Educational Support Services

1. Educational Support Services Developing the Topic in the Introductory Paragraph Copy: Janet Farra Design: Verna Fisher

2. Here are five common ways to develop your topic in the introductory paragraph: • 1. Anecdotes – a short story (true or fictional) • 2. Define/Explain – background information, statistics or definition of issue • 3. Quote • 4. Popular Argument – a commonly held idea • 5. Question

3. Anecdote sample • He just had time for the fleeting thought that the port-a-potty on the trailer did not look secure before it shook itself free, tumbling into traffic. The fiberglass box landed on the hood of his car, slid up his windshield, over the roof, and down the back, ruining the antenna as it went. While the engine and steering were unharmed, the damage to the body of my son’s nine-year-old car left it totaled. Sometimes momentous changes that happen quickly can remind us that life is fragile.

4. Define/Explain sample • Obesity is on the rise in America. Often referred to by the medical profession as “overweight,” our hefty size has contributed to higher incidence of diseases such as diabetes, heart failure, and hypertension. Doctors are reporting that obesity is becoming an epidemic, as even children are now suffering from these diseases once thought confined to adults. This is clogging our already troubled healthcare system. We must revisit our grandparent’s timely advice that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” in order to reverse this destructive trend.

5. Quote sample • “Life is pain, Princess. Anyone who tells you differently is selling something.” This harsh declaration by the Dread Pirate Roberts in the loveable comedy The Princess Bride effectively pops our cherished bubble of happily-ever-after. This dart of realism echoes American cultural changes as the white picket fence dream of the 1950s fades into the bleak scramble to make ends meet in the early twenty first century. Several factors have contributed to our current struggle: greed in the market place, obscenely bloated lawsuit awards, and a dwindling work ethic.

6. Popular Argument sample • A large portion of college freshmen find common ground in their sentiment that learning to write essays is a useless endeavor. Typically, essay writing is viewed as a skill that is only needed in a classroom. However, I am convinced that learning to communicate through the written word is an extremely important and undervalued life skill.

7. Question sample • When you slide behind the steering wheel after a hard day’s work, what kind of music do you listen to? Is it something to infuse you with new energy? Or do you search for soothing tunes to help you unwind? More than a simple form of entertainment, music is a heart language that we are born knowing, and we interact with on a variety of deep levels throughout our lives.

8. Introductory Paragraph No-Nos • Don’t recite your instructions. • Avoid obvious statements such as “In this paper I will discuss the causes of rising oil prices.” Instead write, “Several factors cause oil prices to rise.” • Don’t apologize: • Avoid self-critical statements such as “I don’t have much background in this subject.” Instead write, “I believe that it is better to tell the truth than to life.” • Don’t use over worn expressions: • Avoid well-known statements such as Nike’s “Just do it.” (unless they are necessary to the point you are trying to make). Instead write, “Don’t let fear hold you back from new experiences.”