Introductions

The function of the introduction is two-fold.  First, it much catch the readers' attention.  Next, it must give the reader a solid idea of what the essay will be discussing, and what position it will be taking.  So, here are some do's and don't's of introdutions.

 

Do:

Grab the readers' attention.

 

How do you do that?  There are a few tried and true techniques.

 

#1: Tell a story

A specific story of someone who has the problem you're discussing, is affected by the issue, or can somehow inform  the argument is always a great way to start out.  In particular, stories are a great way to engage the readers emotionally, preparing them to care about the information you're about to give them.

 

The story, by the way, doesn't have to be true.  You can construct a hypothetical scenario as long as you (a) admit it's hypothetical and (be) construct a plausible hypothetical.  If the story sounds like something off of The Young and the Restless, you're going to lose your audience.

 

#2: Cite a statistic

You'd think statistics would be boring, but a good, shocking stat can grab your readers, make them sit up, and engage their emotions.  Particularly effective are statistics that indicate more people are affected by a problem than might be thought.

 

Again, the key is making sure the stat is accurate and plausible.  You can't make this one up.

 

This is one reason why the first paragraph is the only place you can begin with a source use.  The other is:

 

#3 Begin with a killer quotation

The epigraph is a well-respected literary technique, using a quotation to begin a work of some kind.  Particularly effective variations include:

• Quotations from famous people.  Name recognition is key.
• If you're researching a pop culture topic, a tv/movie quote or song lyric would be appropriate.
• Outrageous quotations from the opposition.  Get your audience mad.

Do:

Provide a brief summary of the topics your paper will be covering.

That one more or less goes without saying, except for:

Don't:
Use "I am going to" or "this paper will."

Avoid metatext (text about text) like the plague. Instead of saying "In this paper, I will argue that comic books should not be subject to different standards of obscenity than any other artistic medium," say, "Because comic books are a medium that can be used to tell stories for a variety of different audiences, they should not be subject to different standards of obscenity than other artistic media."  Don't tell us what you're going to say; say it.

Don't:
Insult your audience.

I would take this as a given, but I have occasionally gotten papers that unloaded a great deal of vitriol on their readers.  You are not Harlan Ellison.  You cannot get away with calling your readers morons.

Equally damaging are introductions that convey a sense of superiority to your audience.  Statements about "the average American" that convey disdain for the average American (dismissing their awareness, intelligence, etc) are generally a bad idea, even if you think they're true.

Finally, remember that your audience is at least moderately opposed to your argument.  If you make derisive statements about people who believe X, you're not going to incline them to listen to you.