Answer:
The principle purpose of the introduction is to present your position (this is also known as the "thesis" or "argument") on the issue at hand but effective introductory paragraphs are so much more than that. Before you even get to this thesis statement, for example, the essay should begin with a "hook" that grabs the reader’s attention and makes them want to read on. Examples of effective hooks include relevant quotations ("no man is an island") or surprising statistics ("three out of four doctors report that…").
Only then, with the reader’s attention "hooked," should you move on to the thesis. The thesis should be a clear, one-sentence explanation of your position that leaves no doubt in the reader’s mind about which side you are on from the beginning of your essay.
Following the thesis, you should provide a mini-outline which previews the examples you will use to support your thesis in the rest of the essay. Not only does this tell the reader what to expect in the paragraphs to come but it also gives them a clearer understanding of what the essay is about.
Finally, designing the last sentence in this way has the added benefit of seamlessly moving the reader to the first paragraph of the body of the paper. In this way we can see that the basic introduction does not need to be much more than three or four sentences in length. If yours is much longer you might want to consider editing it down a bit!
The word "inexpensive" modifies the word "purchase".
Answer:
A. Act I:
At a Christmas party 2 children receive a nutcracker and fall asleep. One of the children, Clara, dreams of a battle between the Nutcracker and the Mouse King. She helps the Nutcracker defeat the Mouse King and the Nutcracker turns into a Prince.
B. Act II:
In the land of sweets, ruled by the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Prince presents Clara to his family and a celebration follows.
Explanation:
The question is from The Nutcracker, a two-act Russian ballet choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with the score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Act I.
The first act is set at a Christmas party in the Stahlbaum House. The atmosphere is cheerful and merry; presents are being distributed to children. The clock striking eight entails that arrival of Drosselmeyer, a local magician. He has also brought gifts for the children, including a nutcracker doll for which, Clara, one of the children, develops a liking. At midnight, an army of mice, lead by the Mouse King, attacks the party. The nutcracker grows to life size and launches a counter attack supported by tin soldiers and other dolls. The nutcracker is wounded and Clara helps him kill the Mouse King.
Act II.
The nutcracker, who is actually a prince, takes Clara to his kingdom, the Land of Sweets who is currently ruled by the Sugar Plum Fairy. When the Prince announces that Clara saved him from the Mouse King and turned him back into a Prince, a great celebration of sweets is organized to honor Clara.