A hook should never tell the reader exactly what the essay is about. An introductory paragraph is very much tied to the question that has been set see question analysis workshop, and we use special terms to describe each stage of the introduction. See more ideas about middle school writing, teaching writing and essay writing. Having been told of the test john wondered when he would study. Research paper, argumentative paperbackground on your topiccontext. Its your essays first impressionand you only get to make a first impression once. A strong introduction to an essay can hook the reader, creating a desire for more. How to write an introduction essay introductions k12reader. Paragraph structure linwood rumney 03 regard the paragraph as the unit of organization for your essay strunk and white 15. Write a great first sentence and introductory paragraph.
The introduction paragraph is the first paragraph in the paper. A paragraph is a group of related sentences serving three important purposes. The first paragraph below manifests all the advice that appears on this worksheet. The goal of this worksheet is to teach you how to conceive, structure, and finally write a strong. This is the concluding paragraph for the essay in paragraph organisation 1, worksheet 3, exercise 3, my favourite sport. Today, we will begin to write our introductory paragraphs. Introductory paragraphs development and design purpose. The thesis statement ought to appear at the conclusion of the introductory paragraph and. As your writing progresses, many ideas placed in the intro section will later be moved to the. It turns that excitement into curiosity about a well stated thesis statement. Thesis statements and introductions bucks county community. Using a funnel an as analogy, the introduction paragraph is broken down into three parts.
In a response essay written under the constraints of time and the limitations of research, an introductory paragraph serves, both, to prompt your readers for the topic of the essay to come and to commit yourself to a blueprint of ideas that will direct how you develop the essay. This entry was posted in uncategorized on march 22, teach introductory, 2014 by admin, paragraphs. Four square better introductory paragraph writing this is the basic four square set up. How will you connect this paragraph back to your thesis. For each introductory paragraph, underline the bridge sentence or sentences once, and underline the thesis statement twice. For exercises, you can reveal the answers first submit. The thesis statement should make a controversial claim, or a strong argument, while addressing the prompt. Canada is one of the best countries in the world to live in. Below are two examples of well structured introductory paragraphs.
In the heat of a summer afternoon our air conditioner stopped. Included in this packet are sample thesis statements, sample introductory paragraphs, and exercises. Exercise 2 which three paragraphs are introductory paragraphs write ip and which three are concluding paragraphs write cp. It is where we grab the readers attention and explain our topics. This paragraph is one of the most important in our papers. It informs readers about the topic and why they should care about it, but also adds enough intrigue to get them to continue to read. Our worksheets on writing an engaging and interesting essay introduction are. The essay consists of an introductory paragraph with a threepoint thesis statement, three body paragraphs. Successful introductions engage the reader and increase. The introduction introductory paragraph every essay has three parts. Knowing how to write an introduction takes skill and practice, but getting the essay off. Avery the way an essay looks there are five parts to a standard essayecr.
The introductory paragraph northwestern high school english language arts 9 mrs. Background information or statements that connect the hook to the thesis 3. The essay consists of an introductory paragraph with a threepoint thesis statement, three body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph. Introductory paragraph exercises worksheets lesson. In short, the opening paragraph is your chance to make a great first impression. Introductory academic essay and paragraph writing exercises and worksheets. Paragraphs provide breaks that allow readers to pause and make sense of what they are reading.
Paragraphs can be of varying lengths, but they must present a coherent argument unified under a single topic. A good introductory paragraph is between 47 sentences in length, begins with a hook strategy quote, unusual factstatistic, thoughtful, relevant questions, or a personal story, and ends with a clear thesis statement. Begin, then, by writing down all your thoughts for the introduction without worrying whether the ideas are good or bad, coherent or incoherent, accurate or inaccurate. A plethora of examples are provided as well as a short quiz key included. It can either leave the reader thinking, oh great, another boring essay, or well, finally, an interesting essay. The primary purpose of an introductory paragraph is to pique the interest of your reader and identify the topic and purpose of the essay. For these exercises, complete the paragraphs with the most appropriate sentences so that the paragraph flow is not broken. Try using tow or three different patterns for your introductory paragraph and see which introductory paragraph is best. Introductory paragraphs many people feel that the introductory paragraph of an essay, also known as the introduction, is the most important paragraph of all. It is necessary that each sentence in a paragraph be connected to the controlling idea or ideas in the topic sentence of the paragraph. The introductory paragraph of any paper, long or short, should start with a sentence that piques the interest of your readers. Simple click on the title to view more about the worksheet or to download a pdf.
Displaying all worksheets related to introductory paragraph exercises. Applying to college, being in college, and teaching college all require writing college essays, how to teach introductory paragraphs. Certainly, it lets the reader know what to expect in terms of tone, style, purpose and theme. Comma exercises using commas to separate a long introductory phrase from the main clause. Its purpose is to be so inviting that the reader will not want to stop reading. Writers develop a hook, thesis, and thesis map and combine. An introductory paragraph, as the opening of a conventional essay, composition, or report, is designed to grab peoples attention. A paragraph that does not contain enough sentences or enough information that proves its thesis, then this is a clear indication that the paragraph is an incomplete one. The introductory paragraph of an academic essay is very important because it sets the mood for the reader. For example, in narrative writing, it is often acceptable to start with the first event in your story, instead of providing background information. October 14, 2011 when the subject is an infinitive phrase, the sentence often begins with it. Introductory paragraph displaying top 8 worksheets found for this concept some of the worksheets for this concept are paragraph organization 1 work 1 what is an, introductory paragraph work, unit 2 narrative essays, intro paragraphs thesis statements, topic sentences work 1 what is a topic sentence, lesson 3 comparing ineffective and effective writing samples. Paragraphs join together sentences into a unit that works to support an essays main idea or thesis. Fifth grade lesson in writing introductory paragraph.
