There is nothing worse than being trapped in your car, waiting in the middle of a traffic jam.

It is frustrating, knowing that there is nothing you can do and that you are going to be late to
work. Traffic jams often occur during rush hour or right after a large event because there are
more cars on the road than normal. Traffic jams can also be caused by car accidents or road
construction. They usually occur on major roads that many people use to travel to work or
school. Traffic jams are a problem because they make people late for work or school, they
can cause car accidents, and they are frustrating. How can we reduce the number of traffic
jams? Possible solutions include carpooling or using public transportation. The best way to
solve traffic jams is by using public transportation because it will be efficient, economical,
and reliable.

       First, using public transportation is efficient. A bus is a very efficient way to move lots of
people from one place to another using only one vehicle. Instead of having one vehicle for
each person on the road, busses take many cars off the road as people ride together. Trains
are even more efficient at reducing the number of cars on the road. Because trains have their
own dedicated rail system to get people around, all of the cars are eliminated without adding
any more traffic to the roads. Not only are busses and trains more efficient at carrying
passengers, but time spent on a bus or a train is more efficient for the passenger. This
encourages more people to use public transportation. It is easy to see how efficient public
transportation is and the impact that it has on reducing traffic.

       Another reason that public transportation is the best solution to traffic jams is because it
is so economical. People want to use public transportation instead of driving their own car
because they can save money. Public transportation usually does not cost very much,
especially for people who use it often. There are discounts for seniors and students, which
makes it an even more economical way for these groups to travel around town. Using public
transportation also eliminates the need to pay for parking, car insurance, and car maintenance,
not to mention gasoline. All of the expenses related to owning a car are replaced with one
simple fare. Because it is so economical, public transportation is a good solution to traffic
jams by encouraging more people to travel together and reduce the number of cars on the
road.

       Finally, public transportation is the best solution because it is reliable. Many people set
up carpools to reduce traffic, but this is only a temporary solution. Every time someone has a
change in their schedule, the carpool needs to be adjusted. For example, if someone has to go
to the doctor or sleeps in, the carpool will not work that day. If someone changes jobs or
transfers to a new school, the carpool will need to be adjusted again. Public transportation, on
the other hand, is more reliable. The bus and train schedules don’t change every time that one
rider needs to go to the doctor. The schedules are set and people can plan on them. People
who use public transportation will find that it is reliable and can help limit the number of cars
on the road.

       Because it is efficient, economical, and reliable, public transportation is the best way to
reduce the number of traffic jams. There are other possible ways to address this problem, but
using public transportation is clearly the best. Traffic jams during very busy hours on the road
can be reduced and more people can get to work on time and avoid the frustration caused by
sitting in the middle of a long line of cars. Cities and governments should consider ways to
improve their public transportation system and encourage more people to use it. If they do,
they will surely see fewer traffic jams on their roads and much happier drivers.
Exercise: Analyze an essay

Read one of the two Problem/Solution Example Essays to complete this exercise.

1. Label the introduction paragraph, the body paragraphs, and the conclusion paragraph.
2. Circle the hook.
3. What is the general topic of the essay?
4. Underline the thesis.
5. Underline each of the topic sentences.
6. Do each of the topic sentences support the thesis?
7. Does the conclusion paragraph start by restating the thesis?
Conversations happen everywhere: work, school, church, stores, dates, and even the gym.
Conversations are such a common part of daily life that people often don’t think about how
difficult they can be, or the anxiety they can cause, if all of these conversations are happening
in another language. Many international students avoid participating in conversations,
especially with native speakers of English. This avoidance is a serious problem for
international students who study English because participating in conversations is crucial for
developing their language skills. Avoiding conversations can also cause international students
to struggle making friends and make them feel more isolated. While it is natural to feel
nervous about participating in conversations, international students need to find ways to be
more confident in their ability to participate in a conversation. International students can
choose from various solutions to stop avoiding conversations and feel more confident.

       One solution for students to develop more conversational confidence is to learn about
current, relevant news. Many international students don’t join conversations because they
aren’t sure what to talk about or what other people would be interested in. The Internet makes
it very easy to find out what everyone else in the community is talking about; with this
knowledge, students can be prepared for conversations because they know what people are
generally talking about and can even look up the vocabulary words they need. Students can
start this preparation by following a university’s social media pages or listening to
locallyproduced news. Learning about current events is an easy way to be ready for a casual
conversation.

       Students can also prepare for common conversational topics if they want to be more
active participants in conversations. While almost every conversation is different, there are
some things that come up frequently, and those topics can be practiced. For example, many
people might ask international students about their family, their country, their job, their
reason for studying English, or their hobbies. Students can practice responding to these types
of questions while they are working or preparing dinner by talking to themselves. As topics
come up in conversations that they are not able to speak about, they can add those topics to
their list to practice. By thinking about and practicing responses to common conversational
questions, international students can have more confidence to participate in conversations.

       Another way to feel more confident is by listening to conversations. This solution helps
students hear how native speakers start (or end) a conversation, as well as how they change
topics. Examples of conversations that are easy to find include television shows. These
shows, especially if they can be paused and replayed, can be helpful because there is no
pressure for the student to participate in the conversation or to understand everything the first
time. Other conversations that are easy to watch happen in news broadcasts between the
featured stories. These conversations are a little more formal than conversations in TV shows,
which can be an advantage because students can observe the similarities and differences
between casual and more formal conversations. This listening practice can really help
students overcome any anxiety about participating in conversations.

       A final way to overcome the habit of avoiding conversations is to refine language skills
and prepare questions. By improving their vocabulary, fluency, grammar, and pronunciation,
students will not only be more confident in conversations, but they will look forward to them
as an opportunity to practice. Many students are hesitant to speak because they do not want to
make mistakes, so by refining their language, they can reduce that concern. However,
students should not wait until their language is perfect before they speak. An easy way to
start is to listen to questions that people ask and create some grammatically correct questions
to ask in a conversation. These questions can be practiced and memorized to make sure the
language is correct. With these questions and continued improvement in their language skills,
international students can be more actively involved in conversations.

       In conclusion, students have many options to solve the problem of avoiding
conversations. Choosing to work through one of these solutions will help students improve
their English skills and help them build stronger relationships with others. They will be able
to take advantage of the time they spend studying in the United States. Since conversations
are part of everyday life and can’t be entirely avoided, it is better to conquer the fear through
preparation than to limit self-expression. Whether students are talking to a supervisor, a
classmate, a roommate, or a date, they will feel empowered to be better conversational
partners.

Exercise: Analyze an essay.

Read one of the two Problem/Solution Example Essays to complete this exercise.

1. Label the introduction paragraph, the body paragraphs, and the conclusion paragraph.

2. Circle the hook.

3. What is the general topic of the essay?

4. Underline the thesis.

5. Underline each of the topic sentences.

6. Do each of the topic sentences support the thesis?

7. Does the conclusion paragraph start by restating the thesis?