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DEVELOPING AN OUTLINE FOR A PERSUASIVE ESSAY

PART A – PARTS OF THE INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH

1. The Introductory Paragraph

An introductory paragraph for an essay has 3 important parts:

a. HOOK / ATTENTION GETTER

b. BACKGROUND/CONNECTING INFORMATION
c. THESIS STATEMENT

Task 1 – Watch the following video about the parts of an introductory

paragraph.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msaynBwwxkA

Task 2– Right or wrong

1. Must contain an attention grabber for the reader or at least make the essay sound interesting,
may begin with a quote about the topic.
2. Ensures that the intro moves from the general to the specific regarding the topic.
3. Provides the reader with a “road map” of the essay in a logical order.
4. At the end there should be the thesis statement, the most important component of the intro.
5. The thesis statement states the author’s opinion and 3 arguments to support the main idea.

PARTS OF AN INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH

A. the HOOK (or attention getter) is the opening sentence of an essay.

It grabs the reader’s attention.

Type of hook Example hook

Strong/Shocking
statement/fact Each year thousands of teenagers die in driving accidents.
The dictionary defines “gossip” as “casual conversation,” but gossip is a much
Definition more negative interaction.
Quote from a famous The poet Emily Dickinson once said: “Saying nothing…sometimes says the most.”
person
Do you think students should be forced to wear sweaters when it is over 35
Rhetorical Question degrees?
After college, I had to decide between a low-paying job that seemed like fun and a
Dilemma more mundane job that paid well.

"According to 2008 figures from the Pew Research Centre, 97% of today's K-12
Striking numbers and students spend many hours each week playing video games."(Keith Devlin,
statistics Learning Math with a Video Game)

Task 1 –
Write the type of hook next to each one. The hooks are all related to the topic of bullying.

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DEVELOPING AN OUTLINE FOR A PERSUASIVE ESSAY
PART A – PARTS OF THE INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH
1. Being the victim of bullying is one of the worst things
that can happen to a teenager.
SHOCKING STATEMENT
_______________________________ .

2. Over two million students are victims of bullying in

schools all over the country each year. STATISTICS
________________________________ .

3. Just imagine, how would you feel if you were

picked on at school day in and day out? RHETORICAL QUESTION
________________________________ .

4. Alexa said, "Mr. Brown helped me when I was being

bullied at school. I overcame it thanks to him." QUOTATION
________________________________ .

Task 2
Read the question and write a hook.

Q: Universities should have challenging entry exams so that only those who have enough
knowledge can have access to the university. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Use
specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
Rhetorical question hook

Have you ever thought about the transformative power of education and the way it shapes minds?

Statistics hook

The molding of intellect occurs through education, nurturing critical thinking skills and fostering
social awareness. Pew Research Center notes that individuals with advanced education levels
typically exhibit heightened political engagement and a greater grasp of contemporary events.

Quotation hook

‘'Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.' Let's delve into the
transformative journey that learning undertakes within the realms of the human intellect." according
to Nelson Mandela South African lawyer, anti-apartheid activist, politician, and philanthropist

Strong/Shocking statement hook

During 2020, those possessing a bachelor's degree or higher witnessed an astounding 73% surge in
their median weekly income in contrast to their counterparts with only a high school diploma. It's not
just about acquiring knowledge; education emerges as a dynamic catalyst, fundamentally
transforming perspectives and propelling individuals toward economic well-being.

B. BACKGROUND CONNECTING INFORMATION

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DEVELOPING AN OUTLINE FOR A PERSUASIVE ESSAY
PART A – PARTS OF THE INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH
 In the background, you mention the topic or subject of the essay in a
general form.
 You say why this is and important and interesting topic.

Remember not to give too much detail, and do not include evidence at this point
as you will do it when you are writing the body paragraphs.
Let’s look at the following example, which includes the hook also.

Q: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is better to

use printed materials such as books and articles to do research than it is to
use the Internet. Use specific reasons and examples to support your
answer.
Drew Barrymore once said “I have no Internet savvy whatsoever, but I love doing
research. The Internet is my library. Beyond that, I’m completely intimidated by it.”
Just like Miss Barrymore, many people believe that doing research in Internet is
fairly simple, and any monkey could do it, no offense to monkeys. The world wide
web has given us hundreds of possibilities to find information there. Some sources
are good, others, not so much. But you can take your time and obtain what you
need for your research in the digital libraries.

