASE the Thesis Statement.
PARAGRAPH TOPIC
SENTENCE
Why are people living
longer than in the past?
ITU SFL CDO Fall 2011, updated Spring 2012

ESSAY THESIS STATEMENT

Transitioning from Paragraphs to Essays

Brainstorm:

Why do some students fail

at school?
Brainstorm:

What are the effects of

crime on society?
Brainstorm:

Possible Steps:
1. Give students the topic (causes of road accidents), have them brainstorm causes, and try
to group them together into 2-3 strong supporting sections.
2. Next, give them the paragraph broken into its parts and have them put them in order.
3. Ask them to find all the parts of the paragraph that have cause language.
4. Next, ask them to brainstorm about what ELSE they might add to make the paragraph
longer. As a group, you can take one or two supporting sections and write them longer
than you would with a paragraph.
5. Next, give the sheet comparing the essay and the paragraph and review it all together.
6. Talk about the topic sentences and how to write them, noting the difference from topic
sentences.

ITU SFL CDO Fall 2011, updated Spring 2012