Lesson 2: Formal

Writing & Essay

Introduction
By Ms. Lydia Quinn
Tuesday 15th August 2023
ICEBREAKER
 Chain Reaction: I will start with a word and someone will
link that word to another word that creates a well-known
phrase:
 House……..rent…..free…..
Writing the Introduction
 The introduction is a first impression and first impressions are lasting ones.
 The introduction should have a thesis statement; define any important terms, and state the factors
and issues that will be dealt with in the essay
 A good thesis:
 1. states the writer’s clearly defined opinion on some subject
 2. is stated explicitly and clearly
 3. asserts one main idea
 4. makes an assertion which the writer must then go on to explain or prove
 5. has something worthwhile to say
 6. is limited to fit the assignment
 7. is easily recognized as the main point and is often located in the first paragraph
Sample Thesis Statement

The coronavirus disease has caused a

widespread destruction on the world
especially on the educational system which
has indeed had a negative impact, causing
major lockdowns and students reverting to
virtual learning with limited resources.
Essay Intro Cont’d
 Sometimes, your thesis statement alone may be controversial or striking enough to capture the readers. However, at
other times, you may want to use the introductory device called the lead-in. The lead-in (1) catches the reader’s
attention (2) announces the subject matter and tone of your essay (3) sets up or leads into the presentation of the thesis
statement. Here are some lead-ins:
 1. A paradoxical or intriguing statement
 2. An arresting statistic or shocking statement
 3. A question
 4. A quotation from a recognized authority, historical figure, or literary source
 5. A relevant story, joke, or anecdote
 6. A description often used for emotional appeal
 7. A factual statement or a summary who-what-where-when-why
 8. An analogy or comparison
 9. A contrast or a before-and-after scenario
 10. A personal experience
 11. A catalogue of relevant examples or facts
 12. Statement of a problem or a popular misconception
 13. Brief dialogue to introduce the topic
 14. A proverb, maxim or motto
 15. A recognition, revelation or insight

1. A paradoxical or intriguing statement: “Eat two chocolate bars and call me in the morning,” says
the psychiatrist to the patient. Such advice sounds ridiculous, but recent studies have indeed confirmed
that chocolate positively affects depression and anxiety.
2. An arresting statistic or shocking statement: One of every nine women will develop breast cancer
this year, according to a recent report prepared by the Health Information Services
3. A question: It is three times the number of people who belong to the Southern Baptist Convention,
and nine times the number who served in the Us armed forces. What is it? It is the number of people in
the United States who admit to having smoked marijuana: a massive 70 million
4. A quotation from a recognized authority, historical figure, or literary source: Confucius wisely
noted that “our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” The team’s never-
give up attitudes have demonstrated that the value of sport is not winning but learning how to face defeat
and begin again.
5. A relevant story, joke, or anecdote: My third-grade student was learning Science concepts such as
“precipitation,” “evaporation,” and “condensation” while simultaneously learning about “defecate” and
“urinate.” I thought he was doing well until one day he came and asked me if he could go to the
bathroom to evaporate. This showed me how in teaching, we have to be careful about concept overload.
6. A description often used for emotional appeal: With one eye blackened, one arm in a cast, and third-
degree burns on both legs, the pretty, blond two-year old seeks corners of rooms, refuses to speak, and
shakes violently at the sound of loud noises. Tammy is not the victim of a war or a natural disaster; rather,
she is the helpless victim of her parents, one of the thousands of children who suffer daily from America’s
hidden crime, child abuse.
7. A factual statement or a summary who-what-where-when-why: Texas’s first execution of a woman in
twenty-two years occurred September 17 at the state’s correctional department despite the protests of
various human rights groups around the country.
8. An analogy or comparison: Raising children is like being thrown into the ocean without knowing how
to swim. You just have to keep moving and learn right there and then or face drowning because you did not
try.
9. A contrast or a before-and-after scenario: I think children born before the 90’s had richer, more
engaging childhoods that those born after the 90’s. These children played more outside games and were
forced to create their own games and entertainment instead of buying toys from the store or being glued
inside to the TV or a video game.
10. A personal experience: I realized times were changing for women when I overheard my six-year-old
nephew speaking to my sister, a prominent New York lawyer. As we left her elaborate, luxurious office one
evening, Tommy looked up at his mother and queried, “ Mommy, can little boys grow up to be lawyers,
too?”
11. A catalogue of relevant examples or facts: A two-hundred pound teenager quit school because no desk
would hold her. A three-hundred pound chef who could no longer stand on his feet was fired. A four-
hundred-fifty pound truck driver broke furniture in his friend’s house. All these people are now living
healthier, happier, and thinner lives, thanks to the remarkable intestinal bypass surgery first developed in
1967.
12. Statement of a problem or a popular misconception: Some people believe that poetry is written only
by aging beatniks or solemn, mournful men and women with suicidal tendencies. The Poetry in the Schools
Program is working hard to correct that erroneous point of view.
13. Brief dialogue to introduce the topic: “Be bold! You can do it!” said my roommate again and again
weeks before choir try-outs despite my whimpering cries of “I cant! I cant!”
14. A proverb, maxim or motto: “One falsehood spoils a thousand truths, “ says the African proverb.
Caught in the biggest lie of his political career, once-popular local mayor Paul TerGhist is learning the
meaning of this old saying the hard way, as his former friends and supporters are now deserting him.
15. A recognition, revelation or insight: As someone who earned “A’s” throughout my Spanish classes, I
thought I had a good grasp of the language. However, immersion in a language programme in Mexico this
year showed me I had much to learn about conversational speech patterns.
Sample of Intro with lead-in and thesis
 In the 1950’s African Americans demanded the right to
sit anywhere they pleased on public buses. Today,
Americans who use wheelchairs are fighting for the
right to board those same buses. Here in Smallville, the
lack of proper boarding facilities often denies disabled
citizens basic transportation to jobs, supermarkets, and
medical centers. To give people in wheelchairs the same
opportunities as other residents, the City Council should
vote the funds necessary to transform the public
transportation system.
Avoiding Errors in the Introduction
 1. Make sure the lead-in has a smooth and clear transition to
the thesis statement. You may need a transitional sentence or
phrase.

 2. Keep your lead-in brief

 3. Don’t begin with an apology or complaint

 4. Don’t assume your audience already knows your subject

matter

 5. Stay clear of over-used lead-ins such as dictionary definition.

Practice Activity: Write an intro for the
thesis statement you created
 1. lead-in/hook/ attention getter: a paradoxical or intriguing statement; an
arresting statistic or shocking statement; a question; a quotation; a relevant story, joke,
or anecdote; a description; a factual statement or a summary; an analogy or comparison;
a contrast or a before-and-after scenario; a personal experience; a catalogue of relevant
examples or facts; statement of a problem or a popular misconception; brief dialogue; a
proverb, maxim or motto; a recognition, revelation or insight

 2. transitional sentence/phrase that connects the lead-in to the thesis

statement
 3. thesis statement
 4. overview/outline: what you will cover in the essay