WritingACriticalEssay:HitsandMisses—pointingtowardEssaySuccessIntroductionsShould

• Connectwiththereader• Clarifythesubjectorissue—i.e.statetheEssayQuestion• PresentthePOINTorthesis(orclaim)oftheessay(otherwiseknownastheanswerto

theessayquestion

GOODIntroduction

POORIntroduction

GOODIntroduction

POORIntroduction

POORIntroduction

Topic/Transition/LinkingSentencesSignal‐‐‐Link‐‐‐ReasonGOODTransition

POORTransition

GOODTransition

POORTransition

GOODTransition

…

GOODSecondarySupport/GOODUseofQuotes—good“sandwichingofquotes”

MOREGOODSandwichingofQuotes

POORUseofQuotes

GOODBodyParagraph—goodsecondarysupport,wellsandwiched,welldocumented

MISMATCHEDSecondarySupport—POORTransitionsentence(too)

ONLYTWOSecondarySupports—THREEisbetter

GOODWorksCitedPage

POORWorksCitedPage

POORWorksCited

GOODWorksCited

POORWorksCited