How To Write a Good Introduction For an Essay

Essay introductions can be the hardest part of the writing process. Youve done the research, crafted your arguments but how do you begin? How do you get readers interested in what you have to say? How do you avoid being too general, too academic or too boring? A good introduction sets the tone and context for your argument in a way thats concise, clear and interesting. A tall order. Here are some tips for delivering a great essay introduction: Start With an Anecdote Stories and anecdotes lend a personal touch to an introduction. Readers would rather hear something they can relate to than jump into a sea of academic wordiness: In 1995, when I was 22, I hiked the Appalachian Trail. Back then, there were warnings about brown bears and a set of protocols to follow to avoid running into one. When pushing through a particularly difficult day, I ended up hiking through the night to make my days distance goal. I broke protocol. And found myself face-to-face with a brown bear on a rock cliff in the dark. Today theres no longer a chance for such encounters as the brown bear population has been all but decimated along the Appalachian Mountain chain. By giving the reader a background story, theyre now emotionally invested in learning more about the topic. Find a Killer Quote Sometimes a quote can sum up the essence of your argument like nothing else. If this is the case, then by all means, use one. For instance, an essay that argues that Christians dont follow Christian values could use a quote by Gandhi, â€Å"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.† This quote has the benefit of not only being concise and clear, but it was stated by one of the most admired public figures in history. Just make sure not to use quotes that have become cliches. That will detract from your introduction instead of adding to it. Use Statistics and Facts Using facts and statistics helps establish your authority on the topic. Theyre also useful in getting the readers attention and helping them understand why something is important. For instance, â€Å"Today, there are over 15,000 child soldiers in South Sudan.† A sentence like this makes the reader understand the gravity of the situation youll be talking about. It gives them a sense of scope and measurement. Ask a Question A question has the benefit of tempting the reader to answer it. It gets them involved in your essay and makes them feel like youre speaking to them. Its a great technique to get people to read on. If its a polemical topic, even better. Ex: Are we responsible for stopping climate change? You can bet that a lot of readers will fall on one or other side of this issue. And therefore be tempted to read on to see if they agree or disagree with your take on the subject. State Your Thesis After you get readers interested with any of the above techniques, its time to hit them with your thesis. A thesis is the summary of your essays argument. It deserves time and attention to get it right. The thesis is a statement that is crafted so that it could be argued for or against. Ex: â€Å"The best way to prevent crime is to impose harsher sentences.† One could argue for or against this statement. A Word About Length An introduction should consist of about 1/10 of the total word count. So, for a 500 word essay, the introduction should be about 50 words. As you write more essays, youll get a feel for the appropriate length. It shouldnt be too short, otherwise you probably havent worked enough on crafting the hook. Nor should it dominate the essay. The majority of your essay is going to consist of your argument and research. Find the balance. A great essay introduction reels the reader in with an interesting story, a fact or statistic, a question to be answered or a quote that sums up your argument well. And, of course, the introduction includes your well-crafted thesis statement. Good luck and happy writing!

Free Essays on Influence Of Hip-Hop

are just a tool of the musicians that helps give them an appearance of being Benninger 2 gangsters, pimps, or dealers. It is these types of people that represent power and control to some or a glimpse into an unknown world to others. Either way, this image is what makes money. Further proof that rap artists are selling an image and not real life is that many rap artists are happily married men with wives and children that they truly care about. Dr. Dre, one of the forefathers of hardcore rap, in an interview with MTV, readily admitted that what he sells in his music is not a life that he himself wishes to live. He, like many other rap artists, does not view women as derogatory ... Free Essays on Influence Of Hip-Hop Free Essays on Influence Of Hip-Hop Influence of Hip-Hop Controversy has always been a prominent characteristic of popular music throughout the twentieth century. Whether it be the controversy surrounding Elvis' swinging hips, the Doors' suggestive lyrics, or Alice Cooper's stage antics, this controversy always seems to be followed by undue criticism from the media. One form of musical expression that has been in the news recently because of its negative attention is hip-hop. Rap, a relatively new form of musical exposition, has been criticized for its so-called anti-women lyrics. Some have even said that these types of lyrics are veering toward rape music (Faludi 267). This is just simply not true. Once thought of as a passing fad, rap has been able to fabricate many facets of popular culture. Due to their raw and insouciant lyrics, many artists have met opposition by conservative groups that believe rap spreads an anti-women message. These groups argue that the lyrics in many rap songs degrade women by calling them b itches, hoes, and tricks. These words, however, do little more than sell records. It is the image that rap artists represent as a whole that the youth of America buy. Although these terms may sound degrading, these lyrics have no real influence on America's image of women. These words are just a tool of the musicians that helps give them an appearance of being Benninger 2 gangsters, pimps, or dealers. It is these types of people that represent power and control to some or a glimpse into an unknown world to others. Either way, this image is what makes money. Further proof that rap artists are selling an image and not real life is that many rap artists are happily married men with wives and children that they truly care about. Dr. Dre, one of the forefathers of hardcore rap, in an interview with MTV, readily admitted that what he sells in his music is not a life that he himself wishes to live. He, like many other rap artists, does not view women as derogatory ...

