Creating An Effective Opening Paragraph For A Compare And Contrast Essay
When you are writing an opening paragraph for a compare and contrast essay, follow the tips below:
- The introduction serves one key purpose. And that purpose is to how be your argument or thesis. The introduction is what showcases the issue at hand. The introduction should start with a hook which grabs the attention of the reader and makes them really want to continue reading. A good hook might include relevant quotations or startling statistics. This information should be introduced prior to the introduction of your thesis statement. Once your reader is hoped to introduce your thesis. Your thesis should be a single sentence which clearly explains the position you are taking. When your thesis is over it should leave no doubt in the mind of the reader which side you were going to take in the issue.
- After you have introduced your thesis for introduction should provide a miniature outline where you preview the examples that you are going to introduce later in the paper to support your thesis. This shows your reader what they should expect in the paragraphs to come but it also introduces them to the purpose of your entire paper. It is best to imagine this as a roadmap which shows the reader which direction they will travel during the course of your paper.
- The final sentence of your introduction should help to move the reader from the first paragraph to the first paragraph of your body. This is known as a transition. A good transition will move the reader from one section to the next without interrupting their train of thought.
- The introductory paragraph will vary in size based on the overall size of your paper. It is good to have 10% of your total paper length be composed of the introduction. This means that papers which are 10 to 20 pages in length will have a longer introduction compared to papers which are only 1 to 2 pages in length.
- When you are writing your introduction pay attention to the information you're presenting and make sure that you are giving the reader the best possible first impression. You should put a lot of effort into your introduction, in fact more than 20% of the effort you put into your entire paper should be in the introduction. Avoid using the passive voice or first person. You want to use an active voice to be more powerful.