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In informative and persuasive writing, an introductory paragraph
sets the stage and prepares a reader for what lies ahead.
Introductions provide a bridge from the reader's mind to yours. For
this reason, the introduction must clearly relate to the rest of your
paper. If the introduction points in one direction and the essay goes
off in another, your reader will be confused, and will likely stop
reading.
In most cases, the introductory paragraph should include your
thesis statement. The thesis statement is the central theme of your
paper. It is the main point that you will be proving up in your paper.
Thesis statements are often found in the last sentence or two of the
introductory paragraph. Prior to this statement, an introductory
paragraph often includes an introductory device that leads into the
thesis. Such devices serve to stimulate the reader's interest in the
subject of your paper.
Four Devices for Introductory Paragraphs
- Provide relevant background information.
- Tell an interesting brief story or anecdote.
- Give a pertinent statistic or statistics.
- Avoid "announcing" what you are going to be talking about in
your paper,
i.e., "In this paper I will ..."
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