Chapter 2
Writing the Introduction
Overview
 This chapter explains how to write the Introduction to
a General Paper Essay.
 It covers the following areas:
 Opening statement
 Thesis statement
 The final slide of Chapter will allow you to link to
Activity 2 where you will be trying your hand at writing
Thesis Statements and Opening Statements.
Why is the Introduction Important?
 The reader’s / examiner’s first impression of the essay
comes from reading the Introduction.
Hurray! Good
 The Introduction is what
Introduction
means good
makes the reader decide
essay!
if he /she will enjoy reading your essay.
 The Introduction also tells the reader how you will be
tackling the essay.
 A poorly written Introduction gives the immediate
impression that the essay which follows will not be
satisfactory.
Opening Statement
 An Opening Statement refers to the first couple of sentences in your
Introduction.
 This can give the impression that it will be a very insightful essay, a
very original thought-provoking one, an essay with no focus or a dull
and boring essay.
 Look at the following examples of Opening Statements on an essay
‘Should same sex marriages be legalized?’
According to a survey by Washington Post
carried out in June 2015, six out of 10
Americans support same-sex marriages .
Good essay
coming!
Some people agree with
same sex marriages,
others don’t.
A bad essay
with no
direction!
Opening Statement
 There are many effective ways of starting an essay. The
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following are some techniques you can use.
Open with Interesting Statistics
Open with a Quotation
Open with a question
Open with a definition
Open with your opinion
Open with a Thesis Statement
Open with an anecdote (short story)
Choose the method which you feel most comfortable
with.
Opening with Interesting Statistics
 Title: To what extent has the course of history been
determined by the contribution of individuals?
 Bill Gate’s Microsoft Windows is used by 1.5 billion people
today. Over 6 billion people are dependent on electricity,
made possible by Thomas Edison who created the electric
light-bulb.
 This opener shows the reader that you know your stuff, and
even before you write your thesis statement, the reader
knows that you should be along the right track.
 However, you may not always be ready with statistics on
topics which appear in the examination.
Opening with a Quotation
 Title: To what extent has the course of history been
determined by the contribution of individuals?
 Winston Churchill said “History will be kind to me for I
intend to write it.” He decided not to give in during
World War 2 and thus helped determine the outcome of
the war.
 This opener can impress an examiner into knowing
you are knowledgeable.
 Remember, though, that you can only use quotations
when what you have is relevant to the topic; and this
doesn’t happen that often.
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Opening with a Question
 Title: To what extent has the course of history been
determined by the contribution of individuals?
 Would 5 million Jews have been killed in the Holocaust
without Hitler? Would we be able to enjoy our smartphones
without Alexander Graham Bell? Without a doubt, every
action by mankind has determined the course of history.
 This opener shows the reader you have hit the nail on the
head.
 This opener is much easier to coin as you just need to ask a
couple of rhetorical questions and then link them to the
question.
Opening with a definition
 Title: To what extent has the course of history been
determined by the contribution of individuals?
 ‘Contribution’ in this context can be defined as the part
played by a person to bring about a result or change which
may be for the better or worse. Individuals have contributed
both positively and negatively to the course of history.
 This opener explains clearly how you have interpreted the
question. You will not limit your essay to individuals who
have only done good.
 This method is only applicable to questions where you
need to define terms which may be interpreted in different
ways. Many essay topics are explicit, so there is no need to
define anything.
Opening with your Opinion and background
information
 Title: To what extent has the course of history been
determined by the contribution of individuals?
 History is a record of mankind’s story. We learn
from history. I believe that the course of history is
largely the result of the actions of individuals
although there are exceptions to the case..
 This opener shows you agree to a large extent,
although not completely.
 This is one of two direct ways of tackling the question
right from the first sentence. However, it can prove
boring and dull.
Opening with a Thesis Statement
 Title: To what extent has the course of history been
determined by the contribution of individuals?
 What has happened over the decades is largely the result of
contributions by individuals; however, groups affiliated to
religion or certain ideologies as well as Mother Nature have
also helped decide on the course of history.
 This tells the reader your stand and the areas you will
be covering in your essay.
 This is the direct way of approaching the question
although it may not be the most interesting.
