AW Lesson 4: Introduction

10/8/2015

Hi everyone,

Wow! One month has passed already! After next week, we'll be one-third through our semester!!

Introduction Structure:
For the first part of our lesson, we learned about the different parts of an introduction:
a. hook
b. general statements
c. thesis statement

The first 2-3 sentences of your introduction is called the hook statement. These sentences catches the reader's attentions and makes him/her interested in your research paper.
You can choose from five different hooks:
a. quotes
b. rhetorical questions
c. statistics
d. interesting facts
e. simile

General Statements:
For your general statements, you will give some information that will help the reader become familiar with your topic. General statements can explain meanings of terminology, give historical explanations or biographical information.

When you organise this information, you need to use funnel structure. This means that your information is organised from general to less general to specific to more specific to very specific.

Thesis Statements:
Finally, we learned how to write a thesis statement. You need to include your main idea and your three sub-topics in your thesis statement.

Homework:

Blog posting #4
Write your Introduction

email by Tues., October 13 by 12:00noon

Blog Question:

What difficulties did you have writing your introduction?
What are the benefits of writing your essay step-by-step?

Write 12-15 sentences.
Use capitalization, punctuation & spelling correctly.
Submit by Wed., October 14 by 6:00pm.

23 Comments

AW-Kanako

10/9/2015 06:43:26 am

Hi Nicole.
The website got cute Halloween illustration, I really like it!

1, I always get struggled while thinking hook sentences because the first sentence have great impression for readers. I think it is not too much to say that hook sentence can be an indicator whether the research paper is attractive or interesting enough to deserve reading. I'm also concerned with how deep information I should give at first. As we can see in some recent movie trailer, if we got the whole message and meaning of the movie in the beginning we don't need to watch that any more.

2. I think the benefit is that the paper can be refined every week. For example the first part of paper would be read again and again every time the writer add sentences, and be edited to make sense as one thesis argument. Moreover for us writer, we are going to be able to modify small mistakes and subtle differences of nuance. We can make the paper more credible one.

AW-Shinji

10/11/2015 02:25:44 am

1. It was hard to distinguish general statements from thesis statement. Some of my topic and sub topics were quite similar to the general statement on the subject. Therefore, I needed to be careful not to write the same thing again. In addition, I found it difficult to construct my sub-topics. Everytime I chose them, it turned out that they were not subtopics, but topics . As a result, I caused trouble a few times for the professor. I am really sorry for that.

2. I think that this step-by-step approach method for writting essay is very efficient style. It is quite easy to construct each part of the essay. Moreover, the essay is revised by the professor at every step, so we can avoid the whole amendment in the end.

AW-Natsumi

10/11/2015 08:14:08 am

Hi, Nicole.

1. It was very hard to write an introduction. I thought and thought and thought... For me, writing hook statement was the most difficult part. "How can I catch the reader's attention?" "Is this really connected to the title?" I considered a lot. Hook statement must be simple, interesting, and original. Moreover, I had to write it within 2 sentences. I had difficulty to shorten it. Also I could not connect general statements and thesis statement well. Eventually I searched phrase which was suitable for it. I felt I had to know more about the structure of research paper.

2. I think it is a proper for beginners. To learn the format and each part step by step is easy to understand. Also teacher corrects a mistake every time so there is no concern that students continue to write in wrong way throughout the paper.

AW-Saeko

10/11/2015 07:08:53 pm

Hi Nicole

1.It was really hard because I was absent last class and didn't hear your explanation. However, Nagisa and Nicole taught me personal explanation carefully,so I managed to write introduction somehow. Thank you. Especially, I thought the most diificult part was funnel organization.It was difficult for me to organize them from general things to most specific things. I thought many times "Is it a specific sentence than before sentenses?" In short, I bothered order of sentences.

