IntroductoryParagraph

Atypicalintroductionhasthreeparts:
Theopeningsentences(calledthegrabber,hook,orlead)
ATransition
AThesisStatement

1.TheOpeningSentences(grabber,hook,lead)

Theopeningsentencesgetthereader'sattentionanddrawthereaderin.Iftheopening
doesn'tgetyourinterest,chancesareitwon'tgettheinterestofyourreadereither.

Hereareafewideasforyouropeningsentences:

Tryusingaquotation
1.Ifyoustartwithaquotation,that'sgreat,butdon'tdoitallthetime.Yourwritingwill
starttosoundformulaic.
2.Makesurethatthequotationyouchooseisrelativelyshort.Youdon'twanttousea
20linequotationtobeginyouressay.
3.Identifythepersonyouarequoting.Besuretocredityoursource.

Beginbydescribingapersonalexperience
1.Ifyoustartwithapersonalexperience,besurethatthesituationisdramatic.Again,
youaretryingtograbyourreaders'interest,soyoudon'twanttobeginwithan
everydaysituation.
2.Keepyourstoryshort.Youaretryingtointroduceyourtopic,nottellyourwholelife
story.
3.Youwillwanttouseatransitionstatementtogetthereaderfromyourexperienceto
thepointyouwanttomakeinyouressay.

Giveafactorastatistic
1.Beginningyouressaywithaninterestingfactorstatisticcanbeinteresting.Ifyou
choosethisoption,besurethatyourfactsarereallyfactsandnotjustopinions.
2.Besuretoletyourreaderknowthesourceofyourfactsorstatistics.
3.Useonlyspecific,notgeneralfacts.

2.TheTransitionSentence
Aftertheopeningsentencegetsthereader'sattention,nextcomesthetransition,a

sentencethattiesyouropeningtothethesisstatement.Sometimesatransitionis
necessary,butsometimesitisnot.Itwilldependonthewordingofyouropening
sentence.Lookatwhatyouhavewritten.Dotheideasseemtoflowsmoothly,ordo
youneedasentencetohelpthereadersgetfromyouropeningtothemainpointthat
youwanttomake?

3.TheThesisStatement
Thethesisstatementisasinglesentenceintheopeningparagraphthatsumsupwith
theessayisabout.Everyessayshouldhaveathesisthattellsthereaderwherethe
essayisheaded.Athesishasthreepracticalaims:
1.Ittells,inasinglesentence,whatyouressayisabout
2.Ithelpsyouorganizeyouressay
3.Itreflectsyourfeelingsonthetopic

**Oneimportantpointtokeepinmind,thethesisstatementisjustthatastatement.
Donotmakeyourthesisaquestion.Ifyoustartwithaquestioninyouropening
sentences,bythetimeyougettoyourthesisstatement,itshouldbecleartoyour
readerwhereyouareheadedwiththerestofyouressay.

AnExample:
Bang!Theexplosionshatteredthestillnessofthehouse.Anobjectwhizzed
throughthewall,smashedthroughapicturehangingonthewall,andflewoverthe
streetsofLongBeach.Isatstunnedinmychair,unabletomove.ThenIgotupto
investigate.Inthenextroommylittlebrother,sixyearsold,satsobbingonthefloor.
Besidehimwasmymother'shandgunthathadjustgoneoffaccidentally.
Thisincident
taughtmealesson.
Handgunsaredangeroustoownbecausetheyprovidelittle
protection,canbeusedintheheatofaquarrel,andoftencausedeadly
accidents.

Leadsarenotintroductionswritersnailonatthebeginningoftheirpiecestheyare
seedswritersplant.Becausedifferentplantsgrowfromdifferentseeds,writersmust

searchfortherightlead."BarryLane

Therearelotsofdifferentwaystobeginanessay.Takealookatthefollowing
introductions.Theyhaveallbeenwrittenforthesameessay,butyoucanseea
lotofvariation.Whichonecatchesyourattentionbest?

