In a first year class today, the idea of a 'taking off' paragraph at the start of an essay was floated. This is often a feature of an undergraduate essay, and looks as about as elegant as a swan trying to take off, as shown in the KLM advert above. There is a lot of flapping about, some unsteadiness and a huge amount of water splashed around as the swan flounders into the air. And then suddenly, bird and water part company and the graceful flight begins.
Take off paragraphs are the sort of essay introduction that starts with a very general statement about a topic, something like '"It has always been known that..." or "It is obvious that" without any proof that the assertion is true, or obvious to anyone except the writer. Then there is a feeling that the writer is flapping around creating a lot of noise and splashing the water as a 'stream of consciousness' emerges on the page without any clear direction or purpose. Usually by the second paragraph this settles down as the writer finds the thread of their argument, the flight path is set and the essay is underway. I find that the simplest thing to do is finish writing the essay, and delete the first paragraph. A little editing, and you have lost perhaps the most embarrassing sentences of the whole work.
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October 2023
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