Introduction

You want your readers to listen to what you have to say, so make sure that when you present the topic and issue in your introduction, you establish some kind of common ground or shared concern with your readers. For example, in his essay on the NFL, Nicholas Buglione begins with a vivid account of a football injury to inspire concern for injured athletes in his readers and make them receptive to his proposal about decreasing the number of injuries in professional football:

"It's fourth down and short on the other team's thirty-five yard line. At this critical point in the game, all eyes are on you, the star running back. The ball is snapped from center into the quarterback's hands. You sprint up into the pocket, receive the hand off, and race into the hole. At that instant, a rabid 245 pound linebacker drives his massive body into your legs. There is a crunch, followed by excruciating pain: your career in football is over."