Introductions workshop
Some of this material taken from The Writer’s Response
In an introduction, you should:
·
highlight central themes for the reader;
·
outline the approach of the essay; and
·
indicate the order of the discussion.
Avoid:
·
overloading the introduction with detail; and
·
writing a formless introduction.
There are several ways to build the lead in, or first few sentences of your introduction.
A general statement. Begin with a general statement and then follow it with more
particular or specific statements leading to your thesis statement. This introductory
strategy is sometimes referred to as a funnel introduction because, like a funnel, it is
broad at the opening and narrow at the bottom. The closer your get to the end of the
paragraph, the more specific to your essay the sentences become.
A funnel shaped introduction is a good model
Umbrella statement followed by
particular order and
direction of
essay
A Question. Many writers open their essays with a question that is meant to attract the
interest of the reader. Sometimes writers use a rhetorical question—that is, a question for
which no answer is expected because the intended answer is obvious. An example of a
rhetorical question: “What happens to groups of people without leadership?” A writer
might open an essay with a question that requires an answer—and the need to hear the
answer keeps the reader reading.
An Anecdote or Brief Story. Many people enjoy stories. For most, reading about real
people in real situations is far more convincing and interesting than reading about general
ideas. For that reason, opening an essay with a short description of a person, place, or
event can be an effective way of grabbing your reader’s attention. This does not always
need to be a real story and can be taken from literature.
A Quotation. A quotation from someone connected with your topic, from an article
you’re writing about, or from an expert on your subject can be a good way of opening
your introduction. You might look up a famous quotation on your subject in a book such
as Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations or a website like brainyquotes.com. Use these sparingly.
Many teachers like you to begin and end your essays with your own words, but used
properly this can be a very helpful tool.
A Striking Statement or Fact. A fact can be used as a striking lead-in to an essay. Once
you have captured the attention of your reader through a strategy like a striking or
interesting fact, he or she will tend to keep reading.
An example of each using the sample question Who would be the best leader in Lord
of the Flies?:
1.Anecdote or story:
Trailing by four with three minutes left to play, the New England Patriots looked
as calm as the other side of the pillow. While other teams may have panicked under these
same circumstances, the Patriots knew that they had one thing going for them: great
leadership. Tom Brady brought the team back with a calm drive down the field for the
win. Strong leadership can be the difference between winning and losing, or, as was the
case in Lord of the Flies by William Golding, life and death. Of all the boys on the island
Ralph would be the best leader because people respect him, he has good ideas, and he
listens to suggestions.
2. Using a Striking statement or fact:
When leadership was divided, three boys were killed, an island was burned down,
and many more boys lost their sense of civilization. This was the case in Lord of the Flies
by Williams Golding. If the boys had kept their cool and stronger leadership had been
established, this all could have been avoided. Of all the boys on the island Ralph would
be the best leader because people respect him, he has good ideas, and he listens to
suggestions
3. Using a rhetorical question:
What happens when middle school aged boys are left without supervision? What
usually ensues is complete and utter anarchy. How does this change when the boys
realize that no adult is coming, possibly ever? This is the issue raised by Lord of the Flies
by William Golding. The boys must live on their own and in order to avoid this sense of
lawlessness, they require strong leadership. Of all the boys on the island Ralph would be
the best leader because people respect him, he has good ideas, and he listens to
suggestions
4. General statement, or funnel introduction:
Anytime groups of people gather to attempt to get something done, leadership is
important. In sporting events and group activities, leadership can be the difference
between success and failure. In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, leadership can be
the difference between life and death. Of all the boys on the island Ralph would be the
best leader because people respect him, he has good ideas, and he listens to suggestions
5. Quotation:
“Leadership requires that we make tough choices.” This quote by Alan Autry
captures the true nature of what it means to be a leader; a leader must be willing to make
difficult decisions on a daily basis. Sometimes these decisions are small, and sometimes
they are quite important. In Lord of the Flies by Williams Golding, the decisions that the
boys make lead to the deaths of three kids: Simon, Piggy, and the boy with the birthmark.
These deaths could have been avoided with stronger leadership. Of all the boys on the
island Ralph would be the best leader because people respect him, he has good ideas,
and he listens to suggestions
- Notice that none of these introductions contain summaries of texts. Also note that none
of them contain the words I, you, me, my, your, us, we, etc. Also, regardless of which
introduction you choose, it must always contain a thesis (an one sentence answer to the
question which usually contains a three pronged reasoning: i.e. Of all the boys on the
island Ralph would be the best leader because people respect him, he has good ideas,
and he listens to suggestions. Each one of these examples could then become one of your
body paragraphs.
Reverse Funnel Conclusion
A conclusion should be a genuine attempt to consolidate the findings of your essay. Some possibilities:
·
Restate the argument for your essay, but use different words
·
Summarize key ideas
·
Conceptualise your findings in a challenging way
·
Raise questions and suggest implications
An upside down funnel is a good model.
Narrow
statement
linking
with previous
paragraph
Broadening out
bringing in ideas from
body of essay
Final general sentence
empasizing significance of your ideas