INTRODUCTION TO THE ESSAY

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INTRODUCTION TO THE ESSAY   PART ONE The
Introductory Paragraph       Prof. N.
Dawkins Miami-Dade Community College North
Campus         These materials were developed
from program texts and materials contributed by
Professors L. Biaggi N. Dawkins L.
Pierre-Philippe Multimedia by Prof. Williams
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Diagram of a Paragraph

• I. Topic Sentence
• A. Major Support
• minor support
• B. Major Support
• minor support
• C. Major Support
• minor support
• II. Conclusion

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Diagram of an Essay

• Introductory Paragraph
• Body Paragraph 1
• Body Paragraph 2
• Body Paragraph 3
• Concluding Paragraph

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Introductory Paragraph A. General Statements
1.Opener sentence 2.Elaborator sentence
3.Bridge sentence B. Thesis Statement

• Topic Sentence 
• A. Major Support
• minor support
• B. Major Support
• minor support

II. Body Paragraph 1   A. Topic Sentence 1.
Major Support a. minor support 2.
Major Support a. minor support
(Conclusion)
III. Body Paragraph 2   B. Topic Sentence
1. Major Support a. minor support 2.
Major Support a. minor support
(Conclusion)
IV. Conclusion Restatement or summary of the
major points and a final comment.
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Comparison Breakdown
Introductory Paragraph A. General Statements
1. Opener sentence 2. Elaborator
sentence 3. Bridge sentence B. Thesis
Statement
Topic Sentence 
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A. Major Support minor support
II. Body Paragraph 1   A. Topic Sentence
1. Major Support a. minor support 2.
Major Support a. minor support
(Conclusion)
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B. Major Support minor support
III. Body Paragraph 2   B. Topic Sentence
1. Major Support a. minor support 2.
Major Support a. minor support
(Conclusion)
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II. Conclusion
IV. Conclusion Restatement or summary of the
major points and a final comment
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The introductory paragraph is the first paragraph
in an essay. It serves to capture the readers
attention and inspire him or her to continue to
read the rest of the composition. Therefore, the
introductory paragraph is very important. It has
two parts. It consists of the general statements
(3-5 sentences) and the thesis statement.
General statements do not contain the major
support. The thesis statement must contain major
supports. Lets examine these two parts carefully.
Part 1 General Statements (3-5 sentences)
1. Sentence 1 is called the opener.
There are five basic types of openers.
a. 1 or 2 questions related to the general topic
When was the last time you used public
transportation? How was your experience?
b. comment about the past that is related to the
general topic
Fifteen years ago, Miami-Dade County officials
made a commitment to improving public
transportation. 
c. a description (or definition) of the general
topic
Public transportation is a system for conveying a
large number of people conveniently and
inexpensively
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d. a personal anecdote related to the general
topic
I was ten years old when I took my first ride on
the Metro Rail.
e. an explanation of the importance or relevance
of the general topic
Public transportation is an important service to
the people of a large county like Miami-Dade
County.
2. Sentence 2 is called the elaborator.
One or two sentences which explain (elaborate)
the opener. The elaborator is still general
because it serves to clarify the first sentence
(opener). The elaborator can provide more
information about the topic, or the elaborator
can state a reason for the situation expressed in
the opener.
Examples
a. When was the last time you used public
transportation? How was your
experience? Using public transportation should
not be unpleasant.
b. Fifteen years ago, Miami-Dade County
officials made a commitment to improving public
transportation. Several millions of dollars were
set aside to design a public transportation
system for the entire county.
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c. Public transportation is a system for
conveying a large number of people
conveniently and inexpensively. This system
should meet the daily transportation needs of
thousands of residents and visitors.
d. I was ten years old when I took my first
ride on the Metro Rail. This was an important
day for the entire community.
e. Public transportation is an
important service to the people of a large county
like Miami-Dade County. People must have
transportation to satisfy many
important needs.
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3. Sentence 3 is called the bridge.
The bridge connects the first two general
statements to the thesis. This sentence is more
specific than the first two sentences. It can
refer to the actual focus of the essay. The
bridge can connect to the thesis by making a
contrast between the first two sentences and the
thesis. Another way the bridge can connect to
the thesis is by adding a specific statement or
question.
Examples
a. When was the last time you used public
transportation? How was your experience? Using
public transportation should not be unpleasant.
But, many public transportation users feel that
