Barbara P
Barbara P

Writing an Essay Introduction - Step by Step Guide

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Published on: Dec 26, 2020

Last updated on: Mar 9, 2023

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Essay writing is an easy thing to do but is considered a tricky task as it involves multiple steps. All the steps are equally important and need to be done carefully.

An essay introduction is an essential part of any essay. A writer must use the best words to write this part as it depicts the whole picture of an essay.

A writer wants to impress the readers and convince them to read the complete essay. To make sure that the reader reads your essay until the end, make sure to write a good introduction paragraph.

Keep on reading this blog and learn how to write the perfect catchy introduction for your essay.

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What is a Good Essay Introduction?

An introduction is good if it gives a clear idea of what an essay is about. It tells the reader what to expect from the type of academic writing you are presenting.

Make sure that you do not reveal all the information in the part of the introduction. This will result in the situation that the reader will not read your complete article.

A strong introduction is engaging, attractive, and also informative. It is essential to mention here that an introductory paragraph must not be too short or too long. Keep things on point as you will be elaborating critical elements in the body of the essay in detail.

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How to Write an Essay Introduction?

For a well-written introduction, a writer needs to follow certain things. As for an introduction to an essay, a paragraph or two is written. In that paragraph, the writer has to convey the idea.

To ensure that an introductory paragraph serves its purpose, it is divided into a few components. Here are those components that will let a writer write an introduction for an essay quickly.

  1. Hook Sentence

    A hook sentence is a must for the introductory part of an essay. It helps to keep the reader engaged in your content and seek the reader’s attention.

    It is an attention-grabbing sentence that develops the interest of the reader. It develops the anxiousness of reading the complete essay.

    You can use the following as the hook sentence in your essay introduction:

    • A verse
    • A famous quotation
    • A question
    • An interesting fact
    • An anecdote

    All of the above are attention-grabbing things that prove to be perfect for a hook sentence.

    Related: Hook Examples - Give An Interesting Start To Your Essay

  2. Background Information

    Once you have provided an interesting hook sentence, it's time that you provide a little background information related to your essay topic.

    The background information should comprise two or three sentences. The information should include the reason why you chose the topic and what is the expected scope of the topic.

    Also, clarify the theme and nature of your essay.

  3. Thesis Statement

    A thesis statement is a significant element of not just the introduction but also the whole essay. It is a statement that gives an overview of your complete essay.

    It should be written in such a way that the reader can have an idea about the whole purpose of your essay.

    Before you write a thesis statement for your essay, try looking into some thesis statement examples. It will help you write a meaningful statement for your essay.

    A thesis statement is mentioned after the background information and before the last sentence of the introductory paragraph. The last sentence of the introduction is a transitional sentence.

  4. Transition Sentence

    To end the introduction paragraph in a good way, a transition sentence is used. This sentence helps to relate the introduction to the rest of the essay.

    In such a sentence, we mention a hint about the elements that we would be discussing next.

Essay Introduction Structure

The essay’s introduction follows a very composed and simple structure. It has the following key terms and elements:

  1. Background Information
  2. An overview of the topic
  3. A thesis statement

An essay introduction outline comprises these elements as well.

An essay introduction outline comprises these elements as well.

It is very important to learn how to write an essay introduction properly. Here is the complete guide with a sample to help you understand the method of writing an intro for your essay.

Essay Introduction Examples

To make things easier for you, here are a few well-written examples for the essay introduction.

Argumentative Essay Introduction Examples

An argumentative essay is an important essay type. In this essay, we introduce an argument and support the side that we think is more accurate. Here is a short example of the introduction of a short argumentative essay.

“Could you imagine how different our world would be without the creation of the Internet?

The invention of the Internet has helped interconnect the world as nothing else has ever seen before.

Alongside global connectivity, the Internet and IT has helped create over 10 million jobs worldwide. Internet technology has given a significant and stable income to the world’s population.”

Read: Best Argumentative Essay Examples For Your Help

Reflective Essay Introduction Examples

A writer writes a reflective essay to share a personal real-life experience. It is a very interesting essay type as it allows you to be yourself and speak your heart out.

Here is a well-written example of a reflective essay introduction.

“Fieldwork experiences can often be a daunting way of conducting research, but they can also be fulfilling. I have had first-hand experience conducting fieldwork for my master’s degree. I learned some valuable lessons as a result of this. During my fieldwork in Rwanda, I realized that it was important to incorporate primary research data into my study, but because of a lack of data on my topic, I made use of other sources of qualitative data to validate my findings.

This strategy, according to Denzin (1970), is known as methodological triangulation, and it allows researchers to make use of various data gathering methods to ensure internal validity. Based on the use of methodological triangulation, I specifically designed interviews targeted at both elite groups and slum dwellers in Rwanda to investigate the thinking behind the urban policies designed by political elites, and how it impacts marginalized slum dwellers.”

For complete guidance, check a comprehensive reflective essay guide before wriitng your essay.

Controversial Essay Introduction Examples

A controversial essay is a type of expository essay. It is written to discuss a topic that has controversy in it.

Below is a sample introduction of a controversial essay written on “abortion”

“Abortion is the most controversial issue having no grounds of agreement among two polar aspects. The argument is life and death though the uncertainty of complication makes it difficult. I don’t believe in abortion because it’s murder; we are not the ones that can decide whether the person that a woman gives birth to should live or die.

Abortion is a life or death matter, having equal supporters on both sides. Yet, those supporters have one goal in common: decreasing the number of abortions and making abortion safer.

Abortion is defined as the “removal of the embryo or fetus from the uterus in order to end a pregnancy” (Dictionary.com).

Abortion is surrounded by many questions such as: Does the constitution defend a right to abortion? Does this include confidentiality? Is a developing fetus a being? Should the law allow abortions for rape or incest?”

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Tips for Writing an Essay Introduction

The following are some quick tips to write a good and meaningful essay introduction.

  • Stay to the point when writing a persuasive essay or any other type of essay.
  • Do not explain things in detail.
  • Add an interesting hook sentence.
  • Use simple but effective language.
  • Follow a standard structure for writing the introduction.
  • Avoid adding irrelevant information.
  • An introduction should include a thesis statement that grabs the reader’s attention.
  • Keep the type of essay like a persuasive essay, compare and contrast essay, etc. in your mind.
  • The body paragraphs should contain the background information.
  • Understand the subject matter.

These are some very simple tips that would help you write a good and appropriate introduction for any type of college essay.

The essay introduction writing seems to be a very simple thing to do. Actually, it is one of the most technical things a writer has to do. If you are a beginner, it can be difficult for you to do this task on your own.

At CollegeEssay.org, we have a team of professional writers who can help you with all your writing assignments. Also, we have a customer support team available 24/7 to assist you.

Place your order now, and our customer support representative will get back to you right away.

Barbara P

WRITTEN BY

Barbara P (Literature, Marketing)

Barbara is a highly educated and qualified author with a Ph.D. in public health from an Ivy League university. She has spent a significant amount of time working in the medical field, conducting a thorough study on a variety of health issues. Her work has been published in several major publications.

Barbara is a highly educated and qualified author with a Ph.D. in public health from an Ivy League university. She has spent a significant amount of time working in the medical field, conducting a thorough study on a variety of health issues. Her work has been published in several major publications.

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