Writing Introductions & Thesis Statements
Writing Introductions:
- Make sure that you address the title and author.
- Make sure that your answer addresses all parts of the prompt.
- Make sure that your introduction (both contextual sentences and your thesis) contain SPECIFIC DETAILS (ADJECTIVES and short phrases).
Example Prompt:
Read the following speech carefully. Analyze Antony’s use of rhetorical devices and the degree to which he fulfills his purpose. |
Add SPECIFIC DETAILS to your writing to make it better!
TOO VAGUE:
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Example Introduction for Mark Antony Prompt:
In the climatic Act 3 of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, Mark Antony delivers a eulogy for the assassinated title character and his friend, Julius Caesar. Though eulogies are meant to praise the lives of the dead, which Antony does, the purpose of this eulogy is to raise a rebellion against the conspirators who murdered Caesar. Antony’s effective use of rhetorical devices allows him to deliver a speech that persuades the audience to mutiny. |
Notes about topic sentences:
Be careful about beginning topic sentences with time words that could trap you into summary. Make sure your topic sentences state the point you are making in the body paragraphs and that the rest of the paragraph elaborates and expands your thoughts about that point.
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Thesis Statements
A good AP Lit thesis…
- tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion. When dealing with AP Literature, a good thesis might follow a basic formula of: “In the [story, novel, poem, excerpt, etc.] the author utilizes [probably some literary devices] to show the reader _________________________.”
- in other words, it will answer two questions: 1) How is meaning made, and 2) So what?
- is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
- directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel.
- makes a claim that others might dispute.
- is usually a single sentence, but can definitely be longer. If you’re trying to convey a complex idea, it may take two or three sentences to do so, and that’s ok!
- typically falls at the end of the introduction and is the most specific sentence of that paragraph. Introductions tend to flow well when the start with a broad topic and move towards a specific thesis. This is a guideline, not a rule.
SAMPLE PATTERNS FOR THESES ON LITERARY WORKS
Some of you seem to find your footing during the writing process and your essay takes form after you've already written your introduction. Obviously, you want to avoid this when possible. However, if you can’t, consider landing with a repetition of your new more specific thesis in the first sentence of your conclusion. You can then backtrack and adjust the thesis in your introduction if you need to, but take the time to make sure that it continues to flow with the rest of your paper.
- In (title of work), (author) (illustrates, shows) (adjective) (aspect).
>>>Example: In “Barn Burning,” William Faulkner shows the characters Sardie and Abner Snopes in a genuine struggle for their identity. - In (title of work), (author) uses (one aspect) to (define, strengthen, illustrate) the (element of work).
>>>Example: In “Youth,” Joseph Conrad uses foreshadowing to strengthen the plot. - In (title of work), (author) uses (an important part of work) as a unifying device for (one element), (another element), and (another element). NOTE: The number of elements can vary from one to four.
>>>Example: In “Youth,” Joseph Conrad uses the sea as a unifying device for setting, structure and theme. - (Author) develops the character of (character’s name) in (literary work) through what he/she does, what he/she says, what other people say to or about him/her.
>>>Example: Langston Hughes develops the character of Semple in “Ways and Means”… - In (title of work), (author) uses (literary device) to (accomplish, develop, illustrate, strengthen) (element of work).
>>>Example: In “The Masque of the Red Death,” Poe uses the symbolism of the stranger, the clock, and the seventh room to develop the theme of death. - (Author) (shows, develops, illustrates) the theme of __________ in the (play, poem, story).
>>>Example: Flannery O’Connor illustrates the theme of the effect of the selfishness of the grandmother upon the family in “A Good Man is Hard to Find.” - (Author) develops his character(s) in (title of work) through his/her use of language.
>>>Example: John Updike develops his characters in “A & P” through his use of figurative language.
Some of you seem to find your footing during the writing process and your essay takes form after you've already written your introduction. Obviously, you want to avoid this when possible. However, if you can’t, consider landing with a repetition of your new more specific thesis in the first sentence of your conclusion. You can then backtrack and adjust the thesis in your introduction if you need to, but take the time to make sure that it continues to flow with the rest of your paper.
Timing
Notes about Writing Introductions from McGraw-Hill’s Five Steps to a Five
For a 40 minute timed writing use the following as a guide to break up the task:
For a 40 minute timed writing use the following as a guide to break up the task:
- 1-3 minutes analyzing the prompt
- 8-12 minutes annotating the passage
- 22-23 minutes writing the essay
- 2-3 minutes editing/revising