WritingACriticalEssay:HitsandMisses—pointingtowardEssaySuccessIntroductionsShould
• Connectwiththereader• Clarifythesubjectorissue—i.e.statetheEssayQuestion• PresentthePOINTorthesis(orclaim)oftheessay(otherwiseknownastheanswerto
theessayquestion
GOODIntroduction
POORIntroduction
GOODIntroduction
POORIntroduction
POORIntroduction
Topic/Transition/LinkingSentencesSignal‐‐‐Link‐‐‐ReasonGOODTransition
POORTransition
GOODTransition
POORTransition
GOODTransition
…
GOODSecondarySupport/GOODUseofQuotes—good“sandwichingofquotes”
MOREGOODSandwichingofQuotes
POORUseofQuotes
GOODBodyParagraph—goodsecondarysupport,wellsandwiched,welldocumented
MISMATCHEDSecondarySupport—POORTransitionsentence(too)
ONLYTWOSecondarySupports—THREEisbetter
GOODWorksCitedPage
POORWorksCitedPage
POORWorksCited
GOODWorksCited
POORWorksCited
