Persuasive Introductions & Conclusions

Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.

Persuasive Introductions



What makes an effective introduction?• It grabs the reader’s attention.• It clearly implies an organizational structure of the paper. • It effectively includes one or more of the following strategies:

anecdote or scenario interesting fact or statistic question

• Its choice of support is specific and relevant, and provides a clear, connected lead-in to the paper’s main idea or thesis.

• Position is clearly stated or implied.


Ineffective Persuasive Introduction

Dear Mr. Fernando,I’m going to tell you three reasons why it is not good to turn in late homework.

Does this introduction do the following? Grab the reader’s attention Imply an organizational structure of the paper Include one or more of the following strategies:

anecdote or scenario question interesting fact or statistic

Give support that is specific and relevant, and provide a clear, connected lead-in to paper’s main idea

State or imply a clear position



Some persuasive strategies used in introductions• Anecdote/ Scenario

The writer provides a personal experience or made-up situation to introduce the position.

• Questioning The writer asks thought-provoking questions to

capture the reader’s interest.

• Interesting fact or statistic The writer gives an interesting piece of information to

grab the reader’s attention.


Anecdote/Scenario

“Extra! Extra! Read all about it! New rule has kids scared.” Those are the headlines from The Seattle Times. The new rule is an epidemic, spreading around the country and making children cry. “No late work has a devastating effect and needs to be stopped now before it reaches other countries,” says Bill Warren, a noted authority.


Questioning

Dear Principal, “Three strikes and you’re out!” Yes, that is

baseball, but really everybody deserves a second chance at things, right? In baseball you get three chances at batting, why can’t you get just two at school? I mean think of it this way. What if you just had to go visit your grandpa in the hospital because you just found out he has cancer? Shouldn’t you get a second chance if you didn’t get to your homework because it was too late by the time you got home? I think that teachers should accept late work because at least you tried and turned it in.


Interesting Fact or Statistic

Dear Mr. Johnson,Did you know that a recent district

survey showed that four out of five school kids do not have passing grades because they do not turn their work in on time? This could be changed by no longer allowing late work. Late work should no longer be accepted at Grant Middle School.

Introduction Samples

Identify the strategy or strategies in the following

eight introductions.

Sample 1

Imagine an old, shaggy-haired adult walks into the classroom full of young kids working. He slowly shuffles his way to the teacher and says, “Ummmm… Mr. Wilson… Here’s my assignment.” “It’s been thirty-seven years since I gave you that assignment. I knew I should have voted yes for the no late homework rule.” This is what will happen if late homework is accepted. I say yes for the No Late Homework rule for three reasons.

Sample 2

Dear Mr. Anderson,Imagine you’re walking down the hall and you hear some studentstalking about homework. You wait to see what they have to say. “I didn’t do my homework last night,” says one. “You didn’t!” gasps the other. “No! I’ll turn it in late tomorrow, duh!” For the rest of the day you hear similar conversations. It makes youunhappy students aren’t doing their homework. I have a solution to

this problem; make a no late homework rule. I have several reasons why this is a good idea.

Sample 3

Dear Mr. Banner,My math teacher had given the whole class an assignment that was due the next day. I didn’t turn it in. The next day he told me it was due before 3:05 that day! Mr. Sales doesn’t take late work. It was 3:04 and the paper totally slipped my mind. So I raced down the hallway straight, left, right, safe! I looked at the clock – 3:05! Yes. I was safe, so I handed Mr. Sales the paper and he threw it in the trash. He said it was 3:05 and two seconds. My lesson for the day was – turn in your work on time. I believe that there are good reasons why the no late homework policy is good for students.

Sample 4

Imagine what our society would come to if there were no deadlines for any work that had to be done. Businesses would go bankrupt, the value of money would no longer be anything of importance, and a severe trade deficit would crash our nation’s economy, all because of an irresponsible, undisciplined population. That’s what the world would come to if all children were taught that late assignments were acceptable.

Sample 5

“I’m sorry!”

“Sorry isn’t good enough! This assignment was due yesterday, not today.”

Here I am on my knees begging for mercy at my teacher’s feet. Tears forming in my eyes, I feel like an out-of-order water fountain ready to explode! I sigh and back away like a puppy dog with its tail between its legs. I slump back down in my red plastic chair and stare at the metal desk. “I worked so hard,” I mutter silently to myself. The teacher turns her back to me and continues with the lesson.

I am against the no late homework rule because some students do the work, but forget it at home, and others forget about the assignment, but make it up the next day.

Sample 6

As you walk down the hall, your students are talking, texting, or pasting spitballs on the ceiling. You walk in and give them the sit-down-in-your-seat-or-detention-slip look, and they scramble back to their desks like hungry hamsters. You announce homework turn-in as you search for the turn-in box hidden beneath the piles of papers. Almost half turn theirs in with a self-satisfied smile.

“My dog ate mine.” “I had a baseball game.”

“I was tired.” “I have my homework from last week.” This is not an uncommon occurrence. More than 50% of students

do not turn in their homework right away. This not only affects them, but it affects their teachers. That is why it is important to make not accepting late homework a rule.

