PrePALS Writing

WRITING THE INTRODUCTION

Even though a nearly infinite number of topics and arrangements is possible in English prose, introductions generally follow one of several patterns. If you’re writing a children’s story, you’d probably start with “once upon a time” or something similar. If you’re writing a research article in biomechanical engineering, you’d probably start with a statement about how previous research has examined the problem of loading soldiers with daypacks on various surfaces, including sand, concrete, and railroad ballast. These examples are poles apart, but their introductions share very similar purposes: they orient their imagined readers to the topic, time, and place.

In working toward the overall goal of orienting readers, introductions may:

• Provide background about a topic.
• Locate readers in a specific time and/or place.
• Start with a compelling quotation or statistic—something concrete.
• Include an ethical appeal, with which you (explicitly or implicitly) show that you’ve done your homework and are credible.
• Articulate a main claim/thesis.
• Lay out the stakes for the piece of writing—that is, why the reader should bother reading on.

There are three (3) main parts of an essay:

The introduction is the first paragraph of an essay. Its purpose is to be interesting so the reader will want to read the rest of the essay. In all college essays, this introductory paragraph contains a thesis statement. The introduction is a map of the rest of the essay.

Introduction

The intro should be at least 4 sentences.

1. Hook: Catch the reader’s attention!
2. Where are we going? Tell the reader what the essay is about in a general sentence.
3. Thesis: what is the main point of the essay.
4. Transition sentence: Give a hint about what the next paragraph will be about.

The Funnell Method

Similar to the pattern presented above, this example of the funnel method introduces your topic more generally while moving to your specific thesis statement. However, in professional writing (often in business, science, education, and social sciences) the introduction does not contain a "hook" or "attention-getter." This style of writing tends to be "all business" so the writing is more concise and direct.  The funnel method is an effective strategy for writing this type of introduction.