2. What is the purpose of an introduction?
The introductory paragraph serves as an outline for the reader by introducing the topic and its
importance, identifying the essay’s main purpose, and indicating the essay’s structure.
In this Module you will
◦ Learn how to create an attention grabber
◦ Determine what type of information should be used as background information
◦ Learn how to create a strong thesis
3. Grabbing the Reader’s Attention
A strong attention grabber will focus your reader on what your paper has to say and fit the theme of
your paper.
“Media portrays Pit Bills as the most ferocious breed of dogs, but they are mistaken.”
This example tells you that the writer is going to outline an argument for why Pit Bulls are not the
most ferocious breed of dogs.
4. Leading Up to Your Thesis
Once you figure out a way to grab your reader’s attention, you will want to use background
information on your topic to lead up to your thesis.
“Pit Bulls have been characterized with violent natures for over a thousand years. Pit Bulls
get their name from “Bull Baiting,” a sport in which people watched as the Pit Bulls would
fight a bull to the death. When that was banned, the sport changed to “Ratting,” where they
would put a Pit Bull in an arena to see how many rats they could kill in a specific time frame.
Even in modern times, Pit Bulls cannot escape their violent past. Today they are forced to
fight against each other in illegal dog-fighting rings.”
The example above gives a brief summary that connects to the thesis while keeping the reader
interested in the paper.
5. Forming a Strong Thesis
A clear and defined thesis is one of the most important parts of your paper, as it will clearly
outline and explain the purpose of your paper to the reader.
“Due to Pit Bulls’ violent history, they are increasingly having more trouble being
adopted into good homes when in reality, they are loving animals under the right care,
perfect for the family, and good for your health.”
This example presents an argument in favor of owning Pit Bulls. The argument includes three
supporting points that will be expanded on in the body of the paper.
6. The Big Picture
Now, let’s look at what we have so far.
“Media portrays Pit Bulls as the most ferocious breed of dogs, but they are mistaken. Pit
Bulls have been characterized with violent natures for over a thousand years. Pit Bulls get
their name from “Bull Baiting,” a sport in which people watched as the Pit Bulls would
fight a bull to the death. When that was banned, the sport changed to “Ratting,” where
they would put a Pit Bull in a arena to see how many rats they could kill in a specific time
frame. Even in modern times, Pit Bulls cannot escape their violent past. Today they are
forced to fight against each other in illegal dog-fighting rings. Due to Pit Bulls’ violent
history, they are increasingly having more trouble being adopted into good homes when
in reality, they are loving animals under the right care, perfect for the family, and good
for your health.”
7. Where do I go from here?
If you have formed a strong thesis, then you should have a good idea of what should be in your
body paragraphs. A defined thesis sets the tempo for the whole paper. Let’s look at the three
supporting points from our example:
• Point 1: Pit Bulls are really loving animals under the right care.
Since this is the first point illustrated in the thesis, the first body paragraph (or however many
paragraphs you need to fully explain this point) should be dedicated to information on this
point.
• Point 2: Pit Bulls are perfect for the family.
Information related to the second point should be included in the paragraph(s) following the
first point.
• Point 3: Pit Bulls are good for your health.
The paragraph(s) for the third point should come right before the conclusion.
8. What Not to Do in an Introduction
• Generalize. In academic writing, you want to stay away from generalizing or stereotyping people
or things. Avoid writing “Most people believe…” and similar phrases.
• Open with a quote or textbook definition. This is okay for only certain types of papers. For
example, if you were analyzing Shakespeare, it would be okay to open with a quote that fits the
theme of your paper.
• Give too much factual information. You should save your supporting factual information for
the body of your paper. This will help with your credibility.
• Get off topic. Everything in your introduction is crucial for letting the reader know what your
paper is about. So, your attention grabber should not involve the weather in Maine when your
thesis involves pizza.
9. Creating Strong Introductions
While the exact construction of the introduction varies depending on the type of paper, all
introductions generally include three things:
• An attention grabber that is on-topic and focuses your reader
• Background information that explains the topic’s importance to the reader and provides context
• A clear, defined thesis that explains the purpose of the paper
