In the most abstract sense, the function of an introductory paragraph is to move the reader from the world of daily life into the textual and analytical space of an essay. In a more concrete sense, an ...

Extended "discourse," such as class presentations or essays written as school assignments, has a particular structure arising from particular expectations and standards. Such structure, expectations, ...

Students have been assigned to post on our online course manager the introductory paragraphs for an upcoming essay assignment that asks them to use a theoretical article to compare two literary texts.

Most students when asked to write a paragraph or two on any stipulated topic begin producing lengthy essays overflowing with details. The practice is like an epidemic in government schools, especially ...