These techniques are especially helpful when writing an introductory paragraph. You might 1. begin with a funny story to set a humorous tone 2. begin with an anecdote that reveals some key trait of your character 3. start with a simple fact that will be important later

4. set the mood with vivid, specific details; in other words, add a snapshot 5. draw your readers into your writing with a question or two 6. gain your reader’s attention with a startling fact, a confession, quotation, or hint of what’s to come 7. start out with dialogue

Engage the reader - The Hook (p15-17) 1. Pose an interesting or controversial question 2. Funnel Method - Some general ideas about the subject… 3. Using a relevant quotation - 4. Describe a dramatic scene or use humour 5. Turn an argument “on its head” (meaning - stand/turn something on its head - to make someone think in a completely new way about something)

1. Imagine you're (in this situation)......What would you do? 2. Anecdote.....but connect it to your topic. 3. I'm sure most of you have been in this situation before..... (this connects you to the audience) Well today I'd like to introduce you to a new product that I've designed to solve that problem! 4. Did you realize that today more Chinese people speak English as a second language than all native English speakers combined? Pretty amazing?

Have you ever imagined what it would be like to play in the NBA Have you ever imagined what it would be like to play in the NBA? To glide down the Court, matching strides with the greatest basketball players in the world? To hear the roar of the crowd as you throw down a dunk, or swat an opponent’s shot into the bleachers? It’s every kid’s dream. And for the fortunate few who make it to the NBA, it’s a dream come true. —NBA Game Day by Joseph Layden and James Preller

Quotation Uses a quote to lead to the thesis statement. "Never trust a man a dog doesn't like." the proverbs says. This somehow implies that dogs can tell the character of a person before a human can. In many ways this is true: dogs have amazing talents when it comes to assessing a person's character. But how do they do it? Pet behaviorists give the following explanations.

The Conclusion The concluding sentence is the final sentence in a paragraph. The sentence is usually general, and it signals the reader that the paragraph is finished. It may be a restatement of the topic sentence, and it may summarize the information in the paragraph.

In a paragraph example My Aunt Marie’s recipe for Disappearing Cookies is easy for anyone to follow. First, gather all the ingredients onto the counter and turn the oven on. Second, mix the ingredients in a large bowl. Next spoon the batter onto cookie sheets in small mounds. After that, bake the cookies in the oven. Finally, after the cookies have cooled, call in the family and watch them disappear. Following the recipe is easy, and eating them is even easier.

It’s helpful to visualize the topic sentence and the concluding sentence together to understand the close relationship they have: My Aunt Marie’s recipe for Disappearing Cookies is easy for anyone to follow. Following the recipe is easy, and eating them is even easier. Concluding paragraphs restate the topic sentence, remind the reader of the general nature of the paragraph, and may contain synonyms of words used in the topic sentence.

Topic Sentence Concluding Sentence …is easy for anyone to follow Following the recipe is easy… My family likes to take short vacations every weekend. These short vacations are happy days that we enjoy together over the weekend. You can learn to make egg rolls by following these easy steps. Making egg rolls is easy if you follow these steps and practice often. Dogs make the best house pets for most Americans. For a great house pet and loving companion, Americans can’t beat having a dog.