Some writers, but not all, begin a paper by drafting the introduction, which introduces the writer’s central idea. If you find it difficult to introduce a paper that you have not yet written, try drafting the body first and saving the introduction for later.
Your introduction will usually be a paragraph of 50 to 150 words (in a longer paper, it may be more than one paragraph). Perhaps the most common strategy is to open with a few sentences that engage readers and establish your purpose for writing, your central idea. The statement of your central idea is called a thesis. (See also 1c.) In the following introduction, the thesis is highlighted.
As the United States industrialized in the nineteenth century, using immigrant labor, social concerns took a backseat to the task of building a prosperous nation. The government did not regulate industries and did not provide an effective safety net for the poor or for those who became sick or injured on the job. Immigrants and the poor did have a few advocates, however. Settlement houses such as Hull-House in Chicago provided information, services, and a place for reform-minded individuals to gather and work to improve the conditions of the urban poor. Alice Hamilton was one of these reformers. Her work at Hull-House spanned twenty-two years and later expanded throughout the nation. Hamilton’s efforts helped to improve the lives of immigrants and drew attention and respect to the problems and people that until then had been ignored.
—Laurie McDonough, student
Each sentence leading to your thesis should hook readers by drawing them into the world of the essay and showing them why your essay is worth reading. The chart at the bottom of the page provides strategies for drafting an introduction.
Whether you are writing for a scholarly audience, a professional audience, a public audience, or a general audience, you cannot assume your readers’ interest in the topic. The hook should spark readers’ curiosity and offer them a reason to continue.
Although the thesis frequently appears at the end of the introduction, it can just as easily appear at the beginning. Much work-related writing commonly begins with the thesis.
Flextime scheduling, which has proved its effectiveness at the Library of Congress, should be introduced on a trial basis at the main branch of the Montgomery County Public Library. By offering its employees flexible work hours, the library can boost employee morale and cut down on absenteeism. Flextime scheduling would also allow the library to expand its hours of operation, a key benefit to the community.
—David Warren, student
As you draft your introduction, think about your writing situation, especially your genre. For some types of writing, it may be difficult or impossible to express the central idea in a thesis statement; or it may be unwise or unnecessary to put a thesis statement in the essay itself. A literacy narrative, for example, may have a focus too subtle to be distilled in a single sentence. Strictly informative writing, like that found in many business memos or nursing reports, may be difficult to summarize in a thesis. In such instances, do not try to force the central idea into a thesis statement. Instead, think in terms of an overriding purpose and of the genre’s conventions and expectations. (See 1a and 64d.)
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If you come from a culture that prefers an indirect approach in writing, you may feel that asserting a thesis early in an essay sounds unrefined and even rude. In the United States, however, readers appreciate a direct approach; when you state your point as directly as possible, you show that you understand your topic and value your readers’ time.
The following strategies can provide a hook for your reader, whether you are composing a traditional essay or a multimodal work such as a slide show presentation or a video.
Offer a startling statistic or an unusual fact
Ask a question
Introduce a quotation or a bit of dialogue
Provide historical background
Define a term or concept
Propose a problem, contradiction, or dilemma
Use a vivid example or image
Develop an analogy
Relate an anecdote