The introduction is the first paragraph of an analytical or argumentative essay. Introductions play a crucial role in presenting the essay’s main focus - the thesis statement - as well as the establishment of the author’s voice, style, and tone.

For most pieces of writing, the introduction consists of three basic elements: an attention-grabber, context, and a thesis statement. Different kinds of compositions - say, a research paper versus a short, in-class response - use different conventions regarding the length and emphasis of each component.

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1 Structure 1.1 Attention Grabber
1.2 Context 1.3 Thesis Statement

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Structure

Attention Grabber

 *Main article:* [***Attention Grabber***](<https://swamp-drip-4f6.notion.site/Introduction-Attention-Grabber-77dd3c2f8d1f482c992db04f22f2aa9b>)

The attention-grabber is a common rhetorical strategy used by writers at the beginning of introductory paragraphs. Attention-grabbers are often intended to draw a reader into the essay but do so in a way that is relevant to and sets up the paper’s thesis which is typically located at the end of the introduction. The attention-grabber plays an important, but often overlooked, role in the writing of introductions. Some common attention-grabbers include the use of:

Rhetorical question
Personal anecdote
Quotation
Direct statement
Preparation
Correction
Analogy

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Context

 *Main article:* [***Context***](<https://swamp-drip-4f6.notion.site/Introduction-Attention-Grabber-77dd3c2f8d1f482c992db04f22f2aa9b>)

The context is information that a writer provides to help readers more fully understand essential information on the essay’s topic. Context plays an important role in introductory paragraphs because it helps the reader to situate the topic into a larger chronology, theme, or way of thinking. Context is especially necessary when the reader may be unfamiliar with the subject. The context usually appears in an introductory paragraph after the attention-grabber and prior to the thesis statement. A writer can provide many different types of contextual information:

Information about leading points of view on the topic
Information about the author’s biographical information
Information about what led to the writer’s view on the topic
Information about historical context
Information about the thematic context of the topic

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Thesis Statement

 *Main article:* [Thesis Statement](<https://swamp-drip-4f6.notion.site/Introduction-Thesis-Statement-eac85ad875474bb3be604e45c3bcd479>)

The thesis statement is the central idea of an essay which presents the essay’s main argument or interpretation. The thesis should be clear and concise because it serves as a guide for the rest of the essay. A thesis statement has benefits for both the writer and the reader. For the writer, the thesis helps clarify what will be written about and how ideas will be organized. For the reader, it presents a clear statement of the paper’s argument which will be supported and developed in the paper’s body paragraphs. Typically, the thesis statement appears at the end of the introduction, and it has two basic components: