Writing an Introduction (Part II)

Don't bother writing a title on your Regents' Test. Avoid introductory paragraphs of only one or two sentences. Instead, write four to six sentences. You must include a thesis somewhere in the paragraph, but otherwise you don't need to follow a set formula. Do not write more than one introductory paragraph or separate the thesis from the rest of the introduction. Remember that this paragraph makes a very important first impression on your readers: proofread it especially carefully.

Some sample introductory paragraph styles:

Topic: If you were forced to live without television, how would you spend the time you normally spend watching TV? Discuss.

1. General observations and a general thesis
Most Americans, it seems, spend much of their time watching TV. They come home from work, hastily prepare their Swanson TV Dinners or Budget Gourmets, and flop down in front of their television sets. From that point until bedtime, they become human vegetables, ignoring other pursuits in favor of a line-up of The Bob Newhart Show, Designing Women, Cagney and Lacy, and the 11:00 news. At 11:30 they fall into bed, anxiously awaiting the new day's TV "fix." Personally, if I were forced to live without television, I would be a more well-rounded person.

2. Personal example and a general thesis
My senior year in high school I had already been accepted into the college of my choice and completed most of my high school requirements, so I suddenly found myself with a great deal of spare time on my hands. Rather than joining the Key Club, playing touch football with my friends, or even reading a good book, I rushed home every day after school, eager to watch my afternoon soaps. Unfortunately, once I hit the living room couch, I usually stayed there for the rest of the day. I began to cultivate a habit which soon became hard to break. If I were forced to live without television now, college would be much easier than it has been so far.

3. Introductory sentence, general thesis, and supporting points
Like most of my friends, I spend too much of my time watching television. If I gave up television entirely, I would be much better off. First, I would probably join a health club where I could work out in the late afternoon instead of watching Dallas reruns. I would also have more time to spend with my friends, talking and pursuing common interests. Most importantly, out of sheer desperation and boredom I would spend time studying, something I can never seem to find the time to do now.

(A mathematical ["first," "second," "third"] introduction is acceptable, but it offers nothing to compensate for weak grammar, mechanics, diction, or logic.)

4. Personal observations and a specific thesis
Sometimes I think about what my life would be like if I were forced to give up television completely. Having spent most of my formative years sitting in front of the TV set watching others live active lives rather than living my own, I would obviously feel deprived and at loose ends. My current lifestyle and my moderately pleasant disposition would both be threatened, at least temporarily. But if I were forced to give up television, I would eventually compensate by spending more quality time with my friends and family and pampering myself in ways I rarely have time for now.

Sample Student Introductions

Notice that actual introductions often do not follow one pattern exactly. However, having access to a number of patterns can help if you typically have trouble beginning your essays. Remember that your purpose in writing an introduction is to narrow and attack the topic and to interest the readers enough that they want to read the rest of the paper.

1. Topic: What would you place in a time-capsule to allow people opening the capsule 1,000 years from now to understand life in the 1980's? Explain.

Life one thousand years from now will be or should be completely different from life in the 1980's. Because of technological advances and the powers of fate, human beings will have long abandoned the 2Oth century's way of life. If a time capsule is the only way of explaining the 1980's to future generations, I would make sure it contains three particular items: a dictionary, a copy of the 1988 American tax form, and a week's worth of The New York Times newspaper.

2. Topic: Is it beneficial for a high school graduate to work fulltime for a year before entering college? Why or why not?

Any high school graduate who plans to attend college should do so the year after his graduation. If he decides against an immediate higher education and gets a fulltime job for a year, he may later find that this could be a huge error. He may continue to put his plans off year after year until he believes he is too old to attend college. Even worse, he may be disillusioned by the "real" world and forget about his college education altogether.

3. Topic: What is your most prized possession? Why?

In the 19 years I have been alive, I have experienced many changes. These changes include the normal periods of physical and mental growth and the normal wants and needs of each time period in my life. During infancy, I assume that my most prized possessions were milk, toys, and my mother. Next, prized possessions came to be crayons and recess time on the playground. My teenage years brought on boys and roller skating. At this peak point in my life -- college -- I feel that prized possessions are not fads anymore. They have become necessary to my life and my education. I believe that my camera is my most prized possession because photography is my major and because my father gave it to me.

4. Topic: Which of the four seasons of the year appeals to you the most? Why?

My favorite season of the year is Winter. I'm sure there are a lot of reasons why I like winter, but one reason that stands out in my mind is the happy childhood I had in the North. My fondest childhood memories come from playing in the snow with my older sister, Susie, in our home town of Columbus, Ohio. Susie and I would play all day. The only time we went home was at meal time and at bedtime. When you are ten years old and have nothing else to do but play in the snow, you are bound to get in a little trouble.