WRITING SKILLS

Cont…
Notes prepared by Ms.
Chikoja
 SPECIAL PARAGRAPHS

 There are 3 types:

i. Introductory paragraphs
ii. Concluding paragraph
iii. Transitory paragraph
 Introductory Paragraphs
 First paragraph(s) of an essay
 Constitute(s) 8-15% of the total number of words
 Gives
i. The main idea of the chapter or section or essay (thesis
statement)
ii. The parameters of the subject to be dealt with
(Background information)
iii. Details of how the subject is to be discussed (objectives)
 Functions of the Introduction
 Topresent the background of the topic
(introduces the topic)
 To present the aims of the essay (the argument)
 Topresent an outline of the organization of the
essay (objectives)
 Tocatch the attention of the reader (optional/
not a MUST)
 INITIAL IMPRESSION
 Start you introduction broad
 Provide relevant background but don’t begin your true
argument (context)
 Provide helpful relevant information- but avoid clinches
(starting an essay with a definition)
 Provide a thesis – the main argument. This should occur
towards the end of the introduction
 Provide a road map of the essay (summarize the structure
of your paper)
 ELEMENTS OF THE
INTRODUCTION
The functions above are fulfilled
through
i. The general statement
ii. The thesis (statement)
iii. Statement of content/ objectives
 The General Statement
 States the subject of discussion and gives interest
 Places a topic in a general perspective or
theoretical framework e.g., by focusing discussion
into philosophical, scientific, sociological, economic or
historical context
 Briefly gives relevant background information
 Defines the topic or key concepts
 Briefly states general assumptions
 States problem(s) in the subject of discussion.
 Thesis statement
 Main argument/idea of the essay
 Thecore component of the introduction, to which
the general statement provides context
 Summarizes your idea towards the topic and
suggests your point of view towards the topic
 Make a thesis statement as short as possible, so
that it expresses clearly the purpose of the paper.
 Thesis cont…
 Saves the same role in the essay as a topic sentence does
in a topical paragraph
 The difference between a thesis statement and a topic
sentence is that a topic sentence expresses a
dominant idea in a paragraph, while a thesis
statement summarizes the theme for the whole
essay.
 While the thesis statement controls the whole essay,
the topic sentence controls the paragraph.
 Example: Thesis
 Following the word of God is the best way of living life because your
consciousness is always alert to avoid evil, it leaves no regrets, and
that you find inner peace and meaning to life.
 In the above thesis statement, the author states an opinion (the best
way to exist on earth), which means he/she has chosen a stance.
 Next, the author (through the objectives combined with the thesis)
explains that my opinion is correct with several key reasons.
 Nuclear energy cannot be a perfectly clean alternative as compared
to coal.
 Example: Thesis
 Science education is a very important aspect for
Malawi’s economic growth.
A thesis to be strong, it needs to be arguable: the
statement is not obvious.
 Objectives
 Also called statement of contents/ outline of contents
 The statement of contents sets the parameters of the topic in
order to show the area of focus and direct the readers.
 The objectives are about what the essay is going to do.
 It is like a roadmap of your essay: they give your reader a sense of
how you are to organize your essay.
 The objectives show how the writer is going to support his/her
argument; they also serve to split the paper‘s arrangement because
they tell the order in which the writer will present his/her topic.
Thesis, and Objectives combined
 A statement that introduces the objectives will read like this; in this essay I will
tackle a, b, and c.
 Drunk drivers should face stricter penalties for driving under the influence of alcohol.
This is because drunk driving can result in unnecessary and premature
deaths, permanent injury for survivors, and the loses billions of
Kwachas by government on medical expenses for victims of drunk
driving accidents.
 Sometimes, the objectives are incorporated in the thesis statement but oftentimes
they are contained in a separate sentence.
 Example of a thesis statement that incorporates content statements:
 Because drunk driving can result in unnecessary and premature
deaths, permanent injury for survivors, and billions of kwachas spent
on medical expenses, drunk drivers should face stricter penalties for driving
under the influence of alcohol. (Bold and italicized are statements of content).
 Thesis and Objectives comment
 In general, when writing an introduction,
make sure that it reflects the purpose of
your assignment and that the thesis
presents not only the topic to be discussed
but also states your clear position about
that topic that you will support and
develop throughout.
 Hint on Introduction
 In a shorter paper, the introduction is
usually only one or two paragraphs, but it
can be several in a longer paper.
 Longer arguments or research papers
require a more substantial introduction.
 The Hook
 A good introductory paragraph also start with a hook.
1. Offer surprising statistics that conveys something about
the problem to be addressed in the paper.
 90% of students failed the logic course at …
2.Use an interesting quote that sums up your argument:
 “Every change is a menace to stability” (Musataf Mund)
 The Hook
3. Use a rhetorical question that places
your readers in a different situation in order to
make them think about the topic
 Does observing nutritional values make a
significant difference in someone’s health? or
 Will Malawi ever get its economy on track again?
 The Hook
 Use an anecdote (a short personal account of an incident or
event). The following is an anecdote about the ‘dangers of
technological advancement’.
 I sat around with my children, narrating to them myths about creation
and moralizing folktales. As I was narrating the Kamdothi folktale, we
found ourselves shaking, sweating, our faces filled with fear. It was
around 7, in the evening of April 26, 1986. The air was filled with
dust; houses then started disintegrating. Within 30 seconds a vast part
of the city had most of its buildings brought to the ground. A routine
maintenance test at Chernobyl Nuclear Plant in Northern Ukraine
veered wildly out of control. Technological advancement can indeed
be a threat to human existence.
 The Conclusion
 Starts with a concluding sentence like ‘in conclusion’, ‘in summary’ …
‘it is clear after close analysis/ examination that…’, as the essay has
discussed, there is no doubt that….” etc., etc.
 Wraps us the discussion
 Offers preferred solution(s).
 Suggests action: show other directions of inquiry into the subject.
 Establishes the essay as the basis for further investigation
 Explain the significance or consequences of your findings
 Emphasizing the purpose and importance of your essay.
 Elements of the Conclusion

1.Restated thesis
2.Restated main points
(objectives)
3.Final thought
 The Conclusion cont….
 Restated thesis: the writer restates the thesis presented in the
introduction and supported in the development paragraphs.
 The thesis should not be stated in exactly the same words
(paraphrase, or change the structure of the sentence while
maintaining the meaning of the thesis).
 Restated main points: the writer goes on to highlight salient
points Main points/objectives) raised in the development
paragraphs.
 Final thought: finally, the writer shows the position or point to
where the discussion naturally leads; that is to say the resolution/
opinion/prediction/ conclusion of the discussion.
 The Conclusion
 If the essay was discussing a problem, the conclusion offers a preferred or
viable solution: restate the problem and the thesis presented in the
introduction, then conclude by showing the solution with the most successful
outcome.
 Sometimes, when writing a conclusion, we refer back to the introduction. If
you have written a good introductory paragraph, you can write something
similar with different wording. You can use your introductory paragraph as a
guide.
 If your introduction reads: ―There are three classes at school that I absolutely
wait to go to everyday, you can have a conclusion like this one: ―College
Algebra, Statistics and Physics are the three classes I make sure I never miss.
 The Conclusion
 If you are writing a long paper, a good way to structure a
concluding paragraph is to look at what each paragraph was
about.
 Leave your readers with something to think about. Suggest that
they can learn more with a sentence like: ―We have a lot to
learn about agrarian societies and how they make sure that the
land is never degraded
 If you were working on implementation of nutrition strategies as
your narrowed down topic, you can have a nutrition like there
is need to discover how the lives of those eating six
groups of food has been impacted by the practice