Burwell 1
Full Sentence Outline and Introductory Paragraph
Due: ___________
1 Document, including the outline and the introductory paragraph, must be submitted to
blackboard by class time on the due date.
Instructions for Introductory Paragraph

Must have an attention grabbing hook (anecdote, statistics, historical facts) that introduce
relevant social issue

Hook correctly cited-source named in lead-in or citation, not both

Thesis-clear specific statement THAT MAKES AN ARGUMENT

No first or second person

No contractions
Instructions for your Full Sentence Outline

At least 3 quotes with correct lead-ins and citations

At least 3 paraphrases with correct citations

Make sure you have the correct format-check rubric and sample for guidance

Everything but the introduction and conclusion must be in COMPLETE SENTENCES.

Follow outline guidelines.
o Use standard outline format (Roman numerals, then capital letters, then numbers,
than lower case letters, etc.)
o If you have a I, you must have a II. If you have an A, you must have a B. If you
have a one, you must have a 2.
Burwell 2
John Burwell
Sample introductory paragraph
and sentence outline.
Mr. Church
Honors American Lit – 1
14 March 2011
Cell Phones in the Hands of Drivers: A risk or a Benefit?
Introductory Paragraph: As of 2000, there were about ninety million cell phone users in the
United States, with 85% of theme using their phones while on the road (Sundeen 1). Because of
evidence that cell phones impair drivers by distracting them, some states have considered laws
restricting their use in moving vehicles. Proponents of legislation correctly point out that using
phones while driving can be dangerous. The extent of the danger, however, is a matter of debate,
and the benefits may outweigh the risks. Unless the risks of cell phones are show to outweigh the
benefits, we should not restrict their use in moving vehicles; instead, we should educate the
public about the dangers of driving while phoning and prosecute irresponsible phone users under
the laws on negligent and reckless driving.
I.
Introduction (see above)
II.
The question of whether or not it is safe to use a cell phone while driving is a popular
issue today.
A. Almost everyone has heard some type of horror story related to using a cell phone
while driving.
1.In a letter to the editor, Anthony Ambrose describes being passed by
another driver “who was holding a Styrofoam cup and a cigarette in one
hand, a cellualry telephone in the other, and who had what appeared to be
Burwell 3
a newspaper balanced on the steering wheel-all at approximately 70 miles
per hour” (128).
2. Another driver, Peter Cohen, says that after he was rear-ended, the guilty
party emerged from his vehicle still talking on the phone (127).
B. Because cell phones are so new, it is still undecided how dangerous using a cell
phone while driving can be.
III.
Scientific studies have not proven a link between use of cell phones and traffic
accidents.
A. A study by Redelmeir and Tibshirani was not conclusive, as the researchers
themselves have admitted. (435).
1. Redelmeir and Tibshirani state, “Our study indicates and association but
not necessarily a casual relation between the use of cellular telephones
while driving and a subsequent motor vehicle collision” (457).
2. They also admit that “the data did not indicate that the drivers wer at fault
in the collisions; it may be that cellular telephones merely decrease a
driver’s ability to avoid a collision caused by someone else” (457).
B. Most states do not keep records on accidents caused by driver distractions
(Harvard Center 1).
C. In a survey of research on cell phones and driving, Cain and Burris report that
results so far have been inconclusive (3).
IV.
The risks of using cell phones while driving should be weighed against the benefits.
A. At the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, researchers found that the risks of
driving while phoning were small compared to other driving risks (2).
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B. There are safety, business, and personal benefits to using cell phones on the road.
V.
We need to educate drivers on using cell phones responsibly and enforce laws on
negligent and reckless driving.
A. Educating drivers can work.
B. It is possible to enforce laws against negligent and reckless driving.
1. In state that do not do an adequate job of enforcement of negligent and
reckless driving laws, the public should lobby for improvement rather than
ban all cell phone use.
2. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration advises states to enforce
their reckless and negligent driving laws and, where necessary, to strengthen
those laws; it does not call for restrictions on use of the phones (United Stated,
Dept. of Transportation 2).
VI.
Some people might argue that even the slightest risk of injury from using a cell phone
is cause for a law against using a cell phone while driving; however, these individuals
need to weigh the risks and benefits.
A. Sundeen explains that cell phones “often reduce emergency response times and
actually save lives” (1). Without the ability to uses cell phones while driving,
more lives might be lost.
B. Cell phones allow people to continue to be productive during their commute:
Commuter time is no longer just for driving. As the comforts of home and the
efficiency of the office creep into the automobile, it is becoming increasingly
attractive as a work space (Retting qtd. in Klgannon A23).
VII.
Conclusion