Transcript How to write an introductory paragraph

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Writing an introduction is like greeting
someone
The paragraph should be short
You don’t want to get to the “meat” of the
essay
Give your audience a concise idea of your
essay’s purpose
The introduction is the most important
paragraph of the essay
 Must be at least 50 words long or three
sentences minimum
 Needs to do three things:
 Briefly introduce topic
 Clearly state your position
 Provide three elements to compare/contrast
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General statement introduction
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Question introduction
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Quotation introduction
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A recent article in Times magazine states that
the viewing of extremely violent television
shows is the number one cause of violence in
our inner cities.
A recent article in The Austin Statesman
states that most Americans are very much
against flag burning in public and are in favor
of passing a law banning this activity
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Janis Ian in her song, “Seventeen” states, “ I
learned the truth at seventeen.” The song
deals with the realities of coming of age. In
“Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros, “Oranges” by
Gary Soto, and SPEAK by Laurie Halse
Anderson, the archetype is shown through
the author’s use of
____________,___________,and
_________________.
“Coming of Age” or “Initiation into adulthood”
in literature can occur in different situations
using varied elements to express the
protagonists voice. The author’s use of
___________, ___________, and ______________
are especially effective in the short story
“Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros, the poem
“Oranges” by Gary Soto, and the excerpt from
the novel SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson.
Are you ever bothered by the excessive
violence in prime time television?
Do you think that to improve our public school
education the students should be required to
wear uniforms?
Should we allow citizens to burn the United
States flag in public?
Do you feel situations we face growing up
that initiate us into adulthood leave a lasting
impression? In young adult literature such
as,
“Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros, “Oranges” by Gary
Soto, and SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson,
the author’s effectively use _____________,
___________, and __________ to portray the
archetype of Initiation.
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Did you write in the present tense?
 Do you write in 3rd person only?
 Is your analysis objective not subjective? ( a
critical response, not a personal response)
 Use formal language- not slang, idioms,
colloquialisms
 Is your paper organized?
 Is your paper presentable?
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Example:
In Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven”, Poe develops the tone
of horror through his repetition of words and phrases,
horrifying images, and words that describe his
increasing insanity over the appearance of the raven.
Ex. I feel the same way about walking into the
cafeteria.
Ex. Taking oranges on a date is dumb.
Ex. I remember being embarrassed by a
teacher in 3rd grade.
IncorrectRachel was embarrassed when the teacher
insists the sweater is Rachel’s.
CorrectRachel is embarrassed when the teacher insists
the sweater is Rachel’s.
Don’t forget structure:
Introduction
Body- choose one of three methods
Conclusion