The beginning of a paper serves as a springboard into the topic and a "hook" to grab the reader's attention. Following are some types of effective beginnings.
FACTUAL STATEMENT
Ninety-two percent of the students at State College live at home and
commute.
STARTLING STATEMENT
There's a fine line between cheap and sleazy. I know. I recently drove
right along it. Let me explain.
UNUSUAL DETAIL
Grandmother Gardner didn't drink tea; she drank beer.
DIRECTLY STATED PROPOSITION
Stray dogs and cats are a nuisance, and they should be exterminated.
BRIEF ANECDOTE
When Mark Twain left home at an early age, he had no great respect for
his father's intelligence. When he returned a few years later, he was
astonished at how much his father had learned in the meantime. I have
been similarly astonished at how much my father and mother have learned
in the time I have been away from home.
A QUESTION
Why were so few voices raised in the ancient world in the protest
against the ruthlessness of man? Why are human beings so obsequious,
ready to kill and ready to die at the call of kings and chieftains?
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
You know you have to read between the lines to get the most of anything.
I want to persuade you to do something equally important in the course
of your reading. I want to persuade you to write between the lines for
the most efficient reading.
ANALOGY
Drawing a daily comic strip is not unlike having an English theme
hanging over your head every day for the rest of your life. I was never
good at writing those English themes in high school, and I usually put
them off until the last minute. The only thing that saves me in trying
to keep up with a comic strip schedule is the fact that it is quite a
bit more enjoyable. --Charles Schulz, But A Comic Strip Has To Grow
CONTRAST
Most people assume that learning to ski is not entirely difficult. They
imagine the process consists of little more than strapping on two long
boards, pushing off at the top of a hill, and gliding gracefully and
effortlessly to the bottom. However, learning to ski is more difficult
than these people realize, and it requires long hours of practice,
extremely good physical condition, and a lot of determination.
FUNNEL
This introduction is very useful and common. The writer identifies the
general subject area in the opening statement, making some
generalizations aimed at arousing interest and establishing a bond of
common awareness and knowledge with the reader. The author narrows the
subject down step by step, sentence by sentence to the specific aspect
of the general subject and the specific viewpoint towards it that forms
the thesis: The life of a teenager in modern America is not always
pleasant. He or she is faced with a multitude of conflicts and problems,
many of which seem almost impossible to overcome. Most of these problems
center around school, which is not surprising considering that the
teenager devotes an average of eight hours a day to school and
school-related activities. One of the primary problems created by school
is the intense pressure for good grades.
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