Introductions and conclusions are difficult parts of writing an essay/ any academic paper. When a student sits down to write, he/she starts off with some idea for the main body of an essay. In order to reach the main body, the students need to introduce it in a way that does not break the flow. Introduction acts like the passage that takes the readers from their own lives into the place of your analysis. Thus having a good introduction becomes essential.
Why is it important to have a good introduction?
Since introduction is the first thing that the readers read, it has to be eye-catching. A disorganized, vague introduction will not fetch too many readers. But if it is concise, and well written it invites more readers to read further. Introductions are like the opening scene of a movie, it has to hook the audience to watch the whole movie, or in this context read rest of the content. If the start is boring or too broad then the readers might give up reading the content. You have to convince the reader that reading your content is worth their time. How do you do that?
There are some ways in which you can write a great introduction for your essays. The ways are as follows:
1. Have an idol opening sentence:
The first and the foremost step to write a good introduction is to write an idol, attention-grabbing first line. The opening sentence can be a phrase, or a fun fact, or an anecdote, or even a question. This way the reader gets engaged to read further. Avoid using common sentences that have been used in many essays. The first line should make the way to the last line of an essay. “Researchers Trace Empathy’s Roots to Infancy” by Daniel Goleman can be an apt example for an anecdote:
“On seeing another child fall and hurt himself, Hope, just 9 months old, stared, tears welling up in her eyes, and crawled to her mother to be comforted—as though she had been hurt and not her friend. When 15-month-old Michael saw his friend Paul crying, Michael fetched his own teddy bear and offered it to Paul; when that didn’t stop Paul’s tears, Michael brought Paul’s security blanket from another room. Such small acts of sympathy and caring, observed in scientific studies, are leading researchers to trace the roots of empathy—the ability to share another’s emotions—to infancy, contradicting a longstanding assumption that infants and toddlers are incapable of these feelings.”
In the above mentioned example there has been usage of sentences in a very diligent manner as it is an introductory part. It gives way to the next part of the content and that is how one writes an introduction.
2. Provide a background of your argument:
Make the introduction a window to your essay content. By providing a brief background of your argument will inform the reader, what the essay is all about. This does not mean that you have to talk about your argument in detail. You only have to give an overview of an argument in the first paragraph. Before writing the introduction ask yourself questions like: Does it introduce my argument in a concise way? Is it too detailed? Asking such questions will help you plan a better introducing paragraph.
An example for providing a background of your argument can be from Spanglish’: The Language of Chicanos” by Rosa María Jiménez where he writes the introduction by providing a brief background:
“If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?” James Baldwin attempts to legitimize black English as a unique language. He argues that black English is a valid language because of the role it plays in the lives of black Americans; it serves as a means for blacks to control their own circumstances, define themselves, and obtain power. Baldwin justifies black English by applying George Orwell’s argument that language is “a political instrument, means, and proof of power” to the black experience (Orwell 436). Like black Americans, Chicanos have developed a language all their own—Spanglish. Just as black English plays a vital role for black people, Chicano speech serves an important purpose for Chicanos. Purpose, Baldwin argues, validates and makes language authentic. It is then the social, cultural, and political significance of Spanglish in the lives of Chicanos that legitimizes it as a language.”
3. Keep the introduction brief:
It is a hard task to keep the readers engaged in your content. If the introductory part is too long, the readers tend to lose out their interest and patience to read the whole essay. If you have to the point introduction, the readers would be convinced to read further without any force. Try accommodating all the ideas in a concise manner, so that the audience is eager to read the rest of the content.
4. It is not important to write the introduction first:
Many students struggle writing an introduction, thus spending a lot of time on it rather than the other parts of an essay. Introductions and conclusions can be dealt with after you have completed writing the main body too. It is not important to start writing with the introduction. If you have started drafting the body of an essay, you can either leave or work on the introduction, or you can also complete the body and then get back to the introduction. According to your convenience and chain of thoughts you can write the introductory paragraph.
5. Include correct information:
While writing an essay, cross-check the information that is going to be included in it. There are times when students end up writing information that is not true or outdated. Thus referring to credible sources will help you write information that is up to date and factually correct. If your essay is well written but it lacks factual accuracy, it can bring down your essay scores. During the research, you have to ensure that the information is not fake or made up. Refer government websites or websites of credible organizations to access facts. Do not trust any random website for accessing information.
6. Know what your audience wants:
If you deliver an essay that addresses a problem or a concern of the people, it would gather more readers for your essay. Before writing the essay know who your audience is, and draft the introduction accordingly. For example, if your readers are going to be teachers and students, then writing something they would want to read would be a smart move. This can be done by taking up an issue or a problem. Primarily knowing what your audience wants to read is the key to popularizing your essay.
