Persuasive Introductions

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Persuasive Introductions
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Attention Grabber

• Weak Example
• Do you think students should have to wear
  uniforms?
• This does not provide a clear opinion/stance on
  topic
• It is unclear which side of the argument the
  writer is siding with

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Attention Grabber

• Strong Example
• Do you think students should be forced to wear
  pants when it is over 35 degrees?
• Clear position/stance
• Strong use of language and tone

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Ideas for Attention Grabbers

• Ask a question
• Get your reader thinking about the topic of your
  essay.
• Use a quotation
• Use a quotation from the novel or elsewhere that
  reflects the topic and your stance towards this.

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Ideas for Attention Grabbers

• Anecdote (short story)
• Write a short story that reflects the topic of
  your essay. Set the scene for the topic and put
  the issue in context.
• Remember stay on point and mode (dont waffle)

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Ideas for Attention Grabbers

• Startling fact or statistic
• This needs to relate to your essay topic and be
  relevant to your argument.
• Imaginative scenario
• Start with, Imagine if you/the world/we
• Use this idea in a similar way to an anecdote.

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Or choose a combination of two or three ideas!
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Thesis

• A thesis is a clearly worded statement telling
  readers exactly what the writer intends to do in
  the essay.

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Example

• Do you think students should be forced to wear
  pants when it is over 100 degrees? Of course not.
  Students should not have to wear uniforms.
• The thesis has been highlighted and immediately
  follows the attention grabber.

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Your thesis should guide your entire essay and
you should spend continually support it through
examples and evidence.If your position of the
topic changes, dont be afraid to change the
thesis, but do not just leave it and hope for the
best.
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Preview of Main Points

• The preview briefly states the main points that
  will be argued in the essay.
• The preview is not where the arguments are
  developed. The preview merely summarizes each
  point in as few words as possible.
• It is important for writers to preview their
  main points in the exact order that they will be
  developed. For example, if I claim that my essay
  will argue square, circle, and triangle . My
  first body paragraph should be about squares, my
  second should be about circles, and my third
  should be about triangles.