Essay LeadsTransitionsConclusions

Essay Lead: Things to Ask Yourself when

writing LeadsIs it inviting? – lively, engaging

Is it clear? – immediate understanding of specific issue or problem

Is it true? – statements factual, accurate, believable

Is it focused? point the direction essay is headed

Is there an attitude? – sound like you, conviction about your opinion or issue

Is there a clearly implied audience? – target an audience- who do you want to talk to or convince

Essay Lead

Is it long and and developed enough? – enough info to establish problem of essay

Is it packed with information? – sufficient context, backgroud, evidence, concrete examples, quotes, statistics, information of some sort, do we want to continue reading

Is it honest and unexaggerated? – rest of essay is what you said you would tell us

Is the language clear and strong? – straightforward, easy and inviting, have vivid verbs

Effective Transitions

link phrases, sentences, and paragraphs

ties ideas together

so reader can logically move from one thought to the next

Transition Tactics

Elaborating in Logical Sequencechronological order

clearly state shifts in time to keep reader’s interest

Referring to a Fact or Ideaconnect idea at end of one sentence or paragraph to beginning of next

Repeating a key wordrepeat this key word in one sentence or paragraph in the beginning of next

Transition Tactics

Using a synonymrephrase a key word from one sentence or paragraph to the next

Using transitional words or phraseschoose an appropriate transition to indicate sequence of thought or to move the reader through a piece of writing

Transitions That…

Reference the list for ideas of transitions to use.

Essay Conclusion

“The end must connect with the opening. What has been promised must have been delivered. Read the opening over to see what closing it implies.” Donald Murray

Some Conclusions to Try

Admonition or Instruction: what the reader can do about the issue

Prediction: an insight into how the future might be different, better, or worse

Strong, Punched Statement: perhaps a one-sentence paragraph

Anecdote: a brief story that reiterates the essence of the issue or situation

Pointed Question: leaves the reader thinking

Echo: circles back to the lead

A Conclusion to Avoid

“Only rarely in effective writing is the closing a formal summary in which the writer repeats…what has already been said.” Donald Murray