Clincher Sentences

Rebekah Hall, Halen Thomas,

Emilie Bentley

objectives:
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
define a clincher sentence.
name the types of clincher sentences.
use the PENS steps to write clincher
sentences.

Why are clincher sentences

important? (WIIFM)
Knowing how to write clincher sentences will help you to
write better paragraphs. Being able to write a clincher
sentence is like acquiring the last piece of the
paragraph puzzle.

review: topic and detail sentences

topic sentence
types:
1.general
2.clueing
3.specific

detail sentence
types:
1. lead-off
2. follow-up

review: tenses and point of view

three tenses:

three points of view:

1.past
2.present

1. first (I, we)

2. second (you)
3. third (he, she,it,

3.future

they, etc.)

review: parts of a paragraph

parts:
1.title
2.introduction
3.body
4.conclusion

type of sentence:
1. topic sentence
2. detail sentence
3. clincher sentence

purpose of lesson:
clincher sentences:
the last piece of the paragraph puzzle.
what you will learn today:
definition of clincher sentences
types of clincher sentences
using the PENS strategy

definition:
Clincher sentences form the conclusion of
the paragraph.
If the topic sentence is like an appetizer for a meal,
and the detail Sentences are like the main course,
what do you suppose the clincher sentence is like?

clincher sentences:
are usually the last sentence in a paragraph
close the paragraph
name the main idea of the paragraph
sometimes summarize and/or name the
details of the paragraph
are different from the topic sentences

concluding transitions:
Sometimes, clincher sentences start with
concluding transitions.
concluding transition: a word or group of
words that tells the reader that the writer is
finishing something (finishing the paragraph)

transition chart
concluding transitions:
to conclude,
in conclusion,
in summary,
therefore

in sum, to sum up,

as you can see,
in brief, to summarize, as a result,
in short, thus,
finally,

types of clincher sentences:

1.general clincher sentence
2.clueing clincher sentence
3.specific clincher sentence

general clincher sentence:

(cc #48)

a.summarizes the main ideas of the

paragraph
b.makes the reader think more

general clincher sentence:

(cc#49)

Out of these two general clincher sentences, which

one makes you, as the reader, want to think more
about the topic?
1. In summary, these car models are my favorite.
2. To summarize, these are my favorite car
models; what are yours?

general clincher sentence:

1. In conclusion, when life gives you lemons, make
lemonade.
2. Thus, if a person has approval from others, he may
be less happy than if he has his own approval.

clueing clincher sentences:

(cc#51)

a.names the main idea

b.ties the details together with a clue word

clue words: cue card #12

many
steps
stages

several
kinds
parts

various
types
ways

differences
groups
uses
etc.

clueing clincher sentences:

(cc #53)

1. In sum, these four events served as the spark that

ignited the war.
2. To conclude, life can deal you many cards; its how you
play them that counts.
3. In other words, several issues need to be considered
before a person accepts a job offer.

specific clincher sentence:

(cc #47, 54)

a.names the main idea

b.names the specific details that were
covered in the paragraph in order

specific clincher sentence:

(cc#56)

1. To conclude, making a snowman involves rolling the parts of

his body, stacking the parts, and creating his face and
clothes.
2. In effect, the people followed a clear course: they wrote a
petition, held rallies, demanded a vote, and caused the law to
be changed.
3. In summary, the environment is in danger because of our
vehicles, our mountains of waste, and our lack of attention to
natures need to replenish itself.

quick review:
How many kinds of Clincher Sentences
have we discussed?
What are their names?

steps for writing clincher sentences:

P: pick a type of sentence and formula
E: explore words that fit the sentence
N: note the words
S: search and check

formula for general clincher

sentences
Concluding transition, independent clause
on main idea of paragraph.
example: In conclusion, cats are my favorite
type of animal.

formula for clueing clincher sentences

Concluding transition, main idea statement with
clueing words that ties in the details.

example:
In other words, several issues need to be considered
before a person accepts a job offer.

formulas for specific clincher sentences

Concluding transition, main idea statement detail 1, detail
2, and detail 3.
example: To conclude, making a sandwich involves taking out the
ingredients, assembling the ingredients between pieces of bread, and
putting the ingredients away.

Concluding transition, main idea statement: detail 1, detail

2, and detail 3.
example: In conclusion, the settlers of the Mayflower had a tough time
transitioning to the colonies: they experienced a shortage of food, violent
encounters with natives, and a harsh winter.

review:
What is the job of a clincher sentence?
- close the paragraph
What can you include in a clincher sentence to enable a
graceful flow from last detail sentence to your clincher
sentence?
- a concluding transition

review:
What type of clincher sentence includes only the main idea of the
paragraph mentioned and nothing else?
- general clincher sentence
What type of clincher sentence names the main points or details of the
paragraph?
- specific clincher sentence
What type of clincher sentence are the details of the paragraph tied
together?
- clueing clincher sentence

writing a specific clincher sentence:

(cc#60)

How the dinosaurs died out is one of the greatest mysteries of all time.
Some scientists think that a giant meteor from outer space hit the earth about
65 million years ago. Its impact could have caused many changes on the earth
that might have killed the dinosaurs. For example, the meteors impact might
have raised tons of dirt and dust into the atmosphere so that sunlight could not
reach the earth, or it might have started the eruptions of many volcanoes or
created tidal waves. Other scientist theorize that when flowering plants
appeared in the world, the plant-eating dinosaurs could not digest these plants
and died. In turn, the meat-eating dinosaurs also starved because there were
no plant-eating dinosaurs left to eat. Still other scientists propose that a strange
disease wiped out the dinosaurs. Finally, other scientists think that the climate
of the world became too cold for the dinosaurs survival.
Use the PENS strategy to write each of the three clincher sentences.

verbal elaboration exercise

Why is it important to know the definitions of
a General Clincher Sentence, a Clueing
Clincher Sentence, and a Specific Clincher
Sentence?
-So that you can tell yourself what to do and be able to
choose a different type of Clincher Sentence to give the
paragraph variety!

elaboration questions:
Tell me in your own words what you are doing as
you write a clincher sentence.
Why do you need a clincher sentence in a
paragraph?
Why should the clincher sentence be different
from the topic sentence?
Why is it helpful to have three types of clincher
sentences?

questions and answers:

Tell me in your own words what you are doing as you write a
clincher sentence. First, choose a sentence type and a formula. Next, I
choose a concluding transition and think about the words that fit. Then, I
write the words. Last, I check my work to make sure I have a complete
sentence.

Why do you need a clincher sentence in a paragraph?

To close it gracefully.

Why should the clincher sentence be different from the topic

sentence?
To give the paragraph variety.

Why is it helpful to have three types of clincher sentences?

So you can choose the types of sentence that fits the information best.

purpose of lesson:
memorize the new PENS steps for writing
clincher sentences, which is picking a
formula and type of clincher sentence
memorize the definitions of general,
clueing and specific clincher sentences

new PENS step:

new P- pick a sentence type and a formula
E- explore words that fit the sentence
N- note the words
S- search and check

questions:
1. What is a clincher sentence?
2. What are the three types of clincher sentences?
3. What is a general clincher sentence?
4. What is a clueing clincher sentence?
5. What is a specific clincher sentence?

final review:
What are topic sentences?
What are detail sentences?
What are clincher sentences?
- what are the three types?
- what are the PENS steps?