If you follow the above-mentioned ways, you can draft an outstanding introduction easily. Writing a good introduction can be mastered with practice.
Why is it important to have a good introduction?
Since introduction is the first thing that the readers read, it has to be eye-catching. A disorganized, vague introduction will not fetch too many readers. But if it is concise, and well written it invites more readers to read further. Introductions are like the opening scene of a movie, it has to hook the audience to watch the whole movie, or in this context read rest of the content. If the start is boring or too broad then the readers might give up reading the content. You have to convince the reader that reading your content is worth their time. How do you do that?
There are some ways in which you can write a great introduction for your essays. The ways are as follows:
1. Have an idol opening sentence:
The first and the foremost step to write a good introduction is to write an idol, attention-grabbing first line. The opening sentence can be a phrase, or a fun fact, or an anecdote, or even a question. This way the reader gets engaged to read further. Avoid using common sentences that have been used in many essays. The first line should make the way to the last line of an essay. “Researchers Trace Empathy’s Roots to Infancy” by Daniel Goleman can be an apt example for an anecdote:
“On seeing another child fall and hurt himself, Hope, just 9 months old, stared, tears welling up in her eyes, and crawled to her mother to be comforted—as though she had been hurt and not her friend. When 15-month-old Michael saw his friend Paul crying, Michael fetched his own teddy bear and offered it to Paul; when that didn’t stop Paul’s tears, Michael brought Paul’s security blanket from another room. Such small acts of sympathy and caring, observed in scientific studies, are leading researchers to trace the roots of empathy—the ability to share another’s emotions—to infancy, contradicting a longstanding assumption that infants and toddlers are incapable of these feelings.”
In the above mentioned example there has been usage of sentences in a very diligent manner as it is an introductory part. It gives way to the next part of the content and that is how one writes an introduction.
2. Provide a background of your argument:
Make the introduction a window to your essay content. By providing a brief background of your argument will inform the reader, what the essay is all about. This does not mean that you have to talk about your argument in detail. You only have to give an overview of an argument in the first paragraph. Before writing the introduction ask yourself questions like: Does it introduce my argument in a concise way? Is it too detailed? Asking such questions will help you plan a better introducing paragraph.
An example for providing a background of your argument can be from Spanglish’: The Language of Chicanos” by Rosa María Jiménez where he writes the introduction by providing a brief background:
“If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?” James Baldwin attempts to legitimize black English as a unique language. He argues that black English is a valid language because of the role it plays in the lives of black Americans; it serves as a means for blacks to control their own circumstances, define themselves, and obtain power. Baldwin justifies black English by applying George Orwell’s argument that language is “a political instrument, means, and proof of power” to the black experience (Orwell 436). Like black Americans, Chicanos have developed a language all their own—Spanglish. Just as black English plays a vital role for black people, Chicano speech serves an important purpose for Chicanos. Purpose, Baldwin argues, validates and makes language authentic. It is then the social, cultural, and political significance of Spanglish in the lives of Chicanos that legitimizes it as a language.”
3. Keep the introduction brief:
It is a hard task to keep the readers engaged in your content. If the introductory part is too long, the readers tend to lose out their interest and patience to read the whole essay. If you have to the point introduction, the readers would be convinced to read further without any force. Try accommodating all the ideas in a concise manner, so that the audience is eager to read the rest of the content.
4. It is not important to write the introduction first:
Many students struggle writing an introduction, thus spending a lot of time on it rather than the other parts of an essay. Introductions and conclusions can be dealt with after you have completed writing the main body too. It is not important to start writing with the introduction. If you have started drafting the body of an essay, you can either leave or work on the introduction, or you can also complete the body and then get back to the introduction. According to your convenience and chain of thoughts you can write the introductory paragraph.
5. Include correct information:
While writing an essay, cross-check the information that is going to be included in it. There are times when students end up writing information that is not true or outdated. Thus referring to credible sources will help you write information that is up to date and factually correct. If your essay is well written but it lacks factual accuracy, it can bring down your essay scores. During the research, you have to ensure that the information is not fake or made up. Refer government websites or websites of credible organizations to access facts. Do not trust any random website for accessing information.
6. Know what your audience wants:
If you deliver an essay that addresses a problem or a concern of the people, it would gather more readers for your essay. Before writing the essay know who your audience is, and draft the introduction accordingly. For example, if your readers are going to be teachers and students, then writing something they would want to read would be a smart move. This can be done by taking up an issue or a problem. Primarily knowing what your audience wants to read is the key to popularizing your essay.
If you follow the above-mentioned ways, you can draft an outstanding introduction easily. Writing a good introduction can be mastered with practice.