Final answer:
The openings of academic essays are multifunctional: they present the thesis, establish context, and engage the reader, which are all crucial to setting the stage for the rest of the essay.
Step-by-step explanation:
Openings of academic essays serve several important functions. They are designed to present the thesis, establish context, and engage the reader. Thus, the correct answer to what do openings of academic essays accomplish is d) All of the above.
The introduction sets the stage for the entire essay, providing a roadmap for what the reader can expect. It starts with a hook to grab the reader's attention - this could be a quote, a startling statistic, or a brief anecdote. Following the hook, background information is provided to give the reader a sense of where the essay's argument or analysis fits within a broader scholarly conversation, or to provide necessary historical or cultural context for understanding the thesis.
Subsequently, the essay's thesis statement is presented, typically at the end of the introduction. The thesis statement clearly outlines the topic of the essay, the author's position on the topic, and the main points that the essay will cover to support this stance. The introductory paragraph not only contextualizes the paper but also ensures that the reader is actively engaged and interested in the argument the writer is about to unfold.