1. Essay Writing for English
Language
The Expository Essay - The introduction
2. General Objectives
This lesson aims to:
Enhance students’ abilities to write well organized
essays for expository purposes
Help students understand how to write an
introduction for an English essay
3. Specific Objectives
At the end of this lesson you should be able to:
Correctly identify the parts of an introduction in examples shown to
you
Justify your answer with evidence from the paragraph
Make an introduction better by working together to develop it
Work as a group to write an introduction from scratch
Write an introduction for a cause and effect essay on your own, using
tips you learnt from this presentation
4. Parts of an essay
Introduction
Body
Conclusion
5. The Parts of An Essay
To remember the
structure of an
essay, think
BURGER!
6. The Shape of an Essay
5 PARAGRAPHS
Conclusion
1st body paragraph
2nd body paragraph
3rd body paragraph
Introduction
8. The Introduction
The part of the essay that gives the reader an idea of what the
essay is about.
First paragraph
Has a thesis statement
9. The Introduction: Don’ts
Do not refer to your writing: “This essay will
be about…” or “I will be writing about” or “This
essay will tell you…”
Do not refer to yourself: “I believe…” or “I
think…”, “If it were me, I would have…”
Do not write just write one sentence
Do not rewrite the essay question.
Do not give examples/details. Do spend time
explaining things.
10. Parts of the introduction
Hook (attention grabber): quote, joke, anecdote, rhetorical
question
Linking sentence (connects the hook to the thesis)
Thesis statement
Preview statement
(4 sentences in total)
11. THE “SHAPE”
STRUCTURE OF
THE
INTRODUCTION
Start general (wide) by speaking
about the topic and how it
relates to life overall. This is
where your hook is.
Connect your hook to the thesis
statement which lets us know the
main idea of your essay.
Be specific to the topic by
showing three ways in which you
will discuss it.
Think of the introduction as an upside
down triangle. The hook is the first
sentence at the top, the broad end. The
thesis and preview statements are at the
narrow, pointy end.
13. WHAT IS THE
HOOK?
This is the first part of the
introduction which is used to
grab everyone’s attention.
Another name for it is the
“attention grabber”.
Should be broad and referring
to something in everyday life
the reader can relate to
Makes the reader desire to
read your essay
Think of a fisherman catching a fish when
you are writing this sentence. The aim is
get your reader’s attention like the bait on
a hook is used to attract the fish.
14. The hook – types
Startling information
This information must be true and
verifiable, and it does not need to be
totally new to your readers.
“Did you know that turtles can
breathe through their butts?”
Anecdote
An anecdote is a story that illustrates
a point. Be sure your anecdote is
short, to the point, and relevant to
your topic.
“It was a cold wet day. The corridors
were very slippery. My shoes did not
have a very good grip. Guess what
happened. I slipped and my uniform
went right over my head!”
15. The hook – types
Quote
Use a popular saying from a song or
movie or literary text, or from a
philosopher. The quote should be
related to your topic and state some
deep truth about life.
“It does not matter how slowly you
go, as long as you do not stop.”
(Confuscious –Chinese philopsher)
Rhetorical question
This is a question that is not meant
to be answered. The answer is
already implied. Use it to state a
point.
“Would you want someone to serve
you garbage for breakfast? So why
serve someone food without
washing your hands first?”
16. The hook - types
An appropriate dialogue does
not have to identify the
speakers, but the reader must
understand the point you are
trying to convey. Use only two
or three exchanges between
speakers to make your point.
Jason: Carrie, why are you wearing a
paper bag over your head?
Carrie: I have a big zit on my nose and
another on my forehead. That’s why.
Jason: You should worry less about
what you look like. It makes you do silly
things.
Dialogue
17. The hook - types
An appropriate joke can be
used to grab your reader’s
attention and makes the
essay fun to read.
"As a lifelong crabber (that is, one who
catches crabs, not a chronic complainer), I
can tell you that anyone who has patience
and a great love for the river is qualified to
join the ranks of crabbers. However, if you
want your first crabbing experience to be a
successful one, you must come prepared."
(Mary Zeigler, "How to Catch River Crabs")
Joke
19. Linking sentence
This is the sentence (or sentences) that connect(s) the hook to
your thesis.
A few sentences explaining your topic in general terms can
lead the reader gently to your thesis. Each sentence should
become gradually more specific, until you reach your thesis.
If the attention grabber was only a sentence or two, add one
or two more sentences that will lead the reader from your
opening to your thesis statement.
20. The Introduction: Sample (“Process essay”) –
Linking sentence example
“Suh me mus’ spend my precious time a bake from scratch when it come eena
box?” I’m sure those of you who love to bake would have heard this at some
time when you try to defend baking from scratch. It is true that just buying a
box of whatever mix we like – whether it be pancake, festival or actual cake
mix makes the baking process much easier; nonetheless there are those of us
who appreciate the beauty of baking from scratch. Some things, such as
pancakes, we will find take far less time than we thought. For those who don’t
want to go the easy route but love their pancakes fresh but not from a box,
the process is quite easy. Just follow these steps.
