Created by Austin Peay State University, 22 March 2012; revised 19 January 2017
Academic Support Center
Writing Center
Introductory Paragraphs in Formal and Informal Papers
Resource: Capital Community College
The Introductory Paragraph in Formal Writing
How does the introductory paragraph for formal papers differ from expository
or creative papers?
The idea that the term “attention-getter” means that the introduction has to
“grasp” the reader’s attention mainly applies to creative or expository story
writing. Therefore, this style is inappropriate for writing formal papers, such as
history, research, education, science, and literature.
While the opening paragraph should be written in such a fashion that encourages
the reader to want to read the paper, the introductory paragraph is supposed to
serve as an introduction—or an overview—of what the paper is about.
What information is needed for the introductory paragraph?
In addition to a thesis statement, which must be included in any essay, the
introduction for formal papers consists of all or as many of the following
elements as are appropriate to the paper’s topic:
who the paper is about
what the paper is about
where the topic takes place
when the idea(s) occurred
how the event(s), technique(s), idea(s) transpired
significance of the topic
Where does the thesis statement belong in the introductory paragraph?
The placement of the thesis will vary depending on professors’ instructions.
Regardless, the thesis sentence must be present and clearly stated. Without it,
the rest of the paper will lack clear focus and structure.
