Coursebook Lesson 4 The Introduction and Thesis

Transcript:Coursebook Lesson 4 The Introduction and Thesis:
Coursebook Lesson 4 The Introduction and Thesis From: Cambridge International AS Level English General Paper Coursebook by Jill Pavich ‹#› ‹#› Key Elements of an Essay We have discussed the two types of essays in AICE EGP, argumentative and discursive. While they may differ in tone and shape (the way the writer organizes writing to develop a point or provide information) the share elements that are common to any essay. Specifically, each should include: An introduction that presents your main idea (thesis) Several body paragraphs developing arguments related to the main idea and using appropriate evidence A reasoned conclusion which should make a personal judgement on the arguments rather than just summarizing (NOTE: “personal judgement” does NOT mean to say you should write “I think/feel/believe”!) ‹#› Key Terms (pg.19) Shape: the way the writer organizes writing to develop a point or provide information Thesis: a summary of the main idea, which makes the intentions of an essay clear to the reader; this idea should be supported by evidence during the course of the essay Evidence: the factual information that supports your reasons; evidence may appear in the form of examples, data (i.e. statistics), case studies, expert opinion or logic Context: the circumstances and information you need to know in order to fully understand an issue ‹#› The Introduction: Key Features An introduction may, in any combination, Introduce the topic by using key words from the essay question Briefly consider possible meanings of the question before settling on your definition of terms Determine the scope of your essay Explain why the issue matters or why it is worth reading about now (context) Present the main idea of the essay (thesis) ‹#› Example Introductory Paragraphs Activity: Read each of the introductory paragraphs and consider the following for each one: In what ways are these introductions similar? How are they unique? How would you describe the tone of each? (Objective? Authoritative?) What seems to be the writer’s intention for each? How do you know? Prompt: In today’s society, to what extent does the use of accurate grammar still matter? ‹#› Introductory Paragraph 1 In a modern world, where digital tools like email, texting, and social media platforms are always preset, it might seem as though the rigid structures of formal grammar are no longer important in our day-to-day communication. The high-speed nature of text messaging often leaves out punctuation like apostrophes and commas;