Essay Introductions
The introduction to your essay should have 3 basic parts, the attention-getter,
transitions, and your thesis statement.
Part 1: The Attention-Getter
The attention-getter, just as its name implies, is designed to grab the attention of your
reader. Consequently, it is important that the attention-getter be intriguing and
provocative. There are several different types of attention-getters that can be used in
an introduction.
 Rhetorical Questions: With this type of attention-getter, you open the essay by
asking questions of your reader. The questions must be thought provoking and
must direct your reader’s thoughts to the topic of your thesis statement. It is
often best to begin with a more general question, and then ask questions that
become increasingly more specific. Use no more than 3 questions for your
attention getter.
 Quotation Beginning: With this type of attention-getter, you open the essay
with a quotation that relates to the topic of your thesis statement. The
quotation must be placed in quotation marks, and you must cite the source of
the quotation. The purpose is to present a provocative thought that will focus
your reader’s attention in the direction of your thesis statement.
 Startling Fact/Intriguing Statement: With this type of attention-getter, you open
the essay with a series of statements designed to either shock or intrigue your
reader. The statements must focus your reader’s attention on the topic of your
thesis statement. Ideally each statement in the series will become gradually
more startling/intriguing or more specific.
 Anecdote Approach: With this type of attention-getter, you begin your essay
with a short little story designed to get your reader thinking about the topic of
your thesis statement. The story may be a first person, personal account of
something that has happened to you, or it may be the story of someone else’s
experience. It would be best if the story was true, or at least true-to-life.
Part 2: Transitions
The transitions are often the most difficult part of the introduction to write.
Transitions are statements that are designed to introduce a new idea or to lead
from one idea to another. In an introduction, the transitions must connect the
idea hinted at in the attention-getter to the thesis statement. If you think of the
attention-getter and the thesis statement as opposite banks of a river,
transitions act like a bridge that connect those two sides—connect the
attention-getter to the thesis statement. The first transitional sentence should
make a general statement about your attention-getter. From there you would
need a transitional sentence or two that would direct the reader’s thoughts and
attention toward the specific idea of your thesis statement.
Part 3: Thesis Statement
Your thesis statement is a sentence that tells the main idea of your essay. The
thesis statement should be written without using the words “you” or “I” in the
thesis statement. The thesis statement would come at the end of the
introduction.