Essay writing:how to write the introduction of the essay

Like all first impressions, the introductory paragraph of your essay will leave a lasting imprint. Therefore, it is extremely important that it be well written. To favorably impress your readers, your introduction should contain the following:

Hook

How is a hook used in fishing? It dangles in front of its target (the fish) and tries to lure or captivate it. In much the same way, the “hook” in an essay is used to catch the attention of your audience. To accomplish this, begin your essay with an interesting, thought-provoking idea about the topic you have been assigned. Avoid as sorting the obvious; that is, merely stating a fact that everyone knows is true. For example, “Learning a new language is difficult” is a fact known to be true by almost everyone, and, therefore, serves no useful purpose. Sometimes a quotation (or proverb) works well as a hook if it is particularly relevant to the thesis.

General Statements Regarding the Assigned Topic

Your introduction should only introduce the main ideas of your essay. This is not the place for you to provide supporting details, such as specific names, places, and dates. Save these for the body of your essay.

Thesis

The thesis is the most significant statement in your essay. It consists of one sentence only and is usually the last sentence of your introduction. A thesis must be a complete sentence (unlike a title). It should also be narrow enough for you to be able to discuss it within the short time frame allowed on the TOEFL and within a two- or three-paragraph body. Yet it must also be general enough for you to be able to write two to three sub-points on this topic.

Unlike some countries, in the United States, we do not state directly what we plan to do or say in our essay; for example, “I will write about...” is unacceptable in an American essay. If your essay is well written, your intentions should be obvious to your reader without your having to explicitly state them.

The thesis serves two basic formations. First it states the main topic of your essay. Secondly, it provides a viewpoint or position that you, the writer, holds about this topic.

For example, this is not a thesis: “Smoking in restaurants in New York is illegal.” It merely states a fact, but provides no position or opinion regarding this fact.

This is a thesis: “Not allowing smoking in restaurants in New York is highly unfair to the smoker and gives too much power to the nonsmoker.” Here we are given both a topic (i.e., smoking ‘in restaurants in New York is illegal) plus two clear opinions about this topic. Because this thesis states two positions regarding the topic, it will also help the writer to quickly and effectively set up the organization for the body of his/her essay. That is, the two sub-points have been clearly laid out in the introduction for both the reader and the writer.

Often students feel that there must be a “right” or “wrong” position that they should take on a given topic. Remember: You are entitled to your own opinion. The readers are only interested in whether you have logically, clearly, and effectively supported the position that you have taken.

Practice One

Which of the following sentences is a thesis? If the sentence is a thesis, put a “T” in the space provided next to it. If it is not a thesis, put in “NT” in the space provided. Be prepared to discuss the reasons for your choices.

1. ______ Washington, D.C., is the capital of the United States.

2. ______ There are two basic reasons for the rise of divorce: the lack of communication skills and financial problems.

3. ______ Divorce is not legal in my country. Some people think it should be, some don’t.

4. ______ Walking is the best exercise: it is great for one’s health, and it doesn’t cost anything!

5. ______ Traveling for fun and education.

6. ______ Because I wanted to learn how to speak English fluently, it was essential that I move to an English-speaking country.

7. ______ Financial woes and lack of free time are the major causes of stress today.

8. ______ The Beatles sold over a million records in the 1960s.

9. ______ The Beatles and the Rolling Stones were far more talented than the popular rock bands of today.

10. ______ Now, I am going to write about the reasons I moved to the United States.

To check your responses above, be sure the thesis statement:
Contains one, and only one, complete sentence Provides a clearly defined main topic
Takes a clearly stated position on the topic (instead of merely stating a fact) Doesn’t explicitly state what you plan to do/say

Answers

NT 6. T 2. T 7. T 3. NT 8. NT 4. T 9. T 5. NT 10. NT

Practice Two

Take the following topics and questions, and turn them into theses. Remember that each thesis must be a complete sentence that clearly states your main idea and takes a position on this topic. Ideally, it will also set up the organization for the body of your essay. Doing this can save you a great deal of time when you write the body. It will also help you stay focused.

EXAMPLE: Topic/Question: In many countries, the government practices censorship of television programs. Do you support this practice or not? Support your answer with specific examples.

Possible Thesis: Government censorship of television programs is unfair and fiscally wasteful.

1. Topic/Question: If you had a choice, would you like to live forever? Explain why this does or does not appeal to you.

Thesis:

2. Topic: Students attend a University or college for a variety of reasons. In your opinion, what should be the main purpose of a University education?

Thesis:

3. Topic: When many people think of the United States, words such as “independent” and “free-spirited” come to mind. If you had to describe your country by its personality, what trait(s) would best describe it?

Thesis:

4. Topic: Most people experience at least some degree of culture shock when they are getting accustomed to a new culture. What advice would you give to a friend of yours to help him get over culture shock? (You may write about your own culture or about the American culture.)

Thesis:

5. Topic: It is necessary to be wealthy in order to be successful. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?

Thesis:

Practice Three

Choose one of the questions from the above list (1-5) and write an introduction. Be sure to follow the steps laid out in the inverted pyramid diagram, and watch the time. Remember, on the actual test you will only have a very short time in which to compose your introduction.