Persuasive Essay Outline

Outline

Topic: Reduce the use of cell phones.

General purpose: To persuade.

Specific purpose: To persuade the audience that they should reduce the use of

their cell phones.

Central idea: Many people often use cell phones in combination with other activities, which can cause many negative effects.

Organization pattern: Topical order.

Introduction

Getting interest: Cell phones have become an important factor in our life. We can not

seem to live without them.

Reveal topic: Today, I'm going to persuade you to reduce the use of your cell

phones because the use of cell phones in public spaces are annoying

and disturbing, interrupting other activities, and can even be

perceived as improper behavior in many social situations.

Preview body: In classrooms, accompanying friends or family, and driving.

Credibility: I have researched the effects of using cell phones in combination

with other activities for about a week and I have found many

reasons of why you should reduce your use of cell phones.

Body

1. In classrooms.

Ð'* The main problem for using cell phones in classroom is that it disturbs the teaching process and students' attention.

- According to MoveWeb website, once a cell phone rings and is answered, the student's focus on classroom discussion is lost. The attention in the classroom goes to the person on the phone, even if the phone is hung up immediately (Disturbing, 2007).

- Many students cannot talk on cell phones in their classroom, so they text message to their friends or partners to find out where they are, who they are with, and what they are doing. While the students are waiting for the reply texts, they tend to lose their concentration from what the teacher is teaching (Technology, 2007).

Ð'* Besides calls and text messages, cell phones also help relieve students' boredom. Many students play games on their cell phones when they are bored in class, which shows a lack of respect to their teacher (Answer, 2007).

Ð'* Students should know when is the right time to turn off their cell phones (Disturbing, 2007).

2. Accompanying friends or family.

Ð'* According to MediaShift website, you are supposed to be with the people you are with physically, not with the people who are calling you on your cell phone. Nothing is more of an insult to the people you are with than taking a phone call and chatting away, wasting the precious time you are together (Definitive Guide, 2007).

Ð'* According to Physorg website, seven percent of respondents said the use of cell phones had caused them to lose a relationship or a job (Addicted, 2007).

Ð'* If it is possible, ignore the call and focus on the people that you are with physically