Learn the Basics of Introduction Paragraphs

Before you move into the lessons below on crafting the three sections of an introduction, please keep these logical rules, regarding the construction of your introduction, in mind:

An introduction must be at least 3-sentences long (based on the 3 sections, logically), but a typical introduction paragraph ranges from 3-10 sentences in length.  Anything longer than that, and you are going to lose your reader.

An introduction’s ‘hook’ line of the paragraph will be the only location where it is possible to integrate source material.  While you do not ‘have’ to use source material to ‘hook’ the reader in the first line, it is an option.  Source material would not logically go anywhere else in an introduction since you are introducing the overall topic.  Your sources are not proving anything.  Your sources are not introducing anything.  You are establishing your writing presence—in 3^rd-person voice—and therefore, you will not use sources anywhere in the introduction except for—possibly—the ‘hook’ line of the introduction (the very first line of the paragraph).

An introduction will not have questions peppered throughout it.  While you can use a question as your ‘hook’ option, that is it.  Your introduction serves as a lead into the argument that will be proven in the body-paragraphs; therefore, it stands to reason that you will not be asking your reader questions about how he/she feels about this or that.  You will be asserting your position, not asking questions.  You already know the ‘truth’.  You already know the answers.  Why would you ask questions in your writing?  You want your audience to understand how confident you are on the topic/issue.  Therefore, you will persuasively assert your viewpoint without peppering questions throughout.

An introduction will have the thesis as the last sentence of the introduction, and it should be able to ‘stand-alone’.  What does that mean…to stand-alone?  This means that you will craft a definitive argument statement that is so clearly contained that if a reader was to only read the thesis—the last sentence of the introduction paragraph—he/she would completely understand the arguable topic for the writing.

BASICS of an INTRODUCTION

What are the Basics for an Introduction??

Requirements for Essays

Audience

Prewriting for the Introduction

Sentence Starters for Introduction

Introductions--Drafting Your Essay

Basics of an Introduction

Sources in Introductions

Questions in an Introduction

Introduction Step 1: "Hook"

"Hooks" for the INTRODUCTION

Questions in an Introduction

Sources in Introductions

Quote Resources for "Hooks"

Introduction Step 2: Background

Basics of an Introduction

Providing Background in Introduction

Introduction Step 3: Thesis Statement

What is a Thesis??

How to Write a Good Thesis Statement

Thesis Structure / Argument Support Development

Strong Thesis Statements

Thesis Presentation and Lessons

Thesis Statement Exercise