Components of an English Introduction Essay

The components of an English introduction essay are the main elements that will determine the way in which the opening statements of the paper are presented.

Components of an introduction can simply be defined as the parts like statements, quotes, facts or even data that when brought together, form an attractive opening to an article.

The main Components of an English introduction essay

Before looking into the components of the introduction to your English essay, it is important to know that there are different kinds of essays including argumentative, exploratory among others. When choosing the parts to incorporate in the introduction for your English essay, you should also bear in mind that the intro is a key factor in telling whether the whole article will appeal to the readers or not. Thus, you have to be very keen on making the right choices.

The components of an English introduction essay may vary from one writer to another depending on the particular essay that you want to write. However, the following are the key parts of an introduction essay that you should always consider when writing.

• Opening statement or question

Also called the hook by some writers, the opening statement is the first sentences or statements that introduce the main idea of the essay. Sometimes, you can decide to use a question at the beginning of your essay instead of a plain statement. The hook is the part that will attract your readers to read on or drop the article.

• Supporting sentences

These are the few lines that link the hook to the thesis. It gives the reader a smooth transition from the opening statement to the other parts of the article. In this part, you will need to show the reader the particular purpose of the essay. This will help readers in knowing your reason for focusing on the subject.

• Thesis statement

This is the final part of the essay introduction. At this stage, the writer has to make a conclusion with a clear statement of the point that he or she would want to make in the essay. The thesis statement is the main argument or assertion that is pursued in the paper. It is the thesis statement that you would go on to support in the body of the paper.

Although the three factors described above are the key components of an English introduction essay, you may also want to provide a ‘road map’ explaining how you are going to defend the stated thesis statement. In this way, you will your reader a general sense of how the different points illustrated across the paper will be organized. At times, the ‘road map’ is integrated into the thesis statement while some writers also put it in a separate sentence.

More tips for choosing components of an English introduction essay

Writing an essay introduction is a task that seem challenging to many students, especially because of the uncertainty on what will agitate readers. However, you do not have to worry much about it anymore because we will give you some of the best tips for coming up with the right components of an introduction essay.

The following are some of the things to always bear in mind when making a choice on the ideal components of an English introduction essay:

• Always try to keep it short and simple

It is important that your intro contains the parts outlined above. However, that does not mean that you have to create a long paragraph with statements just thrown anyhow. Pick the key statements or facts that suit the three or four categories outlined above and trim them into a short and punchy introduction. When doing this, remember not to be too precise that you lose the objective of the essay.

• Be creative

The introduction should not only grab the attention of the reader but also keep him or her glued to the paper to conclusion. Therefore, you need to be open-minded and play with words to create an outstanding introduction. For instance, you can use a rhetorical question as the opening statement. This will challenge the readers and impact their emotions, thereby reading through the whole paper. Trying other elements like anecdotes could also work well for the introduction, especially at the opening statements.

• Carefully pick the transition words to use

Deciding on the number of transition words to use in the introduction may not be easy considering that you also need to keep it short. In order to give your readers a different view and put them in the mood of the essay, you should use at least three to four transition words. Such words include; First, Second, Third, However, Even though, On the other hand, Nevertheless, Therefore, Consequently, As a result among others.

These transition words should be used naturally without trying to force any in order to achieve a smooth flow for the entire paper.

• Present your points clearly

Clarity is an important aspect in any form of writing and even other areas. You do not have to explain everything on the introduction part of the essay but at least give the readers an idea of what the paper is about. This should be presented in a way that the readers are able to understand while also igniting their urge to finding out more in the body of the article. For instance a clear ‘road map’ in the introduction will provide the reader with a perfect sketch of the arrangement of the paper and the order in which the topics will be tackled.

• Be selective when choosing the facts to include in the introduction

It is always critical that your introduction is catchy and one that can create an outrage or action. Therefore, you have to be keen on making sure that the facts or statements used in crafting the introduction are those that are striking. If you are using statistics, try to go for those that are interesting or can intrigue your readers.

When creating an introduction for your essay, you should also ensure that it gives a clear reflection of the goal or purpose of the paper. The thesis should show the topic of discussion and the position of the writer about the issues that will be tackled throughout the article.

In the construction of an introduction, you also need to consider the length of the paper. For a shorter essay, the introduction should be about one or two paragraphs while in longer ones, it may take about three.

Examples of Components of an English introduction Essay

One of the examples to refer to in determining the components of an English introduction essay is from the article, Assisted Suicide.

The introduction of the essay reads:

‘’Assisted suicide or euthanasia is a critical topic in the field of nursing and as Paterson (2003) argues, people are today embracing the idea that the end to human life is natural. Further, she reiterates that one should not prolong life simply because there is treatment or the situation of the current technology in medicine. This raises concerns based on ethical and principle matters.’’

In this introduction, the opening statement is, ‘’Assisted suicide or euthanasia is a critical topic in the field of nursing and as Paterson (2003) argues, people are today embracing the idea that the end to human life is natural.’’

The writer has also applied the aspect of transition words in the introduction. The phrase, ‘further’ has been used to give more illustration on the arguments that will be addressed in the essay.

By citing that, the general arguments by most people today and Paterson (2003) on Assisted Suicide raises ethical and principle concerns, the writer is clearly showing the directions that the essay will take. In this case, it can be said that the essay will comprehensively discuss these arguments and also contrast them with the ethics and principles in order to address the concerns.

Another example is from a Sample essay on the Effects of the American Revolution on Britain.

The essay introduction goes;

‘’The American Revolution had several effects on Britain. The Revolution resulted into the creation of the United States of America. This had an effect on Britain since it lost a fraction of its empire. This loss adversely affected Britain in various aspects including economical and political.’’

In this introduction, the writer has used the statement, ‘’the American Revolution had several effects on Britain’’ as the hook. The transition words are represented by the terms, ‘’resulted into.’’

The assertion that the loss of part of Britain’s empire had political and economical effects clearly indicates the point from which the writer aims to place the essay. The writer is able to easily know that the paper will discuss in depth, the political and economical impacts of the American Revolution on Britain.

You can also find another example of components of an English introduction essay from the article: Technological Factors Affecting Tourism. The essay also offers a vivid presentation of the components of an English essay introduction

Are you struggling to write an English essay? Get in touch with us today for assistance or visit our homepage for more information about our custom writing services. Alternatively you can continue reading more essay writing guidelines and samples on our blog.

 

References

https://www.umuc.edu/writingcenter/writingresources/intro.cfm

http://www.testden.com/toefl/writing-tutorial/parts-of-an-essay.htm

http://www.bestessayservices.com/blog/sample-essay-on-effects-of-the-american-revolution-on-britain/

http://www.bestessayservices.com/blog/assisted-suicide/

http://www.essaysexperts.net/blog/sample-essay-on-technological-factors-affecting-tourism/