PSYC 301

Post 1.

How To Write a Great Introduction for Your Essay

In this thread we focus on one of the most important paragraphs in your entire paper.

Assignment: Copy-and-paste your introduction into a reply to this post. 

· Choose  one  of the seven strategies discussed to grab the audience's attention in the first sentence. 

Make your thesis the last sentence of your introductory paragraph.

https://youtu.be/clPtbFT23Bs

Key Points for This Thread ¤ In academic papers, introductions usually have three functions. To:  1. generate reader interest 2. narrow focus 3. present your thesis statement

Seven Strategies to Grab the Audience's Attention in the First Sentence:

https://youtu.be/HgVANb0DD6E

If you experience problems viewing the video, copy-and-paste the following URL into a new web browser window: http://polaris.umuc.edu/ewc/tutorials/introductions 

This video introduced you to seven strategies for grabbing the audience's attention in the first sentence of the introduction. The seven strategies were:

1. Provide a brief history or factual background of your topic

2. State the major divisions or main ideas of your paper

3. Offer an interesting anecdote

4. Contrast two opposing aspects of a topic and end with the aspect to be discussed in the body

5. Ask a question to be answered in the body of your paper

6. Quote an expert

7. Offer a surprising fact or statistic