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Name______________________________________ Block ______________
How to Write an Introduction to an Essay
Steps in the writing process
1. Prewriting (You are doing the prewriting for the introduction only in this
assignment.)
2. Drafting
3. Editing and revising
4. Publishing
What is the purpose of an introduction?
An introduction is the FIRST paragraph of the essay. It must consist of multiple sentences
that:
1. Grabs the reader’s attention (Beginning with the FIRST sentence)
2. Sets the tone of the paper
3. Makes it clear what type of paper this is (expository, persuasive, descriptive,
narrative, comparison-contrast, etc.)
4. Introduces the subject of the paper
5. Narrows down the subject to point out what the paper will be discussing (thesis –
LAST sentence of introduction)
6. Moves from general (attention-getter) to specific (thesis)
How do I start the introduction?
The FIRST sentence of the introduction starts the “attention getter.” There are several
“tricks” that you may use to grab the reader’s attention, and many of these involve writing
multiple sentences. The most common types of attention getters include the following:
1. Anecdote (short story related to the topic)
2. Analogy (comparison between two unlike things, one of them being the topic of this
paper, to reveal one or more truths)
3. Quotation (MUST work it into a sentence AND cite the source of the quote)
4. Statistic (MUST work it into a sentence AND cite the source of the statistic)
5. Startling statement (MUST work it into a sentence AND cite the source of the fact)
6. Definition (MUST work it into a sentence AND cite the source of the definition)
7. Description (put the reader at the location you are describing; may or may not
include a source, depending on whether or not the description is factul)
8. Combination (such as startling statement with a statistic)
Examples of attention getters for a paper on the reason the Chicago Bulls were so
successful in the 1990’s.
1. Anecdote:
a. It was the sixth game of the NBA Championship playoffs, and the Chicago
Bulls were facing a tough Utah Jazz team. The Bulls were down by one
with the ball in Michael Jordan’s hands. Just as the buzzer was about to go
off, Jordan released a jump shot that swished through the hoop, resulting
in the sixth, and last championship, for the Chicago Bulls during their
1990s dynasty.
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2. Analogy:
a. Burger King has its “Whopper.” Arizona has its “Grand Canyon.” New York
City has “Broadway.” All of these have their “icons” with which they are
clearly identified. Such is the case with the Chicago Bulls basketball teams
of the 1990s that created memories that will last a lifetime. When one
thinks of the Bulls from this time period, certain icons immediately come
to mind.
3. Quotation:
a. Former Chicago Bulls Coach Phil Jackson once said, “I may never again
have the pleasure of coaching the caliber of team that these champion
players have created” (“Phil Jackson Quotations”).
4. Statistic:
a. Everyone today is lauding the performance of NBA superstar LeBron
James; however, before James, there was Jordan, and Michael Jordan can
claim six championship rings to James’s two (“LeBron James vs Michael
Jordan”).
5. Startling Statement:
a. Chicago may never again see a basketball dynasty the likes of that
established in the 1990’s when the Chicago Bulls won one national title
after another.
6. Definition:
a. According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, the definition of
“success” is “the correct or desired result of an attempt” (“Success”). The
Chicago Bulls certainly were the personification of “success” during the
1990’s as they attained national championship title after national
championship title.
7. Description:
a. The clock was ticking down as the fourth quarter was coming to an end as
the Chicago Bulls battled the Utah Jazz in the NBA championships. Pippen
was in pain with a back injury. Emotions were running high as this sixth
game could result in the Chicago Bulls bringing home their sixth
championship, but it would also mean that Jordan had played the last
game of his illustrious career. The Bulls were down by one with eleven
seconds left. Utah had a turnover, and Jordan grabbed the ball and
headed down court. Seconds ticked away. With 5.2 seconds left, Jordan
put up a jump shot, and “Swish!” As the ball went through the net, the
Bulls would earn their sixth gold championship ring!
