Introductions are made up of 4 distinct pieces: The glitz, TTQA, the dance, and
the punch. The purpose of the introduction is to catch the reader's attention and
give a preview of your paper.
The glitz is the first sentence or sentences. You need to grab the reader's
attention with an interesting and relevant fact, quotation, or statistic.
TTQA lets the reader know what the topic is (DO NOT answer it at this point).
The dance is an additional fact, statistic or anecdote that leads the reader to see
that direction you will be taking (any facts, statistics, etc mentioned in your
introduction CANNOT be reused in your body).
The punch is your thesis statement which is made up of your declaration and
three reasons why, using parallel construction.
**It is essential to connect these elements together using transitions**
How this looks:
Question: Should the law require people to wear seat belts?
Declaration: the gov't should make people wear seatbelts
Reasons
:
*save lives
*save $$
*good example
Thesis: The government is responsible to keep its people safe, therefore seatbelt
laws should continue to exist because they save lives, save money, and their use
sets a good example for all.
Introduction: "I have never pulled a corpse from behind a seatbelt." Officer
Pullman spoke these powerful words at the annual NTSB Conference on Safety.
Despite officers all over the country echoing Pullman’s experiences, there has
been much debate, lately, on whether the government should continue to require
people to wear seatbelts. With 10,000 motor vehicle deaths per year, 95% of
which were seat belt preventable, and insurance rates on the rise, the only option
is clear. The government has the responsibility to maintain seat belt laws because
the use of seat belts saves lives, saves money, and sets a good safety example for
all.