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 20

History - Essay Example He currently earns a salary of $ 1 per month in a show of his philanthropy thereby investing the rest in numerous donor foundations. His success story begins back in his college days where he teamed up with a group of colleagues to create numerous computer programs and software applications. The journey to stardom as a social network entrepreneur has encountered myriad challenges most of which he overcame successfully thereby becoming the leading entrepreneur in the industry. Mark Zuckerberg had an average childhood just as most American children. He was born in White Plains, New York in 1984. While he currently bears no religious inclination, he was born a Jew with his conferment in the religion occurring while he was thirteen. He attended Ardsley High School alongside his other siblings namely Randi, Donna and Arielle. At school, Zuckerberg excelled in classical studies. Additionally, he had exemplary performance in physics, astronomy and math. Besides his exemplary in academics, Zuckerberg portrayed leadership and sports ability factors that influenced his selection to serve as the captain of the schools fencing team. He graduated from high school and applied to Harvard where he would later develop his career in software development. Zuckerberg ventured into software development early in life while in middle school. In the 1990s for example, his father, Edward Zuckerberg began teaching him different programming languages. He perfected in Atari BASIC programming. His father later hired David Newman to tutor him thereby growing his interest and skills in software development. Owing to his immense interest in computer programming and software development, Zuckerberg performed exemplarily with Newman calling him a prodigy in software development. Among his early success in the practice while still in middle school was a program he name â€Å"ZackNet†. He developed the

Gerardus Mercator Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gerardus Mercator - Essay Example As stated by the author (Van Cauwenberghe, C., 2005), Gerardus Mercator's personal self-governing map-making only started when he created a map of Palestine in 1537 and this was pursued by an additional map of the world in 1538 and a map of Flanders in 1540. In 1541, Mercator made a globe of chips of wood, wrapped with linen and plaster. On top of it he stuck twelve parts of paper which was colored by him. Throughout this stage, he learned Italic handwriting as it was the most appropriate kind of handwriting for copper engraving of maps. He wrote down his first tutoring book of Italic handwriting which was published in northern Europe. (Van Cauwenberghe, C., 2005). In 1544, Mercator was accused with unorthodoxy due to his kindness for Protestant thinking and doubts about his regular travels. He was in prison for seven months before the blames were plunged, perhaps because of interference from the university authorities. However, in 1552, he went towards Duisburg, one of the main cities in the German Duchy of Cleves. He opened a cartographic workshop, where he finished a six-panel map of Europe in 1554. In the mean while, he began to teach mathematics at the academic college of Duisburg. After generating quite a few maps, he was chosen as a Court Cosmographer to Wilhelm, Duke of Jlich Cleves Berg in 1564. Before Mercator, seafarers had a problem, there weren't any reliable carts. The signals of the compass didn't agree with the signs of the carts. As a result, the seafarers ran aground hundreds of kilometers from their target. But Mercator had a solution as he wanted to give the seafarers a dependable cart. He created a new chart and used it fi rst in 1569. He projected the world on a cylinder having the parallels and meridians cross each other vertically and extending the distances on the corresponding lines with the same reason as the distances on the meridians. When Mercator presented his latest world map in 1569, he right away resolved one of the most imperative problems of map-reading which was to sketch a map on which a rhumb can be symbolized as a straight line.He used the word atlas to illustrate the collection of maps and encouraged Abraham Ortelius to assemble the first modern world atlas namely, Theatrum Orbis Terrarum in 1570. He formed his own atlas in numerous parts, the first of which was published in 1578 and consisted of accurate versions of the maps of Ptolemy. Maps of France, Germany and the Netherlands were added in 1585 and of the Balkans and Greece in 1588. More maps were published in 1595 after his death by his son Rumold Mercator. It took a while before the maps of Mercator were launched for navigation because Mercator kept his mathematical backdrop as a secret. As a result, other mathematicians struggled on other way to solve the problem. Michiel Coignet, a mathematician of Antwerp, attempted to give it a way out by calculating the length of the rhumb piece by piece for some given paths. These statistics didn't mean anything for seafarers only if they couldn't mark them out on their maps. Simon Stevin had similar thoughts and he recommended the usage moulds, shaped like a loxodrome and appropriating to each map. The real mathematical approach came from Edward Wright in 1599 using the basic idea for a Mercator map

