Introduction Paragraph The reader is going to decide in the first few sentences whether or not your essay is worth reading.

Compare this introduction… Arizona is a nice place to live. I like the weather. It never gets too cold, and there are sports to play all year long. In this essay, I will talk about how sports can be played year round in Arizona because of the weather.

To this one… It was the seventh inning, and the Diamondbacks were up by three. The sun beat its rays onto my warm, glistened face, and I was once again reminded of my love for the Arizona sun. Arizona is known for having some of the hottest summers and mildest winters, making it the ideal place to live. The best part about the weather in this desert paradise is the possibility of year-round sports.

Grabber The grabber should grab the attention of the reader. Types of grabbers: Statistic Anecdote (short personal story) Historical or shocking fact Famous quote Onomatopoeia Question (too juvenile—avoid)

Example It was the seventh inning, and the Diamondbacks were up by three. The sun beat its rays onto my warm, glistened face, and I was once again reminded of my love for the Arizona sun. Arizona is known for having some of the hottest summers and mildest winters, making it the ideal place to live. The best part about the weather in this desert paradise is the possibility of year-round sports.

Connecting Information The sentence or two following the grabber should provide some background information to the reader. It should connect your grabber to the rest of your essay.

Example It was the seventh inning, and the Diamondbacks were up by three. The sun beat its rays onto my warm, glistened face, and I was once again reminded of my love for the Arizona sun. Arizona is known for having some of the hottest summers and mildest winters, making it the ideal place to live. The best part about the weather in this desert paradise is the possibility of year-round sports.

Thesis Statement This is the most important sentence in the introduction. The thesis statement tells the reader exactly what your paper is going to be about. It should be straight forward and very clear.

Example It was the seventh inning, and the Diamondbacks were up by three. The sun beat its rays onto my warm, glistened face, and I was once again reminded of my love for the Arizona sun. Arizona is known for having some of the hottest summers and mildest winters, making it the ideal place to live. The best part about the weather in this desert paradise is the possibility of year-round sports.

Avoid the following Never EVER write statements such as: I am going to tell you about… This essay is going to be about… I hope you like it.

Your turn Turn to the pre-write that you completed for “Things that Bug Me” Write a strong introduction paragraph for this topic. When finished, switch with a partner. The partner should highlight each part (grabber, connecting information, thesis) a different color. Then he/she should write suggestions for improvement. Share