HOW TO WRITE AN INTRODUCTION FOR AN EXPOSITORY

HOW TO WRITE AN INTRODUCTION FOR AN EXPOSITORY ESSAY Hook – Context – Thesis Get a computer and go to 365. Today we are going to write an introductory paragraph.

The Hook: First Impressions are so important! • The introductory paragraph of any paper, long or short, should start with a sentence that piques the interest of your readers. It HOOKS your reader and pulls him or her in! • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Rnq 17 dyxy u 4

THE INTRODUCTION the hook • HISTORICAL INFORMATION: Some topics are better understood if a brief historical review of the topic is presented to lead into the discussion of the moment: • Make sure it’s factual • Keep it brief

Example of hook with Historical Information: If I wanted to write an informative essay on cool skateboarding tricks: In the spring of 1975, skateboarding took an evolutionary boost toward the sport that we see today. In Del Mar, California a slalom and freestyle contest was held at the Ocean Festival. That day, the Zephyr team showed the world what skateboarding could be. They rode their boards like no one had in the public eye, low and smooth, and skateboarding was taken from being a hobby to a serious, exciting sport. TAKEN FROM: http: //skateboard. about. com/cs/boardscience/a/brief_history. htm

Example of hook with Anecdote: If I wanted to write an informative article on auctions: Mike Cantlon remembers coming across his first auction ten years ago while cruising the back roads of Wisconsin. He parked his car and wandered into the crowd, toward the auctioneer's singsong chant and wafting smell of barbecued sandwiches. Hours later, Cantlon emerged lugging a $22 beam drill-for constructing post-and-beam barns—and a passion for auctions that has clung like a cocklebur on an old saddle blanket. "It's an addiction, " says Cantlon, a financial planner and one of the growing number of auction fanatics for whom Saturdays will never be the same. TAKEN FROM: http: //grammar. ccc. commnet. edu/grammar/intros. htm

Example of hook with a Surprising Statement: If I wanted to inform parents of ways to protect their children and prevent accidents: Have a minute? Good. Because that may be all it takes to save the life of a child—your child. Accidents kill nearly 8, 000 children under age 15 each year. And for every fatality, 42 more children are admitted to hospitals for treatment. Yet such deaths and injuries can be avoided through these easy steps parents can take right now. You don't have a minute to lose. TAKEN FROM: http: //grammar. ccc. commnet. edu/grammar/intros. htm

Thesis Statement • Smoking cigarettes affects society • Para Topic 1 – impacting the health of everyone • Para Topic 2 – creating addictions to nicotine • Para Topic 3 – causing increased costs for the health care system • Thesis Statement: Smoking cigarettes affects society by impacting the health of everyone, creating addictions to nicotine, and causing increased costs for the health care system.

Thesis Statements Topic 1 – Verb + main idea of topic sentence Topic 2 – Verb + main idea of topic sentence Topic 3 – Verb + main idea of topic sentence • All of your verbs must be different. • Topic 1 – impacting the health of everyone • Topic 2 – creating addictions to nicotine • Topic 3 – causing increased costs for the health care system

Thesis Statement Stems • Thesis Statement Stems: • Advertising plays a role in the lives of youth by Topic 1 main idea, Topic 2 main idea, and Topic 3 main idea. • Advertising affects the youth of today by Topic 1 main idea, topic 2 main idea, and topic 3 main idea. • Today’s youth are greatly affected by advertising because Topic 1 main idea, topic 2 main idea, and topic 3 main idea. • You must use parallelism

Take a look at this Introductory Paragraph Some people dream that they are walking along the side of a road or along a cliff and suddenly they trip. They are falling for what seems like forever, but before hitting the ground, they wake up. This is considered to be a falling dream, and ironically, falling dreams occur when people are falling asleep. They are usually accompanied by muscle spasms and twitches of the entire body. Although these dreams occur while people are falling asleep, they represent a completely different meaning. Understanding how dreams occur, how they affect people’s lives, and what they mean helps everyone take a better look at their dreams. Hook Context: Why is my audience interested in this? Thesis

INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH – THREE BASIC COMPONENTS Hook—The first sentence (or sentences) of an essay should catch the reader’s attention. It introduces the topic of the essay in an interesting way. After the hook, the following sentences should provide background information to give readers some context about the topic. They should ”build“ towards thesis statement. The thesis statement comes at the end of the introduction. It is the most important sentence in the entire essay because it presents the essay topic and the writer’s position on that topic. It also indicates the main ideas that will be discussed in the body paragraphs.

INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH —INVERTED PYRAMID Begins broad and general Ends very specifically

Mapping Context • In a typical essay, that first sentence (the hook) leads into a few sentences that provide details about your subject or your process. • All of these sentences build up to your thesis/claim statement. They link your hook to your thesis/claim, explaining why your reader should be interested in your topic.

The introductory paragraph has three basic components/parts: Hook – pique reader’s curiosity Context – Why is this important to my reader? Thesis– Point being made/proven

Mapping Context Questions to ask: • Why is the topic important to the reader? • What do others think about the topic? • What is one piece of information that can link my hook to the Thesis Statement?

CONCLUSION Restated thesis—At the start of the conclusion, thesis is restated in words different from those in the introduction. Summary of main ideas—The main ideas from each of the body paragraphs are summarized as a reminder to the reader. Final thought—The writer ends the essay by presenting a final thought on the topic – for example, by stating an opinion, a solution, or a prediction. The final thought should leave a strong impression and encourage the reader to think further about the topic.