Language Development Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Language Development - Research Paper Example Children show more receptive than productive language. Articulation disorders, Fluency disorders, Resonance or voice disorders Language disorders, Expressive disorders are the common forms of disorders that can be recognized when a child is delayed in the language improvement and these can be cured by the speech training and speech therapy. Speech-language therapy is the treatment for most children with speech and/or language disorders. A speech disorder refers to a problem with the actual production of sounds, whereas a language disorder refers to a difficulty understanding or putting words together to communicate ideas. Edward.Carr observed that a combination of simultaneous communication training and separate vocal training may have a synergetic effect on speech development. Hence while planning language intervention programs, providing ideal situations and contexts for language learning that supports the use of various effective approaches is of utmost importance. The context or type of activity (e.g., play-dough, book reading) can strongly influence the level of caregiver responsiveness (Girolametto & Weitzman, 2002) during the speech training. This suggests that different child learning levels require different teaching methods of language learning. Hence the current study observes various approaches of speech training tools at different stages of child development. The study observes different speech training tools like drama, mime, and improvisation for language development in different age group children from 3 years to 18 years. As children make a deliberate effort to master the sounds and sound patterns of the adult language, Ferguson and Farwell (1975) noted that children work simultaneously at mastering the sound system of the language as a whole and the sound patterns of individual words. So linguists caution against assuming that the correct adult pronunciation always underlies a child's mispronunciation (Waterson 1981). So this advice for careful speech training during the speech storage during early childhood and in school going children.

