Introductions Flashlight vs. Floodlight: Should offer a statement of purpose Explain the thesis statement by providing necessary background or context It should not list everything the paper will try to discover or explain. It should point out the direction of the paper without attempting to illuminate the entire subject in a paragraph. Define your topic-the issue, question, or problem-and why it matters. Standard shape in an introduction is a funnel—it starts wide, providing background and generalization, and then narrows the subject to a particular issue or topic.

Anecdote Think of a little story that nicely frames what your paper is about. An anecdote is a short tale narrating an interesting or amusing biographical incident. Definition Begin with a definition applicable to your topic Be careful of this type of attention getter. Don’t just define a simple word.

Scene Begin by giving your readers a look at some revealing aspect of your topic. A paper on destruction of tropical rain forests might begin with a description of what the land looks like after loggers have left it.

Challenge a Commonly Held View Profile Try a lead that introduces someone who is important to your topic. Challenge a Commonly Held View It provides you with a framework against which to respond; it allows you to begin by reacting. Because you are responding to a known position, you have a ready way of integrating context into your paper.

Background Maybe you could begin by providing important and possibly surprising background information on your topic. A paper on steroid use might start by citing the explosive growth in use by high school athletes in the last ten years. A paper on a novel or an author might begin with a review of what critics had to say.

Dialogue Open with dialogue between people involved in your topic. A paper discussing the connection between spousal abuse and alcoholism might begin with a conversation between the writer and a woman or man who had been abused by his or her spouse.

Contrast Try a lead that compares two apparently unlike things that highlight the problem or dilemma that the paper will explore. A student writing an essay about women attempting perfection might begin with a comparison between a young girl who married young and grew up believing in Snow White or Cinderella, and herself, who never believed in princes or white horses and was advised by her mother that it was risky to depend on a man.

Announcement Sometimes the most appropriate beginning is one that is direct, although not particularly compelling. A paper with a complex topic or focus may be well served by simply stating in the beginning the main idea you’ll explore and what plan you’ll follow. This style is commonly used in published pieces of writing in the hard sciences. *From Writing Analytically 4th edition, by David Rossenwasser and Jill Stephen

Literary Essay Introductions Begin with a hook or attention getter Include the title of the work, author, and year of publication Provide a bridge to the thesis: Give a brief 2-3 sentence summary of the piece Explain any additional ideas that will be discussed. Example: the theme, conflict, or other terms that need to be clarified Thesis statement