Essay Introductions:
The first sentence of your introductory paragraph should hook your audience—thus the designation as “the hook.” The following introductory paragraph topics will provide you with some suggestions. Each type is followed with an example.
Background information
Many subjects for essays benefit from a brief historical overview or some concise background information. The strategy here is to explain background circumstances to whet the appetite for further exploration.
Up until the 1960s, African-Americans, Latinos, and other people of color, as well as women, experienced blatant discrimination in the American workplace for irrelevant reasons of ethnicity or gender. The well intentioned people who designed Affirmative Action intended to help minorities and women gain greater representation in jobs, promotions, college admissions, and business contracts. To varying extents, this did occur. But times have changed. Today, because Affirmative Action has resulted in misunderstandings, bitterness, and verbal warfare, the program should be reviewed and revised.
Question
Another introductory strategy involves asking your readers a provocative question or series of questions.
What circumstance could justify having an abortion? Many young women think of such a procedure as a viable choice in an extremely complex situation. When teenagers take such measures, the results can be devastating. Despite their beliefs to the contrary, young people have not developed the capacity to understand the full ramifications of certain consequences that will impact their lives extensively. Nonetheless, how can people decide how old someone should be to make such a choice? Why should eighteen be a magic, determining number? The moral aspects of abortion make for a tragically complex topic. The right to make such a devastating choice cannot be determined merely by a number.
Story or incident
This strategy involves opening the essay with a story or anecdote that illustrates or leads to the main idea of the essay. Current event items can be compelling topics. You can also use an anecdote from a story you’ve read. Cite your sources. Try a story that takes the opposite view of the stand you plan to take. The anecdote may also be personal, if your teacher will allow it. Some teachers frown on any use of the informal personal pronouns. As a caution, if you use this strategy, be sure that you keep the length of the story under control—remember that your purpose is to heighten the readers’ interest and curiosity in your subject and to lead them to your thesis, not to digress into a lengthy narration.
At eight years of age, my parents moved to a new apartment located in Bourj-Hamoud, Lebanon, a beautiful city that used to be called “Little Paris.” Upon seeing this big building, I thought my family would be living on a boat. The two-hundred-foot-long balcony, wrapping all around the apartment, made the greatest impression. The first few days after the move, I feared venturing out on this expansive balcony. As the days passed by, however, the sleek, shiny surface of that slab in the early morning and the ornate wrought iron tempted me. Soon, the balcony became an excellent place to pass time, quietly detached, watching the performances of the puppet-like figures below. Sometimes, however, an event occurs that requires more than observation. People become real. When those times occur, everyone should be prepared to take action. One excellent step to that end would be self defense training.
Statistic, fact, or statement
Oftentimes, you can command your readers’ interest by beginning with a startling statistic or fact. Notice that the writer of the following introductory paragraph uses a specific amount money to appeal to his audience’s regard for wise spending.
According to the Reader’s Digest article “Money Matters and Technology Traps” over half of the nation’s computer users spent fifty dollars or more last year on phone calls and books for technical support related to problems installing or running computer programs (James Blythe 34). Consider how much some people pay since many have spent nothing. After all, an average is not necessarily a norm. Whether the price of tech support robbed someone of a latte or a trip to Las Vegas, the money would not have been wasted if computer users had better knowledge of how to install a program. Program installation is not as complicated as many believe. Most programs require three fairly simple steps, each accompanied by a few precautions.
Quotation
You may decide to use a quotation to open your essay. If you use this introductory technique, you need to identify the source unless the quote is a generally known proverb or saying. Libraries have books of quotations listed by subjects, so you might try looking up your subject to see if you can find a thoughtful quotation. There are many online sources as well. Be sure to cite the source according to your teacher’s expectations. If you are writing an essay about a particular book, story, or article, some teachers will allow you to begin your introductory paragraph with a quotation from that source. I would prefer that you choose another source just to be certain that you do not begin body paragraph discussion in your introduction or that you do not create an introduction that will be repeated in the body.
“A stranger blocked her path, but she passed him blindly. He had to touch her arm before she would look up” (23). Mrs. Ardavi arrives from Iran and the stranger is Hassan, her son, whom she had not seen in over ten years. How embarrassing for a mother not to know her son. How different they must seem to each other. Nonetheless, they will need to find a way to re-establish their relationship. Both Ardavi and Hassan must come to terms with differences in culture, personality, religion, and age.
Definition
If your essay focuses on a subject that might not be readily understood by your audience, you may want to ease the readers into the topic by defining any confusing terms first. If you do choose this strategy as your hook, avoid the overused “according to Webster’s” or “The dictionary defines” phrasing.
Fishing aficionados should know that the northern states have excellent fishing lakes. People interested in making this trek will benefit from developing a familiarity with Rapalas and their use in game fishing. A Rapala is an artificial bait, which people tie to the end of a fishing line in place of a basic fishing hook. The hand crafted bait consists of either cedar or balsa wood with two sets of hooks attached to the cigar-shaped body. To catch a freezer-full of the best largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, or the highly valued muskellunge, learn how and when to use Rapalas.
Examples and details
You may want to arouse audience interest and introduce your subject by giving a series of examples or details associated with the subject.
Unless a person has felt like an outsider, been singled out by resident advisors, stayed up for hours studying for finals, been denied financial loans, failed a test, sat in the wrong class by mistake, read the wrong pages for homework, become sick from cafeteria food on campus, experienced writer’s block, paid over three hundred dollars for books, bought the wrong books and could not return them—unless one has experienced at least some of these situations, the “joys” of being a college student cannot be understood. Though college may be a humongous pain and the most challenging experience one could ever face, it is imperative.
