Introduction Strategies Introductions are like doors Click for next Introductions can be eyecatching and Click for next Introductions make a first impression Click for next ID: 433853
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Introduction StrategiesSlide2
Introductions are like doors…
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Introductions can be eye-catching
…and…
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Introductions make a first impression
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Good
introductions make the reader want to read an essay.
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Bad
introductions
(weak, brief, or boring)
make the reader want to stop reading.
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Use
Introduction Strategies to welcome your readers!
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Introduction Strategies
Provide
background information or history
Share an
anecdote
Make a
surprising statement
Use vivid
description
Ask a thought-provoking question
Provide a
series of examples
Use a
unique definition
Share a
quote
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Background Information / History
Introduction Strategy #1
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Background
Information / History
I lived on a small pig farm in North Carolina from birth until I was 18 years old. My family owned between
40 to 60
pigs at any time.
I was so used to being around pigs that I never noticed the smell or the noise. Therefore, I was surprised when living with two roommates began to bother me…
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Background Information /
History
Arranged marriages are a tradition among Indian people. Even today, parents begin seeking appropriate mates for sons and daughters in their late teens. Modern parents do not force marriage upon their children, unlike the past. Fifty years ago, many women met their husbands on the wedding day.
While arranged marriage seems old fashioned, it may be a good solution to the soaring divorce rate.
Thesis
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Share an
Anecdote,
or brief
story
Introduction Strategy #2
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Share an Anecdote
When I was seven years old, I remember
visiting Marineland park
at
Niagara Falls, wondering how such a big whale could be happy in such a small pool…
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Share an Anecdote
Last week, one of my nephews
asked me how I always know what to do in every situation. I laughed at his question because I rarely feel sure I am doing what’s right. However, an event that occurred two years ago taught me what not to do with a handgun…
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Surprising Statement
Introduction Strategy #3
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Surprising Statement
If
the average man never trimmed his beard, it would grow to nearly 30 feet long in his
lifetime…
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Surprising Statement
A
12 ounce jar of peanut butter can have up to
90 insect fragments
and
be considered
safe for consumption by FDA
standards.
A
12-ounce can of tomato juice with 10 maggots in it is also considered safe for consumption by the FDA.
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Surprising Statement
No American has died of old age since 1951…
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Surprising Statement
Gummy bears are actually meat.
Many
“gummy” candies consist mostly of gelatin, a substance made from collagen in cow or pig bones, hooves, and connective
tissues…
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Use a Description
Introduction Strategy #4
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Use a
Description
As we looked into the house, a
narrow beam of sunlight
shined through layers
of paint smeared on the windows.
Walking
across the floor
was treacherous due to exposed
needles, used toilet paper and condoms. An extension cord used for stealing
electricity from neighbors dangled out a
back
window…
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Use a
Description
My grandma’s house had gold carpeting and always smelled like cinnamon, roses, and Pine-Sol cleaner. The shine and crinkle of plastic furniture covers welcomed visitors to the living room. But the best part was her well-stocked kitchen, filled with snacks we loved…
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Use a
Description
As the fire alarm began to scream through the building, I could see my co-worker’s mouths moving but the siren drowned out their words. Then the nauseating odor of natural gas flooded the room. The building was not on fire, not yet anyway…
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Ask a Thought-Provoking Question
Introduction Strategy #5
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Ask a
Thought-Provoking QuestionHow accurate
are movie depictions of prison life?
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Ask a
Thought-Provoking QuestionWhen does free speech become slander?
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Ask a
Thought-Provoking Question
Should the gay rights movement be viewed in the same light as the civil rights movement?
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Why would a woman seek incarcerated men to “date”?
Ask a
Thought-Provoking Question
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Why
would anyone push a dirty needle through several layers of skin to inject a potentially fatal substance into his veins?
Ask a Thought-Provoking Question
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Should
people be concerned about those unpronounceable ingredients in their food?
Ask a Thought-Provoking Question
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WARNING
The question is
not the ENTIRE introduction.
You must
explore the topic for 3-4 sentences after you ask the question
so readers understand why answering the question is important.
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Intro = more than the question
How accurate are movie depictions of prison life?
Anyone who has been in a prison can answer this question easily: less than 50% accurate. Dramatic violence, escape plans, sadistic guards, and black market trade happen, but not at the rate depicted in films.
Repeated days of slow routines that dull the inmates’ minds are not exciting, but inactivity is the real punishment in prison. Most prison movies fail to portray prison life accurately.
Thesis statement
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Intro = more than the question
Why would anyone push a dirty needle through several layers of skin to inject a potentially fatal substance into his veins
? The answer is simple: addiction.
Addicts
do not weigh options or consider consequences. They do not act rationally because addiction controls their brain processes. Clearly, addiction is more than poor choices; it is a disease affecting many systems.
Thesis statement
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Intro = more than the question
Should people be concerned about those unpronounceable ingredients in their food?
