GOOD BEGINNINGS
Introduction
Attention Getter
Ideas that move from general
thoughts to more specific ones
Thesis Statement
Plan of Development
ATTENTION GETTERS / HOOKS
Quote or literary allusion
 “I was angry with my friend. I told my wrath, my wrath did end. I was
angry with my foe, I told it not, my wrath did grow.” William Blake
Relevant story, joke, anecdote
 A momma mouse and baby mouse were crossing the road when a
cat jumped in front of them. The clever momma mouse yelled, “Ruff,
Ruff!” The surprised cat ran away. The momma mouse said to her
baby, “Now you know the importance of speaking a foreign
language!”
A Contrast
 Eat more and lose weight fast!
 Abraham Lincoln in 1832 - Ran for State Legislature and LOST as
well as losing his job that same year. In 1838 –he was defeated in
his attempt to become speaker of the state legislature and in 1843
he ran for Congress and LOST. In 1854 he ran for the Senate of the
United States and LOST. However, Despite all of these setbacks
Abraham Lincoln was still elected President of the United States in
1860.
A Historical Approach
 Establish credibility
 Set the stage
ERRORS TO AVOID IN LEAD-INS
Make sure the attention getter matches the thesis statement!
Keep the lead in brief
Don’t begin with an apology or complaint
Don’t assume the audience knows the subject
Stay clear of boring, overused lead-ins
CONNECTING THE ATTENTION GETTER TO THE
THESIS STATEMENT / BACKGROUND
INFORMATION
The lead in should be followed by a general statement that
transitions from the lead in to the topic.
The next few sentences get more and more specific and
provide information to the reader about the topic and
your opinion of the topic.
The thesis and plan of development are the final
sentences in your introductory paragraph.
ONE GOOD EXAMPLE
“I was angry with my friend. I told my wrath, my
wrath did end. I was angry with my foe, I told it not, my
wrath did grow.” (William Blake, A Poison Tree). Most
people believe they can tell the difference between
friends and enemies. It seems simple. Friends are
good to us, and enemies are not. However, it has
often happened that someone we once considered a
friend became an enemy. What a deadly enemies old
friends can be! Old friends know all our secrets and
private affairs. They often share the same friends and
can turn them against us with their evil whisperings.
Before trusting anyone with your most private affairs,
you need to make sure he or she is a true friend and
not a friend turned enemy.
ANOTHER GOOD EXAMPLE
How do you do it? How do you get those good grades and
have a life?” A friend asked me, “Do you have a method that you
can teach me?” “Yes,” I replied. “I do. And everyone can learn
it!” I have been going to school for many years, and I have
learned that there is more to getting good grades in college than
simply attending classes and taking tests. Students who
understand the system and use it to their advantage get further
faster, and so can you. The “Teacher Suck-up Method” won’t get
you an “A” if you get an “F” on every assignment. However, the
“Teacher Suck-Up Method” can help you get bumped up to a
higher grade than your test scores indicate by getting your
teachers to know your name and care about you as a person. If
you follow the steps for before, during, and after class sessions,
your teachers will find themselves giving you a higher grade.