the system is unpleasant.
b. Fifteen years ago, Miami-Dade
County officials made a commitment
to improving public transportation. Several
millions of dollars were set aside to
design a public transportation system for the
entire county. County leaders promised a
state of the art system would be
operational by the year 2000.
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c. Public transportation is a system for
conveying a large number of people
conveniently and inexpensively. The
system should meet the daily transportation needs
of thousands of residents and visitors.
What are some of the features of an
effective public transportation system for
Miami-Dade County?
d. I was ten years old when I took my first
ride on the Metro Rail. This was an important
day for the entire community. It was the
opening day of the first Metro Rail station in
Hialeah, and I will never forget it.
e. Public transportation is an
important service to the people of a large county
like Miami-Dade County. People must have
transportation to satisfy many
important needs. How would we do this without a
car?
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Part 2 Thesis Statement (the last sentence)
4. Sentence 4 is the thesis statement.
It is the last sentence in the introductory
paragraph of an essay. It is preceded by the 3
5 general statements about the topic. The thesis
statement explains the focus of the essay, and it
is specific. It is sometimes called the topic
sentence of an essay. At the advanced level, a
thesis statement must meet the criteria listed
below. It must
a. state the focus of the essay
b. indicate the essay type. (process, cause,
effect, definition, comparison, contrast,
classification, argument, etc.)
c. identify 2 3 major points which are
expressed in parallel grammatical forms
d. be written in 1 sentence
e. be punctuated correctly
Note When introducing the major points in the
thesis, use colons ( ) after nouns or noun
equivalents such as gerunds, and not after
verbs.
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Examples
a. When was the last time you used public
transportation? How was your experience? Using
public transportation should not be unpleasant.
But, many public transportation users feel that
the system is unpleasant. Public
transportation has two unpleasant qualities
rigid routes and unreliable schedules.
b. Fifteen years ago, Miami-Dade County
officials made a commitment to improving
public transportation. Several millions of
dollars were set aside to design a public
transportation system for the entire county.
County leaders promised a state of the art
system would be operational by the year 2000.
The Metro Rail system of Miami-Dade County
has modern high speed trains and clean beautiful
stations.
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c. Public transportation is a system for
conveying a large number of people conveniently
and inexpensively. The system should meet the
daily transportation needs of thousands of
residents and visitors. What are some of the
features of an effective public transportation
system for Miami-Dade County? Reliable
schedules and strategic destinations are two
critical features of an effective public
transportation system.
d. I was ten years old when I took my first
ride on the Metro Rail. This was an
important day for the entire community. It was
the opening day of the first Metro Rail
station in Hialeah, and I will never
forget it. The inaugural ride from the Okeechobee
Station to the Metro Dade Government Center
was both historic and exciting.
  e. Public transportation is an
important service to the people of a large
county like Miami-Dade County. People must
have transportation to satisfy many
important needs. How would we do this without a
car? Work and shopping transport needs
can be fulfilled by public transportation.
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More examples of thesis statements
1. Three requirements to be fully prepared in
the event of a hurricane are getting supplies,
protecting ones home, and staying informed.
2. To be fully prepared for a hurricane, South
Floridians must get supplies, protect their
homes, and stay informed.
  3. To be fully prepared for a
hurricane requires the following getting
supplies, protecting ones home, and
staying informed.
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Body Paragraphs
a. When was the last time you used public
education?
How was your experience?
Using public transportation should not be
unpleasant.
But, many public transportation users feel that
the system is unpleasant.
Public transportation has
two unpleasant qualities rigid routes and
unreliable schedules.
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The fixed and limited routes of the public
transportation system limit its usefulness for
many people who work in rural areas. For
example, there are no Metro-rail stations in the
far northern and southern boundaries of the
county. As a result, residents of these outlying
areas are limited in their ability to participate
in the employment and entertainment opportunities
of metro Miami and Miami Beach.
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Additionally, because buses and trains are not
always punctual, they cannot confidently be used
by people who must report to work at a specific
time. In an informal survey of 200 public
transportation patrons, 90 percent reported that
