1. Grabbing the Reader’s Attention (adapted from homeworktips.com)

2. The Importance of a Good Opening As we discussed in class, the introduction paragraph is your opportunity to make an impression on the reader. You should aim to hook the reader’s attention in your first 2-3 sentence (the introductory statements) before transitioning your focus.

3. The Introductory Statements The purpose of the introductory statements is to introduce a general concept or idea to the reader. So, how can you do that in a way that is interesting and engaging? Here are a few tips…

4. Tip #1: Surprising Fact Begin your paper by including a surprising fact about your topic. For instance, you may begin a paper on segregation laws by saying that “The Pentagon has twice as many bathrooms as are necessary.” You would then explain that even the Pentagon once had “blacks only” and “whites only” bathrooms.

5. Tip #2: Humor Depending on the type of essay (persuasive, personal, etc.), humor can be used to grab the reader’s attention. For example, an essay about why Easter if your favorite holiday may begin “When my older brother substituted fresh eggs for our hard-boiled Easter eggs, he didn’t realize our father would take the first crack at hiding them.”

6. Tip #3: Quotations A quotation can be a useful way of introducing a general concept. For example, you may start an essay about equality between the sexes with the following quote: “ Hillary Rodham Clinton once said that there cannot be true democracy unless women's voices are heard. ”

7. Tip #4: Definitions In some cases, your reader may not be as familiar with a certain topic as you. In those instances, you may need to define key terms for the reader. You may begin an essay about poetry and mood by explaining key terms. “The mood of a poem refers to the feeling created in the reader. Sometimes the setting can greatly affect the mood…”

8. Tips #5: Anecdotes An anecdote is a short, amusing story. Typically, anecdotes relate to your topic. You may begin a personal essay about your greatest fears with a quick story about the first time you went to the dentist. (Assuming, of course, that this anecdote leads into some of your bigger fears.)

9. Give it a shot… Select two (2) methods for hooking the reader’s attention. Write two different introductory statements for the same essay question. Essay question: “What is the best sport of all time? Why?”