OICC Press Journal of Language and Translation 2645-3738 7 2 2017 04 01 Modeling and Non-modeling Genre-based Approach to Writing Argument-led Introduction Paragraphs: A Case of English Students in Iran 13 23 EN Shoaleh Malekie Department of English, Faculty of Humanities, Garmsar Branch,Islamic Azad University, Garmsar, Iran Massood Yazdanimoghaddam Department of English, Faculty of Humanities, Garmsar Branch,Islamic Azad University, Garmsar, Iran Journal Article 2017 04 01 Despite the crucial role of introductory sections in argumentative academic writing, the effects of genre- based approaches to writing introductory paragraphs have not been much explored yet. The present study aimed to investigate whether the provision of genre knowledge through modeling and non-modeling could enhance learners’ ability in writing introductory paragraphs of argumentative essays. Adopting an intact group sampling within a quasi-experimental design, 75 graduate and post-graduate students with intermedi- ate level of language proficiency were selected from three universities and randomly divided into three groups: modeling, non-modeling, and a control group. Modeling and non-modeling groups received genre- based treatment while the control group had a non-genre based treatment as placebo. The statistical proce- dures of dependent-samples t-tests, a one-way ANOVA, and correlational analyses significantly confirmed the positive effects of both modeling and non-modeling genre-based instruction on the writing ability of the learners. No significant difference, however, was found between the two genre-based groups.