Armstrong atlantic state university writing center d. Introductory paragraphs many people feel that the introductory paragraph of an essay, also known as the introduction, is the most important paragraph of all. Aug 20, 2019 how to write an introduction paragraph. In college writing, many professors will require that an introductory paragraph include a thesis statement, or a sentence or sentences that reveal the essays. It is designed to attract and pique the readers interest in your writing.
It informs readers about the topic and why they should care about it, but also adds enough intrigue to get them to continue to read. In introduction, paragraphs are used to avoid such blunders while writing an academic paper. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. The primary purpose of an introductory paragraph is to pique the interest of your reader and identify the topic and purpose of the essay. The issue or importance of the topic that justifies your essay and makes it worth writing and reading. Armstrong atlantic state university writing center. Elements of a paragraph a paragraph is made up of a topic sentence, the developing details, and a. Introductory paragraphs washington state university. The following are two examples of introductory paragraphs. The ten commandments of writing introductory paragraphs 1 the paragraph must be more than one sentence refer to paragraph s ten commandments 2 introduce the topic with several sentences that attract the readers interest. We move from a broader topic to a specific context. Intro paragraphs web writing center armstrong university. Typically, you want to keep one idea to one paragraph.
Look at this paragraph, which introduces an essay on the potential of garlic to treat cancer. The main parts of an introduction include the lead, the bridge, and the thesis claim. Fourstep introductory paragraph format laura randazzo. Intro paragraph worksheets long branch public schools. It should explain your first sentence and should build up to your thesis statement. May 15, 2019 an introductory paragraph, as the opening of a conventional essay, composition, or report, is designed to grab peoples attention. The building blocks of writing i would argue that the paragraph, not the sentence, is the basic unit of writingthe place where coherence begins and words stand a chance of becoming more than mere words. How to write a compelling introductory paragraph grammar girl. The context guides our discussion of our topic by situating us within a particular text, historical time, or theoretical frame. Just follow the pattern you see in the above examples. Introductory paragraphs many people feel that the introductory. Introduction, is the most important paragraph of all. It is true that the first impressionwhether its a first meeting with a person or the first sentence of a papersets the stage for a lasting impression. The purpose of an essay is to present a position on a subject and develop.
Successful introductions engage the reader and increase interest in the topic. An introductory paragraph has a slightly different structure from a p. Write a great first sentence and introductory paragraph. When writing an introduction paragraph, you should always include a hook to capture the readers attention, supporting information about the topic at hand, and a thesis statement.
Following this format will help you write and organize an essay. An introduction or introductory paragraph is the first paragraph in any multiparagraph essay. Oct 20, 2014 how to write an introductory paragraph, easy essay intro. The topic sentence is the first sentence in a paragraph. The body of your introductory paragraph should fulfill two functions. Effective introductory paragraphs usually have at least three common characteristics.
If you often write onesentence paragraphs or your paragraphs seem to be very long or youre not sure when to start a new paragraph, you are making writing. If you planned your paper out, then most of the introductory paragraph is already written. You can engage your readers right from the start through a number of tried and true ways. Its your essays first impressionand you only get to make a first impression once. A paragraph is made of a few sentences that talk about one single topic. Your introduction should also give the reader a sense of the kinds of information you will use to make that argument and the general organization of the paragraphs and pages that will follow. High school n a r r a t i v e pa r a gr a p h t e l l s a s t or y a bout a n e v e nt, a dv e n t ur e, s c e ne, or h a p pe ni ng. In diary of a young girl, the reader meets several characters, who become isolated from the rest of the world. Academic paragraphs contain the points you want to make with supporting arguments and evidence. How to write an introductory paragraphs essays paragraph. You should have at least five to seven sentences in your paragraph. A paragraph is a collection of sentences dealing with a single topic. Unlike a report, an essay does not use subheadings.
The weather is exciting, school is keeping us busy, and halloween is just around the corner. An introduction should tell your reader exactly what your paper is about and how it is structured. Activity 2 writing organized paragraphs writing paragraphs. The introductory paragraph is the first paragraph of an essay. Many people feel that the introductory paragraph of an essay, also known as the.
