Getting the interest of the reader; summing up your points in an interesting fashionOb jective: To construct an interesting, informative introduction and conclusive

ending to your research

Writing an introduction

Introductions are important. They arouse a reader's interest, introduce the

subject, and tackle the So What? factor. In short, they're your paper's "first impression." But you don't have to write them first.many students prefer launching right into the

body of the essay before writing intros and conclusions.

However, other students prefer writing the introduction first to help "set up" what's to follow.

•Begin with a quotation. Just make sure you explain its relevance. Ex: “We have nothing to Fear but fear itself.” Franklin Delano Roosevelt encouraged US citizens with these words after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. •Begin with a question Ex: What happens to a student who leaves high school before completing the senior year? In Martin Luther King’s case, he goes on to college at age fifteen, becomes a minister, and changes the country for millions of people.•Begin with a little known fact about the person: Martin Luther King began life as Michael King Jr.

Ways to grab reader’s attention

•Begin with an interesting fact Ex: Over 58,000 American soldiers lost their lives in Vietnam.

•

Ways to get the attention of the reader

• Begin with irony or paradox. Ex: It is ironic that a young man who began his life and his army career as a staunch supporter of the war went on to become one of its major critics.

• Begin with an analogy. Make sure it's original but not too farfetched. EX: Being a woman in the early 1900’s was much like being a caged bird, protected but unable to make vital decisions about her life, her future, and her body. That is until Margaret Sanger…

• .

Ways to grab reader’s attention Begin with a very short narrative

or anecdote that has a direct bearing on your paper.

Ex: A young man, 22, son of sharecroppers, and the first African American to compete in the Olympics, stands before the packed stadium, and the Nazi leader, and takes the Gold. Jesse Owens…

Structure of the Introduction1. Attention grabber2. background information needed3. Thesis statement is the last sentence of

the introduction.

What not to doDo not use first person (I, me, my, mine)Do not say “In this essay I will…Do not say “ I’m going to tell you about…”Do not get into detailed information—save

this for the body of the paperDo not use contractionsDo not use slangDo not use lame adjectives—nice, big, little, a

lot,

Writing the conclusionDon't depend on your conclusion to clarify

the body paragraphs. Your paragraphs should flow naturally into

one another and connections should be made among them.

Summary can be an important function of conclusions but keep this part brief; readers know what they've just read.

What about the rest of it?Demonstrate how the pieces of the essay fit

together.Synthesize your main ideas.Do not merely repeat itExplain how they fit together. What

conclusions have you drawn?

Example Thesis

Thesis: The American dream of home ownership, although once believed a right, has in today’s economy become a privilege due to the cost of homes, the rate of mortgages, and the rise in taxes.

Restatement of thesis: Many Americans have concluded that in today’s market the dream of home ownership is beyond their reach.

Restate the thesisRestate, not repeatThesis should be summarized, not repeated word

for wordEX: Simon Wiesenthal , who became famous as

the man who brought Nazi war criminals to justice, influenced the world politically and culturally as reflected in the “Speech at Mauthausen on 7.5.1995.”

Restatement for conclusion: Simon Wiesenthal truly had a tremendous impact on the world. His determination in finding and bringing to justice the most heinous Nazis…

ClincherRefer to your attention getterAnecdote: Tell the end of the storyAttn Getter: A young man, 22, son of

sharecroppers, and the first African American to compete in the Olympics, stands before the packed stadium, and the Nazi leader, and takes the Gold. Jesse Owens…

Clincher: This young twenty-two year old athlete demonstrated to the Nazis as well as the world that all people truly are equal…

ClincherAttn getter: “We have nothing to Fear

but fear itself.” Franklin Delano Roosevelt encouraged US citizens with these words after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941.

Clincher: Roosevelt inspired the nation to overcome its fear and defeat the enemy many times throughout his presidency, and his legacy and inspiration lives on today.