What does an introduction do?
- Establishes a topic (what is this about?)
- Constrains the scope of the project or paper (what is addressed, what is not)
- Defines the purpose of the document (to inform, persuade, etc.)
- Establishes the relevance of the topic and document (why should the reader care?)
In a humanities-style paper, the introduction usually engages the reader using a “hook”
In a social sciences-style paper or technical paper, the introduction usually “forecasts” or “previews” the main ideas or content in the document
The building blocks of an introduction
- Topic
- Background
- Relevance
- Purpose
- Thesis
Common introduction strategies
- Start with a quote, story, or anecdote
- Highlight a controversy
- Start with facts or statistics
- Use an analogy or metaphor
- Describe a problem
- Start with a question
- Quote a song, lyric, or poem (if relevant)
- Unusual fact
What to avoid
- Very general, broad, or vague statements. Make sure your introduction doesn’t just loosely relate to your topic but strongly relates to and introduces your thesis.
- Overused statements: “In today’s society…” “Since the beginning of time …”
General format for single-paragraph introductions
- Hook (Be creative in capturing your audience’s attention.)
- Background Information (or statements that connect the hook to the thesis)
- Introduce your specific topic
- Thesis
The hook grabs the reader’s attention and provides interest.
Background information provides context.
Introduce the specific topic.
State your thesis.
NOTE: It can help to think of an introduction as a funnel. Your introduction should start with larger ideas and become more specific until it reaches the thesis. You can also think of this as moving from more general information to more specific information.
Example
(Hook:) Is it true that bigger is always better? Could it be that society’s insatiable desire for more is, in many ways, giving people less? Once society has accepted the premise that more choice is better, is it possible to reverse that trend? For small, local, family-owned businesses, more and bigger has been anything but better. (Background:) While economic policies are often revised with big businesses in mind, smaller companies have difficulty making their voices heard. But these small businesses do have a large impact on their local economies. (Specific Topic:) When big chain stores like Walmart come into communities like Green Hill, Oregon, they force out local family-owned businesses such as the Verner Brothers’ Grocery. (Thesis:) The case study of Verner Brothers’ Grocery and its struggle to avoid bankruptcy after trying to keep up with the bigger chain stores demonstrates the extent to which the “bigger is better” mindset can upset local economies.
Hook: This example presents a series of rhetorical questions
Background information: Establishes economic policies favor big business
Specific topic: Mentions a specific situation involving Walmart in Oregon
Thesis: Will use a case study to argue that big business can harm local economies