Introductions and Thesis Statements English B60 Introductions and Thesis Statements

Introductions Introductions are important because they are your first impression on your audience. You want introductions to be catchy, informative, and persuasive. Introductions have three parts: Hook Info. Thesis

Hook Your opening hook is your attention getter. It is what makes your readers want to continue reading.

Techniques There are several ways to create an opening hook. You might Ask a question of your audience Provide an interesting fact or statistic Give a BREIF anecdote about your topic Provide an interesting and relevant quotation

Practice Imagine you are asked to write an essay on your favorite superhero. First, decide who you would choose to write about. Next, choose one of the methods and create an opening hook for a hypothetical introductory paragraph. Now, turn and share your opening hooks with a partner. Be prepared to share with the class.

Example While he may not have superpowers, he makes up for that with his incredible wealth and brooding good looks.

Info. The second part of your introduction, the info., is the place where you introduce your readers to your topic and provide them with the necessary background information they need to understand your thesis statement. Like Goldilocks, you don’t want to give too much or too little information, but just the right amount.

Practice Take your opening hook and add on your info. section. This should give us all the relevant information about your topic. Imagine that your readers are unfamiliar with your subject. Now, turn and share with a partner. Be prepared to share with the class.

Example While he may not have superpowers, he makes up for that with his incredible wealth and brooding good looks. Batman, or Bruce Wayne, his alter ego, is appealingly ordinary. He was never bitten by a radioactive spider, and he cannot fly. While other superheroes are born with powers or forced into their professions due to circumstance, Batman chooses to avenge the untimely death of his parents and help rid Gotham City of corruption and crime. He shows us that we don’t need superhuman strength or x ray vision to be a hero.

Thesis Your thesis is the last sentence of your introduction It should be a single, declarative sentence (not a question), and it should contain your topic and your stance on that topic. You should make sure that it answers your topic question and is appropriately focused. Your thesis is the controlling idea of your essay.

Practice Now, take your hook and info, and add your thesis statement to the end. Turn and share with a partner. Be prepared to share with the class.

Example While he may not have superpowers, he makes up for that with his incredible wealth and brooding good looks. Batman, or Bruce Wayne, his alter ego, is appealingly ordinary. He was never bitten by a radioactive spider, and he cannot fly. While other superheroes are born with powers or forced into their professions due to circumstance, Batman chooses to avenge the untimely death of his parents and help rid Gotham City of corruption and crime. He shows us that we don’t need superhuman strength or x ray vision to be a hero. For these reasons, Batman surpasses rivals like Superman to become the best superhero.

Practice Now, work in groups to draft an introductory response to the following question based on “The Right to Be Vile”—Do you think that the Supreme Court ruling in favor of the Westboro Baptist Church was correct? You’ll first need to come to a consensus about a position. Then, as a group, choose an opening hook, provide some background information (and introduce the article, much like you did in the first sentence of your rhetorical précis), and provide a clear and concise thesis statement.