Persuasive Essay WritingIntroductions

IntroductionsHook the reader...

Begin with…a quote – “Anyone who has never made a

mistake has never tried anything new.” (Albert Einstein)

Begin with…a question - Who in their right mind thought

shedding, drooling beasts were actually house pets?

Begin with…an anecdote - An anecdote is a short and

amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person

Begin with…a statistic - According to new data from

Statistics Canada, teens are the happiest people in Canada. And they're getting happier.

IntroductionsCreate a picture for the reader

Introductions…Provide your audience with a brief

outline of the main ideas you will use to support your thesis.

This outline does not need to be filled with lengthy details. It can often be a simple sentence which lists the subtopics of the body paragraphs. Ensure that the subtopics are listed in the order that they appear in the body of the essay.

Introductions…This outline does not need to be filled with

lengthy details. It can often be a simple sentence which lists the subtopics of the body paragraphs.

Ensure that the subtopics are listed in the order that they appear in the body of the essay.

For example:You can work with your thesis statement

keywords to find ideas for your opening sentence.

Suppose your thesis is, "televised drug advertisements aimed at children should be prohibited."

Your opening paragraph could mention children, advertising, television, or drugs.

IntroductionsClarify your position AFTER getting the

reader’s attention.

Let’s look at some sample introductions…Read the introduction sample found on your

card.How did the writer hook the reader?What picture was created for the reader?What reasons supported the writer’s opinion?Was the opinion stated before or after the

writer had your attention?