8. Combination: (example is startling statement and statistics)
a. Six NBA championships, five-time NBA Most Valuable Player, ten-time
All-NBA First Team member – these honors could only belong to Michael
Jordan, the greatest basketball player of all time. These are honors that
LeBron James can only dream of earning! (“Michael Jordan”)
How do I come up with the topic of my attention getter?
 It’s difficult to figure out what you should write about for the first statement
of your paper. This is what trips up some younger writers.
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Keep in mind that you need a series of “narrowing statements” that work
from the general attention getter down to the very specific thesis statement.
It is often easiest to work backwards, starting with your thesis statement and
asking yourself a series of questions to work your way back to a topic that
you can then find a quotation, definition, startling statistic, etc. for. Try
working from the thesis to the topic for the attention getter in 5 steps.
Example:
o Thesis: Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and BJ Armstrong played key
roles in the success that the Chicago Bulls experienced in the 1990s.
 For the purpose of this handout ONLY, we’re going to list these
with the thesis first, so that you can see how this goes from
general to specific, and then we’ll flip it around to write the
actual introduction. When you do it, start with the thesis at
number 5 and work backwards to number 1.
o 5 – Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, BJ Armstrong
 0nly ONE piece of new information at each number)
 Question to get a little broader: “These players were part of
what?”
o 4 – Chicago Bulls
 You can’t introduce the three players AND the team in one
sentence. Split it up. One new idea per number.
 Narrowing question: “The Bulls are part of what?”
o 3 – NBA
 Narrowing question: “The NBA is all about what?”
o 2 – Basketball
 Narrowing question: “What is basketball part of?”
o 1 – Athletics
 Now I have the topic of my attention getter, “athletics,” so I can
look for a startling statement, etc. related to this topic.
Now, recopy this in the correct order so you can write the rough draft of the
introduction properly.
1. Athletics
2. Basketball
3. NBA
4. Chicago Bulls
5. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, BJ Armstrong
Here is a sample introduction using these notes from our pre-writing for the
introduction. Please note that each number does NOT mean one sentence only!
According to a survey released in 2013 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the
average American spends nearly 20 hours a week watching television
(“American Time Use Survey”), and among the most popular things to watch on
television is athletics. Of all the sports that viewers enjoy watching, basketball is
the sport of choice. While colleges offer some excellent competition, no
basketball is finer than that played in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
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One of the best NBA teams in its history is the Chicago Bulls who established a
basketball dynasty in the 1990s. Much of the success of these Bulls teams may be
attributed to the phenomenal playing ability of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen,
and BJ Armstrong.
Your turn
It’s your turn to practice working backwards, using a series of questions to help you move
from very specific to more and more general, until you get to a topic that you can use to
find an attention getter. (We’ll use the easier three-part thesis until you get accustomed to
this process.) Fill in the missing information at the numbers in each of the ones listed
below.
Practice 1 (together):
Thesis: If one wants a warm winter vacation destination, perhaps Costa Rica, the
Florida Keys, or Mexico would fulfill a person’s expectations.
1.
2.
3.
4. warm vacation destinations
5. Costa Rica, Florida Keys, Mexico (Hint: look for key
words in the thesis that should come right before mentioning these
three specific locations.)
Practice 2 (with a partner):
Thesis: When considering a top quality college in the state of Illinois, one might
want to consider the University of Illinois, the University of Chicago, or Northwestern
University. (Hint – you have three separate ideas in this thesis statement that could easily
become 3, 4, and 5 in your organizer!)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5. University of Illinois, University of Chicago,
Northwestern University
Practice 3 (on your own):
Thesis: When interviewing prospective employees, an employer will consider what
hours the person is available, any past work experience the person has, and what kind of
reputation the person has in terms of his or her work ethic.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5. hours, experience, reputation
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Writing Practice
Select one of the introductions that you planned in practice 1, 2, and 3 above and write a
complete introduction, including coming up with an appropriate attention getter based on
the topic you have written at #1.