- \r\n \t
- Catch readers\u2019 attention.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Introduce the focus and purpose of your writing.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nHow do I accomplish these jobs without giving away all of my essay in the introduction? <\/em>\r\n\r\nHow do I know what will hook readers\u2019 attention without sharing all the cool details?<\/em>\r\n\r\nYou might start by using this simple formula and then choosing a method from the list below.\r\n
Formula<\/h1>\r\nA good introduction = new information + ideas that everyone may not agree with.\r\n\r\nTo put it another way, if your piece begins with an idea most people know and agree with, it\u2019s less likely to pull readers in. People are made curious by new ideas and opinions that have multiple perspectives or may be controversial.\r\n
Methods<\/h1>\r\nThe following are some methods and examples for introducing a topic and getting your reader\u2019s attention.\r\n\r\nMethod<\/strong>: Share an interesting, shocking, or little known fact or statistic about your topic. Starting your paper with a fact or statistic that gives your readers insight into your topic right away will peak their curiosity and make them want to know more. It will also help you establish a strong ethos<\/em>, or credibility, from the very beginning.\r\n
Example<\/strong>: According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 68% of prison inmates do not have a high school diploma.<\/p>\r\nMethod<\/strong>: Tell an anecdote or story that will help readers connect with your topic on a personal level. Sharing a human interest story right away will help readers connect with your topic on a personal level and will help to illustrate way your topic matters.\r\n
Example<\/strong>: Today, Michael Ondaatje is a celebrated Canadian poet, but he was born in Sri Lanka and lived in England before emigrating to Canada.<\/p>\r\nMethod<\/strong>: Ask a question that gets readers curious about the answer. People tend to want to answer questions when they\u2019re presented with them. This provides you with an easy way to catch readers\u2019 attention because they\u2019ll keep reading to discover the answer to any questions you pose in the introduction. Just be sure to answer them at some point in your writing.\r\n
Example<\/strong>: Can prisons rehabilitate prisoners so they\u2019re able to return to their communities, find jobs, and contribute in positive ways?<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\r\n Exercise: Strong or Weak Introduction?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n
\r\n\r\nOne way to improve your introduction-writing skills is to look at different choices that other writers make when introducing a topic and to consider what catches your interest as a reader and what doesn't. Read the introductions below about teenagers and decision making. Which ones pull you in? Which ones are less interesting? What\u2019s the difference? Work with peers to decide.\r\n- \r\n \t
- Throughout history, teenagers have challenged the authority of adults. They do this because they want to be given more freedom and to be treated like adults themselves. This can cause real problems between teens and the adults in their lives.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Some days my sixteen-year-old niece, Rachael, does all of her homework, helps friends study after school, and practices her cello, and other days she forgets her books at school, lies about where she\u2019s going, and doesn\u2019t do her chores. This sporadic behavior seems like it comes out of nowhere, but it turns out teenage brains are different from adult brains, causing teens to sometimes not think about consequences before they act.<\/li>\r\n \t
- If teenage brains aren\u2019t fully formed, causing them to act before they think about the risks they\u2019re taking, should teens be restricted from some adult freedoms like driving, working, and socializing without adult supervision?<\/li>\r\n \t
- Teenagers are known to be less responsible than adults, so they should have at least some adult guidance to make sure they stay safe. Without adult supervision, teens will make poor decisions that could put them at unnecessary risk.<\/li>\r\n \t
- According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the frontal cortex in the brain, where reasoning and thinking before acting occurs, is not fully formed in teenagers. However, the amygdala, \u201cresponsible for immediate reactions including fear and aggressive behavior,\u201d is fully formed early in life. This means teens aren\u2019t as good at considering the consequences of their behavior before they react, so the adults in their lives should limit the risks in their lives until they\u2019re better able to reason through them.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n Exercise: Write an Introduction<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n
\r\n\r\nNow that you've had an opportunity to think about some different approaches and techniques for writing introductions, let's practice.\r\n\r\nFind an entry in your journal or a draft of a piece of writing you\u2019re working on this term and use what you\u2019ve learned in this section to write an attention-grabbing introduction to your piece.\r\n- \r\n \t
