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Introductions and Conclusions

Introductions and Conclusions. Quick guide to better papers. Introductions. A good introductory paragraph begins with a hook strategy, What main points/information about your topic you will be discussing, and ends with a clear thesis statement. Hook Points of focus Thesis statement.

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Introductions and Conclusions

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  1. Introductions and Conclusions Quick guide to better papers

  2. Introductions • A good introductory paragraph begins with a hook strategy, What main points/information about your topic you will be discussing, and ends with a clear thesis statement. • Hook • Points of focus • Thesis statement

  3. Good/Bad Hooks Things to do • The personal anecdote/story • Ask athought provoking, universal question • Quotation, song lyric, or short poem • Unusual, bizarre, or interesting fact or statistic Things NOT to do • Apologize. Never suggest that you don't know what you're talking about • Announce your intentions. Do not flatly announce what you are about to do in an essay. • Use a dictionary or encyclopedia definition. Although definitions are extremely useful and it might serve your purpose to devise your own definition

  4. Sample Introduction Do you know someone rich and famous? Is he confident, popular, and joyful all of the time—the epitome of mainstream success? Or, on the other hand, is he stressed, having second thoughts about his life choices, and unsure about the meaning of his life? I am willing to bet that it is the second one. Mainstream marketing and media have effectively brainwashed our society into accepting a false, even potentially dangerous definition of success. Marketers want us to believe that having lots of money, living in a big house, and owning all of the latest cars, fashions, and technology is the key to happiness, and hence, success. This overstated, falsely advertised myth is hardly ever the case in real life. True success requires respect, appreciation, integrity, and patience- all of which are traits that by human nature are genuinely difficult to attain- especially in the face of modern marketerswhorelentlessly deceive us, control our thoughts, and usurp our independence in order to increase their bottom line.

  5. Transitions • What are transitions and how are they used? • transitions are phrases or words used to connect one idea to the next • transitions are used by the author to help the reader progress from one significant idea to the next • transitions also show the relationship within a paragraph (or even within a sentence) between the main idea and the support the author gives for those ideas • See handout

  6. Endings Endings are hard. Everybody struggles with them. Some rewrite their endings 20 times. When you’re trying to come up with a good ending for a piece, there are three things you need to think about. The ending should return to your thesis and supports (your message). It should feel like the piece has been finished and the author has received your message. Remember this is the last thing the reader will read. It should leave the reader reflecting on what you had to say. You want your writing to stick in their mind.

  7. Good/Bad Endings DON”T Beginning with an unnecessary, overused phrase such as "in conclusion," "in summary,"or"in closing" Stating the thesis for the very first time in the conclusion Introducing a new idea or subtopic in your conclusion Making sentimental, emotional appeals (out of character with the rest of an analytical paper) Including evidence (quotations, statistics, etc.) that should be in the body of the thesis DO State the implications of what you wrote End with a question for the reader to think about End with a wish, hope, or dream Future effect your topic has on you and/or society Ask the reader to take action

  8. Sample Ending At this point, a reader may be thinking “Wow! It takes all that to be truly successful? Maybe I’m not meant to be successful.” or “This ‘success’ thing is just too much work. Is it worth it?” Well, to answer these questions in brief: yes. It is not easy to become successful and hardly anyone is truly successful – but it is a noble goal to strive for. Just like everything else in life, becoming successful takes practice; no one becomes a success overnight. With courage and hope our society can forget the marketer’s inadequate definition of success and work to attain true success by modeling respect, appreciation, integrity, and patience – the keys to happiness and success.

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