and Conclusion

Writing the Introductory Paragraph

HookExposition (GDT)Thesis (which you have already written)M

Introduction

Your hook should be an intelligent, insightful comment about one of the most important teachings you will discuss in your paper.

It is BEST not to make it a questionIt is BEST not to make it a quotation

Example: Maturity and experience teach us that to be truly happy in any relationship, we must first learn to be happy with ourselves.

Hook

Here is where you will introduce the authors and the titles of the work, which you will be citing in your essay.

Thoreau wrote both “Walden” and “Civil Disobedience”

Emerson wrote both “Self-Reliance” and “Nature”

Whitman wrote “Song of Myself”

NOTE THE USE OF QUOTATION MARKS—DO NOT UNDERLINE OR ITALICIZE THESE TITLES

Exposition

You will then discuss the MAJOR lessons learned from each of these writers

You will NOT go into detail; you will simply provide an overview of their teachings

There is NO MAGIC NUMBER of sentences. You must simply write as much as you need to CLEARLY and THOUGHTFULLY convey the main ideas behind their work.

Exposition

This is the introduction turned upside down:

Restate the thesis in a more resounding way (Think: THIS IS WHAT I PROVED!)

Summarize how you proved your thesisClincher: Echo your hook

Example: (Hook) Maturity and experience teach us that to be truly happy in any relationship, we must first learn to be happy with ourselves.

Clincher: Inner peace and self-trust ultimately brings us closer to our true selves allowing us to fully give who we are to the world around us.

Concluding Paragraph