Describe either your reaction to the book you’re analyzing or an event in your own life that relates to that of the characters in the book.

Describe either your reaction to the book you’re analyzing or an event in your own life that relates to that of the characters in the book. Telling your own story always interests your nosy readers.

Catalogue of background information: describe the artifacts in the book and story… and then go on to summarize the story.

Several popular hooks have been overused or misused and are now NOT VERY EFFECTIVE. Do NOT use any of the following hooks as they are very hard to use effectively: dictionary definition, big generalization, question or questions.

2. BACKGROUND SUMMARY: a brief, focused summary sentence or two of the story (in our case) that you are analyzing. This summary helps a reader who has not read the novel to understand your argument.

3. THESIS STATEMENT: your argument in the paper. Usually your thesis is your specific answer to the assignment prompt.

Here is a sample introduction paragraph for a paper in a previous English 101 class:

“When children of color become your children, anonymous struggles become personal

ones with names and faces that you know.” (relevant quote)

This statement expresses Jana Wolff’s anxieties as a white, adoptive parent (author, title, thesis)

of a black son. In “Black Unlike Me,” Wolff recounts an experience she had with her “7

year-old son” about what to wear on the first day of school. Parenting is a challenge for

all parents regardless of race, class, or gender; there is no one way or guidebook to

instruct parents on how to raise their kids. Wolff’s challenges are complicated by

racial stereotypes which often judge black males negatively. Her 7-year-old son’s desire

to just be a boy and wear a “sleeveless basketball shirt” turns into an intense disagreement fueled by (Background)

America’s racial politics. The natural interaction between a loving mother and her son’s

desire to wear a Michael Jordan jersey is not simply about the appropriate attire for

school, but “a diatribe” on racism. The anger her son has about being told what to wear

is normal, but his white mother, whose knowledge of the historical hate and violence

blacks face, is an emotional quagmire. The need to protect and teach her son (Transition to your thesis)

appropriately poses enormous and often impossible challenges. There is a belief by people

in social services and outside, that transracial adoption should be discouraged. They say

that children of color should be adopted by people of a similar race or culture. While

race presents barriers and obstacles to people of color, it should not stop loving parents

who can provide a child a good home from transracial adoption. (Your thesis)

Note the elements that make up the paragraph. You want to fashion your intro paragraph in the same way.

Essay Model

I) Intro Paragraph
A) Hook, fact or info to draw the reader in It should relate to the discussion you planned.
B)Author and title, thesis
C)Setup/background/ transition to your thesis
D)Thesis statement (your thesis)
Note – Your intro paragraph should be your longest paragraph because you have more to establish in it.
II) Body Paragraph #1
A) Topic sentence (main point) This does not have to be the first sentence but there should be a sentence that tells what the paragraph is about
B) Explanation/description/background
C) *Quotation (if necessary – you do not have to use a quotation. It should have direct connection to the topic sentence.
D) *Quotation analysis You must explain the importance of the quote. Quotes do not
explain themselves.
E) Transitions between paragraphs
III, IV, V, VI …, Body Paragraphs follow the same pattern as Body Paragraph #1
V Conclusion
A) Restate thesis in new words
B) Summarize the main points
C) Closing thought (appropriate relevant) Do not introduce new information in the conclusion

*A quotation is NOT required in every paragraph or at all. If you use a quote, (and in short essays your quotes should be very short) you must provide an explanation and a clear connection to the topic sentence or thesis. Quotes do not speak for themselves.

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