2.I think step-by-step writing is very good style for our writing because we have enough time to think each part carefully every week and we can get important advice from Nicole. In my case, I often continue to write essay though I have made mistakes on it. I aware it after I finished writing, so I don't understand which sections that I made mistake. Most cases, it is too late to rewrite. However, I can aware my mistakes while I write it if I use step-by-step writing. I think that point is benefit on step-by-step writing.

AW-Kazuma

10/12/2015 07:19:04 am

Hi Nicole,

1. General statements were much more difficult than I imagined. As I had a few things in my mind, I thought it was easy. Though I needed to write much more to achieve 10-12 sentences.

2. I think benefits of writing essay step-by-step is that we can think logically what I want to write. When you do your essay in one day, there is always a moment you realize you said the same thing 20 times in your essay. However, if we do the essay step-by-step, we know what to write, and consequently we can write a logical essay.

AW-Asa

10/12/2015 11:33:11 pm

Q1
First of all, it was a little difficult for me to write without using "I" or "you". I normally write my opinions a lot, but personal ideas are not really required for research papers. It was kind of hard for me. Also, using funnel structure was challenging. I am not sure if I could use it successfully. I know that using that structure makes the readers understand the ideas easily. However, actually putting it in the essay was harder thar I expected. Thus, I am not really confident about my introduction.
Q2
I suppose that writing an essay step by step is a good idea. If I write the whole essay at one time, it would be hard to edit even if I found some errors. It is important to write little by little and keep checking to improve the essay. It is always necessary to do it according to the process. It makes easy to change the setences or words.

AW-Mayu

10/13/2015 04:00:42 am

Hi Nicole,

1. I thought writing introduction was so hard task for me. At first, I had difficulty with thinking hook statements. I couldn't came up with good hook statements so easily. I realized the difficulty of writing interesting sentences. Also, I had difficulty with writing general statements. It took me a long time to finish writing them. What I thought most difficult was writing them by using a funnel structure.I couldn't decide what should I write for a long time. This is because I had to choose information which was specific to some extent but also not too specific. I thought If I wrote too specific things in introduction, it would became meaningless to read body paragraphs. So taking a balance of information was most difficult thing for me. But I think this week's task will be helpful for writing my research paper.

2. I think writing an essay step-by-step is very good way. So far, We wrote it little by little and we could receive an feedback about each parts of it every week. So we could edit and review it efficiently. This is the benefit of writing an essay step-by-step. Also, we don't have to worry about correct all errors in the whole essay at once at the end of the course. This is another benefit. I think this way of writing is good for me.

AW-Nanami

10/13/2015 07:55:59 am

1. It wasn't easy for me to write the introduction. General statement was the hardest part for me to write. I needed to use the funnel structure for it, but I'm not actually sure if I did it right. I also needed to read the resources again to check if the facts that I want to say were on the right track. It took a lot of time. On the other hand, I easily reached to 10~12 sentences than I expected. I also think that I found a good hook statement.

2. The research paper can be checked every week, so we can do it little by little without not knowing what to do. We can also learn how to write the each set of research paper. It would be too hard to learn about the whole structure in one class. Writing all structures at one time could be hard, too. Correcting all the mistakes after finishing the research paper would be very tiring too. It may take some extra time, but I think this is a good way to learn how to write a better research paper.

AW-Taiki

10/13/2015 09:06:33 am

Hi, Nicole.

1 First of all, I had difficulty in coming up with nice hook sentences. You said that they would play a great part in attracting readers, so I felt very high pressure. Second, it was difficult for me to write more than 10 sentences as general statements. I have never written such a long introduction before! In addition, I was required to write them using funnel structure. In fact, it made me puzzled. I could understand what it was, but once I tried to start writing, I found it very difficult to judge what statement was more general.

2 I think that working slowly helps me understand the way to write essay much better. In addition, I can get your nice advice after the class ends. It also makes my ability for writing improved. In fact, I have to master academic writing skills because I am going to stay in the U.S. as a student next year. It is often said that American university impose much writing work on students, therefore the style is proper for me. Also, the burden of homework is less than the other IE classes. I am busy in working a part-time job, so I am grateful for the style.

