· The introduction should make sense and hook the reader right from the start. Make your introductory paragraph brief. Typically, just three or four sentences are enough to set the stage for both long and short essays. You can go into supporting information in the body of your essay, so don't tell the audience everything all at blogger.comted Reading Time: 6 mins Strong Introductions for Essays. Whether you're writing an essay for class, answering an essay question on a test, crafting a college application, or writing any other type of essay-style work, your introduction paragraph is one of the most important you'll write When writing an introduction, you should typically use a ‘general to specific’ structure. That is, introduce the particular problem or topic the essay will address in a general sense to provide context, before narrowing down to your particular position and line of argument. Key elements of an introduction
Examples of Great Introductory Paragraphs
An introductory paragraph, as the opening of a conventional essaycompositionhow to write an essay introduction sample, or reportis designed to grab people's attention.
It informs readers about the topic and why they should care about it but also adds enough intrigue to get them to continue to read. In short, the opening paragraph is your chance to make a great first impression. The primary purpose of an introductory paragraph is to pique the interest of your reader and identify the topic and purpose of the essay, how to write an essay introduction sample.
It often ends with a thesis statement. You can engage your readers right from the start through a number of tried-and-true ways. Posing a question, defining the key term, how to write an essay introduction sample, giving a brief anecdoteusing a playful joke or emotional appeal, or pulling out an interesting fact are just a few approaches you can take. Use imagery, details, and sensory information to connect with the reader if you can. The key is to add intrigue along with just enough information so your readers want to find out more.
One way to do this is to come up with a brilliant opening line. Even the most mundane topics have aspects interesting enough to write about; otherwise, you wouldn't be writing about them, how to write an essay introduction sample, right? When you begin writing a new piece, think about what your readers want or need to know. Use your knowledge of the topic to craft an opening line that will satisfy that need.
You don't want to fall into the trap of what writers call "chasers" that bore your readers such as "The dictionary defines The introduction should make sense and hook the reader right from the start. Make your introductory paragraph brief. Typically, just three or four sentences are enough to set the stage for both long and short essays. You can go into supporting information in the body of how to write an essay introduction sample essay, so don't tell the audience everything all at once.
You can always adjust your introductory paragraph later. Sometimes you just have to start writing. You can start at the beginning or dive right into the heart of your essay. Your first draft may not have the best opening, but as you continue to write, new ideas will come to you, and your thoughts will develop a clearer focus.
Take note of these and, as you work through revisionsrefine and edit your opening. If you're struggling with the opening, follow the lead of other writers and skip it for the moment. Many writers begin with the body and conclusion and come back to the introduction later. It's a useful, time-efficient approach if you find yourself stuck in those first few words. Start where it's easiest to start. You can always go back to the beginning or rearrange later, especially if you have an how to write an essay introduction sample completed or general framework informally mapped out.
If you don't have an outline, even just starting to sketch one can help organize your thoughts and "prime the how to write an essay introduction sample as it were. You can read all the advice you want about writing a compelling opening, but it's often easier to learn by example. Take a look at how some writers approached their essays and analyze why they work so well. What did Zeigler do in her introduction? First, she wrote in a little joke, but it serves a dual purpose.
Not only does it set the stage for her slightly more humorous approach to crabbing, but it also clarifies what type of "crabber" she's writing about. This is important if your subject has more than one meaning. The other thing that makes this a successful introduction is the fact that Zeigler leaves us wondering. What do we have to be prepared for?
Will the crabs jump up and latch onto you? Is it a messy job? What tools and gear do I need? She leaves us with questions, and that draws us in because now we want answers. This revised classification essay begins by painting a picture of an ordinary scenario: the grocery store. But when used as an opportunity to observe human nature, as this writer does, it turns from ordinary to fascinating.
Who is the amnesiac? Would I be classified as the dawdler by this cashier? The descriptive language and the analogy to rats in a maze add to the intrigue, and readers are left wanting more. For this reason, even though it's lengthy, this is an effective opening. Here is an example of reversing expectations. The introductory paragraph is filled with doom and gloom. We feel sorry for the writer but are left wondering whether the article will be a classic sob story. It is in the second paragraph where we find out that it's quite the opposite.
Those first few words of the second paragraph—which we cannot help but skim—surprise us and thus draw us in. How can the narrator be happy after all that sorrow? This reversal compels us to find out what happened. Most people have had streaks where nothing seems to go right. Yet, it is the possibility of a turn of fortunes that compels us to keep going. This writer appealed to our emotions and a sense of shared experience to craft an effective read.
Share Flipboard Email. An Introduction to Essay Writing. Introduction Choosing a Topic. Writing an Introduction. How to Begin an Essay Writing a Great First Paragraph Strong Thesis Statements Attention-Grabbing Opening Sentences Check Your Knowledge: How to Support a Topic Sentence. Structuring and Outlining.
How to Write a 5-Paragraph Essay Create an Outline Using a Venn Diagram Use Text Boxes to Outline and Organize Check Your Knowledge: Create a Simple Outline. Types of Essays. How to Write a Narrative Essay How to Write an Argumentative Essay How to Write an Expository Essay How to Write a Personal Narrative How to Write an Opinion Essay How to Write a Profile. Editing and Improving.
Making Paragraphs Flow With Smooth Transitions Replace These Overused, Tired Words An Essay Revision Checklist. Richard Nordquist. English and Rhetoric Professor. Richard Nordquist is professor emeritus how to write an essay introduction sample rhetoric and English at Georgia Southern University and the author of several university-level grammar and composition textbooks.
our editorial process. Cite this Article Format. Nordquist, Richard. Examples of Great Introductory Paragraphs. copy citation. Understanding General-to-Specific Order in Composition.
Bad Essay Topics for College Admissions. The Introductory Paragraph: Start Your Paper Off Right. Process Analysis Essay: "How to Catch River Crabs". Write an Attention-Grabbing Opening Sentence for an Essay. The Ultimate Guide to the 5-Paragraph Essay.
How to Write a Narrative Essay or Speech.
How to write an Introduction for an Essay (The 5 Step I.N.T.R.O Method)
, time: 6:15Strong Introduction Paragraph Examples
· The introduction should make sense and hook the reader right from the start. Make your introductory paragraph brief. Typically, just three or four sentences are enough to set the stage for both long and short essays. You can go into supporting information in the body of your essay, so don't tell the audience everything all at blogger.comted Reading Time: 6 mins · How to write an essay introduction. Step 1: Hook your reader. Your first sentence sets the tone for the whole essay, so spend some time on writing an effective hook. Step 2: Give background information. Step 3: Present your thesis statement. Step 4: Map your essay’s structure. Step 5: Check and Reviews: 2 Strong Introductions for Essays. Whether you're writing an essay for class, answering an essay question on a test, crafting a college application, or writing any other type of essay-style work, your introduction paragraph is one of the most important you'll write
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