Page 167 - Wordsmith A Guide to College Writing

2. I used to believe in accepting coworkers as they were. I did my

job and minded my own business. If my coworkers goofed off,

that was their business. Lately, however, I am becoming

increasingly intolerant of people who don’t carry their share of

the load.

Historical

The term “historical introduction” has nothing to do with the Gettysburg

Address or the Cuban Missile Crisis. A historical introduction

provides the reader with background information—the “history” behind

your essay. Historical introductions have two functions—to establish

expertise or authority on a subject or to set the stage for your
discussion.

Historical Introduction to Establish

Expertise

Background material can help you establish your authority or expertise

on a particular subject. If you are giving advice on car maintenance,

for instance, it might help your reader to know that you’ve worked
summers and weekends at Ace’s Auto Repair for the last four years,

or that your own car is nearing the 200,000-mile mark on the