Page 483 - Wordsmith A Guide to College Writing

Introducing an Argument or a

Persuasive Essay

An introduction to an argument or a persuasive essay can be a

historical introduction that provides background for your argument.

It might also be a contrast introduction in which you briefly
summarize the opposing view and then present your own. (See

Chapter 4 for examples.) A third type of introduction that works

well for an argument essay is the concession, or “yes-but”

introduction. In a yes-but introduction, you acknowledge the

opposition’s strong points before bringing in your own argument. This
type of introduction makes your essay seem fair and balanced. In the

following example, the writer concedes the strong points of the

opposition’s argument and then states his own thesis.

Example: Concession or Yes-But Introduction

Many a reluctant student is pulled from a warm bed for an eight
o’clock class by a college attendance policy that limits the number

of absences a student may accumulate. Such policies have the

advantage of ensuring that the professor is not talking to an empty

room at 8:00 A.M. on a frosty Monday morning. They also help many

marginal students make it through a class. But these policies do more
harm than good by treating college students like kindergartners,

forcing students who know the material to sit in class anyway, and