How To Write

 An introduction and conclusion frame your thoughts  Introduction acts as a bridge that transports your readers from their own lives into the “place” of your analysis  Conclusion provides a bridge to help your readers make the transition back to their daily lives  Help them see why all your analysis and information should matter to them after they put the paper down

 1 st paragraph of a paper; the 1 st thing people experience about your project; it has two parts: 1. A general introduction to the topic you will be discussing 2. Your thesis statement  There needs to be a thread of an idea that reader will follow through your paper  Give background info necessary for understanding the essay

 A thesis statement is the position you take about a narrowed topic  May be done in one or more sentences  Primary purpose is to persuade the reader that your thesis is a valid one  Must be supportable with research  BE ABLE TO SAY “YES”  Is it an opinion?  Is it debatable?  Is it specific?

 AVOID…  Providing dictionary definitions  Repeating the assignment specifications  Giving details and in- depth explanations that really belong in your body paragraphs

 Think of intro as movie teaser  Provide the reader with something that gets him interested in what you have to say  Attention grabber 1. Ask a rhetorical Q 2. Use a startling fact 3. Use a relevant quotation or anecdote 4. Mention a common misperception that your thesis will argue against it

 “This is what happened.” The Mist-Stephen King

“The iron man came to the top of the cliff.” The Iron Man -Ted Hughes

“We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold.” Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas -Hunter S. Thompson

“Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday, I don’t know.” The Stranger-Albert Camus

Example 1  Teenagers in many American cities have been involved in more gangs in the last five years than ever before. These gangs of teens have been committing a lot of violent crimes. The victims of these crimes are both gang members and people outside of gangs. Many people do not want to travel to areas in our cities because of the danger from this problem. For this terrible situation to stop, it is going to take a combined effort on the part of many people. Excellent, supervised after-school programs, more jobs available for teens, and healthy family relationships will go a long way towards ending this crisis in our society. Example 2  During the Middle Ages in Europe and the Middle East there was much armed conflict between Christians and Muslims. Christians called these conflicts the Crusades because they were fighting under the sign of the cross to save the holy lands of the Bible from being desecrated by non- Christians. However, the true reason for fighting for these lands was less than holy. It was mainly a desire for economic gain that prompted the Christian leaders to send soldiers to fight in the Holy Land.

 Last paragraph; allows you to have the final say on the issues you have raised in your paper  Reflect upon the significance of what you've written  Broaden your focus  A good last sentence leaves your reader with something to think about  Warn readers of the possible consequences of not attending to the problem  Recommend a specific course of action  Return to anecdote, example, or quotation in your introduction, but add further insight that derives from the body of your essay

 AVOID…  Beginning with phrases like “in conclusion,” “in summary,” or “in closing”  Merely summarizing your points  Restating your thesis  Making sentimental, emotional appeals that are out of character with the rest of an analytical paper  Including new evidence

Example 1  When Junior sees his father is forced to kill Oscar, the dog, it changes his entire view on his life and future. He understands how poverty forces people to make difficult choices no one should ever have to make. Junior realizes he does not want to be put in this kind of position when he is an adult. Although this moment is traumatizing for Junior, sometimes it takes a moment like this to help a person decide to take action and change his life for the better. It is these types of moments which forever shape a person’s perspective and influences him to take real steps toward a better future. Although it is difficult to recognize at the time, a tragic moment like this one can be the best thing that happens to a person.

 The introduction creates a "frame" through which your reader understands and interprets your argument and evidence. Your conclusion is your last opportunity to shape your reader's memory of your paper.