After all, food manufacturers must follow FDA standards, so foods should be safe to eat. However, many processed foods have little “food” in them. If consumers truly understood what processed foods contained, they might not eat these foods at all.
Thesis statement
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Provide a
Series of Examples
Introduction Strategy #6
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Provide a Series of Examples
My uncle, a prisoner of war in Vietnam, helped his fellow soldiers by sharing his rations. My father, a retired Marine, faced hostile enemies in the Middle East. In my own fight against cancer, I drew strength from what my family had to overcome, but that wasn’t enough.
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Lisa Keene was forced to buy two airline seats for herself on a Southwest Airlines flight. Roger Adamson can no longer step onto a city bus. Linda Schwartz worries that if she falls, she will not be able to get up again…
Provide a Series of
Examples
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My wife and I argue about money. Friends never seem to have the money they owe me. Companies are laying off employees due to lack of funds. Even the government is in debt…
Provide a Series of Examples
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Use a
Unique Definition
Introduction Strategy #7
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Use a
Unique
Definition:
When most people think about a “
hustler
,” they imagine someone involved in a dishonest activity. However, being a hustler does not necessarily mean stealing or committing crimes. Hustling can involve intelligent and fair business decisions…
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Use a
Unique
Definition:
People often say they are “
depressed
” without truly understanding what it means. Being depressed is more than sadness, disappointment, or not feeling happy. Depression takes a step beyond feeling “down” into a lack of control over thoughts and emotions…
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Share a Quote
Introduction Strategy #8
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“Do not have sex; you will get pregnant and die.”
This line spoken by Coach Carr in the movie Mean Girls presents a common logical fallacy called the “either-or” fallacy.
Having sex may lead to a variety of outcomes, not just pregnancy and death…
Share a Quote
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Share a Quote
“Would you like a large for only 50 cents more?” As this choice is given to consumers all over the country, people agree to purchase much more than they need because the larger size is a “bargain.”
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My grandmother used to say, “If you have one good and true friend in life you have more than most.”
As an elementary school kid with a playground full of friends, I remember thinking that she was crazy to be thankful for only one friend. However, as I moved from school to the working world, I found myself with fewer and fewer real friends….
Share a Quote
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Share a Quote
Woody Allen once said that “80% of success is simply showing up,
” and he seems to be correct. Employers favor employees who are present and available at all times. Today’s employees are able to show up physically and virtually 24 hours a day.
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Remember…
Regardless of which strategy you use, make your introduction
enticing and inviting
to your reader!
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Now, what
NOT to do in an introductory paragraph:
AVOID the following…
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#
1: Apology
What NOT to do in an introductory paragraph:
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Do NOT Apologize
Never suggest that you don't know what you're talking about
or that you're not enough of an expert in this matter that your opinion would matter.
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Avoid phrases like the following:
In my [humble] opinion . . .I'm not sure about this, but . . .
I could be wrong, but…
I did not really understand the assignment, but…
I didn’t know what to write about, so I thought…
Do NOT Apologize
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#2: Announcement
What
NOT
to do in an introductory paragraph:
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Do NOT
Announce your intentions
Avoid
statements like the following:
“In this paper I will discuss. . .”
“The purpose of this essay is to . .”
“I plan to prove to you…”
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#3: Obvious Definition
What
NOT
to do in an introductory paragraph:
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Do NOT use an
obvious definition
Never quote a dictionary, thesaurus, or encyclopedia.
If your reader wants to know what the dictionary says, he/she will consult the dictionary.
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Avoid
statements like the following:
“According to Webster's WWWebster.com Dictionary,”
“Webster’s defines obscene as…”
“Encyclopedia Britannica says…”
Do NOT use an
obvious definition
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#4: Obvious Statement
What
NOT
to do in an introductory paragraph:
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Do NOT Make an
obvious statement
Avoid making statements that everyone already knows.
A car is a machine that transports people from place to place.
No two people are alike.
Everyone is different.
Everyone has a different opinion about…
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Do NOT Make an
obvious statementAvoid
making statements that everyone already knows.
Relationships are different depending upon who is in them.
Bowling is a sport that many people enjoy.
Not everyone is in good physical shape.
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#5: Clichés
What
NOT
to do in an introductory paragraph:
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Do NOT use
Clichés
AVOID Clichés: “Don’t judge a book by its cover”
“Be yourself”
“In the world today”
“They say that”
“In the world we live in”
“In the old(en) days”
“Back in the day…”
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#6: “Have you ever…”
What
NOT
to do in an introductory paragraph:
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Do NOT ask “Have you ever…?”
AVOID
obvious questions:
“Have you ever been faced with an important decision?”
“Have you ever felt frustrated about a situation?”
“Have you ever been lied to?”
“Have you ever felt alone?”
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THE
WORST OPENING LINE EVER…
What
NOT
to do in an introductory paragraph:
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NEVER
USE
“In today’s society”
“In society today”
Simply say “Today…”
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End of presentation