1. BUILDING AN INTRODUCTION PARAGRAPH
CLIMBING OUT OF THE BASEMENT

2. STEP ONE: Understanding the Parts
BUILDING AN INTRODUCTION PARAGRAPH
STEP ONE:
Understanding the Parts

3. BUILDING AN INTRODUCTION The Parts Of An Introduction
1. General Topic Sentence
2. Subtopic Focus Sentence
3. Detailed Topic Focus Sentence
4. Transition
5. Essay Statement

4. BUILDING AN INTRODUCTION
Understanding the Parts
Statement
Detailed Focus
Subtopic Focus
Transition
General Topic
Transition
Transition

5. BUILDING AN INTRODUCTION General Topic Lead
1. Decide what your writing purpose is going to be.
Example: Carefully examine the directions for writing the essay. Ask: “What is my piece of writing going to answer?”

6. BUILDING AN ESSAY General Topic Lead
2. Determine if it is possible to form your writing into a theme.
Rather than simply answering the question, can your answer be theme based.

7. BUILDING AN ESSAY General Topic Lead
3. Introduce your reader to the general topic area.
Give the reader a general reference point to begin their understanding. You want them to buy into your topic.

8. Friendship requires commitment.
BUILDING AN ESSAY General Topic Lead
Create a general statement about your topic that most readers will accept. Examples:
Friendship requires commitment.
b. Hobbies provide an outlet for our creative energies.

9. BUILDING AN ESSAY Subtopic Focus
1. Narrow your general topic toward the focus area
of your essay.
Don’t jump. Do this gradually. Readers can’t make leaps in thinking.

10. BUILDING AN ESSAY Subtopic Focus
2. Throughout the background information, you need to “transition” your reader from topic to subtopic to detailed topic.

11. BUILDING AN ESSAY Detailed Topic Focus
1. If you have properly led your reader “up the stairs,” then you may begin to focus on the specific topic focus of your essay.

12. BUILDING AN ESSAY Detailed Topic Focus
2. Be sure to transition. Narrow the focus of your writing to help “set up” your thesis statement.

13. BUILDING AN ESSAY Detailed Topic Focus
3. This sentence should be focused on the topic from a general, specific point of view.

14. BUILDING AN ESSAY Transition
1. This is the most important transition sentence. It takes your reader from a general discussion to your point of view on the topic (essay statement).

15. BUILDING AN ESSAY Essay Statement
1. This is the last sentence of your introduction paragraph. It states in exact terms your position or topic. This should come directly from your purpose for writing.

16. BUILDING AN ESSAY Essay Statement
2. In a basic essay, students should create a statement that gives their position/topic and the main points they will use to prove/show their point of view or their explanation.

17. Step Three: Body BUILDING AN ESSAY Essay Statement BODY BODY BODY
Transitions
Transitions
Transitions
BODY
BODY
BODY
Reasons:
Examples
Details
Reasons:
Examples
Details
Reasons:
Examples
Details

18. BUILDING AN ESSAY The Body
1. In the three body paragraphs, you will give your three main points to support your essay statement.

19. BUILDING AN ESSAY The Body
2. The first sentence in each of your body paragraphs should include a transition word or phrase to “give the reader a reference point” to understand your support.

20. BUILDING AN ESSAY The Body
3. The transition word should tie directly to your method of organization. It becomes a signal to the reader about how your piece is organized.

21. BUILDING AN ESSAY The Body
4. In a persuasive or expository essay there are several likely choices to organize your writing. This structure improves your essay and makes it easier for the reader to understand your points.

22. BUILDING AN ESSAY The Body
3. Your body paragraphs will include:
a. Transitions b. General Opening Statement c. Main Point d. Reason/Evidence e. Support Examples/Details

23. BUILDING AN ESSAY The Body
4. Your examples and details should come directly from the text of the story or article.
You can quote, paraphrase, or list the examples from the text.

24. BUILDING AN ESSAY
Step Four: Conclusion
Thesis Statement
Conclusion

25. BUILDING AN ESSAY The Conclusion
In a simple essay, summarize your support (reasons) for the thesis statement.

26. BUILDING AN ESSAY The Conclusion
2. Then, restate your thesis statement using different phrasing.

27. Step Five: Title BUILDING AN ESSAY Thesis Statement Introduction
Transitions
Transitions
Transitions
Introduction
Conclusion
BODY
BODY
BODY
Reasons:
Examples
Details
Reasons:
Examples
Details
Reasons:
Examples
Details

28. BUILDING AN ESSAY The Title
Write your title last.
Make it specific.
Make it reflects exactly what you’ve written.
Include a subject & verb.

29. Step Six: Will It Hold Up
BUILDING AN ESSAY
Step Six: Will It Hold Up
Thesis Statement
Transitions
Transitions
Transitions
Introduction
Conclusion
BODY
BODY
BODY
Reasons:
Examples
Details
Reasons:
Examples
Details
Reasons:
Examples
Details

30. BUILDING AN ESSAY Revising & Editing
Throw out anything that doesn’t support the thesis.
Check your transitions.
Check to see if ideas “flow.”
Check spelling & grammar.
Read it out loud.