The Funnel Down Introduction

The Funnel Down Introduction is a great way to start a paper. It is effective in drawing a reader in with a broad claim, or hook, then with each sentence narrowing the broad claim down to relate to a thesis statement.

This is what a Funnel Down Introduction looks like:

1^st Sentence – Broad Hook – this sentence is related to the subject of your paper, sort of. This claim should, in some way, draw the reader into your paper and make them want to read more.

Example: It’s peanut butter and jelly time!

2^nd Sentence – Less Broad – this sentence is still not very specific nor does it outright state the topic yet, but it is a step closer to your subject and is a less broad statement than your hook.

Example: Peanut butter and jelly are a classic combination that gets eaten by thousands of people a day.

3^rd Sentence – More Focused – this sentence is tying the idea of your thesis and your broad statement even closer together. Think of each sentence in your funnel down intro as a step closer to your thesis.

Example: While Americans are very familiar with this delicious food item, there are people around the world who are not sure what a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is.

4^th Sentence – Almost Thesis – this sentence is going to support your thesis and almost outright state it, but it isn’t quiet the thesis yet.

Example: It turns out that the classic American combination of peanut butter and jelly has not caught on around the world, but other sandwich variations have.

Thesis Statement – this is the main point of your whole paper. Your thesis should include your topic + your opinion + your rational (or reasons) presented within your paper.

Example: Peanut butter and jelly is a unique American sandwich and while peanut butter is popular in other dishes around the world, it rarely finds itself paired up with jelly outside of America.

Here is what the introduction looks like put together:

It’s peanut butter and jelly time! Peanut butter and jelly are a classic combination that gets eaten by thousands of people a day. While Americans are very familiar with this delicious food item, there are people around the world who are not sure what a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is. It turns out that the classic American combination of peanut butter and jelly has not caught on around the world, but other sandwich variations have.  Peanut butter and jelly is a unique American sandwich and while peanut butter is popular in other dishes around the world, it rarely finds itself paired up with jelly outside of America.

Below is a quick visualization using Prezi (free for anyone to use at prezi.com once you sign up for an account!) on the Funnel Down Introduction.

Copy of Funnel Down Introduction on Prezi

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