3. How to write an Introduction Paragraph with Thesis Statement
Summary
TLDRThis video script offers a comprehensive guide to crafting an effective introduction paragraph for essays. It emphasizes the importance of starting with a general statement that transitions to specific details, capturing the reader's attention with a compelling first sentence, and concluding with a clear thesis statement. The script provides examples and patterns for different types of essays, such as those discussing situations or expressing opinions, and encourages practice to hone the skill of writing engaging introductions.
Takeaways
- 📝 The introduction paragraph sets the stage for the essay and should include a general statement that becomes more specific.
- 🎯 The first sentence should grab the reader's attention and guide them towards the main subject, possibly using a statistic or a quote.
- 📌 The thesis statement, which should be the last sentence of the introduction, clearly states the essay's focus and includes the subtopics to be discussed.
- 🔄 The order of subtopics in the thesis statement should match the order in which they are addressed in the body paragraphs.
- 🌰 An example is provided where the introduction paragraph starts with a general statement about Tokyo, narrows down to specifics, and ends with a thesis statement about doing business in Tokyo.
- 🌐 Another example discusses globalization, starting with a broad topic and ending with a thesis that outlines three clear aspects: investments, transport technology, and multinational corporations.
- 💻 A practice topic is suggested: 'How to choose a computer,' with a step-by-step guide on constructing an introduction paragraph for this subject.
- 🔑 Basic introduction paragraph patterns are outlined, including a general topic sentence followed by the thesis statement for situational essays.
- 🤔 Opinion introduction patterns are discussed, where the paragraph presents both sides of an argument before concluding with the writer's stance.
- ✍️ The script encourages practice in writing introduction paragraphs to improve essay writing skills, suggesting topics like 'Is cooking at home better than eating out?'
Q & A
What is the purpose of an introduction paragraph in an essay?
-The purpose of an introduction paragraph is to set the stage for what will be discussed in the essay, capturing the reader's attention and providing a clear direction towards the main subject.
How should the ideas in an introduction paragraph progress?
-The ideas in an introduction paragraph should progress from general to specific, starting with a broad statement and gradually narrowing down to the main focus of the essay.
What is the role of the first sentence in an introduction paragraph?
-The first sentence should catch the reader's attention and point them towards the main subject of the essay, potentially using a statistic or a quote.
Where is the thesis statement typically placed in an introduction paragraph?
-The thesis statement is typically placed at the end of the introduction paragraph, clearly stating what the essay will be about.
What should the thesis statement include in relation to the body of the essay?
-The thesis statement should include the subtopics that will be used as the paragraph topics in the body of the essay, with the order of subtopics being consistent between the thesis and the body paragraphs.
Can you provide an example of how to structure an introduction paragraph about choosing a computer?
-An introduction paragraph about choosing a computer might start with a general statement like 'Choosing a computer can be a difficult task,' followed by more specific information and ending with a thesis statement such as 'Deciding on the type, brand, and price range will make the task easier.'
What is a common pattern for introduction paragraphs discussing a situation?
-A common pattern for introduction paragraphs discussing a situation involves presenting one side of the situation in the first sentence, the other side in the second sentence, and the thesis statement in the third sentence.
How can you structure an introduction paragraph for an essay that requires an opinion?
-For an opinion essay, the introduction might start with a sentence supporting the opinion, followed by a contrasting sentence, and end with a thesis statement that clearly states your stance on the topic.
What is the advice given for practicing writing introduction paragraphs?
-The advice is to practice writing introduction paragraphs by trying out different essay questions, focusing on the introduction part to improve one's ability to write this crucial section of an essay.
Why is it important to practice writing introduction paragraphs?
-Practicing writing introduction paragraphs is important because it helps to refine the skill of capturing the reader's attention and effectively setting the stage for the essay's main arguments.
Outlines
📝 Structuring Your Introduction Paragraph
This paragraph explains how to structure an introduction paragraph in an essay. It begins by emphasizing that the ideas should flow from general to specific, and the first sentence must capture the reader's attention. The thesis statement, which is the last sentence of the introduction, should clearly state the essay's topic and outline the subtopics to be discussed in the body paragraphs, ensuring the same order. The paragraph provides an example of an introduction for an essay about Tokyo, demonstrating how the general statement narrows down to the thesis. A second example on globalization follows the same structure. Finally, it shows how to apply this structure to a new topic, such as choosing a computer, by creating a general opening, adding specific details, and concluding with a clear thesis statement.
🌍 Examples of Introduction Patterns
This paragraph presents different patterns for writing introduction paragraphs depending on the essay's purpose. It starts by explaining a situation-based pattern, where two sides of a situation are described before presenting the thesis statement. The first example discusses who should care for the elderly, contrasting different viewpoints before introducing a thesis focused on government aid and family cooperation. A second example analyzes foreign aid, outlining both positive and negative aspects before suggesting a need for more oversight and regulations. The final part introduces a pattern for opinion essays, using space exploration as a topic, where both sides of the argument are presented before stating an opinion that supports continued investment in space research. Readers are encouraged to practice these patterns with various essay questions to improve their skills.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Introduction Paragraph
💡General to Specific
💡Attention-Grabbing Sentence
💡Thesis Statement
💡Subtopics
💡Body Paragraphs
💡Fundamental Point
💡Essay Questions
💡Opinion Introduction
💡Practice
Highlights
Introduction paragraph sets the stage for the essay.
Structure of a good introduction includes a general to specific progression.
The first sentence should grab the reader's attention with a statistic or quote.
