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(Special Issue) May 15, 2009

Writing Focus

The Question of the Introduction

An introduction can make or break a written work. In a novel, that first page must hook the reader instantly. In hard journalism, the introductory paragraph (the 'lede') must present all the essentials of a story immediately. In other nonfiction, readers often judge an entire work based on what's presented in the introduction.

One common introductory technique is to use a question. The theory is that a reader, by merely answering the question, is drawn into the material almost instantly. He has essentially swallowed the baited hook, leaving the remaining valuable information to reel him all the way through the piece.

Indeed, a well-planned question can pique interest and emotionally involve a reader in the topic at hand. But simply rewording a fact and adding a question mark will not do. Here are some tips for effective question writing.

1) Not all questions are equal.

Beware of closed-ended questions, those that elicit a short, simple, predictable answer. Yes-or-no questions and those questions that ask for a specific numerical answer are almost always closed-ended.

Let's say an article about heart disease opens with "Did you know the human heart has four chambers?" The question might raise interest for a person who doesn't know about the four chambers. But the reader that answers the question "yes" may assume he already knows the article's content and opt not to read on. Questions that solicit an uninviting "no" can be even more immediately damaging.

An exception is the rhetorical question, one that is not asked to get an answer but to emphasize a common opinion or truth. For example, sales copy might ask, "Doesn't your family deserve the best service?" The buyer is not expected to answer but to simply agree with the opinion that he values his family. But rhetorical questions can be limited, too. If not used carefully, they can appear to pander.

Open-ended questions, on the other hand, can interest a reader without seeming to manipulate him. They might invite a reader to consider why or how something works. They might ask him to react emotionally rather than factually. They raise curiosity.

2) Ask, don't badger.

A single, poignant question works. A series of two or three escalating questions may work also. But use more than that in the same introduction, and what was meant to be an invitation to think begins to feel more like a criminal interrogation.

No matter how good they are, questions get tiresome. No one wants to be queried all the time.

3) Don't rely on questions alone.

There are two local writers who regularly appear in publications I receive. They both produce well-researched, timely, relevant, and overall informative articles. But despite their good work, their reliance on using questions in intros leaves an impression of amateur writing.

A question can be an effective method for introducing a piece. Just remember that it is one of many options. Bottom line: for best results, vary your intros.

Usage Tip #1

there vs. their vs. they're

Confusing these homonyms is a classic, common usage mistake. We've all--even the editors among us--done this at one time or another. It's an error that slips in when the fingers type faster than the brain can edit.

• there: adv. in a location apart or at some distance from oneself
• their: poss. adj/pro. the possessive form of the third person plural, i.e. "of or belonging to them"
• they're: pro. + v. contracted form of "they are"

Of the three, they're is least often confused. The apostrophe draws the eye into a helpful double-take. Also, in some regions, the pronunciation of they're is not quite the same as the other two, helping further distinguish it. But if you're not sure, a quick test is to ask yourself whether the same thing can be expressed in two words. If so, they're is indeed correct.

I invited the Pattersons to dinner. They're meeting us at seven o'clock.

is equal to

I invited the Pattersons to dinner. They are meeting us at seven o'clock.

For the other two sound-alikes, be vigilant. These spelling-based mnemonics may help.

• The word there contains the word here, its natural other half. If you didn't mean "the opposite of here," then the there that's spelled similarly may not be the right word.
• The word their ends in r just like two other possessives, our and her. But NONE of the possessives ends in e as does there.

Test yourself with these examples. In each case, the mnemonics above can lead to a correct answer.

1) Houston? No, I've never been ___.
2) The Jacksons sold ___ San Francisco vacation house last month.
3) The managers are at a meeting; ___ scheduled to return by noon.
4) ___ confidence in the new drug led the researchers to make careless errors.
5) Susan's arrived at the airport. How long will it take you to drive ___?

Answers: 1) there; 2) their; 3) they're; 4) their; 5) there

Usage Tip #2

momentarily

Skim a few style books and language Web sites and you'll find umpteen experts berating common but less-than-accurate uses of hopefully and unfortunately. Those lessons are generally well explained. So today I'll address an adverb that is often misused but somehow manages to stay largely under the radar: momentarily.

Something that is momentary is temporary, fleeting, impermanent. It follows, then, that to do something "momentarily" should mean to do it for only a short period, or "for a moment."

Yet you'll often hear momentarily used to mean "in a moment," or soon. The effect of using "for a moment" where "in a moment" belongs can be unintentionally comic:

• The doctor assured us the injury would only affect Jim's memory momentarily.
• The doctor assured us he would be back to help Jim momentarily.

In the first sentence, the caring doctor offers hope; in the second, he's a callous clock-watcher.

So what's the right word to use when "in a moment" is the meaning you want? Maybe the best bet is to skip those tricky -ly adverbs and just say "soon."

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