Introductions

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Introductions

• Powerpoint created by Ms. Cason
• Information provided by The Writing Center at
  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• http//www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/

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The Role of Introductions

• Can be most difficult to write
• The introduction acts as a bridge
• Transition between readers own world and your
  topic/issues
• Gets attention and makes the reader care

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Why bother writing a good intro?

• You never get a second chance to make a first
  impression
• Your introduction is an important road map for
  the rest of your paper.
• Your introduction will make your readers want to
  read your paper.

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Strategies for Writing an Effective Introduction

• Start by thinking about the question.
• Try writing your introduction last.
• Open with an attention grabber.
• Pay special attention to your first sentence.
• Be straightforward and confident.

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1. Start by thinking about the question

• The question can offer clues about approaching
  the introduction.
• Your essay is a response to the assigned
  question.
• Your direct answer will be your thesis.
• Your thesis is included in your introduction.

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2. Try writing your introduction last

• You may not know what you are going to argue at
  the beginning of the process, but discover your
  main argument through the writing (and research)
  process.
• An introduction written at the beginning may not
  reflect what you have at the end.
• Dont be afraid to write a tentative introduction
  first and then change later.
• Revise to be sure the intro, evidence, and
  conclusion are consistent and reflect the
  argument intended.

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3. Open with an attention grabber

• An intriguing example
• A provocative quotation
• A puzzling scenario
• A vivid and unexpected anecdote
• A thought-provoking question

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4. Pay special attention to your first sentence

• Free of errors and vagueness
• Say something useful and interesting

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5. Be straightforward and confident

• Say what you mean in a declarative sentence.
• Assert your main argument confidently
• Dont expect your reader to believe it if it
  doesnt sound like you believe it!

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5 Kinds of Less Effective Introductions

• The Place Holder Introduction
• The Restated Question Introduction
• The Websters Dictionary Introduction
• The Dawn of Man Introduction
• The Book Report Introduction

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1. The Place Holder Introduction

• Several vague sentences
• Exist only to take up introduction space
• Weak Example Slavery was one of the greatest
  tragedies in American history. There were many
  different aspects of slavery. Each created
  different kinds of problems for enslaved people.

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2. The Restated Question Introduction

• Restating the question can be effective
• BUT it can be easy to stop at JUST restating the
  question instead of offering a more effective
  introduction
• Try to do something more interesting.

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3. The Websters Dictionary Introduction

• Giving the dictionary definition of one or more
  of the words in the assigned question
• Overused decreasing the dramatic impact
• Develop your own definition in the specific
  context of your class and assignment
• Try to find a relevant and specific authority
• Weak Example Webster's dictionary defines
  slavery as "the state of being a slave," as "the
  practice of owning slaves," and as "a condition
  of hard work and subjection.

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4. The Dawn of Man Introduction

• Broad, sweeping statements about relevance of
  this topic since the beginning of time
• Very general
• Fails to connect to the thesis
• Nothing else to say
• Weak Example Since the dawn of man, slavery has
  been a problem in human history.

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5. The Book Report Introduction

• Basic Info Name and author of the book, what the
  book is about, basic facts about the book
• Offers details your reader already knows and that
  are irrelevant to thesis
• Weak Example Frederick Douglass wrote his
  autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick
  Douglass, An American Slave, in the 1840s. It was
  published in 1986 by Penguin Books. He tells the
  story of his life.