WRITING
INTRODUCTIONS
INTRODUCTION
PURPOSE of INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPHS
1) To INTRODUCE your subject
2) To IDENTIFY your central issue (thesis)
3) To ENGAGE the reader’s attention/interest
4) To PLOT the path of the essay:
– state your purpose,
– justify your argument,
– mention forthcoming ideas,
– establish the order of those ideas
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INTRODUCTION
How to Write a Proper Introduction
START WITH THE GQ’S
• GENERALIZATION:
– the most common start
– generalized statement regarding your subject
– “Everybody” or “Most people”
(*mind your PN reference*)
– Most people have an opinion when it comes to the issue
of abortion.
– Abortion is a hot-button topic in this election.
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INTRODUCTION
How to Write a Proper Introduction
START WITH THE GQ’S
• QUOTE:
– direct quotes from a story, interview, song
– use quotation marks, note who said/wrote it
– In 1980, the New York Times printed the following
quote by Ronald Reagan: “I’ve noticed that everyone
that is for abortion has already been born.”
– An unknown author states, “No woman wants an
abortion. She wants a child or she wishes to avoid
pregnancy.”
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INTRODUCTION
How to Write a Proper Introduction
START WITH THE GQ’S
• QUIP:
– a witty or sarcastic remark on point
– danger: can set the wrong tone for your essay
– “With humans it’s abortion,” quipped George Carlin,
“but with chickens it’s an omelette.”
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INTRODUCTION
How to Write a Proper Introduction
START WITH THE GQ’S
• QUESTION:
– rhetorical question, asked without expectation of an
answer, with the expectation of answering it
– do NOT use “you” (Have you ever …?)
– When does life begin?
– When is murder acceptable?
– Who has the right to play God?
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INTRODUCTION
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How to Write a Proper Introduction
START WITH THE GQ’S
• STATISTIC:
– statistic relevant to your topic and main idea
– used as a means of introducing your topic
– cite your source in a parenthetical citation
– Approximately 1.3 million abortions are performed
legally each year in the United States of America.
– Single women account for over sixty-eight percent of all
abortions.
INTRODUCTION
How to Write a Proper Introduction
POV
• To reach out to your audience/reader, do NOT use
“you”—which is second person point-of-view.
• Instead, use “we” and “our”—which are first person
point-of-view.
• Your essay will be written from this perspective, so be
consistent throughout.
• As college students, we often have to rely on the cheapest
form of transportation available to us.
• Most of us use the movies as our favorite form of
escapism.
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INTRODUCTION
How to Write a Proper Introduction
GENERALIZE FIRST:
• Do not just jump into your topic
• Ease into the conversation
• GQ’S:
– Generalization
– Quote
– Quip
– Question
– Statistic
• Introduce your subject and then narrow to your
particular topic with its specific focus (THESIS)
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INTRODUCTION
“FUNNEL EFFECT”
• This “narrowing” process is a form of DEDUCTIVE
Reasoning, moving from the general to the specific.
• It allows the writer to introduce a subject, focus on a
particular topic, and express a thesis on that narrowed
topic in a concise statement.
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INTRODUCTION
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“FUNNEL EFFECT”
• From this specific thesis statement, the writer then
begins the process of supporting his/her claim
throughout the body of the essay.
• All of this is good for the reader, who can easily follow
the train of thought, can establish accurate expectations,
and can know exactly where the essay is going.
INTRODUCTION
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“FUNNEL EFFECT”
• I have termed this deductive process the “FUNNEL
EFFECT”
• Here, the writer slowly narrows and logically progresses
towards his/her thesis statement.
• The transition then to the first Body paragraph is
seamless, moving from the thesis statement to the first
means of support (e.g., reason)
Visually, it looks like this…
INTRODUCTION
FUNNEL EFFECT
THESIS
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INTRODUCTION
FUNNEL EFFECT
METHODS of DEDUCTION:
• To narrow towards your thesis, you may employ the
various rhetorical strategies that we will study
throughout this course. These include:
– Classification
– Comparison
– Contrast
– Narration (anecdotes)
• Notice how the following example using classification to
move from the opening generalization towards the
thesis.
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INTRODUCTION
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FUNNEL EFFECT: EXAMPLES
1) Owning a car these days is a necessity, for none more
than the community college student. (OR) Everybody
needs a car these days, especially students at a
community college. Looking around the parking lot at
Luzerne County Community College, I usually see three
types of cars: the new, high-end graduation-gift cars,
the modified sports cars, and the run-down first cars.
Unfortunately, my car is one of the latter.... (thesis with
clear Dominant Impression: My gray 1986 Oldsmobile
Omega is a Bondo Buggy, especially in terms of its
exterior, interior, and trunk.)
INTRODUCTION
FUNNEL EFFECT: EXAMPLES
2) Most people have a place to go to feel refreshed when
life gets too tough. (OR) Most people have a place they
visit to get away from everyday life. It could be a car, a
place in nature, or a room at home. For me it is my
bedroom. (then comes the thesis with clearly stated
Dominant Impression)
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INTRODUCTION
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FUNNEL EFFECT: EXAMPLES
3) Each of us has seen a trashy car, maybe even in our own
driveways.
4) Everyone today needs some sort of transportation.
However, on a college student’s salary, that does not
always work out to be the most attractive car. For
instance, my car should be pictured in the dictionary
next to the word “junker.”
