Elements of a Paper English 10

Introductory Paragraph The purposes of an introduction are to: Get your readers’ attention Inform the reader of your topic Declare your thesis statement (state your argument)

Introductory Paragraph Must include: Attention Getter Title of literary piece (epic poems are placed in quotation marks) Ex. “The Odyssey” Author’s name Thesis Statement of order (usually attached to the thesis)

Introductory Paragraph First sentence = The Attention Getter. A sentence that serves two purposes: Grab the attention of your audience Give your audience a clue about what your paper is on Make me (your audience) want to read your paper first!

Introductory Paragraph Example attention getters: An interesting fact A quote An anecdote (a short story) A statistic A shocking statement

Introductory Paragraph Thesis Statements have two functions: To preview the topic being discussed To make a claim about that topic. A thesis must make a claim that is arguable; therefore, it cannot be a fact. If someone cannot disagree, then it is not a thesis.

Example If this is your assignment: Choose a character from a work of literature who can be defined as an epic hero and explain how he/she fits this definition. Give at least three examples for support.

This is your thesis! Example: Thesis To create your thesis, rework the question: In the movie, Shrek, Shrek is an epic hero. This is your thesis!

Introductory Paragraph Statement of Order: indirectly informs readers what they will find in each of your body paragraphs. It is usually attached at the end of the thesis statement. In our example assignment, we are asked to give three examples of support for our thesis. These three examples are our statement of order!

Example: Statement of order What does Shrek do that all epic heroes do? 1. He goes on a quest 2. He fights monsters 3. He never loses his humanity

Example: Statement of Order Epic heroes come in all shapes, sizes and colors. In the movie Shrek, the lead character fits the definition of an epic hero. Shrek goes on a quest and fights dangerous monsters. Throughout the entire story, he never loses his humanity.

Introductory Paragraph Statement of Order: Just by reading that thesis, we can tell Body Paragraph #1 will be about Shrek going on a quest Body Paragraph #2 will be about Shrek fighting dangerous monsters Body Paragraph #3 will be about Shrek never losing his humanity The thesis statement with the attached statement of order is always the last sentence in your introductory paragraph!

Body Paragraphs Each body paragraph contains MEAL M= Main idea of the paragraph (topic sentence) E= Evidence to back up your paragraph A= Analysis of your evidence (explain why/how the evidence supports your main idea) L= Linking sentence (wrap up your paragraph so readers can move onto the next paragraph smoothly)

Body Paragraphs Each body paragraph begins with a topic sentence. The topic sentence lets the reader know what that paragraph will be about. Ex. The first way Shrek fits the definition of an epic hero is that he goes on a quest.

Body Paragraph Evidence: You need to support your claim with textual evidence (support found in the poem) Each body paragraph should contain at least two pieces of evidence to support your position. For textual evidence, you may Use a direct quote Paraphrase what happened in your own words

Direct Quotes When using an author’s exact words, we always place them in quotations with the page number the quote is found at the end. The proper format for direct citation is as follows: “The exact words from the book go here” (50). Notice that the quotation marks come before the parentheses and the sentence’s punctuation goes after the closing parenthesis!

Paraphrasing Paraphrasing is writing what happened in your own words. When you paraphrase, you must still give a page number so the reader will know where to find that part of the story. The correct format for paraphrasing is as follows: You would write your paraphrase here (50).

For MME Essays: MME essays require a COUNTERARGUMENT paragraph that explains the other side’s position The idea is to present the other side’s position and then destroy it (with evidence)!  Tip: Use the phrase “some people say” to start the counterargument paragraph.

Example of counterargument Some people say Shrek is not a hero because he is often antisocial. This argument is incorrect because Shrek does not choose to be an isolationist but is forced to live on his own by people not accepting him into society. Instead of rebelling against society, he continues to treat people nicely and fairly which is very heroic.

Concluding Paragraph Touch back: rephrase the thesis Straight to the heart: sum up the important parts of the essay Look ahead: how does this effect us (as readers of your paper) Zinger: end on a strong note The goal of a conclusion is make the reader continue contemplating the essay after finishing reading it.

Concluding Paragraph A helpful hint: try the “circle technique.” Writers using this method end their papers with the same or similar thoughts they began the paper with (their attention getter).