3-general introduction to writing

IntroductiontoEssayWritingⅠ.Basicconcept[ˈkɔnsept]n.概念，观念，思想Whatisanessaygenre[ˈʒɔnrə]n.(文学、艺术等的)类型，体裁，风格?Anexpandeddiscussionofasingletopic(e.g.,TheBenefitsofExercises,TheHarmsofSmoking);Agroupofparagraphsthatdevelopsonecentralidea.Ⅱ.MainfeaturesYoumayasksuchquestions:Howisanessayorganized?Howmanyparagraphsshouldbeinvolved?Andhowshoulditbeginandend?1.ThestructureNormally,anessaycontains3parts:Introduction,Body,andConclusion.Introduction:usuallyoneparagraph(sometimestwoormore)thatintroducesthetopictobediscussedandthecentralidea(thethesisstatement)oftheessayBody:developmentalparagraphsthatdevelopvariousaspectsofthetopicandthecentralidea(e.g.,discussingcauses,effects,reasons,examples,processes,classifications,comparison&contrast;alsodescribingornarratingsometimes)Conclusion:concludingthethoughtthatisdevelopedintheessay;theclosingwordofthewholearticleTheparagraphsinvolved:Thenumberofparagraphsinvolvedinanessaydependsentirelyonthecomplexityofthetopic.Youmayhaveseveralparagraphsortwentyandmoredependingonyourwritingpurposeandaudience.Thebeginningandending:Anessayusuallybeginsbyintroducingthetopicorcentralidea(thethesisstatement)ofthewholeessay;Itendsnormallybyemphasizingthecentralideadiscussedthroughouttheessay.2.ThethesisstatementItreferstothesentencethatcontainsthecentralideaoftheessay.Itissimilartothetopicsentenceinthatitcontainsanexpressionofanattitude,opinion,orideaaboutatopic,butitisbroaderinsenseandexpressesthecontrollingideafortheentireessay.Essentialpoints:Thethesisstatementmustbeacompletesentencewhichshouldexpressacompletethought;itshouldnotbewrittenasaquestion;Itexpressesanopinion,attitude,oridea;itdoesnotsimplyannouncethetopicoftheessay;Itshouldexpressanopinionbutnotafact;Itshouldexpressonlyoneideaaboutthetopic,otherwisetheessaywilllackunityandcoherence.Thethesisstatementnormallyappearsintheintroductoryparagraphoftheessay,butsometimesappearslaterintheessayorevenattheend.Itisevenimpliedinsomecases.However,itisagoodideaforcollegeessaystostatethethesisclearlyintheIntroduction.Exercises:Whichofthefollowingarethesisstatements?1)Theadvantagesofmajoringinengineering2)IwouldliketodiscussmyviewsontheOlympicgames.3)Collegestudentsshoulddopart-timejobs.4)WhydoIwanttobealawyer?5)ThedifferencesbetweenmandarinandCantonesedialects6)Knowingaforeignlanguagecanbebeneficialtoanyone.7)WhenIfirstcametotheUnitedStates,Iwasn’tusedtoeatinginfast-foodplaces,andIwasamazedattheshoppingcenters.8)Thehazardsofstoringchemicalwastes9)NewYorkCityisthelargestcityintheUnitedStates.10)Therearemanyadvantagesanddisadvantagestowatchingtelevision.11)GoingtocollegeintheMidwestcanbefun,andIhavefoundthatlivinginasuburbofaalargecityisthebestwaytolivewhileatcollege.12)Myfearofthedarkhasmademylifemiserable.Ⅲ.Thethreecomponents部分ofanessayTheintroduction/thedevelopmentalparagraphs/theconclusion1.TheintroductionEssentialpointsofanintroductoryparagraph:Anintroductoryparagraphshouldintroducethetopicandthecentralidea(thesis);(Thereadercanbeinformedofwhattopicistobediscussed,andwhatcontrollingideaistobecentered)Itshouldindicategenerallyhowthetopicisgoingtobedeveloped;Agoodintroductoryparagraphshouldindicatetothereader-whethertheessayisgoingtodiscusscauses,effects,reasons,orexamplesor-whetheritisgoingtoclassify,describe,narrate,orexplainaprocess.Anintroductoryparagraphshouldbeinvitingorinterestingenoughtomakethereadercontinuereading;-Itisoftennotinvitingtostateanopinioninthefirstsentence,whichmightdiscouragereadersfromcontinuereadingyouressay;-itisagoodideatoputthethesisstatementatorneartheendoftheintroductoryparagraph.FourapproachestoIntroduction:The“Turnabout”openingtheessaywithastatementcontrarytotheauthor’sactualthesis;The“DramaticEntrance”openingwithanarrative,description,ordramaticexamplerelevanttothetopic;The“RelevantQuotation”:openingwithaquotationthatisrelevanttothetopic;The“Funnel”:-themostcommonapproachtointroduction;-so-calledbecausetheideasprogressfromthegeneraltothespecificjustlikeafunnelwhichiswideatthetopandnarrowatthebottom;-openingwithageneralstatementaboutthetopicandthenworkingtowardsthemorespecificthesisstatementatorneartheendoftheIntroduction;-Theopeningstatementmustbegeneralandcongenialaswell.Takethefollowingintroductoryparagraph,forexample:Travellingtoaforeigncountryisalwaysinteresting,especiallyifitisacountrythatiscompletelydifferentfromyourown.Youcandelightintastingnewfoods,seeingnewsights,andlearningaboutdifferentcustoms,someofwhichmayseemverycurious.Ifyouweretovisitmycountry,forinstance,youwouldprobablythinkthatmypeoplehavesomeverystrangecustoms,asthefollowingthreeexampleswillillustrate.Inthisintroductoryparagraph,theauthor-introducesthegeneraltopicof“travellingtoaforeigncountry”attheverybeginning;-narrowsdownthetopictoamorespecificaspect,i.e.,thecustomsintheauthor’sowncountry;-presentsthethesisstatementattheend.-indicatestothereaderthattheessayisgoingtoillustratesomeexamplesinthesubsequentdevelopmentalparagraphs.Questions:whatdoyouthinkofthisintroductoryparagraph?Doesitincludetheessentialpointsfo