INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH TECHNIQUES
An introductory paragraph contains three parts:
a) A hook (serves to catch the reader’s attention)
b) bridge (serves to build on the hook and establish the connection to the thesis)
c) thesis (states the main idea that the writer is trying to prove in his/her essay)
HOOK
BRIDGE
THESIS
One rule to follow in writing an introduction is: NEVER MENTION THE NAME OF
THE WORK THAT YOU ARE WRITING ABOUT IN THE FIRST SENTENCE.
Here are four examples of introductory paragraph techniques. As a writer, you should
practice varying your introductions to suit your subject matter.
1. GENERALIZATION: Make a broad statement about life or people that somehow
relates to the subject matter of your paper. This generalization hook may be expressed
as a theme statement.
People tend to make sacrifices for those they love and care about, but some
altruistic people might even make sacrifices for those they don’t know well, if at all.
Sacrificing people might give up money, food, shelter, transportation, or other material
goods to help out persons less fortunate than they are who are in trouble or having
problems. In one short story, a character named Mary is even willing to give up her life
for the children she is watching. In the short story, “Too Soon A Woman,” Dorothy M.
Johnson portrays Mary as a protagonist who is sacrificing, resourceful, and courageous.
2. POSE A QUESTION: Ask a question or several questions that will appeal to the
reader’s curiosity and also relate to the subject of your thesis.
In what situation and for what reason is an individual willing to make a sacrifice
for someone else? Does the sacrificing individual always know the recipient, or can the
benefactor sacrifice for someone she does not know well, if at all? Giving up something
of value to help another person out is an act of generosity that makes us curious
because it is a good human interest story. Sometimes these examples of generosity are
non-fictional, happening in real life, but other times these examples of altruism become
the focus of movies or literature. One fictional character named Mary is willing to
sacrifice her life for the children she is tending. In the short story, “Too Soon A
Woman,” Dorothy M. Johnson portrays Mary as a protagonist who is sacrificing,
resourceful, and courageous.
3. PERSONAL ANECDOTE/ANECDOTE: Briefly tell a story about yourself or
someone else and an experience that relates to the subject matter of your paper. Make
sure that you are careful to include a sentence that points out the similarity or difference
between your story and the work you will be discussing.
Adaire was a single mother of two children who had worked very hard to care
for her family after her husband’s sudden death. She had managed to set aside a little
bit of money each week in an education fund so she could someday attend the local
community college for computer training that would enable her to get a better paying
job. Just when she had enough money to cover registration, tuition, and books, Adaire
realized that winter was coming and her children desperately needed winter gear such
as jackets, mittens, and boots. She hated to do it, but she gave up her college fund to
purchase cold weather clothes for her children. Adaire’s story is not such an unusual
one, because many adults make sacrifices for children. One sacrificing individual in
literature is the character Mary who is even willing to sacrifice her life for the children
she is watching. In the short story, “Too Soon A Woman,” Dorothy M. Johnson
portrays Mary as a protagonist who is sacrificing, resourceful, and courageous.
4. SELECT A QUOTE: Select a quotation from the piece of literature or from any
other source that relates to the topic of your essay.
The American poet Amy Lowell writes in her poem “A Critical Fable” that “a
man must be sacrificed now and again/ To provide for the next generation of men.”
Many times in life, a parent or another adult will give up something of value to help out
“the next generation,” a child. It might be a savings account that was set aside for a
spectacular vacation that is used, instead, to send a deserving student to college. It
might even be giving up something as valuable as life itself to preserve a young person.
The character Mary is willing to make such a sacrifice in a westward bound short story
told from an eleven-year-old narrator’s point of view. In this short story, “Too Soon A
Woman,” Dorothy M. Johnson portrays Mary as a protagonist who is sacrificing,
resourceful, and courageous.
CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH TECHNIQUES (Grade 9, 10)
A traditional concluding paragraph contains three parts:
a. a restatement of the thesis (may use different language than was used in the
introduction).
b. a summary of the points made in the essay.
c. an insight about life and/or people (Freshman year) or, an insight into the
overall effect, purpose and/or artistry of the work (Sophomore year).
THESIS
SUMMARY
INSIGHT
In making a smooth exit, try to find ways to echo the main point and tie your essay
together in some interesting way. Return to your thesis, make some general concluding
remarks, and end with a sentence or two that readers will remember. Remember, a
well-written conclusion is planned, drafted, and revised with care just as other
parts of the essay. Some useful strategies include:
Traditional Conclusion ending with an insight
This type of conclusion reinforces the essay’s most important ideas by restating the
thesis in different words, reviewing the main points of the essay, and providing an
insight.
Freshman
In the short story, “Too Soon A Woman,” the author Dorothy M. Johnson clearly
portrays the young woman named Mary as a protagonist who is sacrificing, resourceful,
and courageous. Mary’s sacrificing nature is obvious in her decisions to place herself in
uncomfortable situations for the benefit of her new family and to test the mushroom on
herself to see if it is poisonous or not before allowing the children to have any. Her
resourcefulness is clear because she is so clever with so little. For example, she saves
the porcupine grease and knows that the big, white mushroom is a possible source of
nourishment that can save her life and the lives of the three young children. Mary’s
courage is evident in several instances: standing up to Pa in the beginning of the story,
going out into the woods to look for the horse, and, most important, being willing to
face death so that the children will not have to do so. In light of today’s selfish world
where many people watch out only for themselves, Mary seems to be an almost saintly
character. Indeed, it would be rare to meet someone as giving and honorable as Mary in
the American society of the twenty-first century. If, however, more people could have
even a small portion of Mary’s self-sacrificing, caring, nature, certainly the world
would be a kinder, safer place in which to live. Furthermore, if modern individuals had
even a small amount of Mary’s resourcefulness and courage, then they would be
independent and strong instead of self-involved and weak. Characters such as Mary
remind us that individuals make life choices and that one of the most important is about
whether to play the role of the victim or claim the place of the victor. Clearly, Mary’s
strength of character helps her claim her place as a young woman who will be
victorious against life’s tribulations.
Sophomore
Example 1:
Maya Angelou shows that she is a determined individual through the use of
figurative language. First, as she describes herself during her encounter with the
receptionist, then in how she explains what she does to get the job as a streetcar
conductor, and finally in her discussion of her ability to carry out her responsibilities,
she shows that she is able to accomplish what she sets out to do. Maya Angelou shows
that using figurative language is an effective way to describe a character.
Example 2:
When one delves too deeply into a personal conflict, one often losses touch of the
most obvious answer. Oedipus, the protagonist from Oedipus the King by Sophocles,
commits this tragic mistake. He becomes blind to the truths displayed concerning his
quest for true identity when his pursuit of a petty conflict overtakes his mind. The
dramatic irony of the piece is caused by Oedipus’ overreaction to his misguided
interpretation of Creon’s position, followed by his closed minded arguments and
unwillingness to face reality. Although humans are capable of experiencing great insight,
they can only see if their minds are open.