AW-Ruka

10/13/2015 01:56:57 pm

1. I felt it difficult to write long general statement. I hadn't think about it until I did the homework. And I couldn't understand deeply what kind of information is good. Also I've never written such long general statement like 12-15 sentences. So I spent much time to decide what to write. Other parts of the introduction were not so difficult.

2. To write my essay step by step was so good. I couldn't write the introduction with this quality if it was not step by step. I should have been impatient to write so long introduction at once. Besides, I found it so helpful was every class. The theme of the every class changes, and was step-by-step itself. The class and the homework were both step-by-step and linked, so I could write the introduction after I understand firmly.

AW-Kana

10/13/2015 07:24:22 pm

Hi Nicole,

1. For me, writing introduction with a very specific rule was the first time, so it was very hard and it took me a lot of time to finish it. First of all, I thought that writing a good hook statement is such a hard thing. I tried to come up with many sentences so I could choose the best one, but most of them were too general or boring. I realized that writing a very interesting hook statement needs a big effort. Overall, I thought that most difficult thing was to write with funnel structure. In my head, I understand what funnel structure is, so I tried to do the same thing with my research paper, but it was not that easy.

2. I think it is such a good way to write my essay step-by-step. By doing this, I could understand each step more specifically. Since we are writing small part each week, we can easily keep up with what we are doing right now. Also, I think it is easier to ask for more help if we need it. If we have mistaken something, it is easier to correct. Students from other classes say that they are jealous. That is because they have to write a lot of sentences at once instead of doing step-by-step like us. So, I think this way of writing is a good thing.

AWーKazuna

10/13/2015 08:17:08 pm

Hi, Nicole!

I reply to your question now.

Q1. Actually, I had a hard time to write my introduction because to write 200 words for introduction was first time for me. Until now, I have never written 200 words for introduction in an essay. The most difficult thing was that I didn't have enough idea for introduction. Also I struggled to write hook statement. Hook statement should be interested because to get attention of reader. Therefore I was troubled with hook statement.

Q2. From my experiences, this step is very useful for me I think. Actually, I have difficult image for writing because a writing process is sometimes complicated for me. There are also many rules of writing paper. When I take IE writing Ⅲ, my teacher was very kind to me but he talks very fast and told me a lot of process of writing in one lesson. I was very tired to follow his class. However, this Academic Writing advance with slow and proper speed for me. I always thank to class! I was very satisfied with this method now!!

AW-Yoko

10/13/2015 09:12:32 pm

Hello, Nicole.

1.It was very difficult for me to write general statements especially. I learned about how to write hook statement and thesis statement before. So I could describe them relatively easily although I had trouble coming up with effective sentences. However, I have never organized from general to less general to specific to more specific to very specific. I can understand what the funnel structure is but, in practice, it was very difficult to organize what I wanted to say or information which helped my introduction be easy to understand. It took a long time to finish it. I considered what I should explain in the part carefully, and I rewrote it again and again. I tried to write general statement using funnel structure. However, I don’t have confidence in it. I learned that it was not satisfied only by explaining facts without funnel structure when I wrote introduction in research paper.

2.I think the benefit of writing my essay step-by-step is thinking what I write over carefully and concentrating on one part of the essay in order to write as good essay as possible. After the class, I can reflect what I learn from lesson immediately in my essay. In addition, the way can ease the burden on students when they have a lot of other assignments at the same time. So I think the way to write essay little by little is much more efficient than all at all.

AW-Ayaka

10/13/2015 09:45:20 pm

Hi Nicole,

1. I struggled to decide my hook statement. Before I started to write my introduction, I was preoccupied with it. I wonder the reader can understand what I want to say. In addition, because my essay is comparison, it was hard to write the same amount of information about each thing. Also, funnel structure was difficult for me. It was difficult to define which the general and the specific information are. I think I couldn’t write my introduction with funnel structure.

