Common Types of Leads

_________ Lead: Something happens. Ex. The ball sailed over the fence and crashed into Mrs. Smith’s window.

__________ Lead: Someone is pictured. Ex. The old man sat on a bench reading a newspaper. He was dressed up in a suit and tie. The only odd thing about him was the baseball cap that sat backward on his head.

__________ Lead: A piece of ___________ is given. Ex. The largest crossword puzzle ever published had more than 5000 clues across and a similar number down.

__________ Lead: A belief is stated. Ex. Cats are a thousand times smarter than dogs. On your paper, give an example of this kind of lead.

_______________ Lead: A question or series of questions are asked. Ex. Can dreams predict the future?

__________________ Lead: Words are taken from another context. Ex. “Always chew your food slowly,” my mother says.

__________ ________ Lead: An important word is set off by itself, and then followed by explanatory sentences. Ex. Mud. Mud was everywhere. It was on the rug. It was on the furniture. I have never seen so much mud in my life. **Interjections are good examples of this kind of lead.** Examples of Interjections are...

10. It was a dark and stormy night (Cliché) 9. Let me tell you about... (just get to the point) 8. This weekend I... (ho-hum) 7. My topic is... (just make a statement that clues us in) 6. Once upon a time... (Brothers Grimm have that copyrighted already)

5. I feel that... (just make a statement that clues us in) 4. I think that... (ditto) 3. The dictionary defines (topic) as... (a real show stopper—NOT!) 2. (Topic) is a very exciting thing. (Show us, don’t tell us) 1. Hello, my name is... (if it’s a letter, we’ll figure that out; if it’s not, your name is listed as author under the title)

Now knowing the common types of leads and worst kinds of introductions: Choose three common leads to introduce your personal narrative. (Introductions are a paragraph in length not one sentence.)