Writing Introductions

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Good introductions include:

 

1. An attention getter

2. A thesis statement

3. A highlight of the main topics/reasons you will discuss.

 

 Attention Getters:

 

1. Question:

       Example: Did you know that the cost of car crashes due to underage drinking is $18.2 million a year?

 

2. Interesting fact:

      Example: In a 1999 survey, 17% of all high school students said that they had carried  some type of deadly weapon to school at some point.

 

3. Quotation- something that was said about your topic

     Example: “Terrorism is a very difficult event to predict, especially in a country like the US, which rarely faces acts of terrorism….”

 

4.  Relate personal experience/connect to your reader

A. example: Have you ever wondered what it would be like to_________________?

B. example: Imagine yourself trudging through a thick forest under the cover of night. You’re out of breath and afraid your legs might give out. You want more than anything to rest. You move toward the ground. Before you even touch the solid ground you feel the cold steal of a gun at your temple. You know you must continue to move or you will die.

 

Thesis statements:

 

A thesis is:

The ________  ___________ of your paper.

What all of your information proves.

Usually one sentence in the introduction.

 

 Try these steps:

Review your notes. Look for the BIG idea.

Ask yourself, “What am I trying to show?”

Write and revise your answer to this question – this will lead to a strong thesis statement

 

Now, click on the Sample link on the LA home page. Read the paper and answer the following questions:

 

What type of introduction was used? ________________________________________________________________

 

Is it clear and engaging to the reader?

________________________________________________________________

 

What three reasons does the author state?

________________________________________________________________

 

What type of introduction do you use?

________________________________________________________________

What three reasons do you state in your introduction?

________________________________________________________________

 

 

Writing Conclusions

 

Good conclusions include:

 

1. A Restatement of the Thesis:

     Try changing around the wording you used in your introduction to vary your word choice.

 

Practice - Restate the following:

 

1. Underage drinking is a dangerous problem that will continue to cause accidents and even deaths unless we act to stop this problem.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Weapons of mass destruction have become a serious threat to the US, as well as many other countries. We must stop production to these deadly weapons in order to prevent nuclear war.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

2. An End Wrapper

To wrap up your writing you may want to use the following strategies:

 

A challenge: I challenge all of you to respect and care for the earth everyday, because we are polluting the only earth we have!

 

A surprise:  If we don’t act now against AIDS, in 100 years, it will infect 307 million people in Africa alone.

 

A quotation or profound thought:

“If society comes to grips with the problem, it must be exposed. Once exposed, the causes of child abuse can be understood and support can truly begin.”

The scars of child abuse can be deep and long-lasting, and the only cure is prevention – prevention in families and communities.

 

Answer the following questions:

 

What type of end wrapper is used in the sample paper?

 

Write your thesis statement here:

 

Now rewrite your thesis. Remember to keep the same idea, but use new words and word orders.

 

 

What end wrapper strategy will you use? ___________________________________

 

Write your end wrapper here: