Page 165 - Wordsmith A Guide to College Writing

can help residents reclaim their streets.

Exercise 4-4 An Anecdotal Introduction

Read the following anecdotal introduction; then answer the questions

that follow.

1
Last night, my sister Hannah picked at her dinner, eating only her
2
salad and her green beans. Before bed, she exercised, then stood at
the mirror critically eyeing her waist, which is approximately the

3
same size as her hips. When I asked her what she was doing, she said
4
she was too fat and had to lose weight. Hannah is only nine years
old, but she is already in pursuit of a goal that is impossible and
5
unhealthy. The modern obsession with having a reed-thin body is

encouraged by the fashion industry, the media, and even the
manufacturers of food.

1. How many sentences does the anecdote contain?

2. Which sentence contains the transition to the thesis?

Contrasting Idea

Gold placed on black velvet in a jeweler’s window takes on extra luster
against the contrasting background. Through the drama of contrast,

your ideas, too, can shine. Starting with a contrasting idea is an easy

and effective technique to use, but there are two elements that must