George Mason University

Department of English


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Writing Your Introduction

Introduction

Most students are familiar with the concept of introductory paragraphs: they should give the reader the context of the work you will be discussing and an idea of your topic, and they should contain the paper’s thesis. It sounds simple enough, but many students find that writing an introduction is the most difficult step in completing a draft. This section will provide a tips and a step-by-step guide to writing an introduction that is clear, concise, and attention-grabbing.

Introduction as a Framing Paragraph

According to Professor Amelia Rutledge, it is more appropriate to refer to the opening paragraph of your paper as “the framing paragraph” rather than the introductory paragraph. An effective opening paragraph will frame your paper by “creating a context” and “lay[ing] out clearly, but without a lot of the detail, the argument that you’ll be using later on.” It should act as a sort of “mini-map” for your reader that makes it easy for the reader to become situated in your topic and to understand what you are arguing and how you will argue it.

Writing the Framing Paragraph

Step 1: Providing Context

Your framing paragraph should begin, says Professor Rutledge, with “a clear statement of the context of the paper.” If you are writing about a literary work, provide a very brief (1-2 sentence) description of what the work is and what it includes that relates to your thesis.

Example
Assignment: Provide a close reading of the dramatic monologue “Tithonus” by Alfred Tennyson. Discuss the sequence of moods through which the speaker passes and how these moods are expressed through word choice..

Context: In the dramatic monologue “Tithonus” (1833), Alfred Tennyson focuses on the story of a young man beloved of the goddess of the dawn who was granted immortality, but failed to request eternal youth. He is trapped in a body getting older and older, and he cannot die. Tennyson carries Tithonus through a sequence of moods including despair, anguish, narcissistic self-reflection and a delusion that there can be a positive ending. The language presents a sequence that ranges from decay, sorrow, lush description of youthful beauty, and sexual ecstasy.


These context sentences are good for a couple of reasons. First, they provide the reader with an idea of what “Tithonus” is and what the situation of its speaker is. Second, they provide a list of the moods that the writer will discuss in his or her paper, and they give the reader an idea of the order in which the moods will be discussed. They provide a helpful “mini-map” of the paper’s structure and what Professor Rutledge calls “the shape of the argument.”

Step Two: Laying Out the Core Argument

Now that your reader knows the context of your paper, you are ready to present your thesis, which Professor Rutledge prefers to call the “core argument” of your paper. Your core argument should be as stated as concisely as possible, but you should briefly describe to the reader how you will be making your argument and what evidence you will use to support it.

Step 3: Revising Your Paragraph

Remember, says Professor Rutledge, that your introduction “sets up a contract with the reader.” However “students do not stop thinking once they start drafting,” so the terms of that contract are likely to change as you write you paper. According to Professor Rutledge, “It is incumbent upon the student once the first draft is complete—and especially at the end of the drafting process—to revise the introductory paragraph.” Make sure that the core argument you claim in your framing paragraph is what you actually argue in the body of the paper, and change the structure of the introduction to match any changes you made in the structure of your paper.

Things to Avoid When Writing Your Framing Paragraph

When asked what she felt were some of the most common and annoying mistakes that students make when writing introductory paragraphs, Professor Rutledge listed the following:

  1. Paraphrasing the assignment or prompt without articulating an argument.
    Restating the prompt is redundant since your professor remembers what topic he or she assigned to the class. However, restating the topic without actually “carving out your own core argument” makes for a weak introduction and an unorganized, unfocused paper with no clear argument.
  2. Grandiose introductions that “show a kind of authority that is impossible to achieve even in a dissertation.”
    As an undergraduate, you are not (nor are you expected to be) an expert on your topic. Avoid making sweeping generalizations such as “As everyone knows, in this time period…” because they are usually incorrect and they fail to engage with the topic. Also, avoid claiming authority over texts that you are only slightly familiar with or that have no relation to the text that you are focusing on in your paper. For instance, do not start a paper on Othello with “As Aristotle said…”, especially if you have only read a few lines from Aristotle. “You cannot produce a quotation that is meaningful unless you are really on top of a topic.”
  3. Vague and “teasing” introductions.
    "You’re not writing a mystery novel; you’re writing an expository paper. Nothing is gained by being vague, and what it does is that it actually weakens the authority. Being evasive suggests stalling.”


To see an example, click here