GUIDED INTRODUCTION & CONCLUSION REVIEW

When not in conference with Ms. Walters or a writing fellow, go through these steps with your team

GETTING STARTED Just share the first & last pages. Highlight your thesis statement before

swapping drafts. You can do this in pairs or as a whole

team.

THESIS STATEMENT Is the thesis statement clear? Focused?

Following the “although” formula?

Is the thesis statement not making an argument? Too long? Providing a list?

Suggest ways to improve it, if needed.

PURPOSE After reading the introduction, what is

the purpose of the essay? If it’s not clear, can you suggest one? Who is the ideal end-audience?

CONTEXT Does the introduction provide

necessary background or context? If not, what other information do you

feel is needed?

SHAPE Is the

introduction “funnel-shaped”?

Do any statements not fit the direction/ shape of the paragraph?

From https://www.uts.edu.au/current-students/support/helps/self-help-resources/presentation-skills/structure-presentation

DIGRESSION Is the introduction focused, or does it

try to cover too much? Does the introduction need to define

terms or connect ideas better? Would some of this serve better as a

body paragraph?

PREJUDGMENT Does the introduction seem to have all

the answers already? What underlying assumptions has the

writer made?

CONCLUSION Has the writer answered the question:

So What?

RESTATEMENT/REFINEMENT OF THE THESIS

Does the conclusion echo the thesis, without restating it explicitly?

Does it give a more qualified version of the thesis?

NEW POINT Does the conclusion seem to raise a

totally new point? (if so, see if it belongs elsewhere in the

paper, or should be eliminated)

OVERSTATEMENT Does the conclusion seem to have

solved all the world’s problems? If so, claims should probably be tampered

down a little bit.

GRAMMAR/SPELLING Have you noticed any recurring

grammar or spelling errors? Check out the BlackBoard Topic by

Topic “Grammar and Writing Resources” area and the Little Seagull Handbook to resolve your most common issues

MORE READING ON INTROS/CONCLUSIONS

Check out Bb Topic by Topic Grammar & Writing Resources Thesis Statements Links about Introductions Links about Conclusions

(Links not live Fall 2015 – ask if you are having issues and I’ll put them in “***Research Central***” I only want to put them there if students want to see them. )

TRANSITIONS If you’ve gotten this far, you may want

to look back at your body paragraphs: How are your transitions?

Check out Bb Topic by Topic Grammar & Writing Resources Links about Paragraphs/Paragraphing Editing – Higher and Lower Order Concerns (Again, Links not live Fall 2015 – ask if you

wish to see them added to Research Central)

WRITING IS RECURSIVE!

Image from http://engres.ied.edu.hk/academicWriting/eChapters/ChapterFive.html