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This video is about Introductions.
In this video, we are looking at introductions.
A cohesive introduction is key to putting together
a cohesive essay or report.
Think about it - after your title, your introduction is the first thing
that a reader will read.
In a nutshell, your introduction should give the reader a heads-up
about what your essay or report is about.
Somewhere in it, you need to tell your reader why your paper
and why your argument or topic - it matters.
Saying why it matters is addition to, to your thesis.
You need to be explicit about why your topic and conclusions are important,
as well as who should care about it.
The introduction to your essay will be the first paragraph read by your reader.
So your introduction must include more than just a description of your topic.
You must have your thesis and argument clearly laid out.
As you write your introduction, make sure- does it answer
the "so what" and "who cares" questions.
Doing so will make sure that your introduction
will capture the reader’s attention.
In terms of organization, start your introduction with a lead-in -
a sentence that captures the reader’s attention.
This will likely be followed by the thesis
and then a map to or outline of the main structure of the essay.
While your lead-in sentence or sentences should capture the reader’s attention,
for some essays and technical reports,
a dramatic lead-in will not be appropriate.
It should announce the subject matter and tone of the essay.
Is your essay humorous, satiric or serious?
Your lead-in sets up the presentation of your thesis and structure of your essay.
So your lead-in must be focused,
clearly situating the purpose and the audience.
What follows are some examples of lead-ins
from Jean Wyrick’s text, Steps to Writing Well.
As with anything in writing, make sure that your lead-in
suits your purpose and your audience.
Not all of these examples will suit all types of assignments or reports.
Here we have a lead-in that at first glance
presents information that seems paradoxical.
Quote, "'Eat two chocolate bars and call me in the morning,'
says the psychiatrist to her patient.
Such advice sounds like a sugar fanatic’s dream,
but recent studies have indeed confirmed that chocolate
positively affects depression and anxiety." End quote.
So this lead-in captures attention,
but then it leads to a more serious topic.
In this example, the author leads with a statistic that people may find surprising.
Quote, "A special report released by
the Canadian Cancer Society in April 2007
announces some unexpectedly positive news.
The death rate from breast cancer for Canadian women
has fallen by 25 percent since 1986." End quote.
Another type of lead-in is to lead with a factual statement
or a summary statement.
This lead-in is a, a good standard one to use.
It includes the facts - who, what, were, why, when.
The reader quickly knows what this essay is about.
Quote, "Rising concerns about the twin evils of obesity
and consumer indoctrination finally resulted in the banning of junk food
at British Columbia’s elementary schools in 2007." End quote.
This example, um,
highlights a contradiction in a statement of a problem.
Although the problem seems to be widely acknowledged,
not many Canadians are actually following through to make a difference.
Uh, and quote, “It is widely acknowledged
by the Canadian public that the conservation
of natural resources must be a priority today.
Yet the number of Canadians enrolled in agriculture,
natural resources or conservation studies in universities
has fallen significantly since 2000.” End quote.
There are many other possibilities for effective lead-ins.
A well-phrased question can make the reader pause,
a quotation from your research -
especially if you've done some primary source research - can be very effective.
Sometimes a relevant story or joke might work,
or an emotional appeal that draws the reader in, and so on.
Remember, no matter what you finally decide,
make sure that your lead-in is appropriate
for your purpose and for your audience.
While your lead-in is important, don’t forget about your thesis
and your transition to your thesis.
Your lead-in must introduce your thesis.
For example, “When mid-twentieth-century
m- medical scientists were warning people
about the health hazards of second-hand smoke,
few were ready to listen.”
So there's your lead-in.
Then your lead-in must be followed by a transitional sentence
that clearly connects the lead-in to the thesis.
“Now social scientists are calling attention to this generation’s
growing dependency on computers and the erosion of social relations,
but we are refusing to listen.”
So that's our transitional sentence.
Finally, your thesis must be clear.
Quote, “Unless parents and educators find the will to engage our youth
in human interaction, we will soon have
a society peopled by alienated individuals
who owe neither interest in
nor responsibility to one another.” End quote.
So there's our thesis, and then you go on from there
and the rest of your essay.
While these samples discussed will help you to compose your own lead-ins,
there are some com- common errors to avoid.
Remember to always keep your lead-in brief.
You want it to be interesting, but concise.
Never begin with an apology or complaint -
“It’s difficult to find much information on this topic…”
or “This controversy is hard to understand, but…”.
Also, don’t assume that your audience already knows
as much as you do about the topic.
Remember while, that while the audience
might have some good common knowledge,
you are now the expert because of the research that you have conducted.
Finally, avoid overused lead-ins, such as dictionary definitions.
Using dictionary definitions as a lead-in was fine in high school,
but now you need to move your level of sophisticated writing up a notch.
If your topic is complex and you feel you need to include
some kind of definition from the start, then you should use a more nuanced
or complex definition than what you would find in a dictionary.
Perhaps, you have come across a definition or expla- explanation
related to your topic somewhere in your research in one of the essays,
the academic essays you've read.
It's possible that this definition might prove to be a good jumping off point
for your essay, but only
if it allows you to explore your topic at a deep level.
While we will explore the construction of sentences
more closely in another video,
it is useful to remember that your sentences connect
with those becoming before it and after it.
Think about each sentence as having arms that reach backward and forward
to create connections within the paragraph and the essay.
Graff and Birkenstein have many good suggestions in the book, They Say/I Say.
Always make sure that the technique that you use
suits your purpose and your audience.
In this video, we have focused on writing effective introductions.
Introductions are important in capturing the reader’s attention
and persuading him or her to continue to read.
A good introduction will tell the reader what to expect in the essay.
Introductions will usually include a lead-in sentence,
a transitionary sentence, and a thesis statement or argument.
At all times, introductions must be cohesive.
Thank you for listening.