Introductions

One purpose of the introduction Your introduction needs to attract your reader! This is sometimes called a “hook.”

You have seen how the writers in our textbook attracted readers:  Sometimes by surprising the readers:  “Clutter is the disease of American writing.”  Sometimes with information that is then connected to the thesis:  “The most important day I remember in all my life is the one on which my teacher, Anne Mansfield Sullivan, came to me.”  Sometimes with pointed, specific, even dramatic language:  “The notion of becoming a writer had flickered off and on in my head…”

There are many kinds of hooks (Surprising) fact or observation Historical overview (only if it’s important to your paper) Blunt statement Figurative language

There are also hooks to avoid! Dictionary definition  “Tone: the way a writer…” Announcements  “In this paper, I will analyze…” Broad generalization  “Everyone in the world knows…”  “Since the beginning of time…” Question that starts with “Have you ever…?”

One way to think of an introduction… In general, an introduction is like a funnel.

The introduction moves from broad information to narrow information Broad information: context (background) of the essay  Name of text  Name of author  Overview of text (1-2 sentences only!)  Any other information your reader might need to understand your essay Narrow information: your thesis statement

The three most important features of your introduction: Hook  (attract your readers) Context  (background information about the text and anything else your readers might need to know about) Thesis  (last sentence of your intro – you know all about this!)

Try it out! Attract your readers Give the context:  (this order is variable)  Author  Text  Very general overview  Any other important points so that your readers can follow you Finish with your thesis