Attention Getters

1. Attention Getters

2. Bait and Hook • The attention getter (AG) is the first part of the paper • Grabs the reader’s attention • Enticing • 2-4 sentences • If it is 1, it’s got to be a heck of a sentence • Ties in to the rest of the paper • Conclusion must tie back to AG

3. Quotation • Using a quote as an attention getter can lend credibility to your paper. • Find a quote by an expert in the field your paper is about and use it to support your thesis. • shows that you've done research for your paper, and that experts support the point your essay is making • A quote can also capture what you want to convey eloquently. • You can use that emotional factor to start your essay off strongly.

4. Quotation Cont. • You can begin by crediting the author first • Winston Churchill once said that “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference." • If, however, your author is relatively unknown, begin with the quote, and then credit the author afterward

5. Anecdote • A catchy story that relates to the paper. By starting your essay with an anecdote, you engage the reader on an emotional level by drawing them into your essay through the story.

6. Anecdote Example • Mark Smith of Cambridge, Massachusetts, took his neighbor to court because the neighbor hadn't cut his grass in fourteen years. Kay Mart of Madison, Wisconsin, sued her neighbor because the leaves from his tree fell in her yard, and she had to rake them. Perhaps if lines of communication had been open or if each had shown a little more compassion to each other, it wouldn't have gone so far. • Thesis Statement- Neighbors can be a curse, but establishing a good relationship with them is important.

7. Rhetorical Question • Just as in conversation, rhetorical questions in research papers are meant to get the reader's mind wondering about something without requiring them to respond. • Design the question so that it requires a "yes" or "no" answer. • It's also essential to make it interesting and intriguing. • A research paper about the homeless could begin "Can you move all of your life's possessions around in a shopping cart?"

8. Shocking Statistic • Use a shocking statistic to engage your reader, and then segue into the body of your paper. • A research paper on developmentalpsychology could begin "About 26 percent of children growing up in America have only one parent." • From here, you can go on to talk about the effect this has on children, and the desirability of a home with two parents.

9. List Words • Begin with a list of words, using each one as a complete sentence. • While this isn't grammatically correct (they're sentence fragments), it can be used if you know what you're doing. • An example would be the following: "Incest. Murder. Suicide. Death. What do these things have in common? They're all themes of William Shakespeare's play 'Hamlet.'"

10. Definition • State a definition in your own words that ties to your topic.  • A saint is someone who sets aside his or her own wants and needs to follow a higher calling.

11. Riddle • Give some clues that lead to an answer that ties in to your topic(s).  • She was called “mother” by millions, though she had no children of her own.

12. Metaphor • Make a comparison between your topic and something with similar qualities. • Mother Teresa was an angel walking on the Earth.

13. Set a Scene • Describe the scenario suitable for your topic • Filthy streets are filled with garbage, sacred cows wandering about, and the stench of poverty. In the middle of all this misery walks a woman in a white gown.

14. Link • Link gives attention getter a purpose • Explains how the attention getter connects to the thesis • Motorcyles and bycicles example here

15. 4 Elements to a Good Paragraph

16. Element #1: Unity. • Unity in a paragraph begins with the topic sentence. • Every paragraph has one single, controlling idea that is expressed in its topic sentence, which is typically the first sentence of the paragraph. • A paragraph is unified around this main idea, with the supporting sentences providing detail and discussion. • In order to write a good topic sentence, think about your theme and all the points you want to make. • Decide which point drives the rest, and then write it as your topic sentence.

17. Element #2: Order. •  Order refers to the way you organize your supporting sentences. • Chronological order • order of importance • another logical presentation of detail • In a well-ordered paragraph, the reader follows along easily, aided by the pattern you’ve established. • Order helps the reader grasp your meaning and avoid confusion

18. Element #3: Coherence. • Coherence is the quality that makes your writing understandable. • Sentences within a paragraph need to connect to each other and work together as a whole. • One of the best ways to achieve coherency is to use transition words. • These words create bridges from one sentence to the next. • order (first, second, third) • spatial relationships (above, below) • logic (furthermore, in addition, in fact). • Also, in writing a paragraph, using a consistent verb tense and point of view are important ingredients for coherency

19. Element #4: Completeness • Completeness means a paragraph is well-developed. • If all sentences clearly and sufficiently support the main idea, then your paragraph is complete. • If there are not enough sentences or enough information to prove your thesis, then the paragraph is incomplete. • Usually three supporting sentences, in addition to a topic sentence and concluding sentence, are needed for a paragraph to be complete. • The concluding sentence or last sentence of the paragraph should summarize your main idea by reinforcing your topic sentence.