- If you don\u2019t currently have a piece to work with, you can write an introduction using one of the following scenarios. Read through the following list and choose one. One to three sentences is enough.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Persuade your local school board members that the elementary school should change the way it teaches sex education.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Persuade teens to travel to a foreign country before they graduate from college.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Give some tips to new parents that will help lower their stress and make their new baby feel safe and loved.\r\nInform young athletes who may want to play football of the possible risks and benefits.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Review a movie, book, product, or trip for someone thinking of making one of these purchases to help them decide that they should or shouldn\u2019t do it.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Share your introduction with your classmates and discuss what about it is effective and how it could be improved.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\nSee the discussion about \u201cWriting Beginnings\u201d in the \"Writing a First Draft<\/a>\" section\u00a0in this text for more on writing introductions as part of your drafting process.\r\n
Text Attributions<\/h3>\r\n
- \r\n \t
- This chapter was adapted from \"Writing Introductions<\/a>\" in The Word on College Reading and Writing <\/em>by Carol Burnell, Jaime Wood, Monique Babin, Susan Pesznecker, and Nicole Rosevear, which is licensed under a CC BY-NC 4.0 Licence<\/a>. Adapted by Allison Kilgannon.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
Media Attributions<\/h3>\r\n
- \r\n \t
- \"iPhone 6 Hello<\/a>\" by Microsiervos<\/a> is licensed under a CC BY 2.0 Licence<\/a>.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","rendered":"
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/931\/2020\/02\/Hello-300x225.jpg\")
\u201cYou don\u2019t get a second chance to make a first impression.\u201d This common axiom<\/a> reminds us just how much weight people place on their first experiences, whether it be with a person, a road trip, or a piece of writing. Catching readers\u2019 attention may be the most important work you do when you write, because if you lose them in the introduction, you don\u2019t get a chance to share your message with them later.<\/p>\nWhat is the Purpose of an Introduction?<\/h1>\n
Introductions have two jobs:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Catch readers\u2019 attention.<\/li>\n
- Introduce the focus and purpose of your writing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
How do I accomplish these jobs without giving away all of my essay in the introduction? <\/em><\/p>\n
How do I know what will hook readers\u2019 attention without sharing all the cool details?<\/em><\/p>\n
You might start by using this simple formula and then choosing a method from the list below.<\/p>\n
Formula<\/h1>\n
A good introduction = new information + ideas that everyone may not agree with.<\/p>\n
To put it another way, if your piece begins with an idea most people know and agree with, it\u2019s less likely to pull readers in. People are made curious by new ideas and opinions that have multiple perspectives or may be controversial.<\/p>\n
Methods<\/h1>\n
The following are some methods and examples for introducing a topic and getting your reader\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n
Method<\/strong>: Share an interesting, shocking, or little known fact or statistic about your topic. Starting your paper with a fact or statistic that gives your readers insight into your topic right away will peak their curiosity and make them want to know more. It will also help you establish a strong ethos<\/em>, or credibility, from the very beginning.<\/p>\n
Example<\/strong>: According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 68% of prison inmates do not have a high school diploma.<\/p>\n
Method<\/strong>: Tell an anecdote or story that will help readers connect with your topic on a personal level. Sharing a human interest story right away will help readers connect with your topic on a personal level and will help to illustrate way your topic matters.<\/p>\n
Example<\/strong>: Today, Michael Ondaatje is a celebrated Canadian poet, but he was born in Sri Lanka and lived in England before emigrating to Canada.<\/p>\n
Method<\/strong>: Ask a question that gets readers curious about the answer. People tend to want to answer questions when they\u2019re presented with them. This provides you with an easy way to catch readers\u2019 attention because they\u2019ll keep reading to discover the answer to any questions you pose in the introduction. Just be sure to answer them at some point in your writing.<\/p>\n
Example<\/strong>: Can prisons rehabilitate prisoners so they\u2019re able to return to their communities, find jobs, and contribute in positive ways?<\/p>\n
