ENGL000: Pre-College English

Introductions can be tricky to write because while you want to get your readers interested in your topic, you have to be careful not to give away any of the good stuff that belongs in the body paragraphs. There is no single right way to write an introduction and in fact, it is probably a good idea to try a few different ideas and write drafts of a few different introductions, so you can decide what you like best.

Common Methods of Introduction:

1. Introduce your topic on a broad or general note. This is part of what The Corner Store author is doing by talking about good jobs in general. This gets readers thinking about good jobs they have had and leads nicely into the thesis statement that tells us the specific good job that is the topic of the essay.
   
   
2. Introduce your topic using contrasting ideas. Start with an idea or situation that is the opposite of the one you will be discussing in the essay. This method can pique reader interest by surprising them. The Corner Store author uses this method in combination with opening on a broad or general note by mentioning the drawbacks to the good jobs mentioned. Readers might think about how unpleasant features like "little money," "miserable hours," and "coworkers with negative attitudes" can make even a nice job, not so great. This makes readers want to keep reading to hear about a job that has all the positive features of the good jobs mentioned, but none of the drawbacks.
   
   The author could have also used this method by discussing only bad jobs in the introduction leading up to a thesis statement such as, "After all these horrible experiences, I finally found a great job at The Corner Store where the work is easy, the people are wonderful, and the pay and benefits are awesome".
   
   
3. Use an anecdote (a short story) to introduce your topic. Human beings are natural story tellers and a brief story that relates to your central idea is a great way to draw in reader interest. Another way to think about this is telling the story of why you are writing about this topic. This method is particularly useful in longer research papers.
   
   For example, if you are writing a paper about some aspect of the Battle at Gettysburg (a turning point in the American Civil War that took place in Gettysburg, Pennyslvania), you might introduce the topic by discussing your experience visiting the Battlefield National Park looking at some key features that made you want to know more.
   
   
4. Introduce your topic with a startling statement or statistic. Another way of thinking about this is demonstrating the importance or urgency of your topic.
   
   For example, if you were writing about suicide and self-harm among young transgender     people, you might focus your introduction on presenting some of the statistics, such as the fact that according to the Survey conducted by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, 41% of trans people have attempted suicide. Readers will find that information alarming and upsetting. This will get them interested in continuing to read, so as to understand how the number could be so high and what can and is being done to solve this problem.
   
   
5. In addition, you might let the approach to your essay shape how you go about the introduction. If your essay is looking at a process, that is, how to do or make something, you might consider discussing the finished product in your introduction.
   
   For example, if you are explaining the steps involved to make chocolate chip cookies, you might introduce your paper with a description of how you like to eat them using concrete language about the way they look, taste, and smell. Certainly if you can get your readers' mouths watering, they are going to want to read more!
   
   Another way to introduce an essay that explains a process is to talk about what happens if you don't do the process or don't do it correctly.
   
   For example, an essay about how to prepare for a motocross race might open with an introduction about a time when the steps were not properly followed and the author got badly hurt as a result. This gets readers wondering about how such an accident could be avoided making them want to read more.
   
   
6. For an essay that looks at the causes or effects that led up to or resulted from an event, you might use the introduction as a space to elaborate on the central event.
   
   For example, if you are writing about how a car accident affected you, you might use the introduction as a space to discuss what happened that day. You could talk about how scary it was, how your body tensed up, and how the squealing brakes and crunching metal sounded. Readers will want to read more because they will be thinking, "How awful!" and want to hear what happened and how it affected you. Likewise, if you are writing about the causes that led to your team winning the big game, you might use your introduction to describe that big game and how it felt when you won. Readers will want to read more because they will want to know what went into making that win happen.
   
   
7. If your essay is exploring the connotative definition of a word, you might use the introduction as a space to elaborate on the denotation. Obviously the body of the essay will be focused on the connotations (your personal meanings), but the introduction would be a great place to connect with readers on how most people define the word (this is going to be a little similar to "opening on a broad or general note" where you speak more generally about the word and how people tend to see it or use it). You might also consider briefly discussing the etymology of your word. (Etymology means "the history of words," that is where they came and possibly how they have changed over the centuries).
   
   No matter how you go about your introduction, keep in mind that this is where you make your first impression on readers. Plan to spend extra time working on it; you might even want to consider doing some prewriting or writing several different drafts (using different approaches) to see what you like best or what best sets up the rest of the writing.
   

Source: Erin Severs
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