Introductory Paragraph

Functions of the Introduction Introduces the subject Captures the reader’s attention and prepares the reader for what is to follow Establishes the tone—the writer’s attitude toward both the subject and the audience Presents the main idea in a thesis statement States or implies the purpose for writing

Strategies for Writing Introductions A good introduction does more than just begin the thesis, or main idea, of a composition. It grabs the reader's attention. Try one of the following strategies in writing your introduction: Provide relevant background information. Briefly relate an interesting story or anecdote. Use an appropriate quotation. Offer vivid and/or startling statistics or facts. Ask a provocative, rhetorical question. Describe in vivid detail something that relates to your main idea. Present one or more brief examples.

Strategy Identification On seeing another child fall and hurt himself, Hope, just nine months old, stared, tears welling up in her eyes, and crawled to her mother to be comforted—as though she had been hurt, not her friend. When 15-month-old Michael saw his friend Paul crying, Michael fetched his own teddy bear and offered it to Paul; when that didn’t stop Paul’s tears, Michael brought Paul’s security blanket from another room. Such small acts of sympathy and caring, observed in scientific studies, are leading researchers to trace the roots of empathy—the ability to share another’s emotions—to infancy, contradicting a long-standing assumption that infants and toddlers are incapable of these feelings. Strategy used: Two brief examples are given to lead into the thesis.

Strategy Identification “Alone one is never lonely,” says May Sarton in her essay “The Rewards of Living a Solitary Life.” Most people, however, do not share Sarton’s opinion: They are terrified of living alone. They are used to living with others—children with parents, roommates with roommates, friends with friends, spouses with spouses. When the statistics catch up with them, therefore, they are rarely prepared. Chances are high that most adult men and women will need to know how to live alone, briefly or longer, at some time in their lives. Strategy used: The opening quotation sets up a dramatic contrast with the thesis statement.

Strategy Identification What should you do? You are outside riding your bike, playing golf, or in the middle of a long run when you look up and suddenly see a jagged streak of light shoot across the sky, followed by a deafening clap of thunder. Unfortunately, most outdoor exercisers do not know whether to stay put or make a dash for shelter when a thunderstorm approaches, and sometimes the consequences are tragic. Strategy used: The writer asks a direct question, and next puts the reader in a dramatic situation to arouse interest in the topic.

Strategy Identification First published in 1915, Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters gives readers candid glimpses into the life of a small town at the turn of the twentieth century. Speaking from beyond the grave, the narrator of each poem gives a portrait of happy, fulfilled people or draws pictures of lives filled with sadness and melancholy. Strategy used: The writer provides relevant background to refresh the reader’s memory about details of a plot, character, and so forth.

Application Think about your research topic and the main idea you want to convey. Now develop one introduction for your research paper using one of the strategies mentioned. Include your thesis statement at the end of the paragraph.