How to Write an Essay Introduction about Yourself

Knowing how to write an essay introduction about yourself is very important because how you introduce yourself determines whether readers find your essay worth reading or not. An introduction is simply the beginning section of an essay that states its goals and purpose- wikipedia.org. An essay about you or a personal essay is a flexible, free-wheeling, self-expression device- grammar.ccc.commnet.edu. It is an essay that allows you to share your experiences, knowledge and observations with your readers.

When writing the introduction of an essay about yourself or a personal essay, think of it as a limited chance or period within which you should use simple and few words to convince readers that you are original, important and interesting to listen to. Write the introduction of your personal essay with an aim of winning friends, establishing your genius and influencing readers. Usually, the expectations of the readers are shaped by the introduction. A good introduction demonstrates the logical structure of the essay while making readers more interested in it.

A guide on how to write an essay introduction about yourself in different ways

Since you are writing an essay about yourself, the introduction can incorporate your name, age, the specific state or city where you live or where you are from, and the school that you are attending currently. It should have an introductory sentence or statement and also serve the purpose of mapping out your essay. The introduction should provide contextual or background information about you and the essay. Use the introduction to establish relationship with the readers- english.duke.edu.

Basically, there are different ways of writing an introduction for an essay about yourself or personal essay.

They include:

Writing the introduction for a personal essay in an academic way

An academic introduction answers the questions of who, where, when, how, and what. It simply gives readers a hint of what they should expect in the essay. When using this introduction, try to avoid restating the essay question unless when getting your point across quickly. The introductory sentence should only be used in following up what you said earlier.

Example One

“Moving from Pakistan to the U.S was among the major challenges that I faced and overcome in life. When leaving Pakistan, there was a political turmoil there but I still loved it as my home country.”

This is a concise and clear introduction and it prepares readers for ideas that will be discussed as the essay develops.

Example Two

“I have been through various disappointments and made several accomplishments in life. This is because I possess fervor and dedication for personal values and beliefs.”

This example of an academic introduction is very effective because it reveals the pride of the author. It shows the importance of the values and believes of the author to the readers.

Writing a creative introduction for a personal essay

A creative introduction of a personal essay leaves the readers wondering or smiling without knowing what exactly the essay will present in the next sections. It is an introduction that uses a sentence that catches readers off-guard.

Example One

“Imagine being a high school freshman, starting your independence. Being the oldest boy, I was one of the first children starting to explore the dating, upperclassmen and extra-curricular clubs’ world. However, my sister and I were sat down one afternoon by my parents…”

This is a very effective introduction essay because it places readers in the shoes of the writer. This makes the readers interested in what will follow in the essay.

Example Two

“I am very dynamic, always crushing ice and scaling walls. I also remodel various train stations during lunch breaks. This makes them efficient when it comes to heat retention. I also help Cuban refugees in translating ethnic slurs and write operas…”

This is an effective creative introduction for an essay about yourself or personal essay because it lists bizarre and perhaps, fictitious achievements. It demonstrates the imagination of the writer while pocking some fun at the readers. The introduction also has a light tone that makes it sound less obnoxious.

Writing an action introduction

This is an introduction that takes readers at the core of the action sequence immediately. It compels readers to read the essay so that they can find out what the importance of the essay is.

Example One

“Despite promising God that I would eat my peas, He did not care. As a confused 12 year-old-boy, I sat down listening to the pace of my father. With every step that my father made, the anticipation and anxiety of my family mounted as we await the news of the health of my grandfather. My heart was racing as I watch the clock with amazement. Finally, the solemn silence of the house was interrupted by the telephone. My father repeated the words, “no, no, of course.” He hung up…”

This introduction intrigues the reader immediately because it starts with an unusual declaration of a little boy eating peas while seeking God’s help.

Example Two

“Surrounded by millions of stars, spectacular mountains and complete silence, I stood at the top of the Presidential Range in New Hampshire awestruck by the beauty of nature. I immediately realized I had to dedicate my entire life to comprehending what causes the beauty of the universe.”

This is an effective introduction because it starts by creating a mental image.

Writing a personal introduction

This is an introduction that takes readers into the mind of the writer directly. It simply tells readers what it is usually like to be the author.

Example

“There are times when I feel like my world is crumbling. I face deadlines and countless demands like other people. However, I have never faced adversity that crush people and drive them crazy and even lead them into committing suicide…”

This is a compelling introduction and it shows that the writer really knows how to write an essay introduction about yourself or personal essay. It creates a vivid description of the kind of life that the author leads.

Question introduction

Most personal essays start with questions. However, when using a question in the introduction of a personal essay, make it extremely compelling.

Example

“Why do most influential people influence others in hard to quantify ways? Through what my mother does with the abused children, she has clearly shown me what selfless dedication heroism is…”

Other ways of writing an essay introduction about yourself or personal essay include using a quotation, a dialogue and overarching statements of the society. Generally, regardless of the approach that you take when writing an introduction for a personal essay, ensure that your introduction grabs the attention of the readers- writingcenter.unc.edu.

More on how to write an essay introduction about yourself

• Avoid clichés

Including clichés in the introduction of an essay about you is not a good idea. This is because clichés make your essay sound unoriginal. A cliché can tell someone something but fail to compel them into thinking about it. If you must use a cliché in the introduction of your personal essay, give it a great twist.

• Use an active voice

An active voice enables you to engage readers. For instance, instead of saying “the pen was dropped on the floor” say, “I dropped the pen on the floor.” This puts more emphasis on you rather than on the pen or the action.

• Use strong and appropriate verbs

Using the right verb is very important because it catches the attention of the readers while creating the desired impact on them. For instance, to tell your readers more about a scene or situation say they were “lounging” or “crouching” instead of they were “seating”.

• Paint a mental image

Everybody who knows how to write an essay introduction about yourself or personal essay will tell you the essence of making an introduction vivid. Use descriptive words to create a mental picture in your readers. This will make your introduction and essay memorable to your readers.

• Let your introduction tell your story

Use the introduction to give readers facts about you. This is very important because it sparks readers’ interests in you.

Most people who know how to write essay introductions will encourage you to write the introduction after writing the other sections of your essay. This is because you can easily determine how to write an essay introduction about yourself when you know the view point, structure and content of the entire essay. Alternatively, you can write the introduction first and then revise it after writing the whole essay- sydney.edu.au.

Get help in writing an introduction for an essay about yourself

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Online Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Introduction

http://sydney.edu.au/stuserv/learning_centre/help/writing/wr_introduction.shtml

http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/introductions/

http://english.duke.edu/uploads/media_items/intro.original.pdf

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/composition/personal.htm