How to Construct the Perfect Introductory Paragraph



How to Construct the Perfect Introductory Paragraph

1. Craft your thesis, which is the one-line sentence that sums up your entire writing assignment. In an academic paper, it's your opinion on a particular text or idea. An example thesis is, "William Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' is a story about lust rather than about true love."

Write your thesis below:

2. Outline all the main points or ideas that back up your thesis. Write them down so that you can clearly see if your argument holds.

1st Main Point: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2nd Main Point:

___________________________________________________________

3rd Main Point:

___________________________________________________________

3. Condense your thesis. Include what you wrote for step 1 and also include your 3 main points. For example: Because Shakespeare’s characters Romeo and Juliet are young and naïve, broken-hearted and do not truly know each other, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is actually a story about lust rather than about true love.

New Thesis Statement:

4. Write an opening sentence that catches your audience's attention. A surprising or shocking first line draws the reader in, but it needs to make sense with the rest of the piece. Sometimes the opening line in an analytical essay is called the topic sentence. For example, an essay about Shakespeare would need a first line that relates to the rest of the paragraph, such as "The protagonist Romeo, in William Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet,' had passion, longing and sexual desire for Juliet."

5. Add the sentences that support your thesis statement after the opening line. Each sentence is a general summary and doesn't need to go into great detail; the details come later in the paper. The last line is your thesis statement.

6. Read over your paragraph, checking for grammar, sentence structure and word choice. Vary the words you use, especially for the first word in each sentence. Reexamine the first sentence, which is one of the most important elements of the perfect introduction. Consider the strengths and weaknesses of your entire paragraph.

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