Culture Wars in the US and American Politics

Culture Wars in the US and American Politics The term culture wars gained national prominence when first used by Pat Buchanan at the 1992 Republican National Convention and declare that there is currently a war for the nations sole. This became a critic moment within American politics and can be viewed as a tipping point for a major politic shift within the G.O.P. This also garnered the attention of almost all of the main stream media sources and helped create the movement of Christian conservatism in mainstream politics. This idea is essentially a clash between what two different people (or groups) believe to be true within our society, and others with different viewpoints. No other collective set of ethical and moral issues have driven a wedge into the social fabric of the United States quite like the â€Å"culture wars† of the past thirty years. Lines of division have been drawn on social, political, religious, legal and family issues between two warring factions of secular institute and organized fundamentalists. The culture wars take on more than an ethnographical approach in American society. It is about politics, education, communal relations and the anthropology of how this country will be shaped for future generations. The examination of these wars should be dealt with as a category for the purpose of ethnographic inquiry. In other words, applicable scrutiny must be applied to each significant topic as a function of contemporary social process that makes up the foundation, and the catalyst, of this war. Make no mistake that this monolithic movement has caused a deep divide when the American landscape. The battle against secularism is a movement with profound emotional dimensions. Along with the effects of political mobilization and a strategic purpose, the New Christian Right has developed an emotional construction of collective identities that is at the forefront of today’s issues. James Davison Hunter believes that Americans have been divided between the orthodox and the progressives, characterized by political and social hostility rooted in different systems of understanding. Public debate in modern America is not so much a process of mutual understanding and negotiation as the exercise of power politics, but of imposing one agenda to the exclusion of another (Hunter p.155) He also goes on to state the media no longer mediates the political issues, but instead exacerbates the division by polarizing the moderate discourse that is in the average Americans mindset. This level and volume of this exacerbation can be calibrated and amplified with the unlimited reach and unregulated internet. One defining feature of the culture war is the labeling and classification of issues that have been deemed as moralistic. This is a form of binary construction that lends credence to the idea that the struggle is religious in nature. In most cases, issues and players are presented as polar opposites with irreconcilable differences. Henceforth, most of the battles within this culture war are usually portrayed as liberal versus conservative, or to a lesser degree, Democrat versus Republican (Chapman p. xxvii). Although most Americans may find themselves somewhere between the divisiveness or these polarities, the binary construction has a galvanizing effect on individuals who tend to fall toward either end of the socio-political spectrum. This blending of religion and politics is still alive and well today with people like Ralph Reed of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, Jim Daly of Focus on the Family, Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, Phyllis Schlafly of Eagle Forum, Tim Wildmon of the American Family Association, James Dobson of the Alliance Defense Fund, David Barton of Wall Builders, Beverly LaHaye of Concerned Women for America. These are fundamental desperate views on how American culture operates. Methodology of Unification Social approaches through the use of communication, especially with electronic mass communication, are certainly nothing new. Below are a few sociological and psychological unification factors that have contributed to the success in the fusion of the New Christian Right. Evolutionary consideration should be made in terms of how this movement has generated support on such a grand scale. Many of the factors have been used successfully utilized by previous social and political movements, but this particular phenomenon has developed to the point of major influence in the current American political climate. In conjunction with the dynamics of emotional appeal, a number of unifying factors come into play in the attraction and recruitment of interested outsiders. These factors can also strengthen the bond of internal group cohesiveness. Some of these factors are illustrated below, but this list is certainly not and end-all, be-all. Psychological approaches differ by the individuals’ world view and level of influence, or distraction, from local persuaders and opinion leaders. In addition to drawing on preexisting emotional bases, within individual experiences, a conscience constituency can be emergent, especially in the case of highly successful social movements (Goodwin p.31). These social approaches are focused on visible behavior or mobilization into action by the identifying the groups’ cognition. Successful social approaches can eventually led to a version of a socially constructed reality. This group (or it can be said, a number of these groups, but as a whole) utilize Automaton perspectives (Bryant p.7) to help influence their agenda-setting prerogative. In order for agenda-setting to occur, individuals must be susceptible to being programmed by the media. In this particle case, the media in specially honed to individuals who have a need for orientation. Specialized interest groups need the recognition and attention of the mass media (and various specialized channels of media) in order to acquire legitimacy, visibility and credibility, as well as communicate their issue frames to the public (Callaghan p. 9). With a number of carefully selected issues and/or stories, many of these media outlets attempt to completely define issues, or at least exemplify the issue. In these cases the exemplifiers attempt to exemplify the issue (and the perspective) as definite and exemplified. Exemplification is not an all-or nothing concept, however (Bryant p. 21). The degree in which the level of exemplification takes place is subject to empirical determination. These methodologies fall into the parameters of a scientific field of study, but have interpretive qualities to the media consumer. Therefore, the levels of interpretation validate the level of effectiveness for not only each media outlet, but also by each strategy utilized. A social cognitive can also lead into the philosophical position of moral relativism which is the difference between moral judgments across many people and cultures. In the case of the New Christian Right, the branch of moral relativism that copepods into meti-ethical relativism does not factor into their subjectivity of culturally moral issues. Meti-ethical moral relativism holds that no one is objectively right or wrong, but behavior should be tolerated even if that behavior goes against an individuals value system. So, this relativism is relative to their particular stand or viewpoint. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy says that, Many moral relativists, however, take the fact-value distinction to be fundamental. There is not manner in which traditionalist can prove that their morals and ethics are particularly right or wrong, but there is still the judgment of their relativism being superior (Westacott). From their perspectives, what is considered the truth is through cognitive relativism that is based on a cultural relativism that has been developed and molded in an all encompassing and unifying perspective. The line that separates church and state has become more blurry within this country. The praxis, by which moralists have coerced, swayed and sometimes enforced their belief system onto the political format has had a resounding affect on our legislative and judicial system. Beliefs are a means to organize behavior and emotion. Therefore, many of these moral activists are seeking a means of ratifying their socially construction perception of reality. Dominion Theology Dominion Theology or Dominionism is the proposal that Christians should strive toward either a nation governed by Christians or one governed by a conservative Christian understanding of biblical law. This ideology is dominant among evangelical Protestants within the United States. It is a type of theocracy and is interconnected the theonomy, though it does not necessarily sponsor Mosaic laws as the basis of government. Some elements within the mainstream Christian Right have been predisposed by Dominion Theology authors. Indeed, some writers have employed the idiom Dominionism more broadly to the New Christian Right, wholly arguing that that faction is founded upon a theology that requires Christians to preside over non-Christians. Typical conservatives do not call themselves â€Å"Dominionists,† and the usage has sparked considerable debate. Their ideas are often reflected by non-reconstructionist like Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell as a social revolution that should be forcefully swept across the country in reference to certain Biblical text. This idea states that Christianity will rule all areas of society through strict fundamental interpretation of Biblical laws. These rules should permeate throughout all of society, politics and business. This is not a government system ruled by the church, but rather a government conformed to the Law of God. Paul C. McGlasson states that Dominionism is constructed on four basic foundations: Epistemological dualism operates under the presumption that only devout Christians are truly capable of understanding and properly interpreting the Bible. Therefore, there is a distinct separation between God’s self-defined reality and human autonomy. Hence, any secularist’s Biblical interpretations are skewed and invalid. Dominion theology and the process of re-constructionism are all about a direct application of Mosaic Law to our society. These laws should apply every facet of American society and not just ancient Israel. Christian culture is an all-encompassing national perspective that affects every aspect of society; government, schools, families, corporations. This is viewed as the natural order of operations, and any resistance to this philosophy is purely secular. The forth, and most important aspect for this thesis is Christian political domination which states that individuals and cut into two different groups, believers and non-believers. Thus, there are two distinct forms of laws and governance, Biblical ans secular law.

