An Introduction Into Writing

How to format an essay… The first paragraph will always be the introductory paragraph. The last paragraph will always be the conclusion paragraph. The several paragraphs in the middle are known as the body paragraphs. Introductory Paragraph Body Paragraphs Conclusion

The Introductory Paragraph The introductory paragraph is arguably the most important paragraph because of it’s two main purposes. It introduces the topic to prepare the reader for what you will be writing. It hooks the reader so that they will be interested in reading more.

The introduction answers three basic questions… What is this? Why am I reading it? What do you want me to do?

What is this? Answer this question by setting the context of the entire essay. You must provide general information about the main idea, explaining the situation so the reader can make sense of the topic and the claims you make and support

Why am I reading it? Why is this topic important… how is it relevant? It is easy to answer these question... tell the reader why he or she should care and keep reading. Your goal is to create a compelling, clear, and convincing essay people will want to read and act upon

What do you want me to do? This is best answered by clearly stating your thesis statement.

A thesis is not a… Poor Examples A thesis is not a… A title An announcement of the subject An absolute fact Homeschool versus public school My subject is about which fast food burger is better. J.K. Rowling is the author of the Harry Potter series.

Thesis Statement Your thesis is more than a general statement about your main idea. It needs to establish a clear position in which you will support. The thesis statement should be the last sentence in your intro. A good thesis statement needs to be unified and specific For example: …“Americans should eliminate the regular consumption of fast food because the fast food diet leads to preventable and expensive health issues, such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.”

A thesis statement needs to be unified… Poor Example Better Example Detective stories are not a high form of literature, but people have always been fascinated by them, and many fine writers have experimented with them. Floppy!!! Detective stories appeal to the basic human desire for thrills Concise

A thesis statement needs to be specific… Poor Example Better Example James Joyce’s Ulysses is very good. James Joyce’s Ulysses helped create a new way for writers to deal with the unconscious.

The Hook In addition to the thesis statement, every introductory paragraph should have a hook. An essay hook is the first one or two sentences of your essay. It serves as an introduction and works to grab the reader’s attention. The first couple sentences will help your reader decide whether they want to continue reading your essay or not.

A visual representation of “The Hook” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2bk_9T482g

So Let’s Recap!!! Your introduction paragraph needs to have the following things. A hook (The first sentence) Context information A thesis statement (The last sentence)