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STEPS TO BETTER WRITING 41: ANALYZING INTRODUCTION TYPES
In each of the introductory paragraphs below, underline the thesis sentence. Then indicate in the blank which construction (funnel or contrast) was used. Finally, number the factors in the preview of main supporting points.
| | | TYPE OF INTRODUCTION |
| 1 | Many parents complain that their teenagers do not come to them with their problems. These adults think that their children are attempting to keep them "in the dark" about their activities. Assuming that the teen has some suspicious reasons for not coming to them with his problem, parents blame him for the lack of communication that results. However, the fault for the teen's hesitancy to discuss his problems openly with his parents often lies entirely with adults, because of their lack of understanding, their automatic distrust, and their constant preoccupation with other activities. | |
| 2 | Too often, parents think the way to rear a child is to give him/her guidance in the proper way to think and act. This "guidance" too often becomes an actual molding of the teen's personality to suit the parent, as is seen in parental lectures beginning with the old clichés, "if I were you I would..." or "when I was your age 1. .." for example. These parents, while they may have the good of the teen a heart, are nevertheless making a grave mistake by trying to compel the teen to act or think in certain ways. What the teen needs instead is a type of love which gives him/her the freedom and confidence to develop his/her own opinions in matters such as religion, morality, and choice of friends. | |
| 3 | School is a complex mixture of academic and extracurricular activities. Although the academic side is perhaps the most essential, extracurricular activities often give the student important opportunities for developing a sense of responsibility and increasing his ability to work well with others. The student can find such opportunities in an athletic program. A sport such as basketball helps young people to stay physically fit, while at the same time, it makes them more responsible and better able to function in a group. | |
| 4 | The prevailing attitude in America today is that everyone should get a college degree. This may be the result of the difficulties many members of the older generation have encountered in getting ahead without a degree. Or it may be caused by the tremendous increase in knowledge and the general opinion that it is necessary to keep abreast of new developments in science and technology. In any case, our colleges and _ universities are fast becoming overcrowded, and high school students are finding themselves under increasing pressure to earn good grades. But what abut the young man who wants nothing more than to become a good auto mechanic? Or what abut the girl whose goal is to get married and to be a good mother? Or what about the young man who plans a career in the military service? In each of these cases, a college education, while it might be helpful, is not essential, and the student should be encouraged to prepare himself for some other type of special training. | |
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