How to Write an Essay Introduction
Knowing how to write an essay introduction is the best point to begin when you want to master the art of crafting outstanding essays. The introduction plays a major role in giving your readers an overview of what is discussed in the rest of the essay and should be written to the best standards. By reading this section, you will be able to acquire guidelines and essay samples to assist you on how to write an essay introduction with ease.
It is important that you first understand what an essay introduction is before you move into finding out how to write one. An essay introduction, just like the name suggests refers to the window through which your intended readers will be able to determine what to expect in the paper. The introduction is a conceptual framework that readers will need in order to understand your arguments in the essay.
The introduction of your essay should clearly show the readers why it is important for them to read the paper. On the other hand, it should also vividly tell how you are intending to argue out your points in the essay.
By mastering the art of how to write an essay introduction, you will be able to gain the much needed skills for creating good essays and other academic papers. Besides, it can also enable you to significantly enhance your communication skills at school and even later on in your career.
Tips on how to write an essay introduction
The introduction of your essay is a key section of the paper that will determine whether it is worth reading or not. This is because it is the first part that readers will always open their eyes to.
Refer to the tips outlined below in order to easily master the art of how to write an essay introduction.
Think about the topic and angle to pursue
When you get to the point of writing an essay introduction, it means that you already have an idea on the subject or topic and what you want to discuss about it. However, it is very important that you take some time to critically look at the topic and make a better analysis of it in order to deliver a good and unique introduction.
For you to have a better angle for argument, you need to think about the questions that your essay aims to address and their importance. Try to answer these questions in order to develop greater ideas for the essay.
Develop a thesis statement
The thesis statement is the main argument or claim that your essay will prove and has to be included in the introduction. This implies that you have to create one before writing the introduction.
Based on the requirements of the essay paper, you need to come up with a key argument or idea that you will be looking towards discussing in the paper. However, this should be unique in order to give your essay a cut above the rest.
When crafting a thesis statement, you should remember that it is an assertion or a stand, meaning that someone else can still argue for or against it. Thus, you have to be creative and subjective in formulating the thesis.
Consider your audience
The readers of your essay include teachers, instructors or tutors, fellow students among others that will have access to the paper. By considering the intended readers, you will be able to determine the right information to include in the introduction.
By knowing your audience in advance, you will also be able to decide on the most appropriate angle to take and the terms that may require definition so that readers are able to effectively get the drift of your arguments in the essay.
How to write an essay introduction- the procedure to follow
Considering the importance of an introduction to an essay, there is a particular format that you have to follow in order to deliver the best. There are certain elements that have to be reflected in the opening statements to ensure that it meets the requirements of an essay introduction.
The procedures outlined below can easily help you on how to write an essay introduction
Create an outline
Although many students often assume this step, it is very important if you want to make your work easier and spend less time in writing the paper. An outline is a draft of the ideas that you intend to discuss in the essay.
Simply list the main points that you want to highlight in the introduction in the order which they will appear. In case there are quotes that you want to use, it is important that you mark them out in the outline so that you do not forget when writing.
Open the essay with a hook and some background information
The first statements of an essay introduction should be well phrased in a way that can capture the attention of readers. However, this has to reflect the basis or topic of discussion.
One of the best ways of creating a hook is starting your essay with an anecdote. This can be a short story that will interest your readers and also enable them to effectively get the concept that you will be discussing in the essay.
You can also create a hook by giving certain crucial information about the subject or topic of the paper. The information can be obtained from statistics or past data and should be something that not many people are aware of and can interest readers.
Other ways of creating a hook is through asking a question or giving a quote about the subject of discussion.
Right after the hook, you should also give brief information about the subject of discussion so that your audience are well informed on the content of the essay.
Write the thesis statement
After giving the readers a general overview of the essay, you should also clearly point out your claim and tell the readers how you plan to present the discussion.
The thesis statement should come at the end of the introduction and be well written to show the particular stand that you have taken and how you plan to prove it in the essay.
When writing the thesis statement, you should also be keen to include transitional words that will link the introduction to the other parts of the essay smoothly without altering the flow.
Avoid using too many words or exaggerations in the introduction since that may only end up confusing your readers. Besides, the introduction should be brief and only meant to give the readers a sneak preview of the essay, hence, you should try to be economical with words without losing the focus of the argument.
Examples of Essay Introduction
Sample essay introductions also provide a good resource that you can rely on in order to effectively know how to write an essay introduction.
The following examples are samples of professionally written essay introductions that you should keenly look at in order to find out how to craft a good one for your paper.
Example 1
Challenges Facing Oil and Gas Industry in Nigeria
‘’For the past 50 years, oil and gas have been the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy. In fact, the mineral resources have played a pivotal role in developing the economy of the West African nation, considering the huge revenues that they generate. The petroleum industry is the largest and also the main contributor to Nigeria’s GDP. However, it is sad that despite the huge investments made by the government on the gas and oil sector, it has not been of any significant help to the citizens…’’
Read the rest of this sample here.
Example 2
Sustainable Management of Natural Resources
‘’The well being and development humans is heavily dependent on the state of the natural environment. Natural resources are used to power our social and economic development and we heavily rely on various kinds of ecosystem services in order to ensure that aspects of the environment like water, air, raw materials and food are protected. This is also important for the regulation of infections as well as creation of recreational space…’’
Click here to read the rest of this sample essay.
Example 3
Sample essay on the Benefits of Outsourcing
‘’What is outsourcing?
Outsourcing is the act of contracting out of a business process to a third party. At times, it entails the transfer of employees and assets from one company to another. However, this does not always occur. Outsourcing can also describe the practice of handing over control of public services to profit-making organizations. It includes both foreign and domestic contracting and sometimes includes offshoring or relocation of a business function to another country. Financial savings from lower international labor rates is a major factor that impacts outsourcing…’’
Read the rest of this essay sample here.
If you may need further assistance on how to write an essay introduction, simply get in touch with us. Besides, you can also check out our homepage to know more about the online essay writing services that we offer. Our professional writers work 24/7 and are always ready to help you with any essay assignment on request.
References
http://www.wikihow.com/Write-an-Essay-Introduction
https://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/studyadvice/StudyResources/Essays/sta-writingessay.aspx
http://lklivingston.tripod.com/essay/intro.html