First of all, in an introduction, if my essay’s topic is about a book, a paper or a movie, I will first introduce the year and the author and then briefly summarize the main story and purpose of the book or movie; later, I would mention several specific points in the book or movie in order to attract readers’ attention; finally, on the basis of the book or movie, I will talk about my concerns and the thesis of my paper. However, if it is not a book or movie, I may first point out and analyze a phenomenon, voice my concerns and thoughts which will gradually lead to my thesis.For my conclusion, I will first return to my thesis and rephrase it in order to remind readers of my main point; and then I will summarize, incorporate and connect my main ideas with my thesis; in the end, I will expand my thesis by applying it to the real world to let readers think more broadly and deeply.

The writing I want to choose is an article called “Digital Romance: The teens get it” by Julie Beck on the website The Atlantic. The introduction of this article is engaging and interesting, though not as effective as the conclusion. It first introduces that this article is unpacked from a report released by the Pew Research Center. And then the author uses “they say, I say” structure by saying that “if you are picturing me…… But this is because I think……” The collision of two thoughts in the introduction does attract my attention, but it lacks enough information. The first two paragraphs are basically about the reasons author wants to write this article which contribute little to the rest of the article. So I think that the introduction is not effective.

However, the conclusion of this article is very efficient and effective. The author starts with “To sum up” which clearly shows that the following will be her summarized ideas; and then she reconfirms the importance of the main idea in her article; then she again uses “they say, I say” structure by saying that “It’s not all……all the times, no, but the tools……” and “Connecting with others is scary…… but usually, hopefully, good.” Both of the sentences sum up and emphasize her thesis. So I think that this conclusion is very effective.

I need to learn from her frequent use of “they say, I say” structure because this structure can not only help readers understand my points clearly but also help myself stand in others’ shoes to evaluate my paper and make it more understandable.

Julie Beck. “Digital Romance: The teens get it”. Oct 1, 2015. http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/10/digital-romance-the-teens-get-it/408364/