1. Introductions

2. One purpose of the introduction
Your introduction needs to attract your reader! This is sometimes called a “hook.”

3. You have seen how the writers in our textbook attracted readers:
Sometimes by surprising the readers:
“Clutter is the disease of American writing.”
“Murderer,” a man shouted.
Sometimes directly introducing the topic:
“What is intelligence, anyway?”
Sometimes with pointed, specific, even dramatic language:
“I didn’t learn about hate at home, or shame. I had to
go to school for that.”

4. There are many kinds of hooks
(Surprising) fact or observation
Historical overview (only if it’s important to your paper)
Blunt statement
Figurative language

5. There are also hooks to avoid!
Dictionary definition
“Tone: the way a writer…”
Announcements
“In this paper, I will analyze…”
Broad generalization
“Everyone in the world knows…”
“Since the beginning of time…”
Question that starts with “Have you ever…?”

6. One way to think of an introduction…
In general, an introduction is like a funnel.

7. The introduction moves from broad information to narrow information
Broad information: context that readers need to understand YOUR essay
Introduce the aspects you’ll analyze
Introduce author & text you’ll analyze
Any other information your reader might need to understand your essay
Introduce any theme you’ll connect to (the “Why?”)
Narrow information: your thesis statement

8. The three most important features of your introduction:
Hook
(attract your readers)
Context
(background information about the text and anything else your readers might need to know about)
Thesis
(last sentence of your intro – you know all about this!)

9. Try it out! Attract your readers Give the context:
(this order is variable)
Aspect
Author & essay
Any other important points so that your readers can follow you
Finish with your thesis