W03 Writing Lesson: Introductory Paragraph

Introduction 

In last week’s Writing Lesson, you learned how to piece together a solid basic paragraph. You also submitted your first writing assignment—a basic paragraph in which you indicated “your why” for joining PathwayConnect. Over the next few weeks, you will be learning about two additional types of paragraphs (the introductory and concluding paragraphs), which will enable you to create a basic essay.

Before we dive into this week’s Writing Lesson, please take a moment to review the prompt for your next Writing Assignment—a Basic Essay due at the end of Week 05:

In order for you to effectively fulfill this assignment, you will first need to know how to construct a focused and concise introductory paragraph. That is what this week’s Writing Lesson will focus on helping you do.

Lesson

Let’s start by taking a look at the introductory paragraph.

Introductory Paragraph: What is its purpose?

The purpose of the introductory paragraph is twofold:

1. To make readers want to read your paper
2. To create a focused controlling idea for the rest of your essay

Both of these purposes are accomplished through the hook and the thesis statement.

Parts of the Introductory Paragraph

Hook

According to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center Links to an external site., the hook has two general purposes:

1. To draw the reader in
2. To give adequate context to the essay topic

Drawing the Reader In

You as the writer only have one shot at drawing your readers in and making them want to read your paper. It is crucial that this part of your writing process not go overlooked. While it can sometimes be challenging to know what set of thoughts and words might draw your specific reader in, there are some methods you can apply that have a much higher rate of success than others. Let’s take a moment to review a few of the most common “Do’s and Don’ts” of hook-writing:

Do

• Consider starting off with an engaging example
  • Example Hook:
    • In the Spring of 1820 during family scripture study, a specific scripture in the book of James caused a young Joseph Smith to feel a stirring in his heart that he had never felt before with such great force. He would later come to recognize that feeling as coming from the third member of the Godhead-- the Holy Ghost. Like the young boy Joseph, I too have felt a forceful stirring at different times in my life.
• Explore the idea of using a thought-provoking quote related to your topic or thesis
  • Example Hook:
    • Elder Neal A. Maxwell has taught that, “Mortality is no maze if a man possesses the gift of the Holy Ghost to guide him.” As I have begun this educational journey, I know now more than ever that I need the guidance of the Holy Ghost in order to be successful.
• Think about using an applicable personal experience or anecdote (story)
  • Example Hook:
    • I can remember vividly the first time I felt the whisperings of the Spirit in my heart. It was shortly after I was baptized as I was being confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The moment I received the special gift of the Holy Ghost, my heart began to swell within me and I felt the Holy Ghost testify to me that my Heavenly Father was happy with my decision to be baptized. I have felt that “swelling” within my heart many times since then-- most recently at a fireside that introduced the PathwayConnect program to members in my area.
• Consider starting off with a thought-provoking question
  • Example Hook:
    • When was the first time you ever felt the Spirit testify the truth of something to you? Was it at your baptism as a child? Was it when the missionaries visited your house as a young teenager? Was it during a sacrament meeting talk on a topic that seemed hand-picked by Heavenly Father just for you? What if you could feel that guidance and direction all the time-- even as you study secular subjects in school?

Any of these types of hooks could serve the purpose of drawing your reader in when used in the right way. On the other hand, there are also simple “don’ts” of hook writing that you should take into consideration as well as they could actually turn your reader away.

Don’t

• Use vague sentences that don’t actually say much
  • Example Hook:
    • In this class we were given an assignment. That assignment was to write a basic essay. A basic essay has lots of parts to it that I will include in my essay.
• Simply restate the prompt question. Your reader likely already knows it or would like to learn it via your thesis statement
  • Example Hook:
    • For this paper, we were asked to answer the question, “What is one thing you can change in your life in order to allow the Holy Ghost to be a more central part of your learning?” I think the one thing I could change is...
• Start with a Webster’s Dictionary definition that takes your reader back to primary school
  • Example Hook:
    • The Webster’s dictionary defines “change” as “to make different in some particular.” One thing I want to change about my learning is how much I allow the Holy Ghost to be a part of the process.
• Give such broad context that you revert to the “dawn of man” hook where you use broad, sweeping statements about the relevance of your topic from the beginning of time
  • Example Hook:
    • Since the beginning of time, mankind has been in need of guidance and direction. Throughout history, that guidance has come through many channels-- the most important of which has been the Holy Ghost.

Following the above “Do’s and Don’ts” will give you a great place to start in terms of creating a nice hook for your reader.

Providing Adequate Context

If you have access to a cell phone or computer, you have likely played around with some of the “Map” apps or features. Perhaps you have even input your home address so you can see the satellite image of your building, yard, and surrounding neighborhood. Your introductory paragraph is very much like this “map” feature for your paper and topic. You eventually want your reader to find your neighborhood or house (your thesis), but if your reader doesn’t live in your general area, you might have to zoom out a bit to give your reader context for where you want him/her to go or end up.

Think of your “hook” as this “zoom” feature. Knowing how far to zoom out in order to give your reader adequate context for your thesis should be determined by the question your thesis is answering. For example, if you were writing an essay on the Restoration of the Church and its impact on modern religion, your “zoom” feature might take your reader all the way back to 1820, but not all the way back to the creation of mankind.

Think of it this way, if you were trying to find out the distance between Los Angeles, CA, USA, and Rome, Italy, you would probably have to zoom out on that map feature quite a bit to provide the context necessary to answer that question. On the other hand, if you lived in Los Angeles and were just trying to find directions to the nearest fueling location, you likely wouldn’t have to zoom out too far.

Thesis Statement

The second component of the introductory paragraph is the thesis statement.

The thesis statement serves as the roadmap for the rest of your essay—it indicates the controlling idea you will be engaging throughout your essay (your response to the prompt question) and also outlines the controlling ideas of each of your body paragraphs.

To write a truly effective thesis statement, there are a few simple things you should remember.

Indicate the Controlling Idea of the Essay