Anecdote:

Mrs.Browning,asweet,conservativeladyinhermidsixties,isextremelyproud
ofherfivechildren.HereldestsonisasalesexecutiveforGeneralElectric.Hersecond
oldestisasystemsanalystforAtlanticRichfield.Herthirdsonisexecutive
vicepresidentofthetaxdepartmentatUnionOil,andherdaughter,Linda,isan
executivesecretaryatBoeing.Whenshespeaksofheryoungestson,Todd,however,
hereyesbrightenwithspecialprideandadmiration.Mrs.Browning'syoungestsonis
alsoaprofessional,butthetoolsofhistradearenotabriefcaseoracomputer.
Instead,Toddcarriesamakeupbagandwigbox.WhenTodddressesforwork,he
doesn'tputonthecustomarybluebusinesssuitandwingedtipshoes,butinstead
wearseyeliner,yakhair,andsequins.Mrs.Browning'syoungestsonisaclownfor
RinglingBrothersandBarnumandBaileycircus.
Whiletheprofessionofclowning
mayseemsimpleonthesurface,itactuallyrequiresextensivetrainingin
acrobatics,acting,andmakeupapplication.

StrikingStatement:

Oneday,whenToddBrowningwasabout12yearsold,hismotherfoundhiminthe
bathroomtryingonhermakeup."Ididn'tknowwhattothink,"shesayswithaknowingsmile."I'd
heardstoriesaboutyoungmenputtingonwomen'sclothesandsinginginnightclub,andnaturally,
Iwasconcerned.ButwhenIsawwhatToddwasactuallydoingwithmyeyelinerandlipstick,
drawingstarsaroundhiseyesandpaintinghislipstwicetheirsize,IrealizedthatI'dstumbledupon
atotallydifferentobsession."Asitturnsout,Todddidnotgrowuptobeafemaleimpersonator.
Instead,hegrewuptobeaprofessionalclown.
Whiletheprofessionofclowningmayseem
simpleonthesurface,itactuallyrequiresextensivetraininginacrobatics,acting,and
makeupapplication.

DescriptivePlace:

Thelightsarediminthelargesportsauditorium,andtheseatsarefilledwiththe
colorful,moving,talkingshadowsofpeople.Mutedstrainsoforganmusicminglewith
soundsoflaughter,andthearomaofpopcornandhotdogslingerdeliciouslyintheair.
Thereisnotentthereisnosawdustontheground,buttheauditoriumisalivewiththe
sights,sounds,andsmellsofacircus.

DescriptivePerson:

Thetall,pinkhairedclowninelectricbluesatinbloomers,holdingasmall
rodentlikemongrelinhisarms,doesnotlookhappy.Instead,hislipsarepaintedinan

exaggeratedcrimsonfrown,andasequinedteardropstainshissmooth,whitecheek.
Standingaloneintheflowofathinwhitespotlight,hebeckonstoachildinthe
audience,imploringherwithhiseyestopetthelittledoginhisarms.Thechildcarefully
reachesoutandscratchesthedog'shead.Theclownsmilesshylyandoffersthechild
anenormouscrepepaperdaisy,whichsheacceptsdelightedly.Inspiteofthemagicof
themoment,thisisjustaregularworkingdayforToddBrowning,theyoungmaninthe
electricbluebloomers.pinkwig,andwhitemakeup.Toddisaprofessionalclownwith
RinglingBrothersandBarnumandBaileyCircus.
Whiletheprofessionofclowning
mayseemsimpleonthesurface,itactuallyrequiresextensivetrainingin
acrobatics,acting,andmakeupapplication.

Quotation:

"Theclownisadivinespiritinventedtorejoiceanddelighttheheart."This
inscription,foundinthepyramidofanancientEgyptianPharaoh,istheearliestknown
referencetotheartofclowning.Clowns,withtheirreadywitandcolorfuldress,have
beendelightingaudiencesforthousandsofyears.Inordertolearnalittlebitabout
theseageoldemissariesoflaughter,IspokewithToddBrowning,abrightandfunny
youngmanwhohasdedicatedhislifetotheartofbeingaclown.
Whilethe
professionofclowningmayseemsimpleonthesurface,itactuallyrequires
extensivetraininginacrobatics,acting,andmakeupapplication.

Summary:

Eversincehewasayoungboy,ToddBrowninghaswantedtobeaclown.
WhenToddgraduatedfromhighschool,thefirststephetooktowardhisprofessional
careerwastoenrollinRinglingBrothersandBarnumandBaileyClownCollege.After
graduation,Toddbegantoworkforthecircusfulltime,andnowhisliferevolves
aroundgreasepoint,yakhairwigs,andredrubbernoses.
Whiletheprofessionof
clowningmayseemsimpleonthesurface,itactuallyrequiresextensivetraining
inacrobatics,acting,andmakeupapplication.