1. The Introduction (with a Focus on the Hook)
Writing Strategies
The Introduction (with a Focus on the Hook)

2. What goes in an introduction?
A purposeful and meaningful hook
A TAG (mention of the title, author, and genre) and brief summary of the text(s) under discussion
A thesis statement

3. Sample Essay Question
What is a central idea about television shared by Roald Dahl’s poem “Television” and Jack Johnson’s song “Cookie Jar”?

4. The Summary and TAG
SAMPLE: Roald Dahl’s poem “Television” presents a scathing view of television. In the poem, speakers, presumably researchers, urge mothers to take television away from their children and to give them books instead. Similarly, Jack Johnson’s song “Cookie Jar” presents another negative view of television and of the people who blame it for the ills of society.

5. The Thesis Comes Last
SAMPLE: Roald Dahl’s poem “Television” presents a scathing view of television. In the poem, speakers, presumably researchers, urge mothers to take television away from their children and to give them books instead. Similarly, Jack Johnson’s song “Cookie Jar” presents another negative view of television and of the people who blame it for the ills of society. Both poems convey the idea that television can be harmful to human beings.

6. The Hook
If you can, write a hook that attracts the reader’s attention and focuses his attention on a subject before jumping right to the summary and TAG. The key is to be purposeful and meaningful, not general and irrelevant.

7. How can I start my essay?
Strategy #1: Provide relevant background information.
By the 1950s, most Americans had televisions in their homes. Since then, television has continued to play a dominant role in people’s lives, providing them with entertainment and news, but also the opportunity to discuss the downside of television.

8. How can I start my essay?
SAMPLE: By the 1950s, most Americans had televisions in their homes. Since then, television has continued to play a dominant role in people’s lives, providing them with entertainment and news, but also the opportunity to discuss the downside of television. Roald Dahl’s poem “Television” presents a scathing view of television. In the poem, speakers, presumably researchers, urge mothers to take television away from their children and to give them books instead. Similarly, Jack Johnson’s song “Cookie Jar” presents another negative view of television and of the people who blame it for the ills of society. Both poems convey the idea that television can be harmful to human beings.

9. How can I start my essay? Strategy #2: Begin with a quotation.
“IT ROTS THE SENSE IN THE HEAD. IT KILLS IMAGINATION DEAD.” These are two passionate lines from Roald Dahl’s poem “Television,” and they illustrate just one of the negative views some people hold about television.

10. How can I start my essay?
SAMPLE: “IT ROTS THE SENSE IN THE HEAD. IT KILLS IMAGINATION DEAD.” These are two passionate lines from Roald Dahl’s poem “Television,” and they illustrate just one of the many negative views some people hold about television. In Dahl’s poem, speakers, presumably researchers, urge mothers to take television away from their children and to give them books instead. Similarly, Jack Johnson’s song “Cookie Jar” presents another negative view of television and of the people who blame it for the ills of society. Both texts convey the growing idea that television can be harmful to human beings.

11. How can I start my essay?
Strategy #3: Begin with a concession, or argument that is different than the one you’re going to discuss.
Since people have begun to look to television for the cause of many of the problems in our society, there have been people willing to defend it, arguing that television does nothing more than entertain people and that people who blame television for problems are just looking for a scapegoat. Two artists who would disagree vehemently with television’s defenders are Roald Dahl and Jack Johnson.

12. How can I start my essay?
SAMPLE: Since people have begun to look to television for the cause of many of the problems in our society, there have been people willing to defend it, arguing that television does nothing more than entertain people and that people who blame television for problems are just looking for a scapegoat. Two artists who would disagree vehemently with television’s defenders are Roald Dahl and Jack Johnson. In Dahl’s poem “Television,” speakers, presumably researchers, urge mothers to take television away from their children and to give them books instead. Similarly, Jack Johnson’s song “Cookie Jar” presents another negative view of television and of the people who blame it for the ills of society. Both texts convey the growing idea that television can be harmful to human beings.

13. How can I start my essay? Strategy #4: Begin with an interesting fact.
Roald Dahl was a writer from the UK who wrote primarily for children. Jack Johnson is a singer-songwriter from Hawaii who spends much of his time surfing. One would think the two have little in common, but they share at least one thing—a dislike of television.

14. How can I start my essay?
SAMPLE: Roald Dahl was a writer from the UK who wrote primarily for children. Jack Johnson is a singer-songwriter from Hawaii who spends much of his time surfing. One would think the two have little in common, but they share at least one thing—a dislike of television.
In Dahl’s poem “Television,” speakers, presumably researchers, urge mothers to take television away from their children and to give them books instead. Similarly, Jack Johnson’s song “Cookie Jar” presents another negative view of television and of the people who blame it for the ills of society. Both texts convey the idea that television can be harmful to human beings.

15. How can I start my essay?
Strategy #5: Begin with a question relevant to your thesis.
Is television really as bad as people think it is? Does it really make children less intelligent? Does it really cause violence? According to a poet and songwriter, yes.

16. How can I start my essay?
SAMPLE: Is television really as bad as people think it is? Does it really make children less intelligent? Does it really cause violence? According to poet Roald Dahl and a popular songwriter Jack Johnson, yes. Roald Dahl’s poem “Television” presents a scathing view of television. In the poem, speakers, presumably researchers, urge mothers to take television away from their children and to give them books instead. Similarly, Jack Johnson’s song “Cookie Jar” presents another negative view of television and of the people who blame it for the ills of society. Both poems convey the idea that television can be harmful to human beings.