Writing Introductions:
Where to begin?
What is an Introductory Paragraph?
• An introductory paragraph is the starting
point of your essay.
• This is where you provide the reader with
all the points you will be addressing, and
some background information.
• This is your chance to engage your reader
in a single paragraph.
Parts of an Introductory Paragraph
• An introductory paragraph has
three main parts that must be
included.
1. Hook/Opening Statement
2. Commentary/Background
3. Thesis statement
Parts of an Introductory Paragraph
• The three parts of an introductory
paragraph are also known as: ANT
1. A- Attention Getter (Hook/Opening
Statement)
2. N- Necessary Information
(Commentary/Background)
3. T- Thesis statement
A = Attention Getter
(The Hook/Opening Statement)
• Your hook is your first chance to
spark interest in your reader- first
impressions matter!
• This sentence should give your
reader an idea about what the essay
is about in an engaging manner.
Hooks: What to Avoid
• Vague statements should always be
avoided in hooks.
For example, if your essay was a
compare/contrast piece about
different types of bears, you would
want to avoid a hook like:
Many things are alike, but many things are
also different.
Hooks: What to Avoid
• “Captain Obvious Statements” should always be
avoided in hooks.
For example, if your essay was a
compare/contrast piece about different types of
bears, you would want to avoid a hook like:
In this essay, I will tell you about different bears.
Or
The following paragraphs are about the differences
between many types of bears.
Hooks: What to Avoid
• Questions should always be avoided in hooks.
For example, if your essay was a
compare/contrast piece about different types
of bears, you would want to avoid a hook like:
Do you know a lot about different types of bears?
Or
Did you know that there are many differences between
the many types of bears?
Hooks: What To Do
• Make your hook interesting and engaging. Though both
hooks below are “correct”, which one would get a better
score?
Before buying a car, people should do their research, rather than
just blindly trust salesmen, commercials, or manufacturers.
OR
Buyers beware! A suit, shined shoes, a Rolex, Old
Spice, and a dazzling smile don't make someone an
expert and people should not let smooth-talking advertisers,
manufacturers, and car salesmen sell them the wrong car.
Hooks: What To Do
• Start with a direction quotation from your book and/or
research that relates directly to what you are reading.
For example, if you were writing an essay about why Jonas (in
The Giver) made the right choice in running away, you might
use this quote to start:
“The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It's the
loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared.” (The Giver, pg. 106)
You can later draw back on this quote by explaining that
running away was the right choice for Jonas’ mental state (too
painful and lonely), as well as for the Community (the sharing of
memories would change them)
Hooks: What To Do
• Use descriptive words. Though both hooks below
are “correct”, which one would get a better score?
The day was cold, blistery, and dark, and I couldn’t
shake a persistent and nagging feeling of dread.
Or
The weather caused me to feel anxious and think that
something bad would happen.
N- Necessary Information
(Commentary and Background?)
• This section of your introductory
paragraph is your chance to expand
upon your hook.
• This is where you, the writer, should
provide more detail about what you
stated in your hook, as well as give
the reader a “sneak peak” of what
will be discussed in your essay.
N- Necessary Information
(Commentary and Background?)
• Your necessary information
should not give specific details
about what will be covered in your
essay, it should just introduce your
topics.
Necessary Information Example
• Think of your compare/contrast essay about
Among the Hidden and The Giver. Here is what
commentary/background should look like:
What To Do
What NOT To do
The dystopian societies in both books contained
many similarities and differences in the ways in
which the people, population, and food were
controlled. The main characters, Luke (Among
the Hidden) and Jonas (The Giver), also shared
many similarities, as well as differences, in their
personalities and in how they retaliated against
their respective governments.
In The Giver, food is controlled by being
delivered three times a day, while in Among the
Hidden food is either grown or purchased under
government control. Also, population is
controlled in both societies by only permitted
two children, and in The Giver, assigned
children to parents, rather than allowing births
within homes. Jonas and Luke are also very
similar and different.
(This writer noted each topic that would
be covered in the essay, without giving
away the details)
(This writer wrote way too much
information that should be in the body)
T = Thesis Statement
• This is the last sentence in your introductory
paragraph.
• This sentence should indicate the main point
your essay will be making.
• Basically, this sentence tells what your essay is
about.
• When a teacher grades your essay, he/she will
be going back to this sentence and asking
his/herself- Was this really the main point of the
essay and did the student address it thoroughly?
Thesis Statement: What To Do
• Use direct and specific language.
• Your thesis statement is almost like a “road map” for your
essay, so you should be specific about what you plan to
address.
• Avoid language like “good”, “bad”, “same”, or “different”.
• Instead use words that specifically show what you are trying
to say.
For example:
1. Danielle and Anna form a friendship in Because of Mr.
Terupt since they are similar.
VS.
2. In Because of Mr. Terupt, Danielle’s and Anna’s shy, kind,
and mature personalities cause them to become close friends.
Thesis Statement: What To Do
• Answer a question.
• Sometimes, the prompt you are being asked to write about is
the in form of a question. Use your thesis statement to
answer that question if it shows what the essay will be about.
For example:
If the teachers has asked you to write the following essay:
“Should cell phones be banned in schools?”
Your thesis statement might be:
For emergency and parental contact purposes, cell phones should be
allowed in schools.
Or
Because of their distracting and unnecessary nature, cell phones
should be banned in schools.
Thesis Statement: What To Do
• Pass the “So what?” test
• If your reader asks “so what?” at the end of
your thesis statement, chances are you
haven’t shown why this essay is important.
For example:
Dogs are good pets for kids.
Vs.
Dogs are good pets for kids because they teach them
responsibility, loyalty, understanding and patience.
Putting it All Together
• Your hook/opening statement
should be about 1-2 sentences.
• Your commentary/background
should be about 3-4 sentences.
• Your thesis statement should be
about 1-2 sentences.
• A typical introductory paragraph is
about 5-8 sentences.
Putting it All Together: Examples
Topic: The high cost of living in Tokyo
Attention Getter: For many citizens of Tokyo,
the staggering cost of living has become too much
to handle, and many have had to take drastic
measures to cope.
Necessary Information: Tokyo is one of the most
expensive cities in the world. The prices of things
in Tokyo are much higher than in other parts of
Japan. Many people living in Tokyo have a
difficult time paying for their lifestyles.
Thesis Statement: Tokyo is definitely one of the
most expensive cities for many reasons.
Putting it All Together: Examples
Topic: How Among the Hidden and The Giver are similar and
different
Attention Getter: In two different, yet equally horrifying and
controlling dystopias, two boys fight to seek the truth and gain
freedom.
Necessary Information: In Among the Hidden, by Margaret
Peterson-Haddix, and The Giver, by Lois Lowry, the governments
in both societies are both similar and different in the ways in which
the people, population, and food were controlled. The main
characters, Luke (Among the Hidden) and Jonas (The Giver), also
shared many similarities, as well as differences, in their
personalities and in how they retaliated against their respective
governments.
Thesis Statement: While Among the Hidden and The Giver are
distinct books written by different authors, their similarities
regarding the societies’ governments and main characters make
them easily comparable.
Time to
Practice!