Introduction

As a student, you have lots of demands on your time. You have many subjects in school; you have after-school activities like sports; you might have a job and you want to have time with your friends. When you start writing your thesis and introduction, think of your reader as a busy person like you who doesn’t have time to waste reading a boring paper. An interesting introduction and a strong thesis are crucial to the success of your paper. You want your introduction to capture the reader’s interest. Think of your introduction as the movie trailer that draws you to the theater or the rental site. Think of your introduction as the song you hear on the radio that compels you to download the entire playlist.

Your thesis is part of your introduction, and it tells your reader what the argument of your paper is. Together, your introduction and thesis should convince the reader that your paper is worth reading. Think about how a movie trailer can persuade you to watch a movie that might not otherwise interest you.

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to refine your working thesis into a final thesis statement, and you’ll learn how to write a compelling introduction.