Effective Paragraph Beginnings and Endings

PREARED BY: Aaron Romeo Cillan

 WHAT DO BEGINNING PARAGRAPHS DO?

BEGINNING PARAGRAPHS

Convince readers to read on Capture the readers interest Set the tone for the piece Frame the issue May state the thesis May briefly wipe out the way the rest the piece will progress

DONT BEGIN THE OBVIUS OR THE OVERLY GENERAL In this essay, I will explain For my topic, I chose According to Websters dictionary, Throughout history,

Start with a fresh idea, fact or image

Concise thesis Question Hard-hitting fact Quotation Images Anecdote Problem Contradiction Odd fact

 Read your topic sentence. Before you end, remind yourself of where you began by re-reading the beginning of your paragraph. A paragraph should be one cohesive unit about a main idea or point. By pausing and revisiting the start of your paragraph, you can ensure that you didn't sway from the intended focus.

 Consider how you could reword the argument. Your final sentence should make a point similar to that presented in your topic sentence. Consider synonyms, or words that mean the same thing, that you could use to restate your topic sentence without repeating yourself word for word.

 Lead into the final sentence with a transition. Make your paragraph smooth through the use of transitions. As you begin your final sentence, use a transition such as "therefore" or "as a result". These transitions help ensure that your paragraph remains one unified piece.

 Restate the topic sentence. Using the synonyms you selected, restate the argument you stated in your topic sentence. In this sentence, you can make clear allusion to the supports you presented in the paragraph, to remind readers of what they just read and point out why your argument is correct or your stance valid.