Sign Up
School Account Sign Up
Contributor: Elephango Editors. Lesson ID: 10480
Learn how to write a strong introduction for your research paper! Discover how to craft an engaging hook and a clear thesis statement to guide your readers.
What’s the Best First Line?
Imagine you’re picking a book to read, but the introduction is boring when you open the first page.
Probably not!
Compare these two opening lines.
"Some people have brothers or sisters."
"Imagine sharing your entire life with someone—your home, your parents, and even your favorite snacks!"
The second one! That’s because it makes you picture something exciting and personal.
A great research paper starts the same way—with an introduction that hooks your reader and tells them what they’ll learn.
Explore how to write a strong introduction that makes people want to keep reading!
A great introduction has two important parts.
The hook grabs the reader’s attention and makes them want to read more.
The thesis statement clearly states the main idea of your research paper.
The Hook: Grab Your Reader’s Attention
A hook is the first sentence of your introduction. It should make the reader curious, surprised, or excited about your topic.
Types of Hooks
The Thesis Statement: Your Paper’s Roadmap
After the hook, your introduction needs a thesis statement—a clear sentence explaining your paper's main idea.
A strong thesis statement does the following.
Answers a specific question.
Gives a clear opinion or stance.
Prepares the reader for what’s coming next.
Example Thesis Statements
Weak: “Bees are important.”
Strong: “Bees play a vital role in our ecosystem, and we must take action to protect them by planting bee-friendly gardens, limiting pesticide use, and supporting conservation programs.”
The strong example introduces the topic and sets up the main points that will be explained in the paper.
Head to the Got It? section to put this in action!
Supplies
Related Lessons
FAVORITE
Like