In all college essays, this introductory paragraph contains a thesis statement. Thus, while all four types support the thesis, they support it in different ways. This section will explain how to write cohesive, coherent and purposeful introductory paragraphs. This is writing introductory and concluding paragraphs, section 8. Youll find that this is much easier than it sounds. As a high school dropout myself and now a mother of six, one child being a recent high school graduate, one just entering high school, and another soon to enter high school in a year with three others trailing behind, i often find myself reflecting on my high school years. This is especially true in introductory paragraphs, which should begin with the broadest statement about the topic and narrow to the specific topic to be addressed.
Fourstep introductory paragraph format ready to dig into some nutsandbolts of essay writing. How to write a effective paragraphs middlesex university. Aug 03, 2017 composing a great first paragraph is important, but tackling it before your ideas are fully formed can lead to trouble. An introductory paragraph prepares the reader for the rest of the essay by stating its overall theme or point. How to write an introductory paragraphs free download as powerpoint presentation. While you certainly dont have to follow them wordforword, these exemplars provide a good model to follow if youre not sure how to write your first paragraph. Writing an introductory paragraph starting your research. The background to the topic context which tells the reader, in general terms, what your essay is about.
Its purpose is to be so inviting that the reader will not want to stop reading. Introductory paragraphs contain four essential functions, and together these functions contribute to coherence at the idea level. Essays are divided into paragraphs an introductory paragraph, body paragraphs and a concluding paragraph and include a list of references on a separate page. Instead, put it on the fast track to success with these four tips for writing compelling introductory paragraphs. The introductory paragraph of any paper, long or short, should start with a sentence that peaks the interest of readers. An introductory paragraph is first paragraph in an essay, follow the link for more information. Certainly, it lets the reader know what to expect in terms of tone, style, purpose and theme. Many introductory paragraphs briefly describe the main points that will be made to explain the topic. In many academic disciplines, your introduction should contain a thesis that will assert your main argument. If you want to know how to write great introductory paragraphs for your essays, start training yourself using wellwritten introduction paragraph examples for essays. The introductory paragraph states the essays topic in very specific terms.
If not, be sure students are orally rehearsing by identifying topic sentences and supporting details. Some instructors and courses require the student to use a 1 essay format. For a 1,000word essay, a balanced length for the introduction and conclusion would be about 4 to 5 sentences each paragraph. The cohesion of a paragraph depends largely on the order in which the ideas are presented. Starting your paper off with an introductory paragraph is the conventional way of academic writing. Lets talk about how to help our middle school and high school students write strong intro. Eld standardwrite expository compositions that include a main idea and some details in simple sentences. The introduction will push into or initiate the examination of your topic and the angle you decide to focus on, while the conclusion will pull tight all the ideas that. Academic writing academic paragraphs are the body paragraphs of your essay and account for about 90% of your word count and marks. Romeo and juliet is a classic shakespearean tragedy in this sense. The basic four square introductory paragraph that a student would write from this outline would be as follows. As usual, the topic sentences go first, followed by the outline and thesis. Writing introductions and conclusions for essays researchgate.
This article will help you working with your introductory paragraph in your essay. Elementary school to write a good essay, you need to grab your readers attention with a strong introductory paragraph. They may also be the structure of short answer questions in other types of writing. Paragraph format, high school teacher vlog duration. Here are some specifications about the typical introductory paragraph. By dianne tuckerlaplount recommended for grades 58 designed for the middle school ld student, the paragraph bookfollows a clear and innovative stepbystep format that provides instruction in the four basic strands required in content area curriculum and standardized tests. Your topic can have some evidence or examples to support it, but these should all be related to each other. The topic sentence is usually the first sentence in a paragraph and it is then followed by the concluding sentences that usually comes in three sentences, and finally, the concluding sentence which is, obviously, found on the last part or after the supporting sentence. Developing introduction paragraphs tlccollege of the canyons. Oct 28, 2015 introductory paragraph examples for essays.