22. Thesis Statement
“a sentence, that summarizes the main point or claim
of an essay, research paper, etc, and is developed,
supported and explained in the text by means of
examples and evidence” (from www.dictionary.com)
23. Thesis Statement
This is the LAST or second to last sentence in the
introduction. It is the sentence that is most specific to
the topic.
24. Thesis Statement
Strong thesis = Strong essay Weak Thesis or no thesis = Weak essay
Think of your
thesis as the
foundation of
your essay
25. Thesis Statement
The thesis statement has two parts:
The topic of the essay
The main point or claim about the topic (what you want to say about it)
Example:
Thesis statement - Pancakes are quick and easy to make
Topic – “Pancakes”
Claim or main point about the topic – “are quick and easy to make”
26. The Thesis Statement
This sentence must be
specific enough for the topic
but broad enough to give an
idea that covers the whole
essay.
Do not give too many
details, but do not make it
too vague.
27. The Thesis Statement
Good example:
“Dogs have proven to be very useful to mankind”.
Bad example (vague and incomplete):
“Dogs as pets”
Bad example (too much explanation):
“Dogs are so useful because once I saw a blind gentleman who had a dog as his
guide; it took him everywhere and acted as his eyes.”
28. Example of an introduction (Definition Essay)
"Working part-time as a cashier at the Piggly Wiggly has given me a great
opportunity to observe human behavior. Sometimes I think of the shoppers
as white rats in a lab experiment, and the aisles as a maze designed by a
psychologist. Most of the rats—customers, I mean—follow a routine
pattern, strolling up and down the aisles, checking through my chute, and
then escaping through the exit hatch. But not everyone is so dependable.
My research has revealed three distinct types of abnormal customers: the
amnesiac, the super shopper, and the dawdler."
("Shopping at the Pig") Topic: “Abnormal Customers”
Claim: “Research has revealed
three distinct types”
30. The Preview Statement
This is the last sentence in the
introduction.
It comes AFTER the thesis statement.
It is sometimes written as a part of
the thesis statement.
It states the three main points you
will use to back up the thesis
statement.
These three main points will be
developed further in the body as
topic sentences.
31. The Preview Statement
When you think of the preview statement,
think of a preview for a movie.
The trailer is used to give you a glimpse of the
movie. It takes short scenes from the movie to
give you an idea of what the movie is about.
Like a movie trailer, a preview statement gives
an overview of the three main points you will
discuss in the body, but it does not give
details.
32. Example of a thesis statement
and preview statement
“My research has revealed three
distinct types of abnormal customers:
the amnesiac, the super shopper, and
the dawdler."
This sentence – the last sentence in the
introduction – is the thesis statement
and preview statement combined. The
words “amnesiac”, “super shopper” and
“dawdler” are the three main points
he/she will develop later in the body.
33. Example of a thesis statement
and preview statement
“Dogs have proven to be very useful
to mankind. They are excellent
guides, protectors and very good
company.
For this example, the thesis statement is
written as a different sentence from the
preview statement. The preview statement
highlights the three main points which will
support the thesis statement: Dogs are
“excellent guides, protectors and very good
company”
36. Exercise 1
Examine one of the following topics and write an introductory paragraph
on it.
How Covid-19 Affects my Life
The Importance of Mother’s Day Celebrations
The Use of Technology in Schools
Reasons for Eating Balanced Meals
Why Good Friends are Necessary
37. See examples of practice on the
next slide
Results of group discussion – Topic: The Use of Technology in
Schools (Cause and Effect Essay)
38. The Use of Technology in schools (Cause and effect) How does
technology help us in schools?
Benefits:
Easier access to information for students and teachers
Less writing
More variety for activities
More interaction
More fun for students
Students learn more
Results of the
group
discussion
in class
39. The Use of Technology in schools (Cause and effect) How does
technology help us in schools?
o Thesis:
Technology in schools is beneficial to teaching and learning.
Preview statement:
It gives easier access to information, encourages interaction and
helps students learn more.
You will notice that we chose to use only 3
of the points we brainstormed (seethe
previous slide).
40. The Use of Technology in schools (Cause and effect) How
does technology help us in schools?
Thesis statement and preview
statement put together:
“Technology in schools is
beneficial to teaching and
learning. It gives easier access
to information, encourages
interaction and helps students
learn more.”
Now we will have to
add the hook and
linking sentences to
make this introduction
complete. They should
be placed at the start of
the introduction.
43. Choose one of the topics from Exercise 1 and write an
introductory paragraph for it. Do this in your
notebooks.
DO NOT DO THE ONE WHICH WAS DONE AS GROUP
WORK.