a bus or train had been more than 15 minutes late
at least one day a week for the past four weeks.
This inefficiency can have serious consequences.
When a bus or train arrives fifteen minutes late,
it is not always a minor irritation, it may cost
a commuter his or her job.
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b. Fifteen years ago, Miami-Dade County
officials made a commitment to improving public
transportation. Several million dollars were set
aside to design a public transportation system
for the entire county. County leaders promised a
state of the art system would be operational by
the year 2000.
The Metro Rail system of Miami-Dade County has
modern high-speed trains and clean beautiful
stations.
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The Metrorail is often the fastest way to get to
heavily trafficked destinations in the county.
The train has a top speed of 55 mph and is not
slowed by red lights and stop signs. Even though
trains must stop at stations, each stop averages
only 3 minutes. As a result, the Metrorail
covers rush-hour routes much faster that the
average commuter driving the same route. During
rush hour, a train is scheduled to arrive at each
station every six minutes.
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Metrorail stations are also very attractive.
They are well-lighted, well-maintained, and
staffed with 24-hour security. Furthermore,
Metros Art in Transit Program selects artists to
show their work in Metrorail stations. Anyone
patronizing the Metrorail will be pleasantly
surprised to find original works of painting and
sculpture gracing the walls of the train
stations.
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c. Public transportation is a system for
conveying a large number of people conveniently
and inexpensively. The system should meet the
daily transportation requirements of thousands of
residents and visitors. What are some of the
features of an effective public transportation
system for Miami-Dade County?
Reliable schedules and strategic destinations are
two critical features of an effective public
transportation system.
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For patrons to have confidence in public
transportation, service must be consistent and
punctual. Users must know that by relying on the
posted arrival and departure times, they will
never be late for work. In Miami, The Metrorail
promises a train every six minutes during rush
hour and every fifteen minutes during midday
hours. Customers should be able to rely on these
projections.
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Additionally, a competent transportation system
provides ample coverage of the most heavily
traveled areas of a city. Service to downtown,
major malls, and the beaches should be frequent
and staffed with several buses and/or trains.
Also, additional resources should be allocated
for special events, such as major concerts or
sporting events, for which vastly increased usage
is projected.
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d. I was ten years old when I took my first ride
on the Metrorail. This was an important day for
the entire community. It was the opening day of
the first Metrorail station in Hialeah, and I
will never forget it.
The inaugural ride from the
Okeechobee Station to the Metro Dade Government
Center was both historic and exciting.
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Part of the thrill was knowing that what I was
doing was a first. I could also sense the pride
of my fellow passengers over the modernization of
Miami. Like Chicago, San Francisco, and New
York, Miami now had its very own train system.
Of course later hundreds of thousands of people
would ride the train, but on that day I was doing
something unique in the history of Miami.
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It was also exciting simply because I had never
been on a train before. Racing at fifty miles
per hour high above the ground gave me the
feeling of flying. As I watched the housed and
cars whiz by me below, it was as if I was in a
futuristic hovercraft. For a ten-year-old child
with an active imagination, it was an incredible
adventure.
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e. Public transportation is an important service
to the people of a large county like Miami-Dade
County. People must have transportation to
satisfy many important needs. How would we do
this without a car?
Work and shopping
transport needs can be fulfilled by public
transportation.
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An estimated twenty percent of the 1,700,000
adults in Miami-Dade do not own cars. Many of
these 340,000 people are employed in service
industries that require them to travel to large
employment centers, such as shopping centers,
hotels, hospitals, or the airport. Without public
transportation, most of these workers could not
fill many of the service-related positions that
are so crucial to Miamis economy.
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The same workers that help others to spend money
are valuable consumers in their own right. These
workers spend millions of dollars annually on
necessities and entertainment. The malls, movie
theatres, and nightclubs of Miami owe part of
their profitability to the dollars of these
service workers. Businesses also are indebted to
a reliable transportation system that carries
these shoppers to their destinations.