2. If we write all essay at one time, we would have many things that I have to do in short term. In contrast, we would have long time to think well about each paragraph if we write step-by-step. Also, we start to write right after we have lesson about each part of essay, therefore we can remember what you said easily, and it help us while writing. Moreover, we can correct and consult former mistakes as writing next part of the essay. I think doing step-by-step is the best way to write a long essay!

AW-Kotoe

10/13/2015 09:55:26 pm

Hi, Nicole.

1. For me, the difficult part was hook sentence. I took time to come up with the hook sentence that can attract attention from readers, and yet I am not sure it is good enough to be attractive. In addition to that, it was bit difficult to write about the equal information both Disney and Ghibli have. For example, once you mention Ghibli's best-hit animated film ever, Spirited Away, you also have to remark the equivalent animated-film like Frozen.

2. I think it is good way to write step-by-step because I can take much time to think each paragraph carefully. This helps me to improve my article. And it is helpful to get the comment from Nicole every week, this helps me write more sophisticated article.
If we are required to submit the whole paragraphs without step-by-step, there is a possibility that some people might rush writing article just before the deadline. This means they could misspell easily and their article might not be organized. As we have a deadline every week, we can keep up with it.

AW-Natsuki

10/13/2015 11:49:47 pm

Hi, Nicole,

1. First of all, we have to write an interesting hook statement. It's the most difficult point for me. The first one I wrote was too general and not interesting so I decided to rewrite it. I wrote a hook statement and asked myself again and again. "It's not interesting." "It's too general." "I must not use a simple question." I don't think that my introduction is perfect but that's my best.

2. Writing step-by-step is the best way I've ever done. We can concentrate each part. For example, I wrote not interesting hook statement in my IE Ⅲ class, I think. And I didn't take much time to write introuction. On the other hand, I wrote hook statement many times and considered well. In this time, writing introduction took much time. Moreover, to write step-by-step is good for teachers too. Reading whole paper is hard work and teachers have to read many paper; over 20 or 30, I guess. In contrast, reading step-by-step is also hard work but better than whole paper. Therefore teachers can comment in detail, like Nicole.
There are many good point to write step-by-step.

AW-Misa

10/14/2015 12:57:59 am

Q1
Before, I started my introduction with very ordinary sentence. It could tell what I would write about, but couldn't attract readers because not interesting. Now, I think the hook statement is the most important in the research paper, so thinking it was very difficult. I had to write what everyone doesn't know. The judge whether my ideas about the hook statement is known by readers took me a lot of time. And also, the amount I wrote became 200-250 words. In IE writing class, I had to write only one third. Therefore, writing general statements was also difficult.

Q2
Thanks to writing my essay step by step, I can write without getting frustrated. By learning little by little, I can memorize almost all things I learned. I can take a week one section, so I can serch some sources. Therefore, I can write a better research paper.

AW- Akimitsu

10/14/2015 01:08:39 am

Hi, nicole.

1When I wrote introduction, my difficulty was to make the sentence related in my topics.Sometimes I wrote my sentences not related in my topic, so I fixed many times. In addition, I made some mistakes to connect sentence. Because of these mistake, I wrote poor sentence. In the first , I am poor at writing essay. I made some mistake like spelling or connection. In this AW class, I want better writing skill than now!

2 I think the advantage of writing essay step-by-step is that we can easily fix own essay. If I made some mistake, I can repair the sentence immediately. On the other hand , if don't write step-by-step, when I made mistake, I need long times to fix. In addition, to write essay step-by-step, we can find the problems of grammar or word choice. Writing essay need many times and power so, we make mistake easily. I think because of step-by-step writing, my mistake was decreased.

AW-Yuya

10/14/2015 01:27:27 am

Hello,Nicole

1. It was very hard for me to write general statements. I think this part is very important part in introduction because it includes many information that make reader more interested about the topic. It was difficult to choose and select the information whether it is general or not. It takes long time to put information in introduction. Moreover, I wonder if it is enough information for this part. Other parts of the introduction was no problem for me to think.

