The introduction of your essay will determine whether the reader continues reading the rest of the essay or not, whether your audience gets a positive or negative impression of your essay. A good introduction should grab the reader’s attention and give them an idea of your objective.  It gives your reader a point of entry to your essay.

Attention grabber

An introduction begins with an orientation which is a general discussion of your topic that moves to a very specific statement of the core argument also known as the thesis statement. An attention grabbing statement is oftentimes used to draw the reader’s interest. Here are some ideas for the “attention grabber”

• Use a remarkable but accurate statement that may or may not be new to your reader. This sentence should be elaborated by a sentence or two.
• Use a relevant story that illustrates the point you are making. The story should be short and appropriate so be careful.
• Dramatize the central issue by a key example, quotation (Bring the issue to life).
• Avoid long winded expositions and instead let the reader know what you are going to discuss without doing so.
• Use correct grammar and stay away from slang, complex sentences and difficult vocabulary.
• Keep in mind that your reader may be having many other essays to go through.

Thesis statement

A thesis statement basically states what is your paper is saying/proving. It is your main point or unifying message. This is where you stick your neck out as you stake a claim/assertion. You can adjust it as you look at examples, evidence, statistics, expert testimony facts and figures etc. Make it easy to transit seamlessly from your introductory paragraph to the body

Example:

“Dropout rates as high as 42% show that affirmative action programs bringing disabled students into national universities have not worked.”

Considering evidence, you refine to: