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“I did not fail 1999 times. I found 1999 different ways not to make a light bulb.” Thomas Edison

The person reading your essay will NOT know:

Who you are.Where you are from.Why you are writing.Does not assume what you are saying is

true.

*That means you need to be specific and clear in every sentence.*

2

You don’t want to get into the meat of the essay (don’t argue your point in this paragraph). Simply give the audience a concise idea of your essay’s purpose. Be general, no specific details.

3

Is the most important paragraph of the essay

Must be at least 50 words long or four (4) sentences minimum

4

1. Attention Getter2. Introduction of Topic/Text/Book

you are writing3. Background of the topic and

transition from Text/Book to Subject4. Thesis Statement (Subject +

Opinion)

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General statement introduction

Question introduction

Quotation introduction

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Almost every time that you turn on the television you will find a number of shows which are extremely violent.

Many public schools have decided that their students should use uniforms.

Overpopulation is a major problem in many countries.

(These are three different example of how you can begin your paragraph. If you will notice in the first sentence you simply introduce the topic. You do not state your position yet.)

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Are you ever bothered by the excessive violence on prime time television?

Do you think that to improve our public school education the students should be required to wear uniforms?

Should America try to stop the growth of the nation by killing its citizens?

(You can also begin your essay by asking a question. A question usually takes you to the heart of the problem quickly.)

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A recent article in Time magazine states that “the viewing of extremely violent television shows is the number one cause of violence in our inner cities.”

“

(Finally, you can begin an essay by providing some information from a magazine or newspaper you might have read. This introduction is a bit more difficult to write, but just as effective as the other ones.)

9

Be concise and to the point!Do not go into too much detail!At least 50 words minimum!You must do three things . . . Attention Getter

Introduce Topic/Text/BookBack ground of Subject / Transition to

SubjectThesis Statement

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Assignment: Write your introductory paragraph for the questions that you are going to write on for the essay.

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Population control is necessary in all societies that have limited resources. In “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, tells a story of a small town that uses a paper and box type lottery to select the individual who will be eliminated from the society on an annual basis. The removal of individuals in order to account for high population is not an uncommon practice in the world’s history. While the “The Lottery” illustrates a system that is inhuman, this could be a realistic process for population control.

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Attention Getter

Introduce Text/Topic

Background on Topic

Thesis Statement