Writing an Introduction. An introduction has 2 purposes: to introduce your topic
and to get to the point! (Literally). General. Specific. Notes from The Lively Art of ...
Writing an Introduction
An introduction has 2 purposes: to introduce your topic and to get to the point! (Literally) General
Specific
Notes from The Lively Art of Writing by Lucile Vaughan Payne
Writing an Introduction Identify a major element from your thesis (usually a noun). 2. Make a rational observation about it. 3. Logically narrow down your general observation to your specific thesis. An introductory sentence presents an idea, but it doesn’t really take a side. Your thesis statement will take a side. 1.
Examples from The Lively Art of Writing by Lucile Vaughan Payne
Example 1 The American buggy race is a thing of the past, but its spirit is not. It lives on today at a thousand dragstrips, where teenage boys now race their hotrods just as their grandfathers once raced their horse-drawn rigs. The boy behind the wheel of that roaring modern buggy, however, has a great deal more than his grandfather’s daring spirit . . . Like his grandfather, he will race every challenger, but today’s drag-racing teenager is primarily an automotive engineer, as eager to test his theories as to win races.
Example 2 The American buggy race is a thing of the past, but its spirit is not. Unfortunately, its spirit has undergone almost as complete a transformation as the racetrack and the vehicles themselves. The dirt track of the county fair has become a dragstrip, the buggy has become a hotrod, and the daring but friendly spirit of contest has become a frightening and obsessive competition—often to the death.
Write Sentence #1 Imagine you are writing an essay about the dangers of texting while driving. Write a general statement about texting and driving that could be the first sentence in your introduction. A long commute may seem like a waste of time, so many commuters use their cell phones to continue working while they drive.
Write Sentences #2-3 Imagine you are writing an essay about your favorite sport. Using the following introductory sentence, write the next two sentences that will narrow the topic. Some kind of sport seems to be a natural part of every young person’s life. Youngsters can be found tumbling, tossing softballs, and tackling opponents from an early age. I, however, chose a sport that did not require as much coordination: running.
Writing a Thesis Statement The last sentence of your introduction should be your thesis statement. A thesis is the one major point you want your essay to make; it’s your entire essay boiled down to a single sentence.
Notes from The Lively Art of Writing by Lucile Vaughan Payne
5 Steps to a Thesis 1.
2. 3.
4.
5.
Take inventory. Choose a topic about which you have a decent amount of knowledge. Ask questions. Is your topic deep enough to explore? Look for relationships. Your essay must go beyond your topic to connect with the reader. Does it pass the “so what” test? Ask yes-or-no questions. Now that you have determined a topic/issue, take a side on it. Your thesis provides an answer to a yes/no question. Qualify. Narrow your thesis to an area you can defend.
Notes from The Lively Art of Writing by Lucile Vaughan Payne
5 Steps Example 1.
2.
3.
4. 5.
Take inventory. I know a decent amount about music because I took piano lessons and played in band for a while. Ask questions. How does music affect my life? What did I learn from music that I could not have learned in another way? Look for relationships. I am a patient person. I also practiced piano for an hour at a time. Could they be related? Ask yes-or-no questions. Does learning an instrument teach patience? Qualify. Although reading music helped me develop critical thinking skills, the most important virtue I cultivated through eleven years of piano lessons was patience.
Writing an Introduction • An introduction has 2 purposes: to introduce your topic and to get to the point! (Literally) General
Specific
Notes from The Lively Art of Writing by Lucile Vaughan Payne
Writing an Introduction 1. Identify a major element from your thesis (usually a noun). 2. Make a rational observation about it. 3. Logically narrow down your general observation to your specific thesis. An introductory sentence presents an idea, but it doesn’t really take a side. Your thesis statement will take a side. Examples from The Lively Art of Writing by Lucile Vaughan Payne
Example 1 The American buggy race is a thing of the past, but its spirit is not. It lives on today at a thousand dragstrips, where teenage boys now race their hotrods just as their grandfathers once raced their horse-drawn rigs. The boy behind the wheel of that roaring modern buggy, however, has a great deal more than his grandfather’s daring spirit . . . Like his grandfather, he will race every challenger, but today’s drag-racing teenager is primarily an automotive engineer, as eager to test his theories as to win races.
Example 2 The American buggy race is a thing of the past, but its spirit is not. Unfortunately, its spirit has undergone almost as complete a transformation as the racetrack and the vehicles themselves. The dirt track of the county fair has become a dragstrip, the buggy has become a hotrod, and the daring but friendly spirit of contest has become a frightening and obsessive competition—often to the death.
Write Sentence #1 Imagine you are writing an essay about the dangers of texting while driving. Write a general statement about texting and driving that could be the first sentence in your introduction. A long commute may seem like a waste of time, so many commuters use their cell phones to continue working while they drive.
Write Sentences #2-3 Imagine you are writing an essay about your favorite sport. Using the following introductory sentence, write the next two sentences that will narrow the topic. Some kind of sport seems to be a natural part of every young person’s life. Youngsters can be found tumbling, tossing softballs, and tackling opponents from an early age. I, however, chose a sport that did not require as much coordination: running.
Writing a Thesis Statement • The last sentence of your introduction should be your thesis statement. • A thesis is the one major point you want your essay to make; it’s your entire essay boiled down to a single sentence.
Notes from The Lively Art of Writing by Lucile Vaughan Payne
5 Steps to a Thesis 1. Take inventory. Choose a topic about which you have a decent amount of knowledge. 2. Ask questions. Is your topic deep enough to explore? 3. Look for relationships. Your essay must go beyond your topic to connect with the reader. Does it pass the “so what” test? 4. Ask yes-or-no questions. Now that you have determined a topic/issue, take a side on it. Your thesis provides an answer to a yes/no question. 5. Qualify. Narrow your thesis to an area you can defend. Notes from The Lively Art of Writing by Lucile Vaughan Payne
5 Steps Example 1. Take inventory. I know a decent amount about music because I took piano lessons and played in band for a while. 2. Ask questions. How does music affect my life? What did I learn from music that I could not have learned in another way? 3. Look for relationships. I am a patient person. I also practiced piano for an hour at a time. Could they be related? 4. Ask yes-or-no questions. Does learning an instrument teach patience? 5. Qualify. Although reading music helped me develop critical thinking skills, the most important virtue I cultivated through eleven years of piano lessons was patience.