2. I think the advantages of writing the essay step by step is that we can build up and easily to say where am I not good at in my essay. We can see how to make essay in higher level, and also it is easy to check mistakes while making it little by little. If we write essay in one time, we could not notice the points which shows what is wrong in the essay, and take much time for revising.
Also in my opinion, this makes the writer easily to understand how does normally essay stands for. This type of writing shows how to start writing an essay by start writing from the top. Many people, like me, can easily get rid of it, and move to more difficult steps by passing previous parts.

AW-Nagisa

10/14/2015 01:43:45 am

Hi, Nicole.

Q1
What difficulties did you have writing your introduction?

The most difficult point is organizig like a funnel. It was a first time to think that way in writing a essay, so it was a fresh point of view for me. In detail, I was concerned the order to output in doing a funnel organization. For example, I was in doubt about what kind of information is needed (other genres for example gothic novel, a history of epistolary novel, and so on,) or how much information do we need to write an introduction in 200-250 words. Finally, I imagined what kind of information is imposed in a thesis statement, and then, thought about detailed information.
Also hook statement is one of the most difficult part in writing an introduction for me. The way to think about was that widening my topic, comparing two similar writers in 18th century. Two arthors wrote an adventure novel, so I thought about some hook statement related to this information. Or, the novel is a book, and my topic can be 'words in books' in a broad sense, so think about some hook statement related to it.

Q2.
What are the benefits of writing your essay step-by-step?

We mejor in English literature, and we are the 2nd grade now, and don't have enough knowledge yet, so everyday we get a lot of knowledge in many classes. But, someday we have to telegraph my ideas as a paper in English. To do that, we need to know how to write an academic paper in English, so writing my essay step-by-step is very benefit for me. In writing a paper, we have to think not only about what I want to persist, but also about detailed rules. without protect detailed rules, any paper will not be valuable, even though I could think something excellent. Learning some detailed rules is very importnt, and for learning them, I think we have to learn it step-by-step.

Thanks,
Nagisa

AW-nami

10/14/2015 01:59:20 am

1 It was really hard to write the general statements because it was longer than I thought and I couldn't find so much information to write as a general statement. It was also hard to make it in a funnel structure. Although I did my best I might need some corrections for my introduction part.

2 I think that writing the research paper little by little makes it easier for us to write the paper. If we try to write a paper at once, there are too much things w e need to organize and I don' t think I can handle all the information and make the paper clear at once. Also by having a lesson about each part of the structure of the paper, we can make it clear what we need to write on that part. By having the teacher's correction on every single part, we can fix our errors one by one and we can go on to the next part smoothly.I think it is a good way to write our paper little by little. I'll try my best for the coming few weeks.

AW-Karen

10/14/2015 01:59:58 am

Hi Nicole,

1. First, I found it hard thinking of my hook statement. Because the topic of my essay is not something everyone knows about, I needed a statement that would catch the reader's attention. It can't be too difficult, but boring either. I also had a hard time organizing my information in the funnel way. The line between which information is general and specific was difficult to find.

2. I think the good thing about writing an essay step by step is that there will be less mistakes and can spend more time on one section. If I had to write the whole essay within a givin deadline, I think I would be rushing through my writing in the last minute. The information would not be well organized and there will be a lot of mistakes. Also, it would be easier to revise in your own when you submit your work. You will be able to check your essay in parts. Most of all, writing step by step is less stressful because you will need to write small parts.

AW-Rika

10/14/2015 03:26:11 am

Hi Nicole,

Sorry about being late, it won't happen again.

Q1. The hardest thing about writing an introduction for me was writing the hook statement. The hook statement is meant to attract the readers, so it took time and I had to rewrite it a few times for it to be interesting yet relevant.

Q2. The good thing about writing an essay step by step is even if I get corrections or I have to change my topic, I won't have to write the whole thing again.

Thanks, Rika

AW Lesson 4: Introduction

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