National 5 Critical Essay Workshop Effective introductions It

National 5 Critical Essay Workshop Effective introductions

It is important to begin our essays effectively with a detailed, well-organised and wellstructured introduction. We must also make sure that we can produce this within 5 minutes at most.

Use this method: 1. Give the name of the text, the name of the author and mention words from Part One of the essay question. 2: Briefly summarise what the text is about (adapt according to the essay question). 3: Mention what you will be writing about in your essay and refer to Part Two of the essay question. Try to refer to theme(s) and techniques.

Example Introduction Text: “Glasgow 5 March 1971” by Edwin Morgan Essay Question: Choose a poem in which setting is a significant feature. Explain briefly what the setting is and then go on to describe the importance of the setting to the poem’s central concerns.

Example introduction A poem in which setting is a significant feature is “Glasgow 5 March 1971” by Edwin Morgan. This instamatic poem is set in Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow and Morgan describes witnessing a violent assault that is committed on an innocent young couple by two criminals during a robbery, which caused them severe injuries. This essay will discuss the different techniques that Morgan uses so effectively to convey this horrific assault, such as metaphor and onomatopoeia, and how the poem portrays themes of crime and violence and cruelty and selfishness.

Example Text: “Shooting Stars” by Carol Ann Duffy Essay Question: Choose a poem in which setting is a significant feature. Explain briefly what the setting is and then go on to describe the importance of the setting to the poem’s central concerns.

Example introduction A poem in which setting is a significant feature is “Shooting Stars” by Carol Ann Duffy. The poem is set in a Nazi Concentration Camp during the Holocaust and, through the voice of the Jewish female speaker, we are told of the atrocities that took place and of the torture and murder the prisoners inside were forced to endure. This essay will discuss how Duffy effectively evokes the Concentration Camp through her use of techniques such as imagery, emotive language and word choice and how, in doing so, she is able to explore themes of human suffering and the inhumanity of mankind.

How can you practice this skill? 1. Choose an essay question and then write a practice introduction in 4 -5 minutes, making sure that you are using the 3 step-method for effective introductions.