A good piece of writing has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Most people spend the majority of their time on the body of their writing (the middle part), but it is just as important to spend as much time on the introduction (the beginning) and the conclusion (the end). I NTRODUCTORY AND C ONCLUDING S ENTENCES

I NTRODUCTION  The introduction sets the tone for the rest of your story, paper, or report. The audience is able to tell from the introduction if the rest of the paper will be formal or informal.  A good introduction can also get the audience interested in what you have to say. That being the case, a bad introduction can make the audience uninterested in what you have to say.

I NTRODUCTION  One way to ease your audience into the introduction is to use transitional words.  Transitional words can be dependent clauses placed at the beginning of an independent clause or the introductory statement.  It's like building a house. When you build a house, you put brick on top of brick, but you also use mortar to cement the bricks together and cushion them.  Using the example, transitional phrases and words like first, in the beginning, at present time, right now, currently, and to start with are the mortar that cements and cushions the sentences to one another.

I NTRODUCTION  Introductory statements can pose questions, state opinions (without evidence), present arguments, offer definitions, outline a problem, tell a story, or provide background information. Examples:  To begin with, the idea that teens need a curfew is ridiculous.  At present time, there is no cure for cancer.  Currently, the definition for abuse is the physical or emotional mistreatment of others.  In the beginning, the crime rate for the city was too high to ignore.

C ONCLUSION  Conversely, the conclusion brings everything in your writing to a natural end. A conclusion doesn't offer any new evidence or information. It ties everything from the introduction and body together, and it encourages the audience to think about what has been said.

C ONCLUSION  Concluding statements function similarly to introductory statements in that they can use transitional words and phrases to ease the reader into the sentence, but they use different transitional words and phrases such as in conclusion, finally, lastly, to sum up, to summarize, in short, therefore, and as I have demonstrated.

C ONCLUSION  Concluding statements can restate the thesis (the main point or argument of your paper), summarize your main points, recommend actions or solutions, predict the future, or use a quotation. Examples:  In conclusion, I believe the only way to achieve peace is through dialogue.  Finally, for us to continue to support the seatbelt law can only be beneficial.  To sum up, cooperation is the key because as Ben Franklin said, "There is no I in team."  In short, the test is ridiculous because it's not current and it doesn't offer any real benefits.

A topic sentence is a general statement that expresses the main idea of a paragraph. A paragraph is a group of sentences that develop one main idea. The main idea is the general statement that the other sentences support or explain. The general statement of the main idea is also called the topic sentence. T OPIC S ENTENCES

A TOPIC SENTENCE HAS TWO MAIN PARTS : Subject Focus what the paragraph is what the paragraph about says about the subject Each of the following examples shows the subject in purple and the focus in blue. Most adults find learning a foreign language difficult. Telephones intrude into the privacy of our daily lives. Parents of teenagers often feel unappreciated.

R EAD THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE, AND ANSWER THE SAMPLE QUESTION BELOW. My Summer Vacation During the summer, I did many different things with my family. In June, we spent a lot of time outside fixing our garden. In July, I read three books from The Chronicles of Narnia to my younger sister. My favorite part of my vacation was when my family and I traveled to New Jersey to visit my grandmother. We were there at the beginning of August, and we watched movies. After we came back home, I helped my dad clean out our garage.

S AMPLE Q UESTION What is the topic sentence of the paragraph? A. In June, we spent a lot of time outside fixing our garden. B. We were there at the beginning of August, and we watched movies. C. After we came back home, I helped my dad clean out our garage. D. During the summer, I did many different things with my family.

E XPLANATION  The correct answer is D: During the summer, I did many different things with my family. This sentence gives the main idea of the paragraph. The whole paragraph talks about what the writer did with his or her family during summer vacation. All of the other sentences fit underneath the "umbrella." The subject is "this summer" with the writer's family. The focus is the family activities that the writer participated in during that particular summer.