Introductions and Thesis Statements

From Patterns Ch 3

Introduction

The introduction of an essay is located at the beginning of the essay and is comprised of 1-2 paragraphs.

An effective introduction should:

Introduce your subject

Catch the reader’s interest

Give your Thesis Statement

Beginning an Essay

There are several ways to begin your introduction:

Give background information

Give a definition of your subject or topic

Begin with a relevant story or anecdote

Ask a question and provide an answer

Start with a quotation

Begin with a surprising statement or fact

Start with a contradiction

Give a relevant fact or statistic

What NOT to do in an Introduction

Be sure to avoid the following when creating an introduction:

Don’t apologize – never start with statements like “In my opinion” or “I may not be an expert, but…”

Don’t begin with dictionary definitions – avoid beginning an essay with “According to Dictionary.com,”

Don’t announce what you intend to do – never start with phrases such as “In this essay, I will…” “I am going to argue that…”or “The purpose of this essay is to…”

Don’t wander – give a detailed but short overview of your topic. Give your reader just enough to make them want to read the rest of your essay.

Compare and ContrastThesis Statements

A thesis statement for a compare and contrast essay should do the following:

It should identify the subjects of your essay.

It should list the points for comparison you are using.

It should make it clear if you are focusing on the similarities, differences, or both.

It should give the point you will making by comparing and contrasting.

Activity: Drafting an Introduction

Using the information from this presentation and from your topic workshop, draft an introduction for your essay. Be sure to:

Introduce your topic

Catch your reader’s attention by using one of the strategies for beginning an essay

Give your Thesis Statement

Avoid the common errors in writing an introduction