School of Literature, Communication, and Culture

Writing the Introduction, Part One                    List of Approved Essay Topics

Purpose

1. To catch the readers' attention and make them want to continue reading the essay
2. To focus your subject
3. To provide a thesis. (The thesis is your answer to the question or your approach to the topic.)

Ideally, you want your introductory sentences to respond directly to the topic in a focused and interesting way. Think of the introduction as a preview of things to come. You want readers to like your preview so much that they continue reading.

Ways to Begin

• an example
• a personal anecdote
• a series of very brief examples
• some general (though NOT vague, obvious, or clichéd) observations on the topic's significance
• a rhetorical question, or
• an attack on conventional wisdom

Using one of these techniques, try to give an ordinary topic an original or interesting slant. Then, after you have attracted your readers' attention, narrow to a thesis statement.

If you sometimes have trouble organizing your thoughts or staying organized while you write an essay, the introduction is a good place to establish a basic organizational pattern. In addition to your thesis, try listing your subtopics or main points that support your thesis -- the reasons, causes, effects, etc. -- in your introduction. Although you may be most familiar with the practice of listing three subtopics or points to support your thesis, two well developed and well presented points can also be effective and, at times, four points can work well too.

Many introductions can be structured around some simple contrasts. For example, "Many students (people, etc.) believe/say . . . but my experience tells me B."

Always try to provide a clear thesis and adequate mention of your main points in your introductory paragraph. Make sure your thesis directly answers the question being asked.

Sample Introductions

TOPIC: How have your eating habits changed since you've been in college?

1. No one disputes the value of a college education as a large component of personal growth. The physical and intellectual demands of Georgia Tech require lifestyle modifications on all levels. However, such intense academic activities displace all prior habits and acquired knowledge of childhood. My mother's eighteen-year effort of instilling the importance of nutrition faded into a memory only weeks into my college career.

2. Looking back on my first year in college is very memorable. I experienced many great times, and life became a lot busier. With such a busy schedule, one of my biggest changes when I got to college was my eating habits. Staying up late and sleeping until 12:00 everyday didn't exactly help when it came to eating right and eating at meal times. This major change in my eating styles didn't exactly go well with me or my figure.

3. In high school, I was an underweight, picky eater. I ate what I liked on the dinner table and nothing else. Now, after eighteen months of college, a rigorous workout routine, and almost two years experience in the restaurant industry, I am an underweight, picky eater.

4. College has changed many aspects of my life. A major shift has occurred to my eating habits. Since beginning school last year at Georgia Tech, my eating habits have made a change in the wrong direction; they have become the worst of my life. The once important and properly balanced meals became rushed, if not forgotten, and poorly nutritioned meals.

5. I can remember when my older sister, Jennifer, went off to college. I was a junior in high school and could not wait to experience the fun and excitement that Jennifer was about to. I can remember my mother telling her to watch what she ate; otherwise she would gain the freshman fifteen. I remember saying that I would never change my eating habits, and I certainly would not gain fifteen pounds. Much to my surprise, it was not as easy as I thought not to change my eating habits.

6. Because my mother is a diabetic, I have been trained, so to speak, to eat a well-balanced diet. Our family would always have items from the four basic food groups at every meal. When I first went to college at Emory University, I was easily able to continue my good eating habits because while I lived on campus, I ate at the cafeteria where I had many choices of healthy foods. Last Fall, I transferred to Georgia Institute of Technology and now must cook for myself because I live off-campus. Though I attempt to maintain good eating habits, I find myself cooking quick meals which are not always very nutritious.

Go to: Writing the Essay Introduction Part II

Additional Information and Resources:

Essay Section
     Organizing the Essay
          Developing a Thesis Statement
          Writing the Essay Introduction Part I
          Writing the Essay Introduction Part II
          Developing the Body Paragraph
          Writing the Conclusion

Reading Section
     Description
     Practice Reading Test with explanation of the answers

General

Commonly Asked Questions & Answers

Georgia State University: Regents' Exam Program General Info    

Georgia Tech Registrar's Office: Frequently Asked Questions

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Please direct any other questions regarding the Regents' Exam or RGTR 1098/RGTE 1099 to

Dr. Scott Banville or Dr. Shannon Dobranski.