INTRODUCTION
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THESIS STATEMENT
• Comes at the end of the first paragraph (“Funnel
Effect”)
TOPIC + MAIN IDEA + SUPPORT
General Example:
Metallica (topic) is my favorite band (main idea)
because of their lyrics, their live shows, and
their distinctive sound (3 means of support).
INTRODUCTION
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THESIS STATEMENT
Example of a Thesis Statement for the Descriptive essay:
• Three aspects of my car that make it a junker are the front
seat, the back seat, and the trunk.
• Contains the Dominant Impression (“junker”) and the
aspects of your object that support it.
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INTRODUCTION
By the END of the INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH, the
reader should know exactly:
•
•
•
•
•
What your thesis is;
How you will support your thesis;
How you will order that support;
What type of essay you are writing;
What your purpose is for writing on this particular
topic;
INTRODUCTION
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3 FINAL HINTS TO GET STARTED
1) FREEWRITING:
Just start writing. Give yourself ten minutes and write
whatever comes to mind. Do not worry about spelling,
grammar, or punctuation. Do not even worry if you
text makes sense; just write. Once you are done at the
end of the ten minutes, then you can read what you
have written, searching for the proverbial diamond in
the rough, that redeemable idea with which to begin
your essay.
INTRODUCTION
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3 FINAL HINTS TO GET STARTED
2) WRITE THE BODY FIRST:
Rather than not writing a word because you are having
difficulty writing the Introduction, start by writing the
Body of the essay first. This way, you at least have
something written. When you are done with the bulk of
the paper, return the Introduction and Conclusion
paragraphs. Perhaps something arose in the Body that
suggests a way to begin and end the paper, or perhaps a
context logically follows from what you wrote. If you
are still stuck, ask ME.
INTRODUCTION
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3 FINAL HINTS TO GET STARTED
3) WORKING BACKWARDS FROM THE THESIS
STATEMENT:
– What is your THESIS?
• topic + main idea + support
• My favorite types of video games include first-person
shooters, stealth-action games, and fantasy games.
– What is your TOPIC? (video games)
– What CATEGORY would your topic fall under?
(hobbies, spare time, recreation)
INTRODUCTION
3 FINAL HINTS TO GET STARTED
• *Now GENERALIZE on this CATEGORY.
– Everybody has a hobby with which to occupy his/her spare
time. Some people enjoy playing sports, like running,
basketball, and hockey, and others prefer non-physical
recreation, such as chess and painting.
– Then narrow towards you. (For me, my favorite hobby is
playing video games. My bedroom is littered with all types
of games, from sports to superhero games.)
– Lastly comes your thesis. (However, my favorite types of
video games include first-person shooters, stealth-action
games, and fantasy games)
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INTRODUCTION
3 FINAL HINTS TO GET STARTED
KEEP IT SIMPLE:
The 4-PRONOUNS APPROACH
•
•
•
•
1) EVERYBODY (or MOST PEOPLE )
2) SOME
3) OTHERS
4) ME  THESIS
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INTRODUCTION
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The 4-PRONOUNS APPROACH
•
•
•
•
•
Most people own a car.
Some drive shiny new vehicles.
Others drive rusty old cars.
I drive a sporty car.
My electric blue 2005 GT Cruiser is a sporty machine in
terms of its exterior, interior, and hatch.
• *needs some blending, like icing on a cake,
to strengthen its coherence
INTRODUCTION
Helpful Websites When Writing Introductions
• http://www.gmu.edu/departments/
writingcenter/handouts/introcon.html
• http://www.taft.cc.ca.us/newTC/Academic/
LiberalArts/OWL/INTRO.HTML
• http://web.mit.edu/writing/Writing_Types/
introstrategies.html
• http://depts.gallaudet.edu/englishworks/
writing/introconslu.html
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INTRODUCTION
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DOMINANT IMPRESSION
*CHARACTERISTICS of a Dominant Impression:
• *ADJECTIVE or NOUN*
• Declared in thesis statement
• Unifying or controlling aspect; this will link all of your
sense details.
• Without this, your details are like marbles without a jar.
• The first adjective that comes to mind when you think
of your car.
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DOMINANT
IMPRESSION
SENSE DETAIL
SENSE DETAIL
SENSE DETAIL
ALL SENSE DETAILS RELATE TO & SUPPORT DOMINANT IMPRESSION
INTRODUCTION
DOMINANT IMPRESSION
*HOW TO CREATE a Dominant Impression:
• Write the 5 senses on a blank sheet of paper with room
beneath each to write;
• Then, list as many details that appeal to a particular
sense under its name;
• Go from the front of the car to the back & from the
outside to the inside;
• Then, see which details are related to each other, that
paint a similar picture of the object, and group them
together;
• What these details relate to will be your Dominant
Impression.
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INTRODUCTION
DOMINANT IMPRESSION: EXAMPLES
ROOM:
• oasis of peace,
• tranquil refuge,
• feminine/masculine,
• reflects personality (*you must briefly define your
personality; use the appropriate adjective before the
word “personality”: creative personality, artistic
temperament),
• reflects my musical tastes,
• disaster area,
• pig sty
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INTRODUCTION
DOMINANT IMPRESSION: EXAMPLES
CAR:
• total embarrassment, Bondo Buggy,
• off-road monster,
• Junk Mobile,
• typical college student’s (in terms of mess, neglect, ...),
• typical first car (in terms of price, efficiency...),
• “The Black Beauty,” “The Polar Bear”
• giant toy, sporty car, Daddy’s car,
• accessorized car (“Pimp My Ride”) (tricked out)
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