Rework Your Opening and Closing Paragraphs
When you feel you have created a wonderful paper, examine your
opening and closing paragraphs. Take the time to go over these—again
and again—to make them the best you possibly can. More than
one “okay-not-great” paper has earned a better-than-expected
grade because of an “A+” introduction and conclusion.
Your paper’s opening paragraph is the most important of all. It sets
out what you will be arguing for or against (and why you chose that
side) and introduces the rest of the paper. If it’s well written, it
will seamlessly lead your teacher into the rest of the paper andearn
you points for solid organization. If it’s poorly written, it may not
matter what follows—your teacher may conclude you obviously
don’t know what you’re talking about and grade accordingly (while
spending less time than he might have otherwise on the rest of the
paper).
Think of the introduction and the conclusion as the bread in a
sandwich, with the information in between as the hamburger,
lettuce, tomato, and pickle. The main attraction may be what’s
between the slices, but you need the bread to even call it a sandwich.
Here are some ways to start off your paper with a little zing:
■ Say something that grabs attention.
■ Say something controversial.
■ Paint a picture of a scene.
■ Recreate an event.
■ Use a potent quote.
■ Ask a provocative question.But don’t—absolutely do not—use a joke. The joke will be on you.
Most teachers have no sense of humor once they start grading
papers (presuming they did before).
162 How to Study