Starting off on the Right Foot Writing an Introduction

2 Purposes of an Introduction Get the reader interested in the topic Let the reader know what the paper is going to be about (thesis)

How long should the intro be? A single paragraph (2-5 page paper) A page (10-20 page paper)

What should you avoid doing? Dilly-dally Announce your intentions In this paper I will… The purpose of this essay is to… Apologize In my opinion… I’m not sure about this, but…

What are the parts of an intro? Topic Introduced Bridge to Thesis Thesis

How do you start an intro? General Statement Question Quotation Anecdote (story)

Sample General Statement Intro Today, smoking is an issue which affects everyone. The country is divided on this issue. Some people believe that smoking should be banned everywhere while others’ views are not so harsh. Tobacco should be outlawed because smoking endangers everyone’s health, pollutes the environment, and costs taxpayers a lot of money.

Sample Question Intro What do you think about banning smoking? The country is divided on whether smoking should be banned. I firmly believe that smoking should be outlawed because it endangers everyone’s health; it pollutes the environment; and it costs tax payers a lot of money.

Sample Quotation Intro In a recent article, the Surgeon General is quoted as saying that “smoking is the single greatest threat to the health of our nation.” Unfortunately, smokers and non-smokers are divided on this issue. Smoking tobacco should be outlawed because it endangers everyone’s health, pollutes the environment, and costs tax payers a lot of money.

Sample Anecdote Intro A friend of mine was addicted to both alcohol and cigarettes. After quitting both habits, he told me that overcoming cigarettes was much harder than overcoming alcohol. Addiction to cigarettes is a common problem that too many people face. Tobacco should be outlawed because smoking endangers everyone’s health, pollutes the environment, and costs taxpayers a lot of money.