“ON WRITING”

Writing an Introduction

Introduction: From Purdue University Let’s Go Back to the BeginningYou know your introduction needs a clear

thesis statement. But what else do you put in the paragraph? To answer that question, think about the purpose of an introduction:

Introduce your topic Create interest Provide necessary background information Identify your main idea Preview the rest of your essay

Introduction

What makes a good introduction?

Creating interest!Here’s an example: “Shooting at Local High School”, “Gang

Crimes in School Rise”, “School Violence at an All-Time High”: Wherever we look nowadays, one of these headlines is gracing our newspapers, or being announced by a news reporter….

Introductions

Here’s another: There are many things in this world that

parents need to worry about, and books are not one of them. (This technique is stating an opinion.)

And one more: As one peruses the corridors of a museum, he

or she may feel nostalgia peering back at the familiar faces pinned upon the walls. From the Mona Lisa’s enigmatic grin to Monet’s tranquil, floating lily pads, many iconic works of art have nestled their way into museum collections…

Examples of good and bad introductions

Go to this link and read the entire handout to find techniques and examples of good introductions, as well as a few examples of poor introductions.

When does the handout say that you should actually write your introduction?

http://www2.ivcc.edu/rambo/eng1001/introductions.htm