1. Introductions and Thesis
Statements
From Patterns Ch 3

2. Introduction
 The introduction of an essay is located at the
beginning of the essay and is comprised of 1-2
paragraphs.
 An effective introduction should:
 Introduce your subject
 Catch the reader’s interest
 Give your Thesis Statement

3. Beginning an Essay
 There are several ways to begin your introduction:
 Give background information
 Give a definition of your subject or topic
 Begin with a relevant story or anecdote
 Ask a question and provide an answer
 Start with a quotation
 Begin with a surprising statement or fact
 Start with a contradiction
 Give a relevant fact or statistic

4. What NOT to do in an Introduction
 Be sure to avoid the following when creating an
introduction:
 Don’t apologize – never start with statements like “In my
opinion” or “I may not be an expert, but…”
 Don’t begin with dictionary definitions – avoid beginning an
essay with “According to Dictionary.com,”
 Don’t announce what you intend to do – never start with
phrases such as “In this essay, I will…” “I am going to argue
that…”or “The purpose of this essay is to…”
 Don’t wander – give a detailed but short overview of your
topic. Give your reader just enough to make them want to
read the rest of your essay.

5. Compare and Contrast
Thesis Statements
 A thesis statement for a compare and contrast essay
should do the following:
 It should identify the subjects of your essay.
 It should list the points for comparison you are using.
 It should make it clear if you are focusing on the
similarities, differences, or both.
 It should give the point you will making by comparing
and contrasting.

6. Activity:
Drafting an Introduction
 Using the information from this presentation and from
your topic workshop, draft an introduction for your
essay. Be sure to:
 Introduce your topic
 Catch your reader’s attention by using one of the
strategies for beginning an essay
 Give your Thesis Statement
 Avoid the common errors in writing an introduction