Introductory Paragraphs

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Introductory Paragraphs

• Getting Started

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What NOT to do

• Apologize. Avoid phrases like the following
• In my humble opinion . . .
• I'm not sure about this, but . . .
• Announce your intentions.
• In this paper I will . . .
• The purpose of this essay is to . . .
• Use a dictionary or encyclopedia definition.
• According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary,
• a computer is . . .
• Wander or dilly-dally.

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An Introductory Paragraph Should

• 1. get the reader's interest so that he or she
  will want to read more
• 2. let the reader know what the writing is
  going to be about.

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How to Get the Readers Interest

• 1. historical review
• 2. anecdotal
• 3. surprising statement
• 4. famous person
• 5. declarative

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Historical Review

• a brief historical review can help the topic be
  better understood
• be brief so that it does not take over the paper
• dont start the essay off with Throughout
  history (Starting off your essay with those two
  words is a mistake its a cliche and will not
  grab anyones interest.)

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• Located in Washington, D.C., the United
  States Capitol Building is the seat of the
  legislative branch of the federal government.
  Because of its importance, the Capitol Building
  holds a key place in American history and has its
  own history that is uniquely different than any
  other building in the United States. Through its
  creation to its construction and continuous
  renovations, there is no other building like the
  Capitol Building.

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Anecdotal

• An anecdote is a little story.
• Begin a paper by relating a small story that
  leads into the topic of your paper.
• Your story should be a small episode, not a full
  blown story with characters and plot and setting.
• One caution be sure that your story does not
  take over the paper. Remember, it is an
  introduction, not the paper.

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• The young man with the hammer hoisted himself
  onto the top of the wall. All around him on the
  wall and on the ground, people chanted and
  cheered. The young man knelt down, with his
  hammer, and began to chip away at the cold, gray
  concrete. Little by little, the wall began to
  crumble. As I watched in amazement, it was hard
  to comprehend the fact that I was watching the
  Berlin Wall coming down. The removal of the
  Berlin Wall signified the fall of not just a
  wall, but an entire system of government. The
  fall of the Berlin Wall ended communism in
  Germany and created the growth of capitalism in
  Eastern Europe which allowed for globalization to
  spread through Europe and into Asia, creating the
  current global state of affairs.

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Surprising Statement

• There are many ways a statement can surprise a
  reader.
• Sometimes the statement is surprising because it
  is disgusting.
• Sometimes it is joyful.
• Sometimes it is shocking.
• Sometimes it is surprising because of who said it.

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• Have a minute? Good. Because that may be all it
  takes to save the life of a childyour child.
  Accidents kill nearly 8000 children under age 15
  each year. And for every fatality, 42 more
  children are admitted to hospitals for treatment.
  Yet such deaths and injuries can be avoided
  through these easy steps parents can take right
  now. You don't have a minute to lose.
• This article begins with a surprising, even
  shocking, statistic, 8000 children die each year
  from accidents. The article then lists seven easy
  actions a person can take to help guard a child
  against accidents. These range from turning down
  the water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit to
  putting firearms under lock and key.

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Famous Person

• Drop the name of a famous person
• It may be something that person said or something
  he or she did
• The famous person may be dead or alive.
• The famous person may be a good person like the
  Pope, or he or she may be a bad person like John
  Wilkes Booth.

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• Theres one thing former Republican President
  Ronald Reagan and former Democratic President
  Bill Clinton can both agree on the importance of
  adoption. Reagan, along with many other famous
  Americans - Babe Ruth, Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie
  - all adopted babies. Clinton was himself an
  adopted child. However, a person doesnt have to
  be a famous politician, a legendary sports hero
  or a wealthy actor to make a huge difference in
  the life of a child. All it takes is the
  willingness to love, care for, and protect an
  adopted baby.

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Declarative

• the writer simply states straight out what the
  topic of his paper is going to be about.
• Be careful or it will be boring

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• In the College of Veterinary Medicine and
  Engineering, for example, nearly one-third of the
  teaching faculty may retire by the year 2004. In
  the College of Education, more than a third of
  the professors are 55 years old and older. The
  largest turnover for a single department is
  projected to be in geology. More than half of its
  faculty this year are in the age group that will
  retire at the millennium, says Ron Downey of
  K-State's Office of Institutional Research and
  Analysis. The graying of K-State's faculty is not
  unique. A Regents' report shows approximately 27
  percent of the faculty at the six state
  universities will retire by the end of this
  decade, creating a shortage of senior faculty.

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Decide on your subject

• Sports

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Limit Your Subject

• Sports
• Players Salaries

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Make an Assertion

• Sports
• Players Salaries
• High player's salaries are bad for the game, for
  the fans, and for the values our children are
  developing.

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Another Example

• People Who Have Influenced Me
• My mom
• Love myself, love others, love God
• My mother, through her words and actions, taught
  me how to love myself, to love others, and to
  love God.

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Thesis Statements

• A good thesis statement should
• Take a stand
• Justify discussion
• Express one main idea
• Be specific

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Take a Stand

• At present, there are few factories where my
  friends and family and I live, and the
  construction of a new one would have both
  positive and negative effects on our community.
  Over all, I believe the new factory would give us
  more advantages and disadvantages.
• Construction of a new factory would create
  more air pollution, increase living costs and add
  to traffic congestion on the already busy streets
  around town.

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Justify Discussion

• Watermelon is a delicious fruit.
• Watermelon is not only great on a hot summer
  day, this delicious fruit may also help prevent
  asthma, diabetes, and colon cancer.

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Express One Main Idea

• Companies need to exploit the marketing
  potential of the Internet, and Web pages can
  provide both advertising and customer support.
• Because the Internet is filled with
  tremendous marketing potential, companies should
  exploit this potential by using Web pages that
  offer both advertising and customer support.

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Be Specific

• World hunger has many causes and effects.
• Hunger persists in Ethiopia because jobs are
  scarce and farming in the infertile soil is
  rarely profitable.

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Activity
General Subject Limited Topic Thesis Statement
Family Parents ?
Television Sitcoms ?
School English Teachers ?
The College Experience Roommates ?
Food Eating Out ?