1.  Your introductory paragraph should be composed of three main things:  Your attention grabber  Any necessary or background information  Your thesis statement (this is always the last sentence of your introductory paragraph)  We have already worked on creating your thesis statement for your essay. Now, we will work on the rest of your introductory paragraph.

2.  Your attention grabber is your first sentence(s) of your introductory paragraph.  It is your first impression to the reader, so make it a good one! You want to grab your reader’s attention and get them interested in your topic.  There are a few techniques you can use to craft your attention grabber:  Start with a quotation from the story  Start with a startling fact or strong opinion  Ask a question  Address your reader directly

3.  Ok, so now you have your attention grabber and your thesis statement. All you need is the middle part of your introduction, the necessary background information.  For this you want to make sure you include the author and title of the story (remember to put the title of the story in italics!), as well as any relevant background information on the story. You need to build a bridge between attention grabber and thesis so everything make sense together.  Now you’ve written your introductory paragraph! Now on to the body paragraphs of your essay.

4.  What are supporting paragraphs?  Supporting paragraphs make up the body of your essay. They develop your thesis, or main idea, by giving examples, facts and statistics that back up your argument.  Your supporting paragraphs should all start with a topic sentence and transition smoothly between one idea and the next.

5. Follow these tips when writing your essay to help keep your paper organized:  Start your paragraph off with a topic sentence to help alert your reader to the topic of that paragraph.  Make sure all of the information in your paragraph relates back to your topic sentence. Anything that does not should be taken out and/or moved.  Transition to your next paragraph so all of your ideas flow into one another.

6. The Green Knight symbolizes regrowth. He does so by growing his head back on after it is cut off by Gawain. The Green Knight also symbolizes renewal because he helps renew Gawain as a more honorable knight after putting him through the test. The green sash has gold in it, so it symbolizes loyalty and honor. It can symbolize the opposite of these things because Gawain lies when he keeps the sash from Bertilack. It can symbolize honor because Gawain wears it to remind him to always be honorable. The color green symbolizes regrowth, renewal and truth, and the Green Knight is the most obvious example of this. He symbolizes regrowth because his head grows back on after it is cut off by Gawain. The Green Knight symbolizes renewal because he helps renew Gawain as a more honorable knight after putting him through the test of temptations. He also reveals the truth to Gawain after the three axe strokes, admitting that he is really Bertilack and that the whole thing was a test of Gawain’s honor and honesty.

7.  List your major points. Each major point should be a paragraph. Make an outline of your major points so the paragraphs flow in a logical manner  Make sure you have sufficient supporting details, facts or examples for each major point.  Always include specific examples and/or quotations to back up your details. Never just move on to your next point.

8. The color green symbolizes truth, regrowth, and renewal. The Green Knight shows regrowth. He does so by growing back his head. He also symbolizes truth and renewal. He makes Gawain a better knight at the end.

9. The color green symbolizes regrowth, renewal and truth. The Green Knight is a prime example of this symbol. He symbolizes regrowth by growing his head back on after Gawain chops it off and it rolls around Arthur’s Round Table. He also helps renew Gawain by making him a better knight. Because of his test, Gawain knows he is not perfect, and vows never to make the same mistake again. Without the test of the Green Knight, Gawain could never have failed and asked for forgiveness, and so he could not have grown as a person and a knight.

10.  When writing your supporting paragraphs  Always start with a topic sentence that clearly relates back to your thesis.  Included specific facts, examples, and quotations to back up your claims.  Use a transition sentence to help each of your paragraphs flow one into the other.  So your paragraphs should wind up being like this…

11. Your top bun is your topic sentence. The sentences that come next are your supporting details. They are the heart of the hamburger, just like meat, tomatoes, lettuce, etc. The bottom bun is your concluding, or transition, sentence. It should wrap up your paragraph and clearly transition to your next thought.