Opening with an Anecdote
 Title: To what extent has the course of history been
determined by the contribution of individuals?
 A baby was born in Bethlehem to the virgin Mary. He was
fathered in her by the Holy Spirit of God and the story goes
that angels announced his arrival in song. Jesus as well as
other religious leaders helped determine the course of
history.
 An anecdote is a short story. If you have a short story which
you can relate to the question, you can use this method.
 This method is not recommended as students can get so
carried away with the story they forget to answer the
question.
The Introduction
The Introduction comprises the following:
 An Opening Statement
and
 A Thesis Statement
This gives a preview of the major points / arguments
to be covered in the essay.
The Introduction
Introduction
Opening
statement
Thesis
statement
THESIS STATEMENT
 The thesis statement is that sentence or two in
your Introduction that contains the focus of your
essay and tells your reader what the essay is going
to be about. It is the central idea of the essay.
 It can be the first sentence of an essay or anywhere
in the Introduction.
 An essay without a thesis statement is an essay
without a focus
 It should show your standpoint for the essay.
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Formulate a Thesis Statement before
you start writing the essay.
• Make sure you have :
1. A clear and workable thesis.
2. Use the thesis statement as a guide to
writing the essay.
The scope of your intent in the essay
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1.
2.
The Thesis statement shows how much you intend
to cover in the essay.
Compare it to an umbrella:
Everything in your essay has to fit under this
umbrella.
If you include information that doesn't fit, you will
either have to get a bigger umbrella/ a wider thesis
statement or something's going to get wet - so,
remove it.
THESIS STATEMENT
Why a thesis statement?
 To cover all the points to any essay question requires
the writing of a lengthy research paper.
 It is necessary to identify the 4-5 main points /
arguments you are going to cover.
 These form the thesis statement and gives your reader
a preview of what you will be touching on in your
essay.
Why a thesis statement?
 Title: Children should be the product of nature, not of science. What is
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your opinion?
Can we write a good paper of 500 – 600 words if you are going to
explain how children are produced naturally, then move on to IVF and
other methods, their pros and cons and finally continue to give your
opinion?
Such a discussion would be too lengthy!
Limit discussion to the work that can be accomplished within the limit
of 500-600 words .
So, write a thesis statement to show which points you will be writing on
in your essay
Thesis statement: As long as children are loved, taught the right values,
given a proper education and made aware of their rights, it doesn’t
matter whether they are products of nature or science.
Example
Thesis statement for an informative essay
 Title: How to take effective photographs
 To take good pictures, a photographer must pay
attention to composition, lighting, and point of
view.
 Such a thesis is effective because it provides your
reader with a mini plan of the body of your essay.
 It tells the reader that those three points –
composition, lighting and point of view – will be
developed in more detail in subsequent
paragraphs.
Example
Thesis Statement for an Evaluative /
Argumentative essay
 Title: Assess the advantages and disadvantages of
hydroelectric power generation
 Thesis statement:
 Hydroelectric power is renewable, reliable,
environment friendly, cheap and easily available;
however, it cannot be denied that it involves a high
initial investment and that its construction may
adversely affect nature and humans .
 Here, we have listed out the advantages and
disadvantages we will cover in our essay.
The final Introduction
 Title: Assess the advantages and disadvantages of
hydroelectric power generation
 Opening using statistics:
 Hydropower is the most important and widely-used
renewable source of energy. It represents 20% of total
electricity production, so there is no doubt that it has
more advantages than disadvantages.
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 Thesis statement: Hydroelectric power is renewable,
reliable, environment friendly, cheap and easily available;
however, it cannot be denied that it involves a high initial
investment and that its construction may adversely affect
nature and humans .
Errors in thesis statements
 Announcements rather than statements
Example:
The subject of this essay will be computers.
I want to write about crime in Malaysia.
 Statements are too broad
Example:
Crime is a major concern in Malaysia.
 Statements are too narrow
Example:
Robberies and petty thefts are common crimes in my
country
Activity for Chapter 2
 Please go to Activity 2, Activity 3 and Activity 4 where
you will try your hand at writing Opening Statements,
Thesis Statements and Introductions.