\n\n Exercise: Strong or Weak Introduction?<\/p>\n<\/header>\n
\nOne way to improve your introduction-writing skills is to look at different choices that other writers make when introducing a topic and to consider what catches your interest as a reader and what doesn’t. Read the introductions below about teenagers and decision making. Which ones pull you in? Which ones are less interesting? What\u2019s the difference? Work with peers to decide.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Throughout history, teenagers have challenged the authority of adults. They do this because they want to be given more freedom and to be treated like adults themselves. This can cause real problems between teens and the adults in their lives.<\/li>\n
- Some days my sixteen-year-old niece, Rachael, does all of her homework, helps friends study after school, and practices her cello, and other days she forgets her books at school, lies about where she\u2019s going, and doesn\u2019t do her chores. This sporadic behavior seems like it comes out of nowhere, but it turns out teenage brains are different from adult brains, causing teens to sometimes not think about consequences before they act.<\/li>\n
- If teenage brains aren\u2019t fully formed, causing them to act before they think about the risks they\u2019re taking, should teens be restricted from some adult freedoms like driving, working, and socializing without adult supervision?<\/li>\n
- Teenagers are known to be less responsible than adults, so they should have at least some adult guidance to make sure they stay safe. Without adult supervision, teens will make poor decisions that could put them at unnecessary risk.<\/li>\n
- According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the frontal cortex in the brain, where reasoning and thinking before acting occurs, is not fully formed in teenagers. However, the amygdala, \u201cresponsible for immediate reactions including fear and aggressive behavior,\u201d is fully formed early in life. This means teens aren\u2019t as good at considering the consequences of their behavior before they react, so the adults in their lives should limit the risks in their lives until they\u2019re better able to reason through them.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n Exercise: Write an Introduction<\/p>\n<\/header>\n
\nNow that you’ve had an opportunity to think about some different approaches and techniques for writing introductions, let’s practice.<\/p>\n
Find an entry in your journal or a draft of a piece of writing you\u2019re working on this term and use what you\u2019ve learned in this section to write an attention-grabbing introduction to your piece.<\/p>\n
- \n
- If you don\u2019t currently have a piece to work with, you can write an introduction using one of the following scenarios. Read through the following list and choose one. One to three sentences is enough.<\/li>\n
- Persuade your local school board members that the elementary school should change the way it teaches sex education.<\/li>\n
- Persuade teens to travel to a foreign country before they graduate from college.<\/li>\n
- Give some tips to new parents that will help lower their stress and make their new baby feel safe and loved.
\nInform young athletes who may want to play football of the possible risks and benefits.<\/li>\n - Review a movie, book, product, or trip for someone thinking of making one of these purchases to help them decide that they should or shouldn\u2019t do it.<\/li>\n
- Share your introduction with your classmates and discuss what about it is effective and how it could be improved.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
See the discussion about \u201cWriting Beginnings\u201d in the “Writing a First Draft<\/a>” section\u00a0in this text for more on writing introductions as part of your drafting process.<\/p>\n
Text Attributions<\/h3>\n
- \n
- This chapter was adapted from “Writing Introductions<\/a>” in The Word on College Reading and Writing <\/em>by Carol Burnell, Jaime Wood, Monique Babin, Susan Pesznecker, and Nicole Rosevear, which is licensed under a CC BY-NC 4.0 Licence<\/a>. Adapted by Allison Kilgannon.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Media Attributions<\/h3>\n
- This chapter was adapted from “Writing Introductions<\/a>” in The Word on College Reading and Writing <\/em>by Carol Burnell, Jaime Wood, Monique Babin, Susan Pesznecker, and Nicole Rosevear, which is licensed under a CC BY-NC 4.0 Licence<\/a>. Adapted by Allison Kilgannon.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \"iPhone 6 Hello<\/a>\" by Microsiervos<\/a> is licensed under a CC BY 2.0 Licence<\/a>.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","rendered":"
- This chapter was adapted from \"Writing Introductions<\/a>\" in The Word on College Reading and Writing <\/em>by Carol Burnell, Jaime Wood, Monique Babin, Susan Pesznecker, and Nicole Rosevear, which is licensed under a CC BY-NC 4.0 Licence<\/a>. Adapted by Allison Kilgannon.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n