Introductions
Introductory paragraphs: Why use them?
A good introduction paragraph introduces the topic, sets a tone and purpose for the essay, and leads into the essay's thesis (often in the final sentence of the introduction). Introductions:
Catch the reader’s attention
Provide background information the reader needs to know
Present a thesis statement (the essay’s main idea)
Here are some common introduction missteps to avoid. See further below for effective introduction strategies.
INEFFECTIVE Introduction Strategies
Cosmic Statements
Cosmic statements are rarely true. They cannot be supported by evidence and don't accomplish much for the paper.
Avoid these and similar phrases:
"Since the beginning of time"
"Throughout history"
"Mankind has always _____"
Fast food addiction is a timeless problem.
Questions
Haven't you always wondered about ______?
...Nope. Not really.
Sorry, but your reader may not care about your topic (yet) and probably isn't asking a lot of questions about it. While a question may have gotten you started with researching and writing, your reader came looking for answers.
Remember when you ______?
Listen, you don't know my life.
Kidding aside, try not to assume your reader has or has not experienced something. This is why starting a paper with questions can lead you astray.
Quotes from the Dictionary
According to Merriam-Webster, a dictionary is "a resource that lists the words of a language and gives their meaning" (34).
Quotes are great attention grabbers, just not when they come from the dictionary. Dictionaries are considered common knowledge, so it's safe to assume any reader already knows this info (or can quickly Google it if they don't). Instead, use a working definition from an expert or your own words.
In the example paragraph further down, we integrate our own working definition into the larger context of the paper:
"Alien abduction, in which a victim claims to have been kidnapped for a period of time by extraterrestrials, is not unheard of."
Effective Attention-Grabbing Strategies
Tell a Story
A relevant, true story can provide a reader with key background information on the topic and get the reader excited to hear more (especially if you don't reveal the story's end until later in the essay).
Give a Surprising Fact
Unexpected, fascinating, shocking: a surprising fact will get a reader curious and excited to know more. This approach can have the convenient side-effect of getting the reader to start asking their own questions about the topic.
Really? I didn't know that! How do we know for sure? What about ___?
Quote an Expert
Unlike the dictionary, an expert can provide context and credibility to your introduction. Quoting an expert builds your ethos as a writer, showing off the effort you've put into researching the topic. Can you quote an expert giving a surprising fact or telling a relevant story? Even better!
Note: The quote only works if it relates to the topic! Don't quote Shakespeare just to quote Shakespeare, or Einstein just because he's Einstein.
Prithee, is thine quote relevant?
Combine Methods!
Attention grabbing devices can be combined to create a well-developed introduction paragraph that gets the reader interested, provides relevant background information, and leads to a specific claim about the topic (thesis). Please note that the "facts" below are made up; we have no idea if alien abductions are real, and hope no extraterrestrials are offended by our fake news.
Quote an Expert: Stephen Hawking, author of A Brief History of Time, once remarked, “We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn’t want to meet" (229).
Transition: Dr. Hawking may have been interested to meet Joshua Parker.
Tell a Story: Joshua Parker was only thirteen years old on October 7, 1984 when a blue light filled his room and the whole house started shaking. He thought it was an earthquake until an alien entered his bedroom.
Transition: Parker's experience is unusual, but he is not alone.
Surprising Fact: In fact, the FBI has documented 34 "viable" cases of alien abduction between 1965 and 2000, and experts believe up to 80% of extraterrestrial activity goes unreported (Mulder 42).
Transition: Because of this,
Thesis + Map sentence: it's time to take alien abductions seriously since there are so many, and we need to study these to explore possible courses of action, whether those are putting protective measures in place for ourselves or arranging diplomatic missions.
Bring It All Together
Stephen Hawking, author of A Brief History of Time, once remarked, “We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn’t want to meet" (229). Dr. Hawking may have been interested to meet Joshua Parker. Joshua Parker was only thirteen years old on October 7, 1984 when a blue light filled his room and the whole house started shaking. He thought it was an earthquake until an alien entered his bedroom. Parker's experience is unusual, but he is not alone. Alien abduction, in which a victim claims to have been kidnapped for a period of time by extraterrestrials, is not unheard of. In fact, the FBI has documented 34 "viable" cases of alien abduction between 1965 and 2000, and experts believe up to 80% of extraterrestrial activity goes unreported (Mulder 42). Because of this, it's time to take alien abductions seriously since there are so many, and we need to study these to explore possible courses of action, whether those are putting protective measures in place for ourselves or arranging diplomatic missions.
