Essay Writing: The Introductory Paragraph
By way of reminder, an exclusively unlike arrangement is possible, but for the sake of helping exam takers sitting timed EFL (English every bit a unusual linguistic communication together with non the English linguistic communication Football League!) examinations, I stick to 1 detail way so that test-takers tin focus on 1 sort of layout which should relieve time. Note too that I'm writing close academic essays together with non letters or emails, reports, proposals, paper or journal articles, or narratives. Those varieties of written operate receive got their ain traits together with thus demand to live discussed inwards split upwards weblog posts (which I promise to eventually address at some afterwards time).
But for now, let's larn dorsum to our academic seek introduction.
The Introduction
Think of your get-go paragraph every bit an upside downwardly triangle separated into 3 parts.
We said that the argue the triangle is upside downwardly is because every bit nosotros innovate the topic of our essay, nosotros motility from the to a greater extent than full general to the to a greater extent than specific.
The 3 parts acquaint inwards the diagram inwards a higher identify should larn 3 split upwards sentences (if you lot goal upwards amongst ii longish sentences, that's too fine). Having to a greater extent than sentences commonly way you lot mightiness non live making connections betwixt ideas amongst relative pronouns or linking words together with phrases similar "thus" or "as a resultant of which" together with this could goal upwards costing you lot some points because you lot receive got shorter sentences (and thus lack diversity inwards vocabulary or grammatical constructions) than you lot ought to.
Turning dorsum to our diagram, what exercise nosotros include inwards each business office of our essay's get-go paragraph? To respond this question, it is vital nosotros deconstruct our rubric.
The rubric
The rubric is inwards actual fact the query itself. What nosotros come across written on the exam paper (or what our instructor submitted every bit a homework assignment) which gives us the topic of the seek is what is called the rubric.
The introduction nosotros write volition depend on ii things that nosotros receive got to extract from the rubric, which are:
- the topic
- the direction
The topic is of course of study the full general dependent champaign thing nosotros receive got been asked to utter over inwards our essay. The management is how nosotros are supposed to bargain amongst the topic nosotros receive got been given, what specific areas of the topic or issues related to it nosotros demand to comprehend inwards our essay. For instance, if the topic is fashion, hither are some possible directions nosotros mightiness live asked to discuss:
- Is next fashion important?
- How is fashion harmful for the planet?
- What does it hateful to live a 'fashion icon'? What effects exercise fashion icons receive got on teens?
- "Fast fashion destroys ethical consumerism." What mightiness crusade this?
Each of these statements is clearly bespeak us to bargain amongst a unlike facet of the fashion manufacture because each takes the word close fashion inwards a unlike direction. Let's come across what this way inwards each of the 4 questions.
1) Is next fashion important?
Topic: fashion
Direction: whether it is of import to follow it
2) How is fashion harmful for the planet?
Topic: fashion
Direction: how harmful it is for the planet
3) What does it hateful to live a 'fashion icon'? What effects exercise fashion icons receive got on teens?
Topic: fashion icon
Direction: define fashion icon + exhibit the effects of fashion icons on teenagers
4) "Fast fashion destroys ethical consumerism." What mightiness crusade this?
Topic: fast fashion
Direction: state what makes fast fashion destroy ethical consumerismTherefore, to recap: from the rubric nosotros demand to selection out the topic together with the direction, together with in 1 lawsuit this is done, nosotros tin continue to write our 3 sentences for the introduction. Let's come across what these are.
The General Statement
The get-go judgement of the introduction volition live a wide controversy close the overall topic of our essay, without genuinely mentioning the topic itself. The argue I recommend students together with exam candidates non cite the topic inwards the get-go judgement is so that they don't repeat themselves, but instead utilisation unlike vocabulary words.
We write the full general controversy past times taking our topic together with placing it nether a full general category, so writing the full general category inwards the get-go sentence. For instance, if our topic is fashion, nosotros could identify it nether the full general category of 'style' or 'trends' together with utilisation either of these words every bit the basic concepts around which nosotros build our get-go judgement instead of the word 'fashion', which volition undoubtedly reappear inwards our seek afterwards on.
Here are some to a greater extent than examples of how nosotros could transform topic words into full general category words:
TOPIC | GENERAL CATEGORY |
teachers | education |
computers | technology |
poverty | economy |
genetic engineering | Medicine |
capital punishment | Law |
Once we've got our full general category words, nosotros write a judgement close them, without mentioning the topic.
The Bridge
Your distich connects the full general amongst the specific. Here is where you'll innovate your topic for the get-go time. Write a judgement containing the topic of the rubric together with cry upwards to necktie it to your get-go sentence by:
- repeating a word used inwards the get-go sentence
- using a synonym of the original word of the get-go judgement tied to your topic
- using a pronoun or other determiners (like 'such') to refer dorsum to a word or phrase inwards the 1st sentence
- using linking words or phrases similar "therefore", "to live to a greater extent than specific", together with the like
The Thesis Statement
This is the judgement where you lot give your reader a map, every bit it were, of your original torso paragraphs. You specify, inwards other words, what you lot volition peculiarly utter over inwards your seek past times mentioning the management your seek volition take.
The word 'thesis' comes from Greek pregnant 'position', so what you lot are doing is genuinely telling your reader what seat you lot volition accept amongst see to the topic you lot receive got been asked to write about. (Note: some textbooks refer to thesis statements every bit those acquaint just inwards sentiment essays together with non for together with against essays (pros together with cons essays) or problem-solution essays. But let's non larn into this for the fourth dimension beingness together with handle to utilisation the term broadly to comprehend all types of academic essays.)
The to a greater extent than specific your thesis controversy is, the easier it volition live for your reader to follow your educate of thought every bit you lot continue to utter over your topic inwards the original torso of your essay.
Having said this, let's await at an illustration together with come across how measuring past times measuring nosotros tin write our introductory paragraph.
Example
Rubric:
The condition of women over the final centuries has changed. What are the causes of this?
Topic: women / condition of women
Direction: causes of the alter (in women's status)
TOPIC | GENERAL CATEGORY |
women | role of men & women |
Or alternatively:
TOPIC | GENERAL CATEGORY |
women's status | change (in women's status) |
General category sentence:
(the highlighted sections indicate the general category words)
Due to socio-political upheavals, technological advances together with scientific breakthroughs, history has recorded a number of changes in the way people perceive the role of men together with women.
Bridge:
(the yellowish highlighted section indicates the topic; linking devices are colored in green)
Women's status has especially been on the receiving goal of such changes so it is amongst corking pleasure that many receive got welcomed the motility towards greater liberty together with acquisition of rights for women that were long overdue.
Thesis Statement:
(the highlighted sections indicate the topic's direction)
The causes behind the greater freedom together with increased number of rights enjoyed past times women inwards most parts of the the world can live narrowed down to two.
If you'd similar to read this seek inwards its entirety, click on the picture below.
The side past times side post inwards this essay-writing serial deals amongst the original torso paragraphs.
Click on the next links for more posts concerning essay writing:
1) The Overall Organization of an Essay
2) The Main Body: Topic Sentence
3) The Main Body - Supporting Sentences
4) The Main Body - Concluding Sentence
And don't forget to accept a await at other sample essays I've written so you lot tin selection upwards vocabulary, ideas for debates, schoolhouse assignments together with English linguistic communication exams here.
