You’re the Navigator! On Introductory Paragraphs and Topic Sentences
Readers can follow your argument much better when they know in advance what you will be discussing in a paper, chapter, or paragraph. Here’s an analogy that may bring home the point.
Chances are, you’ve driven your car with a navigator in the seat next to you. You’re driving along and suddenly you hear her say, “Take a left.” It takes a second to realize what the instruction is, but then you slam on the brakes, signal a left turn, and then squeal through the intersection. (OK, I exaggerate a little.)
Once you've caught your breath, you glance over at your navigator and say, as politely as you can, “Next time, could you please let me know a turn is coming in advance? How about a block beforehand?”
In writing, you're the navigator. It’s you who must prepare your reader for what’s up ahead—whether in a paper, chapter, or paragraph. Such guidance is typically called an introduction (when it starts out a course paper or a capstone chapter) or a topic sentence (when it starts out a paragraph).
This responsibility is harder to learn in writing, because readers can't tell you that they felt confused or frustrated when suddenly confronted with unexpected information. Help them follow your argument by letting them know, in advance, where you're taking them. You're the navigator!
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Indeed, writing is a great challenge that requires both talent, patience skill and hard work. Usually when i start writing articles, i put myself into the other people's shoes to understand whether the point i'm sticking will be clear to a reader or not
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing the comment from Gretta was supposed to be funny. I do have a question. I used to write an introduction using the words first, second, third, last, and now it seems that is not acceptable. Can you provide advice regarding style of introduction?
ReplyDeleteBrenda, we recommend that students think of the introduction like a funnel or an upside-down triangle. Your introduction should start out broadly with background information and context about your topic, and it should get narrower in topic as you write. The tip of the triangle is like your thesis statement--narrow and specific--that usually comes at the end of your introduction paragraph(s). Using "first," "second," "third," etc. in the introduction can start sounding mechanical, and those transitions are better suited for a body paragraph where you will be presenting evidence and analysis.
ReplyDeleteWe have more tips on writing an introduction on our Introductions and Conclusions page: http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/320.htm