a step- by- step introduction……….

Can be used for both informative and persuasive writing

Incorporates many of the basics of good writing

Speeds up the writing process because of its formulaic nature

Introduction: Tell them what you’re going to tell them.

Body: Tell them. 3 body paragraphs

Conclusion: Tell them what you’ve told them.

It is about three to five sentences long.

These three to five sentences make up the three main parts of the introduction.

The three main parts of the introductory paragraph are named as follows: the Grabber, (Lead-In or Hook) the Thesis Statement, Essay Map.

Attention Grabber: (Also known as the lead-in or hook) An opening sentence or two that grabs the reader’s interest and introduces the general topic of the essay.

Examples: Historical information An anecdote A surprising statement A declarative statement A quote

HISTORICAL INFORMATION: Some topics are better understood if a brief historical review of the topic is presented to lead into the discussion of the moment:

Make sure it’s factual

Keep it brief

If I wanted to explain Grant’s lack of political involvement

Ulysses S. Grant had voted only once for president prior to his own nomination.

ANECDOTE: An interesting little story

Include sights, sounds, smells and other sensory images

Keep it brief

If I wanted to explain Theodore Roosevelt’s progressivism

In Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress you may recall the description of the Man with the Muck-rake, the man who could look no way but downward, ……

Theodore Roosevelt, “The Man With the Muck-Rake, Putnam’s Monthly and The Critic 1 (October 1906)

A SUPRISING STATEMENT: There are many ways a statement can surprise a reader. Sometimes the statement is surprising because it is disgusting. Sometimes it is joyful. Sometimes it is shocking. Sometimes it is surprising because of who said it.

Take care to explain how the statement relates to your topic

Description is great, over- exaggeration is notMake sure that the statement is relevant, not just

shocking

If I wanted to dispel myths about George Washington:

Did George Washington really have wooden false teeth?

A DECLARATIVE STATEMENT: In this pattern, the writer simply states straight out what the topic of his paper is going to be about. It is the technique that most student writers use with only modest success most of the time, but good professional writers use it too.

Don’t give too much information Don’t write, “In this essay…” Don’t write, “I’m going to tell you about…”

If I wanted to explain the essay process:

While the classic five paragraph essay is rarely used by professional writers, it is frequently assigned to students to aid them in organizing and developing their ideas in written form.

A QUOTE: A QUOTE: When a writer uses the When a writer uses the words of another to help illustrate a words of another to help illustrate a pointpoint

Your quote should be unusual, funny, or obscure Don’t choose a long quote Your quote should have a meaning you plan to

reveal to the reader as the essay progresses Remember to put opening and closing quotation

marks around your quote Include who said or wrote your quote

If I wanted to write an informative essay on how to recover from

making a mistake:"You must never feel badly about making mistakes," explained Reason quietly, "as long as you take the trouble to learn from them.” -Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth

The Thesis Statement is the main idea of the entire essay.

The Essay Map/Plan of

Attack is the list of the three main ideas that will be developed in the Body

Thesis defined Answer to the problem or

issue presented to you in the question- focal point of your essay

A thesis is what you want the reader to accept

A thesis requires judgment and interpretation

A thesis is more than a restatement of the question

Characteristics of a good thesis

Clear and comprehensive

statement Complete sentence Presents a point of view or a

position Researched Interesting and sophisticated

yet uncomplicated

One historian has concluded. “In terms of enacting reform legislation, Woodrow Wilson’s first term ranks as one of the most successful in American history.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Thomas Woodrow Wilson, the second Democratic president

since 1861, rode the progressive wave into the presidency. He was a professor politician who was born and reared in the South.

Wilson’s first term was extraordinary because of the number of reform measures that were passed. Among these were the Federal Reserve Act and the Clayton Antitrust Act and the creation of the Federal Trade Commission

While there were many reform measures passed during Wilson’s first term his administration cannot be ranked as the most productive because he ignored so many pressing social problems. He did nothing to benefit African-Americans, the urban poor or the women’s suffrage movement.

Paraphrase of the Lead-In 1. Example: In conclusion, as one can see,

Paraphrase the Thesis Statement and the Essay Map

Statement emphasizing and expanding the importance of the topic

NEVER INTRODUCE NEW INFORMATION IN YOUR CONCLUSION

     When many people hear the word Africa, they picture steaming jungles and wild animals. To have a more accurate picture of the whole continent, however, one should remember that there are, roughly, three Africas, each with its distinct climate and terrain and with a style of life suited to the environment. The continent can be divided into the northern desert areas, the southeastern grasslands, and the tropical jungles to the southwest.

The northern regions have the environment and living patterns of the desert. Egypt, Libya, Algeria, and Morocco have hot, dry climates with very little land suited to farming. Therefore, the population tends to be clustered into cities along rivers or the seacoast or into smaller settlements near oases. For thousands of years, people have lived in this vast region, subsisting partly on what crops and animals they could raise and partly on trade with Europe.

The southeastern grasslands provide a better environment for animal life and for some kinds of crops. Many wild animals inhabit the plains in this region--elephants, giraffes, rhinoceros, antelopes, zebras, and lions. The people in this area have long been expert cattle raisers and hunters. Tea, coffee, cotton, cashew nuts, and tobacco are some of the main products grown in this region. Fishing also provides some food and income for people along the coast. The population here is less concentrated in cities and towns than in the north, but tends to be denser in areas where adequate rainfall and fertile soil make farming possible.

      West Africa is the region closest to the Hollywood image of mysterious jungles. As in the other two regions, the way people subsist depends upon their environment. This does not mean that most of the people live in grass huts in the jungle. Such nations as Nigeria have become highly modernized by income from oil, timber, and minerals. Most of the western countries have some farming that provides food and income; sugar cane, coffee, and tobacco are the important cash crops, while bananas, rice, and corn are raised for food. Fishing in the rivers and along the coast also accounts for food and income, and precious stones, especially diamonds, enhance the economy of Angola and the Ivory Coast.

Even a superficial look at the major regions of Africa shows that it is a varied continent with several environments. Although most of the continent is tropical in its range of temperature, the climate ranges from deserts to rain forests. Similarly, human life-styles vary from the simplest rural villages to industrial cities, both new and ancient. Contrary to popular belief, however, jungle life makes up only a very small portion of the whole of Africa.

Even a superficial look at the major regions of Africa shows that it is a varied continent with several environments. Although most of the continent is tropical in its range of temperature, the climate ranges from deserts to rain forests. Similarly, human life-styles vary from the simplest rural villages to industrial cities, both new and ancient. Contrary to the myth, however, jungle life makes up only a very small portion of the whole of Africa.