How to Write Introductions
Hook the reader with a great first sentence., Discuss briefly what you'll be talking about the rest of the essay., Transition to your thesis., Don't make these mistakes when writing your thesis., If necessary, transition from the thesis to the first...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Hook the reader with a great first sentence.
Your first sentence should draw the reader in and make them want to read more.
If your sentence is uninteresting or clichéd, the person reading your essay may not be motivated to continue.
Set the tone right from the beginning with a stellar hook.
Ask a question.
A great question will make the reader want to stick around to hear the answer.
Example: "What do dolphins and military fighter jets have in common?" Lead with a great fact or statistic.
A great fact or statistic will put the discussion of what you're writing about into context.
Example: "The Golden Gate Bridge is continuously painted, 365 days a year.
That's 50,000 gallons (189,270.6 L) of paint per coat." Use a quotation.
A quotation from a famous (or infamous) person might pique the reader if they know something about him or her.
Example: "Machiavelli once wrote: 'Never was anything grand achieved without danger.'" Define a keyword or phrase.
If a keyword or phrase you're using is uncommon, specific, or technical, you may want to define it first.
Example: "Merriam-Webster defines tenacity as 'a persistence in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired.'"
After your hook, and perhaps one or two sentences about your hook, you'll want to briefly explain what it is that your essay will touch upon.
This will give the reader a roadmap, or guide, that they'll be able to use as they continue on reading.
You don't have to come out and say "This essay is about x" if you don't want to.
You can frame this summary briefly and elegantly without saying that's what you're doing.
Example: "Early American settlers experienced a wide variety of diseases in the 17th century.
These diseases led them to experiment with home-grown medicines." Don't give away every single detail in your brief summary.
It's called a brief summary for a reason.
You want to tell the reader enough without giving away every significant fact or theme of your essay. , Your thesis is probably the most important part of the introduction.
Your thesis is your argument boiled down to one sentence.
If someone were to ask you to describe your position using only one sentence, you'd tell them your thesis.
Here are two examples of a thesis statement: "So-called 'gap years' are becoming increasingly necessary for good reason: they allow young students to experience grown-up responsibilities in an atmosphere of fun before going to college, where learning these skills can be difficult." "E.
B.
White's Charlotte's Web argues strongly that women deserve to have equal rights and input into society's decisions as men, even if the characters in the book are animals. , Your thesis is your most important introductory sentence, so you want to be sure it's formatted the right way and doesn't contain any of the following common mistakes:
Your thesis is not a fact or observation.
Your thesis should take a stand; it is an argument that someone could could argue against.
Your thesis isn't written as a list, as a question, or as a springboard to talk about something else.
Your thesis is focused on a single idea, or argument of ideas, and is a statement.
Unless given permission to do so, your thesis should never be put in the first-person (contain the word "I," as in "I think..."). , Usually, your thesis will be the last sentence in your introduction.
This isn't always the case, however.
Sometimes, you'll have a sentence or two after your thesis, as a way of transitioning from the introduction to your body paragraph.
Example: "After elephants received widespread environmental protection in key parts of Africa, their numbers started significantly growing." -
Step 2: Discuss briefly what you'll be talking about the rest of the essay.
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Step 3: Transition to your thesis.
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Step 4: Don't make these mistakes when writing your thesis.
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Step 5: If necessary
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Step 6: transition from the thesis to the first body paragraph.
Detailed Guide
Your first sentence should draw the reader in and make them want to read more.
If your sentence is uninteresting or clichéd, the person reading your essay may not be motivated to continue.
Set the tone right from the beginning with a stellar hook.
Ask a question.
A great question will make the reader want to stick around to hear the answer.
Example: "What do dolphins and military fighter jets have in common?" Lead with a great fact or statistic.
A great fact or statistic will put the discussion of what you're writing about into context.
Example: "The Golden Gate Bridge is continuously painted, 365 days a year.
That's 50,000 gallons (189,270.6 L) of paint per coat." Use a quotation.
A quotation from a famous (or infamous) person might pique the reader if they know something about him or her.
Example: "Machiavelli once wrote: 'Never was anything grand achieved without danger.'" Define a keyword or phrase.
If a keyword or phrase you're using is uncommon, specific, or technical, you may want to define it first.
Example: "Merriam-Webster defines tenacity as 'a persistence in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired.'"
After your hook, and perhaps one or two sentences about your hook, you'll want to briefly explain what it is that your essay will touch upon.
This will give the reader a roadmap, or guide, that they'll be able to use as they continue on reading.
You don't have to come out and say "This essay is about x" if you don't want to.
You can frame this summary briefly and elegantly without saying that's what you're doing.
Example: "Early American settlers experienced a wide variety of diseases in the 17th century.
These diseases led them to experiment with home-grown medicines." Don't give away every single detail in your brief summary.
It's called a brief summary for a reason.
You want to tell the reader enough without giving away every significant fact or theme of your essay. , Your thesis is probably the most important part of the introduction.
Your thesis is your argument boiled down to one sentence.
If someone were to ask you to describe your position using only one sentence, you'd tell them your thesis.
Here are two examples of a thesis statement: "So-called 'gap years' are becoming increasingly necessary for good reason: they allow young students to experience grown-up responsibilities in an atmosphere of fun before going to college, where learning these skills can be difficult." "E.
B.
White's Charlotte's Web argues strongly that women deserve to have equal rights and input into society's decisions as men, even if the characters in the book are animals. , Your thesis is your most important introductory sentence, so you want to be sure it's formatted the right way and doesn't contain any of the following common mistakes:
Your thesis is not a fact or observation.
Your thesis should take a stand; it is an argument that someone could could argue against.
Your thesis isn't written as a list, as a question, or as a springboard to talk about something else.
Your thesis is focused on a single idea, or argument of ideas, and is a statement.
Unless given permission to do so, your thesis should never be put in the first-person (contain the word "I," as in "I think..."). , Usually, your thesis will be the last sentence in your introduction.
This isn't always the case, however.
Sometimes, you'll have a sentence or two after your thesis, as a way of transitioning from the introduction to your body paragraph.
Example: "After elephants received widespread environmental protection in key parts of Africa, their numbers started significantly growing."
About the Author
Jacqueline Flores
Writer and educator with a focus on practical cooking knowledge.
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