Associate Program Material
Appendix G

Introductions and Conclusions

As you begin to write the rough draft of your paper, think critically about how you might draw your readers’ attention in a compelling way. Consider how to create a rapport with the audience. For example, what areas of agreement may already exist between you and your readers? What does your audience need in order to make them interested in your topic?

Types of Introductions

One way to draw in the audience is to grab readers’ attention with the introduction. Consider opening your paper in one of the following ways:

• Tell a story or an anecdote. If you have personal experience in this area, tell a story about yourself or someone you know.

Example: Last year, approximately 3,400 adult nonsmokers died from lung cancer due to secondhand smoke.

• Provide a short, famous quotation.

Example: “It's easy to quit smoking. I've done it hundreds of times..” – Mark Twain (1835–1910)

• Write as if your position will argue the other side of the topic.

Example: Smoking is not illegal and is still a right for Americans to exercise.

• Ask a question.

Example: Are you aware that secondhand smoke is now a known cause of cancer in humans?

• Share an interesting point about the subject.

Example: Smoke from cigarettes can linger in the air for hours, even after a smoker extinguishes the cigarette.

Besides attracting a reader’s attention, an introduction might serve one or all of the following purposes:

• Provide background information • Define unfamiliar terms • Introduce the purpose of the paper • Present a thesis statement or argument about the paper’s topic • Preview the main points of the thesis • Provide a brief summary of the topics the paper discusses