The thesis statement is the last sentence of the introduction, outlining the essay's focus.
Subtopics in the thesis statement should align with the body paragraphs' order.
Example of an introduction paragraph about doing business in Tokyo.
Example of an introduction paragraph on globalization with clear aspects.
Introduction pattern for essays discussing situations with two opposing sentences.
Introduction pattern for opinion essays with a balanced view before stating the thesis.
Practice writing introductions with various essay questions to improve skill.
The importance of practicing to enhance the ability to write compelling introductions.
Introduction paragraph for the topic 'how to choose a computer' with a general statement and thesis.
The role of the thesis statement in clarifying the essay's fundamental point.
Using a pattern for introductions that discuss situations with a clear thesis statement.
The effectiveness of a balanced introduction pattern for opinion essays.
Encouragement to practice writing introductions to refine the skill.
Transcripts
The first paragraph of an essay is called the introduction paragraph. This is where
you're going to set the stage for what you're going to say in your essay. In this video I'm
going to show you the structure that you need to follow to be able to write a good organized
introduction paragraph. First, let's talk about some things that you should include
in your introduction paragraph. The first is that the ideas expressed will go from general
to specific. Now, this means that you'll give a general statement and then slowly become more
specific as you move forward in the introduction paragraph. The second point is that your first
sentence should catch the reader's attention and point him in the direction of the main subject.
It could contain a statistic or a quote. Now, the thesis statement will be the last sentence in the
introduction paragraph. This is where you're going to state clearly what your essay will be about.
The thesis statement should contain the subtopics which will be used as the paragraph topics in the
body, and the order of the subtopics should be the same for both the thesis statement and the
body paragraphs. Now, this means that if you have three subtopics A, B, and C, for example,
then your first body paragraph will talk about A, and then your second body paragraph will talk
about B, and then your last paragraph will talk about C. And finally the thesis statement states
the fundamental point that you're trying to make in the essay. this final sentence should make it
clear what your essay will be about. Here's an example of an introduction paragraph. Now,
the first sentence gives the general topic about Tokyo, so we can know that this essay will be
something about the city of Tokyo. The following sentences give some more details about the city,
and then the last sentence, the thesis statement, states clearly what the essay will be about. The
essay will be about how doing business in Tokyo can be difficult, but challenging and profitable.
Here's another introduction paragraph. This time about globalization. Again,
the first sentence shows the general topic. The following sentences give more details
about the topic. And then finally the last sentence, the thesis statement,
shows what the essay will discuss. Now, the three aspects are very clear: investments
in communication, improvements in transport technology, and multinational corporations.
Now let's try using this topic to write an introduction paragraph. Our topic will be
how to choose a computer. You'll want one general sentence to start the paragraph,
and then add more specific information followed by your thesis statement. Your first general
statement might be something like this: Choosing a computer can be a difficult task. Now you want to
add some more specific information, so you could write something like this: Knowing a few things
about computers will make the job easier. Now, you might add some more information:
There may be many factors that will affect the choice. And then finally your thesis statement:
Although it can be a challenge to choose from all of the more popular computers
on the market today, deciding on the type, brand, and price range will make
the task easier. And this is what your introduction paragraph would look like.
Alright, let's look at a few introduction paragraph patterns that you might use in
your essays. Now the basic pattern will be two to three sentences about the topic,
and then your thesis statement. For essays that are discussing situations,
you might use this kind of pattern. Your first sentence would be one side of the situation,
and then your second sentence would be the other side of the situation. And then finally
sentence three would be your thesis statement, what you're going to do or say in your essay.
Here's an example. In this question: "Who should to take care of our old people?",
sentence one could say something like this. "In many countries most elderly people live happily
with their children." Now that's one side of the situation. And then sentence two could say:
"Increasingly, however, many young families cannot take care of their parents." This is
the other side of the situation. And then finally, your third sentence would be your
thesis statement. "This difficult problem of who will care for that aging population can
be solved through government aid as well as cooperation from individual families."
Alright, here's another example. "Does aid to poor countries work?" Your first sentence could be:
"For the last 50 years, poor countries have been receiving large sums of money from rich donor
countries." Your second sentence could be: "Some of this money has improved lives, while much of it
has disappeared or made no difference." And then sentence three would be your thesis statement:
"Although aid to poor countries can make a difference in developing countries, more oversight
of the funds used and stricter regulations to avoid mishandling the aid are needed."
Here's a pattern you could use for opinion introduction paragraphs where you need to
give your opinion about a certain topic. The question here is: Does space exploration benefit
mankind?" So, your first sentence could be something like this: "Many people see
the benefits of space exploration." Now, this is the sentence to show that space exploration can
benefit mankind. For your sentence against space exploration you might write something like this:
"However, others feel it is a massive waste of money." And then finally,
your thesis statement: "Although some aspects of space exploration can seem unnecessary,
the overall contribution to society justifies further research in this area." Now, this thesis
statement shows clearly that your opinion is that space exploration does benefit mankind.
All right. Here's a question that you could use to practice writing an introduction paragraph.
"Is cooking at home better than eating out in a restaurant?" Now, for your first sentence
write one side of the argument: "Cooking at home is better." And then sentence two would
be the other side of the argument: "Eating out in a restaurant is better." And then,
your thesis statement would be your opinion about what you think is better.
You might want to try this with several essay questions, and practice just writing
the introduction paragraph to help you become better at writing this important part of an essay.
The more you practice the better you'll be at writing an introduction paragraph. Happy writing!
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