The Introduction: some do's and do nots

1. The Introduction: some do's and do nots Welcome to my awesome paper!!!

2. DO . . . • Do decide on the type of introduction which best fits the theme. You may have to make the final decision and do the final writing after you have written the body (and the conclusion). Do change the type of introduction if the newer one will strengthen the theme.

3. DO • Do funnel the first paragraph into the thesis statement (the statement of purpose) if you are inexperienced. As you grow in knowledge and self‑confidence, then do try another type of introduction if it is appropriate:

4. Common ways to start “funneling” • an interesting anecdote or narration (It may refer to some experience that the writer and the audience share in common.) • an example or one or more striking facts • an unusual statement/quotation • a general explanation of the subject (Use specific facts and details rather than generalizations.)

5. More funneling techniques . . . • a general explanation of the subject (Use specific facts and details rather than generalizations.) • a definition (Do use sparingly and with discretion. People do read and do own dictionaries.) • a cause and the result(s) • a comparison/contrast • a series of rhetorical questions or the funneling into one specific question

6. If necessary, do use more than one paragraph for the introduction. The number used will depend on the type of introduction needed and on the length of the paper. Normally short papers (up to one thousand words often) will have a single introductory paragraph. If anecdotal or narrative material is used involving direct conversation, each change of speaker must be indicated by a new paragraph.

7. 4. Do appeal to the reader (always have a definite audience in mind for the theme); try to involve the reader by grasping his/her attention, by appealing to his/her human interests, by showing him/her that the subject is a part of his/her life, that the subject is significant to him/her!

8. Do establish your purpose and your point of view with a thesis statement as often as possible (not all implied theses statements are recognized as such). Do limit your thesis so that you can deliver all that you promise for the time and the space involved‑‑and for the assignment! Check your thesis statement to see if you understand which part controls the idea.

9. Do work in somewhere the literary title and its author if your paper is based on such a selection. -- i.e. “Thomas King’s novel Green Grass, Running Water presents an important re-writing of Western myths about Aboriginal people.” • Do check to see if your introduction controls the type of organization which should be used in the body. • Above all, do believe in your thesis, especially your point of view.

10. Now the “Shalt nots” . . . • Do not refer to your title in the introductory paragraph. The title is grammatically independent from the theme. • Donot quote from any dictionary. If necessary, give the definition of a word as you use it in the theme.

11. Do not use these weak beginnings: It is . . . . . There is I (are) . . . . They lead to wordiness, i.e. • NOT • “There are several things that Carol Shields critiques in The Stone Diaries: women’s roles, storytelling, and memory.” • BUT • Carol Shields critiques three things in The Stone Diaries: women’s roles, storytelling, and memory.”

12. Do not use a series of sentences not tied together closely through meaning relationships (and linking devices). • Do not use trite approaches such as these: I'm going to describe (discuss) . . . . I shall talk about . . . . The purpose of my paper is . . . . In this paper I shall . . . .