Introduction To An Essay
Essay writing, to most people, is a difficult task.
And, unfortunately, as a student, you cannot thrive without art essay writing.
Essay assignments, such as argumentative essays, research essays, lab reports, and literature reviews, require good writing skills.
Producing a good paper requires learning and mastering the basics of academic writing.
One of the crucial skills of academic writing is writing a good essay introduction.
The introduction. Which, of course, is the first section of your essay, serves two primary purposes:
- Influences someone’s interest in reading your paper
- Sets the tone for your paper
The different types of academic papers are started in different ways.
The following is a guide on how to start an essay. By the end of this article, you will have learned how to start the following types of essays:
- Argumentative essays
- Analysis essays
- Expository essays
- Informative essays
Also, you will learn how to start an essay with a quote.
To better understand what a terrific introduction to an essay looks like, watch the video tutorial from James, who explains the method for writing the perfect essay introduction.
Tips On How To Start Your Essay
Consider the following guidelines to have a great start to your essay.
1 Planning and organization
Writing an excellent essay requires that you spare ample time for planning and organization.
The planning and organization phase involves:
- Analyzing the given question or topic to come up with a suitable title
- Identifying and gathering materials you will use as references for your essay
- Determining the timeline; how long will you need to write and proofread the essay?
2. Research your topic
You will not write a good introduction, leaving alone the whole essay, without understanding the topic.
Therefore, the first step is to read widely on the topic.
You will find enough resources on the topic in libraries and scholarly journals and articles published online.
However, consider the credibility of an online source before using it.
As you research your topic, take short notes.
Your short notes will help you develop a good outline for your essay.
If you struggle to write an essay, the most likely reason is that you didn’t conduct enough research.
3. Come up with an outline
You have started writing your essay, and halfway through, you are out of words and points.
You will encounter that situation if you start writing with an outline.
An outline highlights the main ideas and the structure of your essay.
Furthermore, an outline will help you stay on topic.
4. Have a thesis statement
Now, you have done the research and come up with an outline.
The next step is to come up with a thesis statement.
Scholars define a thesis statement as the roadmap to your essay.
As you research, find a focus for your essay and develop a thesis statement from it.
A thesis statement presents the topic of discussion to the reader.
And it helps the writer not to stray from the topic.
5. Draft the introduction
You are ready to start your essay after following the steps outlined above.
An essay has the following main sections:
- Introduction
- Body
- Conclusion
The focus of this post is the introduction.
As mentioned, the introduction stirs a reader’s interest in your essay.
Remember, you might be writing a topic that is not interesting to a reader. But a good introduction might hook an uninterested reader and make them read the entire paper.
How To Write A Good Introduction To An Essay
A good introduction:
Stir interest and curiosity
Your introduction should grab the reader’s attention and stir some curiosity.
Remember, you only have one chance of hooking a reader.
Therefore, your first sentence should wow a reader.
Nonetheless, it should still be relevant to the subject of the paper.
To hook a reader using the first sentence of your essay, consider writing:
- A quote
- An interesting piece of statistic
- A fascinating fact
- A rhetorical question
Since an attention-grabbing statement will not come out of thin air, consider writing your introduction last; after conducting your research and mastering your essay’s main ideas and argument.
2. Guide readers to your primary idea
You have already hooked your reader using the first sentence.
The next step is to maintain their interest in your paper.
So, the following statements should link to the first one by elaborating more on it.
3. Outline the essay
Outlining means giving your readers an idea of what your essay is all about.
Should they read your paper, what can they expect?
The idea is to give your reader a basic structure for your essay.
4. Include your thesis
A thesis statement makes a reader aware of your stand on the topic of discussion.
A good thesis statement is brief and straight to the point.
But most importantly, it should be an argument or an analysis worth reading.
5. Introduce your intention
As you provide your reader with a roadmap for your essay, make them know your intention.
The intention of an essay could be to:
- Persuade
- Inform
- Explore
- Critic
Whichever is your intention, let the reader know as early as possible.
How to Set up A Map for An Essay Introduction
How do you set up a map for people to follow?
With the right words, of course!
