THE INTRODUCTION

Your first paragraph should make a good impression on your reader and set the tone for the rest of the essay. It should:

Start with an “opener” (in a few sentences) that arouses interest in the topic under discussion
Identify author’s full name and the title of the text.
Include a thesis statement.
Suggest a plan of action (also known as an organizational statement) that you will be following to develop your essay.

The Opening Sentences (two options):

You may begin your introduction with one of the two following methods; make sure to read the essay guidelines very closely, as your teacher may prefer one specific method:

You can begin the introduction with three to four broad sentences that generally introduce the theme of story while being general enough not to reveal your entire thesis statement right away.

Do NOT refer directly to the author or the story. Focus instead on one small element of your thesis: a concept, idea, example, common belief, historical fact, etc. Try to catch your reader's attention by making the theme of the story relevant. Why is it important to discuss this theme?

In other words, begin with broad points and move gradually towards the story and your thesis statement.

You can also begin the introduction with a direct reference to the author and the story.

Refer to a particular image, scene or incident in the text that illustrates or highlights the thesis that you intend to argue.

It is also possible to identify the author’s name and the title of the text in your opening sentence, followed by a very brief description of the key events of the plot. Only describe the elements of the plot, however, that are relevant to your argument.

Identification of Text and Author:

Present the author's name and the title of the story by connecting them to the ideas presented in the opening sentences.

The first time you mention an author’s name, you must write the name out in full e.g. Raymond Carver. Any time you mention the author subsequently, you must refer to the author by his/her lastname e.g. Carver.

The title of a short story is always placed between quotation marks e.g. “Cathedral.”

The Thesis Statement:

A thesis statement tells the reader, usually in one sentence, what the controlling idea of your entire essay is going to be. For any given text, it states clearly your understanding of the author’s main idea. The rest of your essay will then attempt to prove your thesis through evidence from the text.

A good thesis:

has two parts: topic and significance. The topic (or theme) of the story can be generally reduced to one word or concept: war, love, memories, parenthood, friendship, etc. Identifying a topic is not, however, sufficient to have a thesis statement. More importantly, you need to answer the question : Why? Why do I think the author discusses this theme? What does the author have to say about this theme? The answer to this question is your thesis statement.
is a statement, never a question.
states an idea about a topic that can be argued or explained.
states an interpretation of a text, not a personal opinion or a response.
is not obvious.

The language you use to introduce your thesis should be carefully chosen. It is considered poor style to use the following lead ins:

My thesis is that ………

This essay will prove that …..

I will show you that ….

The Organizational Statement:

The final sentences of your introduction must let your reader know how you plan to develop your thesis and your essay. In other words, explain very briefly what the body paragraphs will be about. In fact, the items that you introduce here will become the focus of each of your body paragraphs. However, do not write the plan of action like this:

First, I will write about … and second I will discuss…. This is poor style!

A good introduction never directly labels its intentions. Avoid labeling what you are going to do; just jump right in and do it. Instead, it will directly state your central idea and line of argument.

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