Introduction and Conclusion Paragraphs

Hook (H) The opening sentence of your essay; grabs the reader’s attention and sets up what your paper will be about. Strategies: World connection about your topic Dramatic fact Simile/metaphor/analogy Straw man (stating the opposite and a rebuttal) A relevant definition Set the scene

Hook Examples…all from the human nature essay about Lord of the Flies Even the most moral people occasionally feel the compulsion to do something they know is wrong. Unsupervised children can be like a pack of rowdy animals. Human nature is an abstract and widely debated concept. Thousands of children were evacuated from Britain in World War II during Operation Pied Piper. Some say the quality of being good or evil is instinctual. However, it can be proven through literature that environment is the main factor in shaping someone’s human nature. Imagine a group of pre-adolescent boys on a deserted island with no adult supervision. Order is likely to unravel at warped speed.

Thesis (T) A sentence (or sentences) with a subject, an arguable concept, and a direction for your body paragraphs. This typically comes at the end of your introductory paragraph. Subject = the text(s) or topic(s) you are addressing in your essay + mention of the author(s) if applicable (WHAT) Arguable concept = an idea that must be proven; one that is not obvious or self-evident (WHY) Direction for BPs = There should (probably) be as many points as you will have body paragraphs. They need to be consistently analyzed in terms of how they relate back to your arguable concept. (HOW) For Example: In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, there is a constant struggle between good and evil that is expressed through the battle between Ralph and Jack, specifically in regard to their personalities, their treatment of symbolic items in the novel, and their allegorical personas.

Introduction Paragraph 1- Hook (H) 2- Background (BG): author’s purpose minimal summary of text context (time and place of setting, time and place in which author lived, if different) 3-Brief discussion of your focus/arguable concept 4- Thesis (T) *Usually 5-8 sentences.

Conclusion Paragraph The Conclusion should do most (not all) of the following: Recap your main topics of discussion and how they connect Reflect on what you said in your essay Say more commentary if there is anything relating to your topic that has not been stated Discuss how the topic relates on a universal/world scale Discuss the author’s effectiveness Make predictions/state future implications of topic Include a proposal or call to action if appropriate Link back to the hook if possible *It gives a finished feeling to your whole essay. It DOES NOT repeat words or phrases from your paper and especially not from your thesis and introductory paragraph, though it may re-state concepts overall.