Writing An Introductory Paragraph English 101 Mrs. Atkinson

Begin Your Introduction with an Opener/Hook/Attention Grabber  Types of Attention Getters Open with an unusual detail Open with a strong statement Open with a quotation Open with an anecdote Open with a statistic or fact Open with a question Open with an exaggeration or outrageous statement Example:  Throw out the bottles and boxes of drugs in your house. For more information: 

Topic or Purpose  Give your reader a clear understanding of what your paper will be about. Give background on your topic. Define the issue or topic if necessary. Example:  A new theory suggests that medicine could be bad for your health, which should at least come as good news to people who cannot afford to buy expensive medicine.

Motive  The motive is a sentence which gives the reader a reason to care about your topic. This sentence explains why your thesis is interesting, non- obvious, and/or contestable. This sentence gives your reader a reason to care about your topic. Example:  A new theory suggests that medicine could be bad for your health, which should at least come as good news to people who cannot afford to buy expensive medicine.

Thesis Statement  This is the claim you are making about your topic.  The thesis clearly states your position on your topic.  This sentence is usually place near the end of your introduction.  Example: This new theory argues that healing is at our fingertips: we can be healthy by doing Reiki on a regular basis.

Road Map  This sentence will outline the main ideas you will discuss in your paper.

Activity  For decades, Americans could not help but love the red-headed, fun loving Little Orphan Annie. The image of the little girl moving so quickly from poverty to wealth provided hope for the poor in the 1930’s, and her story continues to be a dream of what the just future might hold. The rags-to-riches phenomenon is the heart of the American Dream. And few other people have embodied this phenomenon as much as Andrew Carnegie did in the late 1800s and early 1900s. His example and industry caused him to become the father of middle- class America.

Introductory Paragraph Outline  Opener. ____________________ is defined as __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ _________________ ( ). Motive. Thesis statement. Reasons for this are: (1)________________________, (2)________________,  (3)____________________________, (4)______________________, and (5)___________________________________.

Questions  How will I grab my readers’ attention? (Opener)  What is my topic or issue? (Topic/Purpose)  Why should my readers care? (Motive)  What is my position on the issue? (Thesis)  How will I prove my thesis? What are my reasons/main ideas? (Road Map)