Exercises for writing introductions and purpose statements 5 mature. Introductory academic essay and paragraph writing exercises and. Usually, a paragraph has at least five sentences, with the first sentence as the topic sentence, the following three sentences are the supporting sentences, and the finals. Robert is writing an essay and in the last sentence of his introductory paragraph, he presented this as his thesis. This weeks exercise, then, consists of mind mapping your introduction. They contain the three basic elements necessary for all introductory paragraphs. An introductory paragraph also supports the thesis by giving relevant background information and context, such as important facts or theory. Pick an object in your life that holds a special significance and.
You can engage your readers right from the start through a number of tried and true ways. The introduction paragraph has the power to make the reader stay and read it completely to the end. Introduction body paragraph 1 body paragraph 2 body paragraph 3 conclusion the introductory paragraph before you write, ask yourself these 2 questions. Understanding the stages of an introductory paragraph. Successful introductions engage the reader and increase interest in the topic. Its introductory sentence is short, its middle sentences engage the reader, and its thesis is clear, debatable, and succinct. Our paragraph of introductory paragraphs is dedicated to. A guide for writing introduction paragraphs for academic.
I use a fairly common symbol to articulate the role of an introductory paragraph. The concluding sentence is the last sentence in the paragraph. Use the first practice session exclusively for learning how to use the tool. How to teach introductory paragraphs essaypaperwritingwrite. The closing sentence is the last sentence in a paragraph. Elements of an intro paragraph a strong introductory paragraph sets the stage for the essay by providing. Little red riding hood barely escapes the cunning advances of the ravenous wolf disguised as her grandmother. Tick the correct information about concluding paragraphs. The introductory paragraph can sometimes be very difficult to write. Click or hover over the introductory paragraph below to see an analysis of its structure, and how.
The middle rectangle holds the writers thesis statement also called topic sentence, and this sentence is eventually developed into three sentences. Developing introduction paragraphs newport public schools. The essay consists of an introductory paragraph with a threepoint thesis. Introductory paragraphs washington state university. For example, if you were writing an introduction to a paper about napoleons loss at. A good introductory paragraph is between 47 sentences in length, begins with a hook strategy. Paragraphs are hardly ever longer than one page, doublespaced and usually are much shorter. An introduction or introductory paragraph is the first paragraph in any multi paragraph essay. Or use a template that provides stepbystep directions for developing this allimportant opening. Postoperatively, a second study investigated whether hip abductor exercises helped, and it seems that they improved function all the patients were women, for some reason. Hook be creative in capturing your audiences attention 2. Developing introduction paragraphs tlccollege of the canyons.
The other day when i was walking to school, i saw a street cleaner sit. Wading into the cool lake we found relief from the heat. Some instructors and courses require the student to use a 1 essay format. Finally, you might want to close your introductory paragraph with a short conclusion sentence. Break down the introduction paragraph for students using this 29slide powerpoint.
An introductory paragraph begins with a broad hook to catch the readers attention. Worksheets are paragraph organization 1 work 1 what is an, name, writing paragraphs types of paragraphs, writing a well structured paragraph, introductory paragraph work, topic sentences work 1 what is a topic sentence, introductions, introductions. An introduction or introductory paragraph is the first paragraph in any multiparagraph essay. The introductory paragraph is a specialty paragraph that introduces the reader to an essay. Thats why it is important to craft the best introduction paragraph possible. Introductory paragraph riverside local school district. However, when we wish to emphasize the infinitive phrase, it can be put at the beginning, especially if it is short. The introductory paragraph is the first paragraph of an essay. Only the first few lines of your essay will decide if the reader will read your paper till the end or not. Any introduction, though, must clearly relate to the rest of the essay. By contrast, the second paragraph, although wellwritten, contains.
The main parts of an introduction include the lead, the bridge, and the thesis claim. Introductory paragraphs general format for singleparagraph introductions if you are unsure of how to organize your introductory paragraph, this is a good format to follow. Finally, it gives the reader a connection to the body of an essay. Elementary school to write a good essay, you need to grab your readers attention with a strong introductory paragraph. Spend one practice session learning how to draw a mind map even if you use only pencil and paperthe way i develop most of my own mind maps.
In a wellconstructed first paragraph, that first sentence leads into three or four sentences that provide details about the subject you address in the body of your essay. In all college essays, this introductory paragraph contains a thesis statement. An introduction should always include an introductory device that leads into the thesis and stimulates the. Introductory paragraph practice for each introductory paragraph. The following are four hook strategies for you to practice. But, when writing informative or persuasive essays, it is important to provide an introductory paragraph that prepares the reader for what lies ahead. Introductory paragraph a good introductory paragraph makes a reader want to continue reading. Restate the main idea of the paragraph using different words. This handout is probably something you have seen before, an inverted triangle or funnel that reminds students to begin broadly with a hook, narrow the focus of the essay with a few sentences that act as a bridge, and then end the paragraph with a clear thesis. Exercises for writing introductions, purpose statements.