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 the paragraph with a few sentences that engage the reader and establish your purpose for writing, your central idea. The statement of your main point is called a thesis. (See also C1-c.)
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 she later expanded her reform work 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 engage readers by drawing them into the world of the essay and showing them why your essay is worth reading.
Whether you are writing for a scholarly audience, a professional audience, or a general audience, you cannot assume your readers’ interest in the topic. The hook should spark curiosity and offer readers a reason to continue.
The following chart provides strategies for drafting an introduction.
Academic English 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 or 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 presentation or a video.