Introductory Paragraphs: Beginnings

If the title is your first point of contact, ask yourself what the second point of contact would likely be?

The answer is the opening sentence(s).

In order for your opening sentences to be effective, they should satisfy one or more of the following.

1. Opening sentences should be more than just a rewording/reshuffling of the topic question.
2. Opening sentences should be original and attention grabbing.
3. Opening sentences should avoid sweeping generalizations.

Imagine, for example, that you are writing an essay in response to the following essay topic:

Sample Topic 1: Should zoos, first established in the nineteenth century, be abolished? Provide a well-supported argument in defence of your thesis. Write your essay with a general audience in mind.

If you were writing in response to the topic above, you might want to avoid the following openings:

Sample Opening 1: Zoos, first established in the nineteenth century, should be abolished in 1999.

[Is this opening effective? It is informative and it does establish a position. How can this opening be improved? Begin by going beyond a superficial rewording or adaptation of the topic question. Remember that your topic question was likely written by your reader; therefore, it's not particularly innovative or engaging to use the reader's own sentence as a basis for your "original" opening.

Sample Opening 1.2: Since the dawn of time, man has constantly enslaved animals on this planet. This must stop. Zoos should be abolished in 1999.

[The problem here lies mainly with the sweeping generalization ("Since the dawn of time..."). A generalization is hard to support and leads to difficult, often abrupt, transitions. If you start, for example, at "the dawn of time," how do you eventually bring your point into the present in a seamless fashion? If you are writing a long research paper, you may have the luxury of providing detailed historical background that might might help to cross the transition gap created by a generalization. However, with shorter papers, you must often approach your point more directly. Try to avoid generalizations like the following:

"All men hide their emotions..."

"For thousands of years..."

"All people on social assistance are lazy..."

"Since the stone age, we..."

Instead of relying on general statements or a superficial rewording of the topic sentence, try beginning your introduction with one of the following tools.

Tools For Beginning:

epigraph/quotation: (Quote an authority that you either agree or disagree with and use it as a starting point to build into your thesis statement. Quote a famous saying, or truism to orient the reader to your topic.)

example:"Jon Peters, President of Marineland Park, argues that, `captivity for the whales is the best thing for them. Our habitat pool is just like the Pacific Ocean: our killer whales can't even tell the difference. They're very happy here.'"

concession: (If you're writing a persuasive piece, you might consider beginning with a concession--that is, by beginning with an acknowledgement of part of your opponent's argument as being valid. Remember that a concession is not a form of weakness. In fact a concession is a strength as it finds common ground with your opponent and establishes your ethical appeal: you are a reasonable person willing to listen to/acknowledge that there are more sides to an issue than yours.)

example: "I think you're quite right; gun control legislation in Canada needs to be tightened to prevent us from becoming as violent as our neighbours to the south. However, I don't think your proposal goes far enough. We need also to..."

narrative / hypothetical example: (Use a personal story or a "what if" scenario to help your reader to visualize the topic.)

Example: "When I was seven years old, I remember being at the Marineland park in Niagara Falls, wondering how such a big whale could be happy in such a small pool."

Example: "If we don't introduce tougher restrictions on assault weapons, our city streets will become a warzone for gangs, drug deals, and drive-by shootings, much like our southern neighbours."

question or a set of questions: (A question or a series of questions can be very effective in orienting your reader and outlining the issues you plan to discuss in your text.)

Example:"What is the average life span of a whale in captivity compared to a whale in the wild?"

striking fact or statistic (Use a striking fact to engage your audience's interest. Cite a startling statistic from a reliable authority.)

Example: "According to a 1999 Statistics Canada poll, 93% of Canadians would support legislation to ban assault weapons."

paradox: (Begin with a statement that seems absurd, but may be true.)

Example: If writing a paper on disciplining children in the home, you might begin by arguing that "Parents must be cruel to be kind." At a first glance, this may seem to endorse child abuse. However, a more detailed discussion in your paper might reveal your belief that in order to help children grow into responsible adults, rules in a household must be followed. You're not necessarily endorsing physical punishment: instead, you might be endorsing grounding the child.

background information: (Introduce relevant background information to orient your reader to the topic. Keep such material focused and condensed, particularly for shorter papers. If you're writing a persuasive piece, it's a good idea to use background material that leans toward your position.)

Example: You might, for instance, provide background on the Waterworld Marine Park, highlighting the shortcomings of its pool habitats, or detailing the number of fines it has had to pay for its inappropriate treatment of the animals.

Analogy: (You might employ a striking comparison to make a point or introduce your reader to an unfamiliar topic. Usually, you draw a comparison to something common in order to explain something uncommon or unfamiliar.)

Example: "A habitat at Marineland Water Park is a cell not unlike what you'd find at the Kingston Penitentiary, or at the Kent Correctional facility. The difference, of course, is that every inmate at Waterworld has been wrongfully persecuted and incarcerated. The inmates are serving life sentences without having committed any crimes."

definition (not from a dictionary): (Using a definition can be very effective in efforts to clarify difficult terms or in an effort to orient your reader to a particular topic or your angle on a particular topic. Avoid using dictionary definitions--especially of common terms--because your reader will likely know what they mean, or can easily access such definitions themselves. You might, however, cite a dictionary definition and then go on either to dispute the definition, or expand upon it within the context of your paper. Definitions from authoritative texts can be very helpful when writing persuasive texts.)

Example: When arguing for or against the use of physical discipline of children in the home, for instance, you might cite the Criminal Code of Canada definitions of the terms "child abuse" and "corporal punishment."

Humour: (You might use a humorous example or personal anecdote to establish your topic and engage your reader. Remember that humour can be an effective tool only if it is funny and appropriate to the audience and the writing context.)