Introductions and conclusions(1)

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Introductions and Conclusions

PowerPoint for week 7


Introductions


Developing Your Topic (1)Read actively (and efficiently):

1.Read critically2.Look at the structure of the text3.Read the topic sentences4.Understand and interpret the author’s message5.Analyse how it relates to your topic6.Develop your own response to the author’s message


Developing Your Topic (2)Take notes while you are reading, and include:

Bibliographical information Sources, page numbers Paraphrase the author’s message, unless you want to quote verbatim


The introduction

- gives the topic of the essay- gives (historical) background information- shows concession (although, despite) to indicate

there is a niche to accomodate the thesis statement / research question

- may include a definition- may contain interesting statistics or an anecdote - features a so-called “claim of centrality” that

shows why the area is interesting and the research is relevant

- usually ends with your thesis statement / research question


The introduction

- Exercise: think of ways in which the author can claim centrality. (Consult some of the sources you have been using to find examples.)


The introduction: verbs and tensesSome questions:

- Most introductions make use of the present perfect tense or a present simple tense at the beginning of the paper. Why?

- Look at the tenses in the introduction. Does the introduction use the same tense throughout? Why / why not?

- What do the verbs in the thesis statement / research question tell you about the author’s objectives?

- Does the introduction feature conjunctions of contrast or concession, such as “although” or “however”?


Example paragraph 1- (1) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is a great story

that develops around the legend of the Sorcerer’s Stone, a long sought after substance that would transform any metal into gold and bestow immortality. (2) In telling the story of the Sorcerer’s Stone, the novel also touches on many universal themes, such as overcoming difficulties, dealing with conflict, relating to authority and learning new ideas. (3) Choosing just three themes to analyze from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was a difficult task because so many themes are fully developed in the novel. (4) However, the three significant themes that I chose to explain from the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone novel are the power of love, the importance of friendship, and courage on the hero’s journey.

- Source: http://academicenglishcafe.com/ModelEssay5.aspx


Thesis Statement (bold)- 1) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is a great story

that develops around the legend of the Sorcerer’s Stone, a long sought after substance that would transform any metal into gold and bestow immortality. (2) In telling the story of the Sorcerer’s Stone, the novel also touches on many universal themes, such as overcoming difficulties, dealing with conflict, relating to authority and learning new ideas. (3) Choosing just three themes to analyze from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was a difficult task because so many themes are fully developed in the novel. (4) However, the three significant themes that I chose to explain from the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone novel are the power of love, the importance of friendship, and courage on the hero’s journey.

- Source: http://academicenglishcafe.com/ModelEssay5.aspx


Example paragraph 2

- (1) Assignment essays are developed from set questions that give students a period of time to research a topic and produce their answer with references to their sources of information. (2) While there are some disadvantages with using assignment essays as an assessment tool, there are sound educational purposes underpinning this practice. (3) This essay examines the reasons why assignment essays are beneficial for student learning and considers some of the problems with this method of assessment.

- Source: http://www.une.edu.au/tlc/aso/aso-online/academic-writing/sample-essay.php


Thesis Statement (bold)

- (1) Assignment essays are developed from set questions that give students a period of time to research a topic and produce their answer with references to their sources of information. (2) While there are some disadvantages with using assignment essays as an assessment tool, there are sound educational purposes underpinning this practice. (3) This essay examines the reasons why assignment essays are beneficial for student learning and considers some of the problems with this method of assessment.

- Source: http://www.une.edu.au/tlc/aso/aso-online/academic-writing/sample-essay.php


Conclusions


Concluding paragraph (1)

- is a mirror image of the introductory paragraph (development from broad to narrow); relates back to the thesis statement, summarizes main arguments and gradually broadens into a reflection of the issues raised in the text

- expands the claim to offer recommendations and show the broader reference/further implications


Concluding paragraph (2)

- A good concluding paragraph does more than just provide an echo of what the writer has already said (not just an unnecessary restatement).

- You could end with some idea or detail from the beginning of an essay and bring it full circle.

- End with an allusion, say to a historical event, putting your topic in a larger framework.

- End with a glance at the readers (suggest that the next move is theirs).


What a good conclusion should do…In summary…

- It should remind you of the original objective of the paper and reflect on the thesis statement / research question.

- It should report the results or findings in a concise manner, from a wider perspective and without referring to data, numbers, graphs or tables.

- It should – and this is the main function of a conclusion – comment on and attempt to interpret these findings. Why did we observe this trend? What may have caused it?

- (It should indicate what is still missing in the current research and what may be discussed or investigated in a future paper.)


Supporting claims (1)- Claims = the main arguments of your essay

- Claims should be arguable as they affect the complexity, effectiveness, and quality of your entire essay.

- Claims should be argumentative; when you make a claim, you are arguing for a certain interpretation or understanding of your subject.

- A good claim is specific makes a focused argument (MTV’s popularity is waning because it no longer plays music videos.) rather than a general one (MTV is bad.) problem: broad, unexamined assumptions


Supporting claims (2)Evidence that supports your claims should be:

ClearAccurateRelevantCredibleSignificant


Opinion vs. arguable claim

- Some examples…


Argumentation (1)- Your text becomes stronger as you accumulate

more evidence to support your claims.

- Supporting evidence should be:

- Clear- Accurate- Relevant- Credible- Significant

Show “Gather Evidence to Support a Thesis”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vL8Jtz59sw


Argumentation (2)- the rules of academic argument exclude the

following as support:

- Because it is my personal opinion- Because most people think so or do so- Because it has always been/it is tradition- Because it is obvious- Because it is morally right

- You need to clearly distinguish facts from opinions and certainties from uncertainties.


Evidence- Different types: studies, statistics, expert

opinion, etc.

- Integrate it into your text in four steps:

1) introduce the evidence2) state the evidence in various forms 3) interpret the evidence and show how it relates

to your claim4) acknowledge the source your evidence comes

from

If time, show Using Evidence to Support Claims in Academic Writing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfiEIpO_Hgw


Some logical fallacies- Hasty generalisation (jumping to a conclusion,

claim based on too little evidence): “Commercials in favour of unhealthy food should be forbidden, because they lead to a consumption-oriented society and subsequently to people becoming overweight.”

- Oversimplification (linking two events as if one caused the other directly, whereas the causes may be more complex): “Obesity leads to people becoming depressed.”

- Inappropriate appeal to the reader /

inappropriate tone: “Obesity costs an unnecessary amount of valuable health care time, time that could be better spent on curing other diseases.”


Tentative language…- … is language used to modify the strength of a

claim.

-May, might, could-Tend to, appear, seem-Cause > contribute to-In some cases

Exercise: Make the following claim as weak as possible:

“Drinking causes violence.”

Education

Introductions and conclusions(1)