Strategies for Effective Introductions & Conclusions
 

Introductions

®Shorter than body paragraphs
®Consists of an attention getter and thesis statement
®Placed just before first body paragraph
®Put thesis statement last in introduction
 

Slide 3:  Keystoning Introductions

Shaped like an inverted trapezoid
        Start with some general ideas
           
              Narrow down to more
                    specific ideas
                 
                    Then present
                      your thesis
 

 

Techniques for Attention-Getters

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®Make a dramatic or surprising statement
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®Ask a rhetorical question
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®Tell brief anecdote (personal experience)
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®Give an intriguing definition
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®Use a figure of speech (simile or metaphor)
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®Begin with a startling quotation or statistic

Refer to a current event, situation, or controversy