Title: BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS topic sentences
1BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGStopic sentences
2THE INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH
- What is its purpose?
- To prepare the reader for what is to follow and
arouse the readers interest in the topic.
3Functions of an Effective Introduction
- Appeals to a specific audience.
- Employs an interest device. -- appeals to the
audience's sense of authority (what they know)
-- appeals to the audience's sense of value
(what they feel) - Sets the tone or mood for the paper.
- Focuses to a thesis (a one-sentence summary of
the paper that follows)
4Ways to Introduce your Topic
- 1.
- The
- Thesis Statement
- Alone.
- (Take notes now.)
5The Thesis Statement Alone
- Against seemingly insurmountable odds, humans
have shown an amazing will to survive. Three
incredible people are - evidence one the victim of a head-on crash with
a semi trailer, the second the survivor of a
brain tumor and the third the prey of a form of
Lou Gehrigs Disease. (from the essay Human Will
to Survive by Jerry W.)
6Ways to Introduce your Topic
- 2.
- Personal Comment
- or
- Anecdote
- (Take notes now.)
7Personal Comment or Anecdote
- Fast Eddie Riley did not just march to a
different tune he polkaed. I first met him in
university residence. Bright but socially inept,
friendly but friendless, and the unfortunate butt
of jokes and pranks, I can remember clearly how
much outside the norm he lived. Followed by
thesis statement. (from the essay Individuals
Who are Outsiders by Pieter L.)
8Ways to Introduce your Topic
- 3.
- Questions
- (Take notes now.)
9Questions
- Why would anyone ever want to wear a school
uniform? What are the possible benefits of such
a hair-brained scheme? Has such a plan ever been
successful anywhere but some fancy-schmancy
private school? My initial thoughts were for no
good reason, very few and probably not.
10Ways to Introduce your Topic
- 4.
- Opposite
- View
- (Take notes now.)
11Opposite View
- Everyone knows that capital punishment, the death
penalty, has been widely successful throughout
the world. It has been performed by the most
humane possible methods, it has deterred
criminals from committing serious offences, and
it is being adopted by more and more countries
around the globe. Unfortunately, this is not the
case. On the contrary, killing people for
killing people doesnt work. (from the essay
Capital Punishment The Grave Reality by Janet
S.)
12Ways to Introduce your Topic
- 5.
- Quotation
- (Take notes now.)
13Quotation
- You cant build a reputation on what you are
going to do. When Henry Ford, famous auto
maker, made this statement, he backed it with
performance. To build a reputation or to create
anything substantial, the builder needs to begin
with a dream, he has to set goals, and it helps
if he has an ideal, a model, to imitate. Terry
Fox is just such a builder. (from the essay The
Influence of Dreams, Goals, and Ideals by Robbie
M.)
14Things to remember about using the Quotation
- It is important to choose a quote that is the
right length. - Think of Goldilocks and the Three Bears a
short quote needs to be explained or elaborated,
a medium-length quote may be just right, but a
long one is likely to be just that too long.
15Ways to Introduce your Topic
- 6.
- The
- Startling
- Statement
- (Take Notes Now.)
16The Startling Statement
- Golf is gaining popularity faster than any summer
sport! Thanks to superstars like Tiger Woods
giving personal lessons to kids right here in our
town, and thanks to millions of dollars in golf
scholarships being given out in our own school,
and even bigger thanks to the fact that new
studies show that golfers, on average, live
twenty years longer than other athletes. Well,
perhaps these are exaggerated statements, but
golf is a great sport. The stars of the sport,
the possibilities for a great career, and the
physical benefits help make golf a big hit. (from
the essay Golf by Robert R.)
17Remember to make your statement not only
startling, but relevant.
- ''Tonight more people will watch a typical
situation comedy on TV than have seen all of the
stage performances of all of Shakespeare's plays
in the last 400 years.'' (This happens to be a
true statement.) - ''When I was 14 years old I fell in love with a
woman 37 feet tall.'' This statement would be a
novel way to start a talk about a 37-foot statue
in one's hometown.
18Ways to Introduce your Topic
- 7.
- The
- Mix
- (Take notes now.)
19The Mix
- Curfews. When all else fails, adults revert to
rules. The rules dont have to make sense. They
dont have to be easy to enforce. They just have
to sound simple. Once again, adolescents are
faced with the threat from the Ready, Shoot,
Aim school of thought. Whats the real problem?
