Writing a Decent Intro

THE TITLE Title should be centered, not bolded, not in caps Keep it simple: Ghosts in Like Water for Chocolate Conflict in Antigone Defiance of Social Codes in Chronicle of a Death Foretold

Don’t Screw this up, stupid. GET THE TITLE RIGHT. Do you underline it? Put it in Italics? Like Water for Chocolate Antigone Chronicle of a Death Foretold

??????

Don’t be A MORON. You will look like one if you misspell the author’s name anywhere in the paper. When referring to the author, use the full name in the intro and conclusion. Ex: Laura Esquivel Use the last name only when referring to the author in the body: EX: Esquivel uses the motif of fire.

THE HOOK The hook is the first sentence or sentences. It should draw the reader in, making them anxious to read the rest of your essay. Don’t use “I” in formal writing It may or may not directly relate to the text It must relate to the THEME

TYPES OF HOOKS

1. Generalization about Life EX: – True love is rarely forgotten. The remembrance of love transcends time, place ad reason. Write a generalization for your paper. 1-3 sentences

2. Anecdote Personal anecdotes are not usually appropriate for formal essays. They work pretty well on the ACT writing test It is possible to use one in an IB paper, with a few adaptations: Imagine that a single human being had the power to prevent a murder.

3. Powerful Imagery from Text Is there a key scene from the book or story that is fascinating, gruesome, or otherwise compelling? Describe it in the opening. EX: Showers start on fire, ghosts appear and speak, and men die when their sexual passion is not constrained. These occurrences are normalized in Laura Esquivel’s novel, Like…

4.QUOTATION GOOD, relevant quotations either from the book or from another source may generate interest. LOOK UP QUOTES ABOUT YOUR THEME. WRITE ONE DOWN Oscar Wilde once stated, “Everything in moderation, especially moderation.” This advice was not heeded in the play Antigone.

5. FACT OR STATISTIC Include a shocking, interesting or simply relevant fact that you think the reader will find intriguing. It should relate to the plot, the author, or the social or cultural background of the text. Ex: In Minnesota it is illegal to drive a red car on Lake Street. In Ohio, it… What might you look up? Any dates? Statistics?

6. Pose a Question EX: How important is the truth? Are there times when keeping a secret is preferable to telling the truth? In The Great Gatsby… Write down a question or series of questions that would work for your topic

Background Info Give a 1-3 sentence background on the text. Information should include *relevant cultural significance Relevant background on author, setting, politics Key definitions if necessary

Thesis In IB, the thesis statement is positioned at the end of the introduction. Yes, you should move it to the end.

LET’S REVIEW: A.The HOOK B.Background information that suggests contextual or cultural significance C.Thesis At one point, you must include the author’s full name and the name of the work.

TIPS: 1. The author did not write the book to prove how good she was at understanding a literary device. 7 th Grade EXAMPLE: Wilson wrote the play to show the symbolization of fire.

WHAT? The author uses a literary device to help express some universal truth about the human experience. Achibe uses the motif of light to show that domestic violence can and should be overcome.

TIPS 2. Don’t repeat yourself. 3. Use your vocabulary (see handout on strong word choices) 4. Avoid generalizations (all, none, never, always) 5. Experiment with sentence structure. Make it interesting. The intro and conclusion are your chance to show you can write well.