Sample 7

Dear Mr. Fritz, The clock doesn’t stop ticking; its time-telling hands

keep going around. Whether rushing to catch a bus or meeting a deadline, people never stop trying to outrun the watches on their arms. It seems that now, more than ever, it is extremely hard for anyone to keep up with time. So why should kids at the age of about thirteen have to struggle to outrun time? It is rather heartless to not accept the hard work of someone just because they finished outside the deadline. That is why our middle school should not accept the “no-late-work” policy.

Sample 8

Dear Principal,

Searching through your crammed, over-stuffed binder, the thoughts of what homework you completed last night race around your puzzled head. What do you mean you forgot your science homework? In a panic, your search becomes brutal as you tear through your papers. The science folder is empty. Shamefully, you grab a missing assignment slip. Turn it in tomorrow for half credit? Not anymore. Now it’s another zero in the book; another lowered grade. Although some may disagree, teachers should accept late work.


Persuasive Conclusions


Persuasive Conclusions

What makes an effective conclusion? Clearly connects introduction and body of the

paper with insightful comments/analysis. Ends using one or more of the following strategies

effectively:• Call to action• Anecdote or scenario• Prediction

Wraps up the writing and gives the reader something to think about.


Ineffective Persuasive Conclusion

All in all I think we should not have this rule because there is not enough time for me to finish my homework, something could happen to my homework, and I have better things to do than homework. Don’t make this a rule in our school! (This is a restatement of the introduction as well as a restatement of the body of the piece.)


Strategies for Conclusions

• Call to Action Ask the reader to do something or to make

something happen

• Provide a solution Provide an answer to the problem

• Make a Prediction Explain what might be the consequences of

action or inaction


Call to Action – student sample

Now do you see why it’s not right to say that teachers should not accept late work? Not everyone is perfect and and sometimes we students might make mistakes. But isn’t that how we get wiser? Only you, Mr. Perez, have the power to choose between becoming a dictator or the president of a proud school. Say no to no late work!


Solution – student sample

So accepting late work would be a good idea. If you are concerned about students that repeatedly don’t turn work in on time, take some points off for late work or put a limit on how late work can be turned in. Accept late work for good reasons. Don’t punish the innocent.


Prediction – student sample

“No late work” policies should be against the law. They make students stressed out, depressed, angry, and tired. If a rule as such is adopted, no one will take part in extra activities offered to them, the Honors Programs will be lacking, students will be falling asleep in class, and grades will begin dropping. Is it really worth it?


Conclusion Samples: what’s the technique being used?

Sample one

If we all take part in accepting this policy then it would benefit the education experience of our students greatly. Our children would be disciplined to create the vital habit of taking responsibility by finishing mandatory assignments by their due date.



Sample twoIn conclusion, now imagine this. You see the same kids talking about homework. This time one says, I didn’t understand number thirteen, did you?”

The other says, “Yeah, this is how you do it. “

Throughout your day you hear similar conversations. You swell with pride knowing your students do their homework. I think that we should have a no late homework rule because it will teach the student’s responsibility. In the future teachers will not accept late homework; you will be taking a burden off the staff.



Sample three

All in all, I demand that you don’t make “no late homework” a rule because everyone should get a second chance. Plus, many students would fail school which would lead to the school’s status going down. I am against the no late homework rule!



Sample four

When you were younger, and even today, don’t you want a second chance at things? I mean maybe a student’s father is terribly sick and the student wants to go to the hospital and try to make his dad feel better. Maybe you should just give him a break since he is going through a hard time in his life. Don’t you think you could help all of us out and take some of our papers late?



Sample fiveQuality work, good grades, a relaxed environment, doesn’t that sound like a dream school? On the other hand you could have a school with rushed work, poor grades, and an anxious, stressful environment. I’m sure, Mrs. O’Neill, that you can see the correct decision very clearly. We shouldn’t have the no late homework rule, it would completely destroy the utopian school that we are working towards. The rule would make us lean towards a dystopia, a school without harmony or balance. A utopia is the way to go.



Sample three

All in all, I demand that you don’t make “no late homework” a rule because everyone should get a second chance. Plus, many students would fail school which would lead to the school’s status going down. I am against the no late homework rule!


Introduction – practice

• Get with a partner.• You will receive a copy of a paper called

Ten Minute Break.• It is missing its introduction and

conclusion.• With your partner, discuss possible ideas

for what you might put in the introduction. Refer to “Effective Introductions.”


Introductions – your turn

• Now, on your own, write an introduction for the Ten Minute Break.

• You may use any of the ideas you discussed with your partner or new ones of your own.

• Remember that you are writing to your principal. Think of what would be effective in writing to him or her.

• When you are finished compare your introduction with that of your partner.


Conclusion – practice

• Get with a partner.• Use your copy of the paper titled Ten

Minute Break.• With your partner, discuss possible ideas

for what you might put in the conclusion. Refer to Effective Conclusions.


Conclusions – your turn

• Now, on your own, write a conclusion for the Ten Minute Break.

• You may use any of the ideas you discussed with your partner or new ones of your own.

• Remember that you are writing to your principal. Think of what would be effective in writing to him or her.

• Also remember what you wrote in the introduction and connect the conclusion without restating the introduction.

• When you are finished compare your conclusion with that of your partner.

Education

Persuasive Introductions & Conclusions