Beginning an essay
I. Beginning means announcing and limiting the subject, indicating a plan, catching the reader’s attention, and establishing an appropriate tone and point of view
II. Announcing and Limiting the Subject
A. For most essays it is better to start with an implied announcement of your subject: Belief in the doctrines of religion may be justified in several ways
vs. an explicit announcement: It is my purpose to consider the type of justification which is available for belief in the doctrines of religion.
B. Immediate vs. Delayed announcement
If you opt to name your subject immediately then your focus is on clarity and getting right to the point: for example, All men are snobs about something. – Aldous Huxley
The alternative is to try to arouse curiosity or interest your reader first. This can be done by beginning broadly and then narrowing your topic, or by beginning with a specific detail or example and then broadening to arrive at the topic.
III. Indicating the plan of the essay
Essential to a good essay is outlining and giving the reader an idea of how you are going to organize the essay. You should let your readers know what your essay will be about, what your setting out to prove or say and finally in what order.
I want to tell you about a woodsman, what he was like, what his work was, and what it meant. His name was Alfred D. Teare and he came originally from Nova Scotia, but all the time I knew him his home was in Berlin, New Hampshire. Probably the best surveyor of old lines in New England, he was—in his way—a genius.
Kenneth Andler
Is this an implied or explicit announcement?
Is this an immediate or delayed announcement?
How will this essay be organized? What subtopics will the writer address and in what order?
IV. Interesting the reader
A. Stressing the importance of the subject: There is no painter who has so spontaneously and so profoundly reflected his age as Pablo Picasso
B. Arousing Curiosity: It is a pity true history is not taught in schools. Or, I hate botany, which is why I went to New York.
C. Amusing the reader: this can be down through a witty remark, an anecdote, or comparison (analogy, simile or metaphor).
V. The function of an opening is to introduce an essay, not to be a miniature version of it. You must balance the extremes of saying to much and saying too little.
Dear profesor Price,
ReplyDeleteI'm having difficulties on the project. On my note I have that we should sumarize and explain the argument of two articles. But, you said to just write what we are planning to do on the next project. Can you please correct me?
Thank you,
Vielka Garcia.