She Walks In Beauty by Lord Byron and Douglas Dunns Reincarnation :: English Literature

Both She Walks In Beauty by Lord Byron and Douglas Dunn's Reincarnation are about romance. "She Walks In Beauty"/ "Reincarnation" Both "She Walks In Beauty" by Lord Byron and Douglas Dunn's "Reincarnation" are about romance. Although this is true they have much to be contrasted. "She Walks In Beauty" is about a man who is truly besotted with a woman who, from my observations, he doesn't even know. I think this from the fact that he doesn't talk about anything except for her looks and he says that he doesn't know her name: Had half impair'd the nameless grace ==================================== The poet takes pleasures from the woman's beauty and, unlike "Reincarnation" by Dunn, the poem mainly focuses on the woman's sexual attraction. She is often compared to perfection: Of cloudless climes and starry skies This also shows just how infatuated he is with her. This is an immense scale to put her on as it compares her not only to a section of a country but to the enormity and perfection of the galaxy. This metaphor also refers to her mysterious nature because -the poem was written almost two hundred years ago, in the early nineteenth century- not much was known about the night skies as it is so far away nobody has ever been there. This also shows how little he knows about her. A sense of adulation also occurs throughout Lord Byron's poem and it seems as though he cannot criticise her at all. This is completely contrasted with the bond between himself and the woman in Dunn's "Reincarnation". We can say, almost certainly, that "Reincarnation" is autobiographical, as we know that Dunn's wife died in 1984 from cancer. I think the sudden and premature death of his wife has been the inspiration for this poem that is so full of naked emotion and so full of true love, unlike the lust for the woman in the poem by Lord Byron, that you can almost feel his pain. For now I know the shame of being late, Too late. This shows the sorrow he is feeling. It also hints at remorse, giving us the sense that he feels slightly guilty about the death, which was obviously not his fault. It could also be showing us that he feels he has unfinished business with her or maybe he feels that he didn't have chance to say goodbye because he was so unprepared for it. The diction chosen by Lord Byron is very sophisticated. The words he chooses to use, such as eloquent make his poem flow with a smooth and graceful rhythm. The rhymes in "She Walks In Beauty" are monosyllabic