Writing Introductions and Conclusions: Importance and Techniques - Prof. Linda M. Ferrara, Study notes of Grammar and Composition

Download Writing Introductions and Conclusions: Importance and Techniques - Prof. Linda M. Ferrara and more Study notes Grammar and Composition in PDF only on Docsity! Drafting Introductions and Conclusions Writing Today Chapter 19 Why the beginning and end are important?  If readers do not like your introduction, chances are good the they won’t like the rest of your text either.  If readers do not like how your paper ends, they will be left with doubts about what you had to say. Using a Grabber to Start Your Introduction  Use a grabber or a hook at the beginning of the introduction.  Grabber can gently spark your readers’ curiosity  The best grabber is one that:  Identifies your topic  Says something that intrigues your readers  Makes the point of your paper in a concise way Types of Grabbers/Hook  Ask an Interesting Question  State a Startling Statistic  Make a Compelling Statement  Use Dialogue  Address Readers as “you” Using a Lead  A lead is the first one or two paragraphs of a news story in a magazine, newspaper, or Web site.  Like a grabber, the aim of a lead is to capture the readers’ attention while giving them good reasons to continue reading. Drafting Conclusions  Should be as short as possible  Should be similar to your introduction in content and tone  You need to bring readers back around to the beginning of your argument showing them you have achieved your purpose Types of Moves for Drafting a Conclusion 1. Signal clearly that you are conducting 2. Restate your main point 3. Stress the importance of your topic again 4. Call your readers to action 5. Look to the future (Not necessary to include all five moves and they don’t need to appear in any specific order) Phrases that Signal a Conclusion  In conclusion,  To sum up,  In summary,  In closing,  Put briefly,  In brief,  Finally  To finish up,  Ultimately,  Overall,  As a whole,  On the whole