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Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

Organizing your essay

from introduction

to conclusion

Anna Aghlamazyan Writing Consultant

Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

1. What are the main functions of introductions?

2. What are the main functions of conclusions?

3. What is a paragraph and how to construct it?

4. Quiz time

A quick outline

Latin – Exigere: "to examine, test, drive out."

French - Essay

English - Essay

Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

To encourage students to test or examine their ideas on a topic

Introductions make

Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

the first impression

Proportions are important

Introduction

Body

Conclusion

Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

Proportions are important Introduction

Body

Conclusion

Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

Hoo the reader

Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

Define Keywords

Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

The Opening Sentence

Daniel Coyle, “The Talent Code”

Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

“In December 2006 I began visiting tiny places that produce Everest-size amounts of talent.”

Geoffrey Colvin, “What It Takes to Be Great?”

Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

“What makes Tiger Woods great?”

Strategies to hook Asking a question

Challenging a thought

Introducing something familiar

Raising a problem

Revealing a startling fact

Bringing an example

Incorporating a relevant quote

Telling an anecdote

Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

Revealing a startling fact

Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

More than 2.5 billion pictures are uploaded to Facebook each month.

Raising a problem

At first I had no idea what made students come to Math & Writing Center again and again.

Do not merely announce the topic of your essay:

Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

“In this essay, I will speak about…” “This essay is about…”

In this paper I will show how the participation in student clubs at AUA can help students to improve their grades.

Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

Thesis statement

Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

usually occurs in the introductions

Participation in student clubs at

AUA helps students to improve

their grades.

Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

Conclusions

Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

Don’t repeat

Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

Emphasize

Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

Guide to

future directions

“The striking, liberating news is that

greatness isn't reserved for a preordained few.

It is available to you and to everyone”.

Geoffrey Colvin, What It Takes to Be Great

Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

The Closing Sentence

What is a paragraph?

A paragraph is a group of

sentences relating to a

central idea and appearing in

a logical sequence.

Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

Anatomy of a Paragraph

1

• Topic sentence

• One main idea

• Supporting evidence

2

• Topic sentence

• One main idea

• Supporting evidence

3

• Topic sentence

• One main idea

• Supporting evidence

Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

What does the topic sentence do?

Thesis statement

Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

Writing consultancy sessions should be a requirement for undergraduate students.

Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

The essay structure

Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

Introduction

Paragraph 1

Paragraph 2

Conclusion

Opening sentence

Thesis statement

Topic sentence

One main idea

Supporting evidence

Topic sentence

One main idea

Supporting evidence

Recapping what has been said

Closing sentence

Transition words

Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

ADDING SEQUENCING ILLUSTRATING CAUSE AND

EFFECT

COMPARING QUALIFING CONTRASTING EMPHASISING

1. True or false? Introductions and conclusions should have 150 words.

2. Which are the main functions of a conclusion?

3. Which are the main functions of an introduction?

4. Enumerate at least 5 strategies to hook the reader.

5. True or false? Each paragraph starts with a topic sentence.

6. True or false? This is what a well-structured paragraph should contain. Topic sentence, Three main ideas, Supporting evidence

Sep/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

Quiz time

Oct/2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

Prepared by Anna Aghlamazyan

Writing Consultant

References

Sep, 2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

English Composition I: Achieving expertise. (2015). Duke University. Conducted by Dr. Denise Comer. MOOC provided by Coursera. Retrieved from https://www.coursera.org/course/composition

Colvin, G. (2006, October). What It Takes to Be Great. Fortune. Retrieved from: http://archive.fortune.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/10/30/8391794/index.htm

Hacker, D., Sommers, N. (2012). Rules for writers with writing about literature. Bedford/St. Martin’s, Boston, New York.

References

Sep, 2015 AUA, Center for Student Success

Introduction to Public Speaking. University of Washington. Conducted by Dr. Matt McGarrity. MOOC provided by Edx. Retrieved from

https://courses.edx.org/courses/course-v1:UWashingtonX+COMM220UWx_2+1T2015/info

Miiller, J.C. (2015, Aug). A Long Journey Home. English Composition I: Achieveing Expertise online course. Retrieved from: https://class.coursera.org/composition-004/forum/thread?thread_id=5423

Starting with a hook. (N.d.). Retrieved from: http://www.time4writing.com/learning-how-to-write/starting-with-a-hook/

50 interesting Facebook facts. (2010). Retrieved from http://facts.randomhistory.com/interesting-facebook-facts.html

Starting with a hook. (N.d.). Retrieved from http://www.time4writing.com/learning-how-to-write/starting-with-a-hook/