Introductions
Essay Introductions:
The first sentence of your introductory paragraph should hook your audience—thus the designation as “the hook.” The following introductory paragraph topics will provide you with some suggestions. Each type is followed with an example.
Background information
Many subjects for essays benefit from a brief historical overview or some concise background information. The strategy here is to explain background circumstances to whet the appetite for further exploration.
Up until the 1960s, African-Americans, Latinos, and other people of color, as well as women, experienced blatant discrimination in the American workplace for irrelevant reasons of ethnicity or gender. The well intentioned people who designed Affirmative Action intended to help minorities and women gain greater representation in jobs, promotions, college admissions, and business contracts. To varying extents, this did occur. But times have changed. Today, because Affirmative Action has resulted in misunderstandings, bitterness, and verbal warfare, the program should be reviewed and revised.
Question
Another introductory strategy involves asking your readers a provocative question or series of questions.
What circumstance could justify having an abortion? Many young women think of such a procedure as a viable choice in an extremely complex situation. When teenagers take such measures, the results can be devastating. Despite their beliefs to the contrary, young people have not developed the capacity to understand the full ramifications of certain consequences that will impact their lives extensively. Nonetheless, how can people decide how old someone should be to make such a choice? Why should eighteen be a magic, determining number? The moral aspects of abortion make for a tragically complex topic. The right to make such a devastating choice cannot be determined merely by a number.
Story or incident
This strategy involves opening the essay with a story or anecdote that illustrates or leads to the main idea of the essay. Current event items can be compelling topics. You can also use an anecdote from a story you’ve read. Cite your sources. Try a story that takes the opposite view of the stand you plan to take. The anecdote may also be personal, if your teacher will allow it. Some teachers frown on any use of the informal personal pronouns. As a caution, if you use this strategy, be sure that you keep the length of the story under control—remember that your purpose is to heighten the readers’ interest and curiosity in your subject and to lead them to your thesis, not to digress into a lengthy narration.
At eight years of age, my parents moved to a new apartment located in Bourj-Hamoud, Lebanon, a beautiful city that used to be called “Little Paris.” Upon seeing this big building, I thought my family would be living on a boat. The two-hundred-foot-long balcony, wrapping all around the apartment, made the greatest impression. The first few days after the move, I feared venturing out on this expansive balcony. As the days passed by, however, the sleek, shiny surface of that slab in the early morning and the ornate wrought iron tempted me. Soon, the balcony became an excellent place to pass time, quietly detached, watching the performances of the puppet-like figures below. Sometimes, however, an event occurs that requires more than observation. People become real. When those times occur, everyone should be prepared to take action. One excellent step to that end would be self defense training.
Statistic, fact, or statement
Oftentimes, you can command your readers’ interest by beginning with a startling statistic or fact. Notice that the writer of the following introductory paragraph uses a specific amount money to appeal to his audience’s regard for wise spending.
According to the Reader’s Digest article “Money Matters and Technology Traps” over half of the nation’s computer users spent fifty dollars or more last year on phone calls and books for technical support related to problems installing or running computer programs (James Blythe 34). Consider how much some people pay since many have spent nothing. After all, an average is not necessarily a norm. Whether the price of tech support robbed someone of a latte or a trip to Las Vegas, the money would not have been wasted if computer users had better knowledge of how to install a program. Program installation is not as complicated as many believe. Most programs require three fairly simple steps, each accompanied by a few precautions.
Quotation
You may decide to use a quotation to open your essay. If you use this introductory technique, you need to identify the source unless the quote is a generally known proverb or saying. Libraries have books of quotations listed by subjects, so you might try looking up your subject to see if you can find a thoughtful quotation. There are many online sources as well. Be sure to cite the source according to your teacher’s expectations. If you are writing an essay about a particular book, story, or article, some teachers will allow you to begin your introductory paragraph with a quotation from that source. I would prefer that you choose another source just to be certain that you do not begin body paragraph discussion in your introduction or that you do not create an introduction that will be repeated in the body.
“A stranger blocked her path, but she passed him blindly. He had to touch her arm before she would look up” (23). Mrs. Ardavi arrives from Iran and the stranger is Hassan, her son, whom she had not seen in over ten years. How embarrassing for a mother not to know her son. How different they must seem to each other. Nonetheless, they will need to find a way to re-establish their relationship. Both Ardavi and Hassan must come to terms with differences in culture, personality, religion, and age.
Definition
If your essay focuses on a subject that might not be readily understood by your audience, you may want to ease the readers into the topic by defining any confusing terms first. If you do choose this strategy as your hook, avoid the overused “according to Webster’s” or “The dictionary defines” phrasing.
Fishing aficionados should know that the northern states have excellent fishing lakes. People interested in making this trek will benefit from developing a familiarity with Rapalas and their use in game fishing. A Rapala is an artificial bait, which people tie to the end of a fishing line in place of a basic fishing hook. The hand crafted bait consists of either cedar or balsa wood with two sets of hooks attached to the cigar-shaped body. To catch a freezer-full of the best largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, or the highly valued muskellunge, learn how and when to use Rapalas.
Examples and details
You may want to arouse audience interest and introduce your subject by giving a series of examples or details associated with the subject.
Unless a person has felt like an outsider, been singled out by resident advisors, stayed up for hours studying for finals, been denied financial loans, failed a test, sat in the wrong class by mistake, read the wrong pages for homework, become sick from cafeteria food on campus, experienced writer’s block, paid over three hundred dollars for books, bought the wrong books and could not return them—unless one has experienced at least some of these situations, the “joys” of being a college student cannot be understood. Though college may be a humongous pain and the most challenging experience one could ever face, it is imperative.
