How can you move beyond cheesy, high-school approaches to introductions and conclusions? This presentation first describes the moves necessary to an introduction, then helps students revise the thesis (by checking the conclusion and narrating to a friend at a coffee shop what the paper is about), then outlines the 4 most common overused hooks in introductions, and finally offers several alternatives for a more scholarly approach.
6. 1. The Historical Sweep
“Since the dawn of
time…”
“For centuries…”
INSTEAD:
Link to recent news
7. 2. Overdramatic or Tired
Rhetorical Question
“Can money ever buy happiness?”
“What is love?”
INSTEAD: A genuine, quirky rhetorical question
8. 3. The Dictionary Definition
“Webster’s Dictionary defines
love as…”
INSTEAD: An interesting definition by a scholar
9. 4. The Boring Overgeneralization
“Helping others is a
basic human
impulse valued in
all cultures.”
INSTEAD: Challenge a common belief or generalization