Vacca, Paul

Beginnings

Your shot at intriguing or acclimating the reader. Establish the tone, stylistic manner and attitude in the first few sentences.

The Direct Beginning

State the subject in the first sentence, and the thesis in the first paragraph.

Use the first paragraph to define subject or a quick synopsis of the material to come.

The Delayed Beginning

An attention-getting device, e.g. anecdote, generalization, vivid description, dramatic incident, paradoxical observation, can serve as the background to your thesis.