This document provides guidance on how to write an effective introduction for an essay. It discusses including a topic, context, and thesis statement in the introduction. The introduction should identify the topic, give background on the context, and leave the reader wanting more detail that will be provided in the body. Some tips for writing the introduction include starting with a quote, fact, or anecdote to engage the reader and narrowing to the thesis statement. The introduction should avoid being too broad or simply restating the question.

1. How to Write an Introduction for an Essay
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How to Write an Introduction for an Essay
An introduction is the first paragraph of your essay. A map that outlines what the reader
should expect in the rest of your essay. It captures your main argument and prepares
your audience for what is ahead. Most introductions begin with general statements as
they lead the reader into the topic of discussion. These statements create a link between
the topic and bigger issues in the real world or in the field.
While drafting an introduction may appear easy, it requires a lot of effort to make it an
effective part of your essay. In this handout, you will discover all the tips of how to write
an introduction for an essay. Read on and make your essays captivating.
The basic principles of how to write an introduction for an essay
There can never be an essay without an introduction. Every complete essay has an intro,
body and the conclusion. However, an introduction plays a major role in creating an
impression about your work and self. It may attract or repel a potential reader. An
introduction creates a difference between veteran writers and amateur scribes.
Functions of Essay introductions
Quickly, let us look at what a good introduction should do to your essay:
Identify your topic – Your topic serves as the head of your write-up. Thus, a good
introduction should tell the reader what you are discussing in the coming sections of your
essay. By doing this, you are helping the reader to prepare for the flesh of the issue.
Give the context of your essay–As you think about how to write an introduction for an
essay, remember that essay intros are meant for an intelligent but uninformed audience.
Therefore, start your essay by giving a background of your topic, scope and important
definitions to help the reader understand your ideas.
Background information in form of opening statements help to establish the subject
matter. Do not make your introduction too broad but ensure that you capture relevant
topics and subtopics to cover.
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2. The scope determines the depth and breadth of your essay. It may depend on the
essay instructions, where your tutor outlines the boundaries of your coverage. For
example: Write an essay on the impact of the internet in the last five years. This essay
prompt limits your coverage to the past five years, which forms part of the scope.
Ask yourself the following questions to help you establish the scope of your essay:
Who? What? When? Where? How? Why? Are you targeting a specific region or
audience?
Define terms in your introduction. You will need to define terms if at all the terms are
essential and add value to the readers’ understanding. It is common when writing
specialized essay targeting a specific audience. Definitions eliminate cases of ambiguity
and confusion.
Gives focus to your paper. An integral part of your introduction is your thesis statement,
which should capture your main idea and argument. Articulating your argument forms the
basis of how to write an introduction for an essay. A good thesis should be specific and
clear.
Your thesis statement should come at the end of your introductory paragraph. In other
words, begin with general statements and narrow down to your thesis, which should be
more refined and provocative.
Essay structure – A good introduction tells the structure of your essay. Tell your
audience about the organization of body paragraphs. How have you arranged your
ideas? It is a way of outlining your major points. However, do not get into details. Just
give signals of what to expect in the coming chapters of your essay.
Have a writing style like chronological, thematic, sequential or contrast. This is important
in guiding your readers throughout the paper.
Steps to help you write an appealing introduction for an essay
Do you want to become a good writer? Then work on having excellent and interesting
introductions for your essay. A good introduction will give your target audience a reason
to read on and get the gist of your essay.
Apply the following strategies and turnaround your essay writing
STEP 1: Start with something startling – Pique the readers’ attention by beginning your
essay with surprising statistics about the issue. This will further help you to illustrate the
weight of the matter.
STEP 2: The second secret of how to write an introduction for an essay is using a quote
from an expert. While this is a good approach to make your first paragraph more
captivating, remember to introduce the personality you are quoting. Here, you are
contextualizing the quote. Also, ensure that the quote is relevant to your topic.
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3. STEP 3: Mention public misconception – In case your essay argues against a
misconception in the public domain, capture this in your first paragraph.
STEP 4: Use of a brief narrative or anecdote– It is an effective method especially for
veteran writers with a great mastery of the skill. Anecdotes help to affirm your reasons
behind choosing the topic.
STEP 5: Explain major concepts – For scientific essays, give details on relevant
concepts and link them to your literature.
As you go through these stages, always remember that your intro should only wet the
reader’s appetite. Do not give details that belong to your body paragraphs.
With these steps, let us consider general tips on how to write an introduction for an
essay.
Fundamentals Of How To Write An Introduction For An Essay
Beware of the risk of sinking into your intro. Some students find it hard to proceed
with writing the essay before they have a flawless introduction. Do not spend all your time
here. You may channel that energy into prewriting stages and in drafting your paper.
Have in mind that you can always come back to your first intro and refine it.
Compress your introduction later. Writing an intro of any topic helps you to explore
your understanding of the issue. This is a good approach. However, remember to revisit
your essay and compress it to harmonize with the rest of the paper.
Write your introduction last. In case you are finding challenges in crafting an appealing
introduction, get on to the body of your paper. Some writers work on the intro first but
change it significantly at a later stage. Writing your introduction last may be easier
because you know the depth of your argument, supporting evidence, and
counterarguments.
No standard length of your introduction – The length of your introduction may depend
on the overall length of your essay. However, most short essays, say below 1000 words
have a one-paragraph introduction. A 20-page essay may call for a two-page introduction.
Go to the point as soon as possible. As you think about how to write an introduction
for an essay, avoid sweeping generalizations. Start with general statements that are not
too far from your topic. You do not want to lose your readers at the onset of your essay.
Locate your thesis. Your thesis statement should appear at the end of your introductory
paragraph. This is not a hard-and-fast rule but it works well for most essays. Try it and
see how it gives direction to the rest of your paper.
Common less effective introductions you should avoid when writing your essays
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4. Are you wondering why your tutor hates on you every time you hand in an essay? It could
be because of your ineffective introductions. Here are some wrong ways of introducing
your essay:
Placeholder introduction– An empty paragraph serves no purpose. You are likely to be
a victim of this intro anytime you are working on a topic with insufficient information. This
introduction also has vague statements that add no value to your essay.
Restated question introduction. As you figure out how to write an introduction for an
essay, remember that your professor already has the question. It makes no sense to
spend your time and space restating the same. Again, your tutor has more than enough
to go through. Spare him or her agony or repeating the question.
Webster’s Dictionary introduction – This is a dull way of opening your essay. Everyone
can find time and check the meaning of terms from dictionaries and handbooks. It is
however, a good approach when writing technical papers.
Dawn of man” introduction – It is too broad to connect with your thesis. It makes too
broad and sweeping generalizations on your topic. Do not try this.
Book report introduction – Students in elementary schools use this. You do not want to
tell the reader what they already know. Go to the subject matter.
With this guide, you have unrivaled toolkit for your essay writing.All the best…
Shine with us…
How to Write an Introduction for an Essay: References
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http://owll.massey.ac.nz/assignment-types/essay-introduction.php
http://www.wikihow.com/Write-an-Essay-Introduction
http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/planning-and-organizing/intros-and-conclusions
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/introductions/
http://unilearning.uow.edu.au/essay/4bii.html
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/intros.htm
http://lklivingston.tripod.com/essay/intro.html
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5. http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/studyadvice/StudyResources/Essays/sta-
writingessay.aspx
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