Introductory Paragraph Generl statements Thesis stotement Chapter 8 The Essay 124 Notice the two parts ofthe introductory paragraph in the following model. ‘Any person who has lived in the cwenteth century has seen alo of changes take place in almost all areas of human existence, Some people are excited by the chalenges that these changes offer: others want to recum tothe simpler He-syle of the pase ewentichcencary has cere advancages such asa higher standard of living for many, be ako as some disavancages such 25a poled environment, the depersonalzation of human relaconships,and the weakening of spiral values. General statements + Introduce the topic ofthe essay + Give background information on the topic ‘The first sentence in an introductory paragraph should be a very general comment ‘about the subject. ts purpose is to attract the readers attention and to give background information on the topic. Each subsequent sentence should become more specificthan the previous one and finally ead into the thesis statement. The thesis statement * States the main topic * Often tists the subdivisions ofthe topic or subtopics ‘May indicate the method of organization ofthe entire paper «+ Is usually the last sentence in the introductory paragraph ‘The thesis statement is the most important sentence in the introduction. Itstates the specific topic and often lists the major subtopics that will be discussed in the body * ofthe 2ssey. Furthermore, it may indicate the method of organization such as chrono- logical order or order of importance. ‘Here are three examples of thesis statements with no subtopics mentioned: Being the oldest son has more disadvantages than advantages. ‘Young people in my culture have less freedom than young people inthe United States. ‘The large movement of people from rural to urban area has major effects on cities. In the following thesis statement, the subtopics are named: The large movernent of people from rural to urban areas has major effects on a city’s ability to provide housing, employment, and adequate sanzation services. ‘When listing two or more subtopics ina thesis statement, a colon (}) is often useful: Prejudice arises from three basic causes: childhood conditioning, ignorance, and fear.ul 422 Part Writing an Essay el Cre Recognizing the Parts of an Introduction PR diss Correlative conjunctions (both... and, not only... but also, neither... nor either «+» 0F) are also useful in thesis statements listing two subtopics: Young people in my culture have less freedom than young people inthe United States not only in ther choice of ifestyle but also in their choice of careers. Puppies. ike children, need bath love and discipline to become responsible ciens. ‘To sum up, an introductory paragraph Is like a funnel: very wide at the top, increasingly narrow in the middle, and very small atthe neck or bottom. Gener ssatements satement STEP Read the following introductory paragraphs, each of which isin scrambled STEP2 Rewrite each paragraph, beginning with the most general statement first. ‘Then add each sentence inthe correct order until the introduction becomes more specific. White the thesis statement ast. Paragraph | 2) If done properly, a handshake gives the impression of strength and honesty, and if done improperty, ft conveys weakness and dishonesty. (2) In ‘some cultures, people bow, and in others, they shake hands. (3) In English- speaking countries, shaking hands ts the custom. (4) A proper handshake has four ingredients: pressure, pumps, eye contact, and verbal message. (6) The ‘way people greet each other when they meet for the first time varies from culture to culture, (6) How one shakes hands sends an important message about one's character Paragraph 2 (2) However, in others, the nuclear family isthe norm, with only the per cents and young children sharing the same house. (2) People in different cul- tures all over the world have different systems for family life. (3) In most cultures, people lve in extended families, in which several generations share the same house, (4) If this new system becomes widespread, it could have cencrmous effets on American society. (6) On the postive sis, ving together might reduce the divorce rate in the United States; on the negative side, 1% might ead to the eventual disintegration’ ofthe traditional femily unt jumps: movements up and dawn integration: falling apart‘Thesis Satements | Oo Chapter 8 The Essay 123 altogether. (6) In the United States, some couples are experimenting with still ‘another system of family Ufe: ving together without marriage. Paragraph 3 2) Although sotentists have experimented with different methods of pre- diction, from observing animal behavior to measuring radio signals from quasars,’ no method bas proven successful. (2) Barthquakes are the most destructive natural disasters known to humans, in terms of the millions of deaths and billions of dollars in property loss that they cause. (8) Despite these heavy losses, scentists are still unable to predict earthquakes. (4) This paper will review the history of the science of earthquake prediction, then discuss each of the prediction methods in more detail, and finally present ata indicating the successfllure ratios of each method. ‘A. Study these thesis statements from two different essays on the topic ofthe status of women in Xanadu, an imaginary country. Which method of organization (chronological order or comparison and contrast) does each one indicate? 1, Beginning in World War TI and continuing through the period of economic ‘boom,' the status of women in Xanadu has changed remarkably. Method of drgantzetlon: ~ a. although the status of women in Xanadu has improved remarkably in recent years, it Is stil very low when compared to the status of women in the countries of the industria! world. Method of organization: In each of the following two thesis statements, borh the method of organi and the major subdivisions ofthe topic ae indicated. Each subdivision will itself become the topic of a separate paragraph in the body of the essay. How many paragraphs will the body of each essay probably contain? Underline the topics of each paragraph 1. The status of women in Xanadu has changed remarkably in recent years ‘due to increased educational opportunities and changes in the country’s laws. ‘Probable number of paragraphs: —— 2. The status of women in Xanadu has improved remarkably in rooent years fn the areas of economic independance, political rights, educational opporta- nites, and social status. ‘Probable number of paragraphs: —— C. Analyze the following thesis statements. STEP 1 Locate the main topic and the subtopics in each of the folowing thesis statements. STEP2 Underline the subtopics. STEP3 Draw a circle around the words or punctuation marks that are used to introduce the subtopics. 3 quasars: starlike objects in space “boom: repid development