1. Introductions and Thesis Statements
English B60
Introductions and Thesis Statements

2. Introductions
Introductions are important because they are your first impression on your audience.
You want introductions to be catchy, informative, and persuasive.
Introductions have three parts:
Hook
Info.
Thesis

3. Hook
Your opening hook is your attention getter. It is what makes your readers want to continue reading.

4. Techniques There are several ways to create an opening hook. You might
Ask a question of your audience
Provide an interesting fact or statistic
Give a BREIF anecdote about your topic
Provide an interesting and relevant quotation

5. Practice
Imagine you are asked to write an essay on your favorite superhero.
First, decide who you would choose to write about.
Next, choose one of the methods and create an opening hook for a hypothetical introductory paragraph.
Now, turn and share your opening hooks with a partner. Be prepared to share with the class.

6. Example
While he may not have superpowers, he makes up for that with his incredible wealth and brooding good looks.

7. Info.
The second part of your introduction, the info., is the place where you introduce your readers to your topic and provide them with the necessary background information they need to understand your thesis statement.
Like Goldilocks, you don’t want to give too much or too little information, but just the right amount.

8. Practice
Take your opening hook and add on your info. section. This should give us all the relevant information about your topic.
Imagine that your readers are unfamiliar with your subject.
Now, turn and share with a partner. Be prepared to share with the class.

9. Example
While he may not have superpowers, he makes up for that with his incredible wealth and brooding good looks. Batman, or Bruce Wayne, his alter ego, is appealingly ordinary. He was never bitten by a radioactive spider, and he cannot fly. While other superheroes are born with powers or forced into their professions due to circumstance, Batman chooses to avenge the untimely death of his parents and help rid Gotham City of corruption and crime. He shows us that we don’t need superhuman strength or x ray vision to be a hero.

10. Thesis Your thesis is the last sentence of your introduction
It should be a single, declarative sentence (not a question), and it should contain your topic and your stance on that topic.
You should make sure that it answers your topic question and is appropriately focused.
Your thesis is the controlling idea of your essay.

11. Practice
Now, take your hook and info, and add your thesis statement to the end.
Turn and share with a partner. Be prepared to share with the class.

12. Example
While he may not have superpowers, he makes up for that with his incredible wealth and brooding good looks. Batman, or Bruce Wayne, his alter ego, is appealingly ordinary. He was never bitten by a radioactive spider, and he cannot fly. While other superheroes are born with powers or forced into their professions due to circumstance, Batman chooses to avenge the untimely death of his parents and help rid Gotham City of corruption and crime. He shows us that we don’t need superhuman strength or x ray vision to be a hero. For these reasons, Batman surpasses rivals like Superman to become the best superhero.

13. Practice
Now, work in groups to draft an introductory response to the following question based on “The Right to Be Vile”—Do you think that the Supreme Court ruling in favor of the Westboro Baptist Church was correct?
You’ll first need to come to a consensus about a position. Then, as a group, choose an opening hook, provide some background information (and introduce the article, much like you did in the first sentence of your rhetorical précis), and provide a clear and concise thesis statement.