Technique One: Relate your topic to recent news.
Two weeks ago four teenage boys were
killed in the Fraser Valley while driving a car at high
speed. Needless to say, their families, friends and
community were devastated by the loss of these young men. In
fact, the automobile is a mixed blessing at best. [thesis]
Technique Two: Justify your qualifications to write the essay.
I have been a driver for over 30
years and have seen and experienced the good and the bad
sides of the automobile. From my experiences, the
automobile, though a blessing in many cases and a
convenience for many, is not without its faults. [thesis]
Technique Three: Use an anecdote or incident to begin your
paragraph.
My children’s babysitter was a
typical urban automobile driver. When she needed to buy
cigarettes or visit the local McDonald’s she drove, even
though the convenience store and fast food place were only
three blocks from her house! Her behaviour illustrates just
one of the many problems of the automobile in society.
[thesis]
Technique Four: Use a striking contrast between common ideas
and your topic.
The automobile is a convenient tool
we use to facilitate our movements around the cities in
which we live. We love our vehicles dearly and lavish money
and attention on them daily. However, the automobile causes
almost as much harm as good to our communities. [thesis]
Assignment:
Use your thesis from an essay you have
written for this or any other class.
Write three introductions that end with
your thesis. Write introductions of about 50 - 60 words,
including your thesis sentence. Please label your
introduction type (e.g. “Technique Four”)
See another
sample of varied introductions to an essay.
PEARSON
ADULT LEARNING CENTRE
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