The Introductory Paragraph

The introductory paragraph can be tricky to write. Why? Because you really have to correctly introduce the tone and informational content so the reader will understand what you are writing about, why you are writing about it, and, finally, why (in an indirect way) the reader should care about what you are presenting. That's a lot of pressure!

What adds to the difficulty of writing a great intro paragraph is the claim statement--the backbone or the why of your paper. Without a good claim statement (which is also the main claim) to direct and to uphold the paper, your paper will appear to be nothing more than an attempt to connect seemingly unrelated ideas together. The main claim is a major part of the glue that holds your paper together, as the spine is a major part of the glue that holds the body together.

Accordingly, the introductory paragraph has three components:

1. The hook, or attention grabber. The quote, story, question, etc. that draws the reader into your topic.
2. The transition. The bridge that ties together the hook and the claim statement. In other words, the transition explains HOW the hook is related to the claim statement.
3. The claim statement--your position/argument. The claim statement tells the reader what the paper is going to be about, and why the paper is being written. In other words, the claim statement puts forth your argument which is why you are writing the essay. 

Getting the introductory paragraph right requires diligence, effort, and time. And, of course, solid knowledge about the topic you are presenting. I promise you that if you put in the work, your introductory paragraph will present the information you want to get across to the reader. To help you, I have an example of an introductory paragraph that is dealing with gun control and teachers (last year's current event topic)--click HERE to download it.

Questions? Email me. 

Essay Prompts for Hamlet

Using Shakespeare’s play Hamlet and the supplemental articles you received on revenge and emotional intelligence as your basis, chose ONE of the following prompts to answer:

• How does the plotting and execution of revenge change the very fabric of who one is as an individual?
• How do humans cope with conflicting elements within their personalities and intellect?

Last Reading Assignment for Hamlet!

You made it through Hamlet! Well, almost. Here is your last reading assignment, due Thursday, February 10th:

• Read the rest of Act V

We will be peer-reviewing ALL the Cornell Notes on Thursday--be prepared!!

Reading for Thursday, Feb. 4th and Monday, Feb. 8th

Almost there!

• By Thursday, Feb. 4th, you need to read Act IV, scenes i - iv. 
• By Monday, Feb. 8th, you need to read Act IV, scenes, v - vii through Act V, scene i

Again, as a reminder: remember that as far as Cornell notes go, the ONLY notes you are required to take are those that relate to the three essential questions (you wrote the essential questions down in your composition notebook the first day we took class notes). In other words, you are writing down quotes and any other information (situations, circumstances, decisions and actions of the characters, etc.) that helps you answer the essential questions.