The introduction paragraph of your essay is the first part your reader comes across. It is the paragraph that opens your essay by informing your readers what to expect in the rest of the paper. You should create it in a way that your reader will find a reason to read the rest parts of your essay.
The tone you use in the introduction should evoke positive emotions in the mind of a reader so that they get interested in finding a good reason to investigate further for more detailed information.
Read more: How to Structure an Essay
Essay Introduction: Writing Guide with Examples
You might have been assigned an essay topic that looks complex. To get the flow right, you must get the introduction right. Most readers will first read the information in the introduction, and if they find it interesting, they will spare their time to read the rest of the essay.
Our team of experienced essay writers has created this essay introduction guide to help you gain a better understanding of what details you should include in the introduction. It will help you understand how to start writing your essay introduction and the qualities it must have.
Introduction paragraph of an essay
The introduction paragraph is the paragraph that opens an essay. Its main purpose is to inform a reader about the information you will cover in the essay. The essay introduction is also used as the hook that evokes curiosity in the mind of a reader.
You should choose Essay topics that will be easy to get information to write about. A good introduction sets the right mindset in your reader so that they quickly decide to read your entire paper.
The introduction also presents your thesis statement, which forms the central point of your argument. Make the hook attractive so that your reader will have a desire to seek more details in the essay body.
Introduction length
How long an introductory paragraph should depend on the length of the entire essay. It is not likely that you will be given a rule on the number of introduction paragraphs you should write.
Judge the length based on the total pages of the essay. For example, if you are writing an essay with five pages, you might only want one paragraph as an introduction. However, if your essay is twenty-five pages, your introduction might be three or more paragraphs.
Some essay introductions exceed a page depending on the length of the entire paper. Essay writing experts recommend the introduction should not exceed 8 or 9 percent of the total pages in your paper.
Qualities of a good introduction
- A good introduction for essay is reader-focused and aims at grabbing their attention.
- To seamlessly bring the reader on board, you must creatively provide them with some background information that explains to them about the topic.
- You should introduce an essay by giving attention to the main points you have argued about in the body and highlight them to the reader.
- Part of your introduction should be a thesis statement that mirrors the main point in the essay.
- The introduction should provide the primary information touching on the essay setting, timing, and characters. When an introduction meets these qualities, it will hook the reader to read on to the final point.
What are the 4 parts of an introduction?
An essay introduction structure will have four primary parts: The hook, context, thesis, and a structure map. The purpose of each is to acquaint your audience with your essay topic and its purpose. When you write these primary parts well, you will create an impressive essay introduction.
The essay hook
When deciding what to include in an essay introduction, the essay hook should be the first thing to think about. It means you create a sentence that will keep the mind of the reader desiring more.
For example, if you are writing an essay about the benefits of having a pet, your hook can be something like this: “Having a dog as your pet can improve your health, pleasure, and a sense of security.” The hook gives an introduction to the essay from a broad perspective, but it makes the reader curious to find out more.
The context
The hook gives a broad introduction to your essay, but the context gives a narrower focus. It introduces the specific focus of your essay. The context can range from a few lines to several paragraphs. It discusses the main points in your essay to give the reader a closer understanding.
For example: If you are writing about sexual assaults against women, you can write something like this: “The pioneering anti-sexual assault and gender equality and women campaigns #Metoo and Time’s up disrupted the worldwide public debate about women’s issues and raised global awareness about the challenges women face in their work and personal life.”
Thesis statement
You should develop skills for writing an introduction for an essay by learning to create a strong thesis. It provides readers with your point of view regarding the essay topic. It gives the reader an idea of what you are about to argue.
For example, if you are writing an essay about work-life balance, your thesis can read something like this: “Businesses should offer better work from home options and implement 6 hour working days to help employees achieve a higher work-life balance and be more effective at the workplace.”
Essay structure mapping
Your essay introduction structure should give the reader an overview of the chapters covered and to expect in each. It provides the reader with a clear direction for your essay. This is more applicable with lengthy essays.
For example, you can begin by saying something like this: The essay starts by discussing the current situation of sexual harassment against women in Hollywood. It then discusses its prevalence in society and later explores the effects and solutions”.
How to start an essay introduction
There are different ways for starting an essay introduction depending on the type of essay you are introducing. The aim is to hook the reader and create an impression that attracts them to your essay.
Here is an essay introduction example you can start with:
Share a shocking fact with your audience
An example such as “the main consequences of inequalities in the world is that one person dies every 4 seconds as a result”. The fact must be relevant to your topic.
Ask your audience a question
A question helps your audience to directly interact with your essay. You move them from being passive to active readers. Ask something like: “how many times have you had to pay more to get a better service?”
Quote someone
Choose a relevant quote that agrees with your topic choice. It helps show your audience you have researched well on the topic. It is one of the best ways to start your essay. Quote, something like: “History is never dead. It is not even history” – William Faulkner.
Create a dramatic scene
Write something that looks like drama or out of the ordinary. You will help create a certain level of emotions in the minds and hearts of your readers. Your will be persuading them to continue reading your essay. Think of something like this:
“Imagine you’ve just sat before the interviewing panel, ready to answer their questions. You are a little nervous, you are feeling a thin sweat drip on your face, and out of nowhere, a police officer enters and declares to you that you are under arrest.”
Words to start an essay introduction
The first notion you should have when introducing your essay is that the reader knows nothing about your paper. They have no idea what you have argued about. It is your responsibility to shed light for them on these details through an informative introduction.
The choice of the starting words to use matters. Use words that evoke a desire to read the next sentence on and on. Think about words such as considering, because of, secondly, according to, firstly, about, etc.
Tips for writing a good introduction
You could be having trouble with writing an essay introduction. There are several easy ways out.
- Research well: Research online for tips from essay writing guides, essay examples, and blogs.
- Write several drafts: One draft might challenge you, but if you write several, you will keep adding inspiration with each draft.
- Read the essay prompt closely: Your teacher might have given you an essay prompt. Analyze the prompt and read the points closely.
- Narrow on your topic: Do not make your topic too broad but narrow it to help you focus on fewer points.
Conclusion
Anytime you are assigned an essay, your main question should be how to write a good essay structure, how to write an introduction and the components of an introduction. Once you have answered these questions correctly, you can progress to writing the other parts of your essay. We hope that you have found this guide useful to you and will help you write better. Anytime you need help with essay writing, you can buy essays at our service for quality papers.
