hi! this is my very first masterpost, and i thought it’d be helpful to start on a topic i myself struggle on. this year, my english teacher has been really helpful in strengthening my essay writing skills and helping me develop as a writer, and this is something that has really stuck with me throughout the year. guide is under the cut!!
so, to begin, let’s think of all introductions as being split into four parts.
1. author, title, “smart verb”, and a quick summary
2.summary with a bridge to your thesis
3. two tone words, a smart verb, and two concept words.
4. your thesis
Let’s say we’re writing an essay about assimilation issues of the Igbo people in the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. I’ll walk you through each sentence so you can get a feel for writing strong introductory paragraphs.
1. first sentence: author, title, a “smart verb”, and a quick summary
aka: the easiest part of your introduction
smart verbs! what are those? i didn’t know what they were until this year and they saved my LIFE.
the point of smart verbs are to eliminate the word “shows” in your essay. it’s a boring verb, stop using it, please. here’s a list of verbs to use instead:
acknowledges, contrasts, asserts, addresses, evokes, draws attention to, elucidates, manipulates, elaborates, responds, alludes to, stresses, implies, depicts, proves, mirrors, reflects, reacts, creates, drives, suggests, links, produces, resolves tension, manifests, balances, conveys, reveals, repeats, establishes, introduces, provides, illustrates, underscores, points to, complements
okay, so assuming you know the novel’s title, author, and the plot, your sentence should look like this:
“Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart is a contemporary novel that illustrates the plight of an Igbo tribe in Nigeria.”
sound good? let’s move on!
2.summary with a bridge to your thesis
aka: the second easiest part of your essay
this part of the paragraph should expand upon the plot more, but with tie-ins to your thesis
“It centers around the nine villages of Umuofia, many of which are visited by white missionaries from England.”
if you can tell, the missionaries are going to be a key subject in my essay, even if they aren’t introduced until part two of the novel.
3. two tone words, a smart verb, and two concept words.
tone words? concept words? what?
tone words basically describe the novel. they can normally be organized by the tone they are trying to convey. i wanted to show Things Fall Apart as a neutral-ish kind of novel, so i used to words “reflective” and “pensive”
concept words display the theme of the novel. here are some examples:
betrayal, individuality, prejudice, injustice, revenge, pride, beauty, innocence, courage, loyalty, fate, belonging, tradition, etc.
for my introduction, i decided to use “struggle” and “injustice”
“This reflective and pensive novel draws attention to the struggles and injustice brought to the Igbo people by ignorant missionaries.”
4. your thesis
aka: the hardest part of your introduction
your thesis should:
- never be a question
- not be vague
- not be a list
- not be a yes/no question
- not be a simple fact
- not include the words “best”, “most”, “always”, and “never”
of course, these are subjective. if you feel that your thesis is strong using any of these, go ahead
using these points, here’s my thesis”
“The assimilation issues brought upon the Igbo people in Things Fall Apart can be blamed on white man and its imperialist habits.”
and here’s the full paragraph:
“Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart is a contemporary novel that illustrates the plight of an Igbo tribe in Nigeria. It centers around the nine villages of Umuofia, many of which are visited by white missionaries from England. This reflective and pensive novel draws attention to the struggles and injustice brought to the Igbo people by ignorant missionaries. The assimilation issues brought upon the Igbo people in Things Fall Apart can be blamed on white man and its imperialist habits.”
that’s all folks!!! i really hoped this help, because it really helped me!!! good luck!!!!
