Writing A Kick-Arse Intro: TEEL Essays

How To Write A Kick-Arse Intro!!!

The purpose of an introduction: the purpose of an introduction is to establish your understanding of the essay question (SAQ) and to outline your point of view in response to the question and how it relates to both the world and the nominated text.

Teachers look for the following in marking a TEEL essay introduction:

• Does the student understand what the SAQ is asking.
• Has the student defined an interpretation of the SAQ.
• Has the student outlined an answer to the SAQ (The Contention).
• Has the student provided three arguments to support the contention.

In the year 10 Text Response criteria sheet the above points are assessed primarily through the Introduction criteria under 'Content and structure' and additionally through the development of the student's response through the body paragraph. This will be particularly relevant in the 'Detailed discussion of ideas' and 'clear and simple topic sentences.' Non the less a well structure introduction will provide an excellent springboard for a student to develop upon throughout the body of the essay.

4 critical steps in writing an introduction:

1. Paraphrase the SAQ: (One sentence) Place the SAQ in your own words. This ensures that you have demonstrated a clear understanding of the essay question and indicates that you understand what the SAQ is asking.

2. Define your understanding of the key word: (One/two sentences) Define your understanding of the idea central to the SAQ. This allows you to develop a personal interpretation and demonstrate a complex understanding of the SAQ. You are NOT making an argument here- you simply need to outline what you think the main words/ideas mean and to place them within the context of the text.

3. Outline your contention: (One Sentence) This is YOUR answer to the SAQ, it must be clear and concise and directly respond to the question. Imagine your are trying to summarise your response in one sentence.

4. List your three (3) supporting arguments: you must outline how you intend to support your contention. This comes in the form of three supporting arguments. these must be ideas and NOT examples (Don't list scenes from the text but rather the ideas that the scenes represent).

The steps above provide a well structured introduction that effectively allows you to outline your understanding of the text in a clear, complex manner. This is not however the only why this can be achieved. Feel free to use other methods, however this is an extremely effective method for opening your essays

How to express your contention

The Contention must be a STATEMENT, not a question and not a re-phrasing of the essay question. It is vitally important that you draw focus through a key idea. DO NOT be vague with your topic sentence and sit on the fence. The way to produce quality responses is to pick one idea that directly response to the question and explain in your body paragraphs how other themes and character relate to the idea.

The following examples show how important it is to have a strong contention.
 

• In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Romeo and Juliet are partly responsible for their tragic fates. It is also destiny of the stars and the pressures of society that leads to the death of the protagonists.

This example says that it is Romeo and Juliet, destiny and society that cause the tragic fate. Each of these ideas in isolation doesn't focus your essay enough and provide a complex response that explains how the different themes and characters are interrelated.

• Romeo and Juliet are responsible for their tragic fates.

Although vague this contention at least focuses on one idea. That Romeo and Juliet are the cause of their tragic fate. Your through topic sentences could be expressed thus.

1) In the play it is Romeo and Juliet's response to the social expectations around them that cause their deaths at the conclusion of the play.

2) Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet become agents of their own tragic destiny by re-enforcing the notion that they are victims of a higher force.

3) The violence conflict of Romeo and Juliet's love is central to their death.

These ideas are essentially love, fate, society but are all through the focus of Romeo and Juliet. This draws focus and complexity to your piece.

• In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet it is not the title characters themselves but the complex matrix of social conventions that ultimately leads to the narratives conclusion.

1) It is the Romeo and Juliet's desire to transcend the expectations of society that leads to their deaths

2) It is the violence of hate in conflict with the passion of love which causes the tragic end of Romeo and Juliet.

3) It is the gender binary and the expectations placed on the characters that ultimately foreshadows the death of Romeo and Juliet


These ideas are essentially the feud, fate, social expectation but are all through the focus of social expectation. This draws focus and complexity to your piece.