HOOK BACKGROUND

Task 3
Read the following hook and background information. Then circle correct or incorrect. If you circle
incorrect, write a corrected background information.

a. Wolfgang Puck once said, "For me, cooking is an expression of the land where you are and the
culture of that place." When we think of cooking, as well as of the different cultures and sub-cultures
of food around the world and the reason why we cook, the answer is nourishment. Great cooking
produces lasting memories. Food memories can come from something as humble as a beautiful piece
of toasted bread or a wonderful cherry. At the highest levels, we make food memories by balancing
nourishment with joy and excitement.

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DEVELOPING AN OUTLINE FOR A PERSUASIVE ESSAY
PART A – PARTS OF THE INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH
Correct Incorrect

b. My neighbourhood, in my humble opinion, is a lovely one. People chat with each other and meet at
the pool for a refreshing time. The gym we have in the community is also a gathering place for the
young and not so young. My neighbourhood is pretty, and I really like the people with whom I live.
Correct Incorrect

c. If I could change one thing about my neighbourhood, it would be the pollution problem. I will
give the following reasons to explain why this is a problem that we need to resolve.

Correct Incorrect

If there's one aspect of my neighbourhood that I wish I could alter, it undoubtedly would be the
escalating pollution predicament. Over the past few years, pollution levels have surged dramatically,
resulting in a surge in respiratory ailments among both children and the elderly

C. THE THESIS STATEMENT

 It’s the most important sentences of the essay.

 It normally goes at the end of the introduction.
 It has 2 parts: first, you set your position on the topic and second, you add 3 reasons,
supporting ideas or arguments to support your opinion.

Let’s look at the following example, which includes the hook also.

Q: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is better to

use printed materials such as books and articles to do research than it is to
use the Internet. Use specific reasons and examples to support your
answer.
Drew Barrymore once said “I have no Internet savvy whatsoever, but I love doing research.
The Internet is my library. Beyond that, I’m completely intimidated by it.” Just like Miss
Barrymore, many people believe that doing research in Internet is fairly simple, and any
monkey could do it, no offense to monkeys. The world wide web has given us hundreds of
possibilities to find information there. Some sources are good, others, not so much. But
you can take your time and obtain what you need for your research in the digital libraries.

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DEVELOPING AN OUTLINE FOR A PERSUASIVE ESSAY
PART A – PARTS OF THE INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH
While books have their own potential, people should use internet rather than books to
do research because it is fairly inexpensive, it easy to use, and there is a great deal of
information.

HOOK BACKGROUND THESIS

STATEMENT

Task 4
Read the paragraph below and see if you can identify the key features of an introduction:
hook, background, and thesis information. Use different colours to identify each part.
This is an introduction written in response to the essay question: Do you think students should
be forced to wear school uniforms when it is over 30 degrees in the Coast of Ecuador? Yes/No?
Supply your reasons.

We should not have to wear school uniforms because they limit our
ability to express our individuality. What I mean by this is that
students have the right to express who they are and how they are
feeling. One of the most important ways they do this is through
dress. This is how we show the world who we are, particularly in
an environment where we are forced to be quiet for 90% of the day.
Our fashion makes a unique statement. If students are forced to
wear uniforms, their ability to express themselves will be
severely limited, they may try to rebel against the system and
their academic performance will not improve by wearing uniforms.
Because of this we should not have to wear uniforms.

Task 5
Read the following thesis statements. Circle the opinion and underline the three supporting ideas.
1: Smartphones are tools these days, which are beneficial to people in every
aspect, especially as they keep you communicated, organized, and updated with
information.

2: These mammals are the best of the sea animals because they are intelligent,
funny, and interesting.

3: The Internet is not your best friend, as many people intend us to think.
You can find tons of information, true. Still, it is also true that you can be

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DEVELOPING AN OUTLINE FOR A PERSUASIVE ESSAY
PART A – PARTS OF THE INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH
cyberbullied, find inappropriate content, and you can also be a victim of
phishing.

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