WRITINGINTRODUCTIONS

www.grammar-quizzes.com/intros.html adapted

AN INTRODUCTION SHOULD:• Introduce the topic.• Indicate how the topic is going to be developed (cause-

effect, reasons, examples, classification, description, narration, or explanation).

• Contain a thesis statement.• Be inviting and entice the reader to continue after

reading the first sentence.

4 Types of Introductions

1.Funnel 2. Dramatic 3. Quotation 4. Turn About

FUNNEL: • Birds, pigs, rats and other animals all have special

talents which have been used by humans. Birds can talk, pigs can find truffles, rats can run wires through walls for plumbers, but no animal has quite as many special talents as dogs, especially when it comes to helping ranchers.

Reveals background info leading to a focused thesis statement

DRAMATIC: • Rubble from earthquake-stricken houses is lying

everywhere. Precious lives are buried deep within the piles of dirt, concrete and debris. If rescue workers can locate these souls in time, their lives may be saved. Dog teams arrive. They will employ their amazing talents in this emergency situation.

Unrolls as an eye-witness account.

QUOTATION: • "Never trust a man a dog doesn't like." the proverbs

says. This somehow implies that dogs can tell the character of a person before a human can. In many ways this is true: dogs have amazing talents when it comes to assessing a person's character. But how do they do it? Pet behaviorists give the following explanations.

Uses a quote to lead to the thesis statement.

TURN ABOUT: • Max was a cute dog, a Tibetan Terrier with a "winning

smile", but he had annoying habit of "lifting his leg" on my furniture if I left him alone for more than a couple of hours. Also, half-way through our walks, he would roll on his back indicating he had had enough. I would have to carry him home. Just when I decided to give him up for adoption, he used his amazing talent as a "chick magnet" to find me the love of my life.

Starts with the opposite idea and then moves to the focus.

EXAMPLES

Identify & figure out how to fix them

Let’s analyze a few

1.Do you remember seeing dogs in movies saving lives? Some awaken and rescue their owners from their burning homes. Some attacked bad guys who were hurting their owners. Others lead their owners to safety. Still others ran to get help when their owners were trapped. Dogs have many amazing talents when it comes to rescuing people.

Example 1

Do you remember seeing dogs in movies saving lives? Some awaken and rescue their owners from their burning homes. Some attacked bad guys who were hurting their owners. Others lead their owners to safety. Still others ran to get help when their owners were trapped. Dogs have many amazing talents when it comes to rescuing people.

• Do you remember seeing dogs in movies saving lives? Some awaken and rescue their owners from their burning homes. Some attacked bad guys who were hurting their owners. Others lead their owners to safety. Still others ran to get help when their owners were trapped. Dogs have many amazing talents when it comes to rescuing people.

• The last sentence could lead to a piece of writing that would fill a book. Depending on the size of the intended composition, the writer should focus down to a smaller topic: dogs in law-enforcement, in earthquake recovery, in drug enforcement, in handicapped assistance, in detecting health problems and so on. Then, the writer needs to decide if the writing will classify, describe, narrate or explain.

Example 2

• Dogs can do all kinds of tricks and they can rescue people. It all depends on their owners and whether they train them well. I wonder how they can do all the things they do?

• Dogs can do all kinds of tricks and they can rescue people. It all depends on their owners and whether they train them well. I wonder how they can do all the things they do?

• It's unclear what the essay will focus on: teaching dog tricks, teaching rescue dogs, dog-trainer techniques, bad dog-trainers. The writer needs to get to the point and focus on what will be discussed. Will it classify, describe, narrate or explain? The final sentence (the topic sentence) should not be phrased as a question.

Example 3

• Once when I was traveling and was at an airport, I saw police dogs sniffing the suitcases. I was really scared when it started to sniff my suitcase and then it barked at me. Dogs have many extraordinary talents in law enforcement.

• Once when I was traveling and was at an airport, I saw police dogs sniffing the suitcases. I was really scared when it started to sniff my suitcase and then it barked at me. Dogs have many extraordinary talents in law enforcement.

• The first two sentences give background and lead the reader to think the writer is going to talk about how scary law-enforcement dogs are. The final sentence does not logically follow the first two. What will this writing be about? Will it classify, describe, narrate or explain something?

Example 4

• "Dogs wag their tails, not their tongues" my grandmother would say. She had a beautiful Golden Retriever that we all loved. But it died. Everyone in the family used to sit, pet and talk confidentially to that dog. We all miss that dog because we have no one safe to tell our secrets to. Dogs have many extraordinary talents.

• "Dogs wag their tails, not their tongues" my grandmother would say. She had a beautiful Golden Retriever that we all loved. But it died. Everyone in the family used to sit, pet and talk confidentially to that dog. We all miss that dog because we have no one safe to tell our secrets to. Dogs have many extraordinary talents.

• The final sentence does not logically follow the first five sentences. The initial sentences lead the reader to believe the writer will talk about dogs as friends with whom we can talk about our problems. What will this writing be about? Will it classify, describe, narrate or explain something?

Example 5

• Dogs are God's gift to man. But "truffle dogs" are God's gift to the chef. Finding this edible fungus that grows in the roots at the base of trees requires cooperation of man and dog. However, without the "truffle dog's" extraordinary talent, man would be left to dig blindly.

• Dogs are God's gift to man. But "truffle dogs" are God's gift to the chef. Finding this edible fungus that grows in the roots at the base of trees requires cooperation of man and dog. However, without the "truffle dog's" extraordinary talent, man would be left to dig blindly.

• The introduction begins well. Its final sentence does not state what the focus of the writing will be: how truffle dogs perform; how man digs blindly; how chef and dog cooperate to find truffles? Will it classify, describe, narrate or explain?

Example 6

• I saw a dog in Macy's and I wondered why they let a dog in a department store. Then I saw that the dog was guiding a blind person. Dogs have many talents in helping blind people.

• I saw a dog in Macy's and I wondered why they let a dog in a department store. Then I saw that the dog was guiding a blind person. Dogs have many talents in helping blind people.

• The first two sentences logically lead to the final sentence. The reader expects to read more about services that 'guide dogs' provide. Is the topic too large for a multi-page report, a one-page essay or a paragraph? For smaller compositions, the writer will need to focus the topic more, choosing to cover perhaps just one 'talent'.