A good introduction is like writing out what your reader can expect and how they should navigate the rest of the essay.
Here are some essential dos and don’ts when it comes to creating a practical introduction:
-Do; be descriptive about where we’re going, e.g., “In this paper, I will explore…”
-Don’t make assumptions about who’s reading or why; ensure all readers have enough information before progressing with their understanding/experience. E.g., “This research aims at exploring….”
Essay introductions – the right way
The world is constantly changing.
Technology has a significant impact on society and how we live our lives.
Still, sometimes it can be difficult to tell what these changes mean for us as individuals with limited knowledge of science or engineering.
While some people may welcome this technological revolution, others see its consequences in less flattering terms; increased unemployment rates due to automation taking over jobs that humans used to perform while also causing an increase in mental health issues like depression because they no longer have any purpose at work.
This essay will look into how technology affects employment by exploring two case studies: self-driving cars, which are becoming more popular every day, and robots being brought into the workforce instead of human employees who need bed rest after long shifts.
What to avoid in an essay introduction
Too much information
Some writers fill their introduction with a waffle.
EssayFreelanceWriters tip: – Make sure you stay on topic and don’t give so much background information that the reader starts to feel like they are being taken through a history lesson from GCSE level to university.
Remember, your readers have some knowledge of this subject before reading your work; make them think critically about it but keep it interesting for those who may not know too much!
Too many academic introductions can be tedious or overwhelming because authors often include every detail imaginable to provide context (and sometimes even acquaint newbies with basic facts).
This is one reason we recommend following these top tips when opening.
Disjointed words and phrases
Make a connection between sentences clear.
Don’t just drop information on the reader without pointing the way through thoughts.
Don’t put so much in the introduction
Ever been told not to put all your eggs in one basket?
You’ve probably feared doing so, wondering if it might be better for you.
But is there any truth behind that saying, or is it just an old wives’ tale?
What does this mean, and why would I need directions on how much time should go into my introduction before writing my essay’s body
Proofreading the essay introduction should be as crucial to your final product as any other step.
If you are not careful, it can have severe consequences for how well-received your work is by an audience and will result in a lower grade on their end.
Proofread every part of the paper with equal diligence because if one section falls short, this may affect its overall reception from readers, which could lead them to give less credit or even damage your grade!
How To Start Different Types Of Essays
The guidelines provided above are general.
But, the type of essay also dictates how you start writing.
In this section, you will find more guidelines on how to start different kinds of essays.
How to introduce an informative essay
Introducing an informative essay is easy as the report only requires you to present facts.
So, a good way to start the introduction is by creating an interesting fact on the given topic.
In an informative essay’s introduction, body, and conclusion, avoid providing your own opinion or analysis of the topic.
How to introduce an expository essay
Like an informative essay, an expository essay aims to inform a reader on a particular topic.
However, in an expository essay, you need to persuade the reader.
Therefore, you must inform, explain, describe and even provide evidence.
When writing the introduction to an expository essay, focus on providing an unbiased analysis of the topic of discussion.
How to begin an argumentative essay
An argumentative essay requires you to sway a reader to your thinking on a given topic.
Therefore, in the introduction, you need to let your reader know your argument and briefly explain your way of thinking.
How to start an analysis essay
In an analysis essay, you explore a topic and use the research to develop an objective view of the given topic.
In the introduction, inform the reader of the topic’s meaning and introduce your analysis (what you concluded after your unbiased analysis).
Also, link your analysis to a practical and relevant principle, idea, or viewpoint.
How to introduce an essay using a quote
In some essays, especially creative essays, you can use a quote as the first statement.
However, you should use a quote relevant to the discussion topic.
And make sure you relate it to the main ideas in the essay.
With this approach, avoid clichés and overused quotes.
Conclusion
The tips outlined above will help you write a better introduction to your essay.
You can also refer to the sample essays on our website to see how experts introduce essays.
And if you need professional help, you can contact us.
With a passion for helping students navigate their educational journey, I strive to create informative and relatable blog content. Whether it’s tackling exam stress, offering career guidance, or sharing effective study techniques
