Thursday, September 17, 2015

The Components of a Well-Written Introduction (English 10 Honors)

  • Hook: A sentence or series of sentences at the beginning of an introduction that "hook" or draw the reader in to the writing piece.  Basically, a hook is an intriguing start that makes the reader want to keep reading.  Below is a list of methods for hooking readers that you might want to consider:
    • Anecdote/Scenario
    • Philosophical Musing
    • Humorous Musing
    • Startling Statement
    • Analogy
    • Quote from Literature
    • Quote from Another Source
    • Rhetorical Question
  • Bridge: A sentence or sentences that are used to "bridge" the gap or transition between a writer's hook and thesis statement.  When a bridge is missing in an introduction, the reader thinks: How did you get from there to here so quickly?!
  • Thesis Statement: 
    • A sentence or sentences clearly stating the multi-faceted focus/point/purpose of an entire essay
    • Usually states some sort of claim
    • Provides the reader with a "roadmap" of what the remainder of the essay will address including the subtopics of each of the forthcoming body paragraphs
      • The subtopics previewed in the thesis statement are often called "focus words."
      • The focus words in a thesis statement should be in the same order as the body paragraphs themselves.
    • Relates clearly to the purpose-driven topic sentence(s) of each of the essay's body paragraphs
      • If a writer crafts his or her body paragraphs first, he or she can build out from his or her topic sentences in order to write a thesis statement.
    • Typically located at the end of an introduction