How did we get here? Where should we really be
looking for answers?
20The Introductory Paragraph. . .
- Should be the most enjoyable part of your essay.
- Is your chance to promote your product, to say,
Pick me pick me! - With each of the techniques, other than the
Thesis Statement Alone, you need to add a thesis
statement to the introductory paragraph.
21Introductory Paragraphs Exercise
22Topic SentencesPlaced first.
- A hedgehogs quills are its most obvious, most
interesting feature. The quills, actually stiff,
hollow hairs, have no points, are not barbed, and
unlike porcupine quills, are not easily removed
from a hedgehogs body. The quills can be both a
defensive and an offensive mechanism. When
attacked, a hedgehog will roll into a protective
ball. On some occasions, a hedgehog will attack a
predator and throw itself against the attacker.
In both cases, the point is made.
23Topic SentencesPlaced second.
- To begin with, everybody has one why shouldnt
I? Yes, having a credit card opens a new,
exciting life. My little piece of plastic is the
key to instant happiness I never have to wait to
get that new top, the latest CD, a snack when Im
hungry, or a treat for my friends. Its way safer
than carrying cash and handy to slip into my
jeans. Am I awed by its power? Do you think I
dont know theres a monthly statement? Hey man,
give me a little credit!
24Topic SentencesPlaced last.
- She lives in a 1.3 million home on Marrowstone
Island, Washington. Thats not too expensive if
your earnings have topped 50 million. And
earnings like that make sense if your books have
sold over 70 million copies and have been
translated into 37 languages. Add blockbuster
movies to the list, add being named Author of the
Year for 2008, and then throw in being listed 49
on Time Magazines list of 100 Most Influential
People. Yes, Stephanie Meyers is a success story.
25The Concluding Paragraph
- Whats its purpose?
- The purpose of the final paragraph is to bring
the essay to a smooth conclusion. Similar to the
last page in a childrens book, or at the end of
an old movie, it is a way of saying - The End
26How do I end it all?
- 1.
- Restate the
- Main Points
- (Take notes now.)
27Restating the Main Ideas
- So before heading out to enjoy the great sport of
scuba diving, remember to get the proper clothing
and gear, and to follow the list of Dos and
Donts. Somewhere nearby there is an underwater
adventure just waiting to be enjoyed. (from the
essay Scuba Diving by Tibor S.)
28How do I end it all?
- 2.
- The Future
- Or
- Suggestions for Action
- (Take notes now.)
29The Future/Suggestions for Action
- The NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) idea could be
much more than an idea in your life. We are all
going to die. How we die is open for discussion.
Now that you know about a living will and a
personal directive, and you have heard the true
life ? and death ? stories of two real people,
what choices do you have to make? (from the essay
Euthanasia by Gurpreet K.)
30How do I end it all?
31Questions
- In conclusion, it should be obvious that why we
take risks, who is responsible for the results,
and when it is reasonable to put our lives on the
line is a very personal set of questions. The
most important question of all remains In that
split second when a major decision is required,
will you have the foresight and the will power to
do what you know is the right thing to do? (from
the essay Risk Taking by Andrew S.)
32How do I end it all?
- 4.
- Personal Comment
- Or
- Anecdote
- (Take notes now.)
33Personal Comment or Anecdote
- As we saw at the outset, Jane Doe had a big
decision ? one that affected her life, her babys
life and the lives of countless others around
her. In this case, Jane kept the baby. It has
been a story of triumph, of tears, of hopes, of
sacrifice, of loneliness, of joy, and it will
continue to be a life of wondering. Did I make
the right decision? (from the essay Abortion
by Jillian K.
34How do I end it all?
- 5.
- Cyclic Return
- (Take notes now.)
35Cyclic Return
- So where does that leave us? It seems to take us
back to where we started ? like someone lost in
the woods returning to the original campsite. We
still have the same questions, we still have the
same barriers, and we still have the same dress
code. Will it ever change? My money say it
wont. Hey, there goes an airborne sow! (from
the essay School Dress Code by Jeremy J.)
36STRATEGIES TO AVOID
- Avoid introducing new ideas or facts that belong
in the body of the essay - Avoid merely rewording the introduction
- Avoid announcing what you have done, as in, In
this paper, I have successfully explained why
women are seen as sexual objects in todays
society. - Avoid apologizing, as in, Even though I am not
an expert