By: Barbara P.
12 min read
Reviewed By: Jacklyn H.
Published on: Jan 3, 2023
Introduction paragraphs are an essential part of academic essays. They provide the reader with background information on what they'll be reading, setting up any arguments that will occur throughout your essay.
An introduction of an essay can be the deciding factor if a reader will continue reading or not. If you want to engage your readers, try writing an interesting and attention-grabbing introduction.
However, some writers and students get stuck when they are writing the introduction to an essay. If you are also wondering how to write an introduction paragraph for an essay, continue reading this blog. With this, you will learn everything about writing a good essay introduction.
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An introduction paragraph of an essay gives a clear idea to the reader of what the essay is all about. It sets up everything you have written, and it should always serve as the first thing that readers see.
The first sentence of your introduction should identify the topic and give some insight into why it’s important. It also has to evoke interest in order for people to read more, so use creative language that gets their attention.
Moreover, an introduction paragraph should be clear, concise, and informative. It is a complete roadmap of an essay that sets the tone and path for the entire paper you will present to your reader.
The main purpose of an introduction paragraph in an essay is:
The main question that always lies in writers’ and students’ minds is how long an essay introduction should be. There is no specific rule for how long your essay introduction should be - it depends on its overall length, which will vary from piece to piece.
Longer essays need more paragraphs. When you write a 2-3 page essay, one paragraph is the perfect length for your reader's understanding and attention so that they can read it in just 5 minutes or less. However, if you write a 4-5 pages essay, then two paragraphs are enough.
The perfect introductory paragraph engages the reader's attention. Thus, it is necessary that you start your essay with an attention-grabbing statement.
Here are the things that make a good introduction paragraph.
An essay introduction has three main parts: a hook, connections, and a thesis statement. Let's look at each part in detail.
1. Essay Hook
The hook is an attention-grabbing introductory sentence or phrase that captures the reader's interest and makes them want to read on.
You can use several different techniques to create a powerful hook:
There are many ways to start an essay introduction. One way is to give a broad overview of your topic and then state some background information. After that, you can explain your specific points. Another way is to give some general information and gradually narrow it down into your specific points.
The hook is a very important part of any essay. It's what captures and holds your reader's attention, so they'll read on to find out how you're going to discuss the topic.
The main types of hook are;
Statistical data can be a great way to start a persuasive essay or discuss serious topics. By looking at numbers, readers can better understand what is happening.
2. Personal Story
Sometimes, personal stories can be a good way to start your essay, but only if they are brief and fit into the overall story.
This type of hook engages the reader by making them imagine the scene you are describing. It is best used in descriptive or narrative essays.
4. Thesis Statement
Some essay writers start their essays by stating their thesis statement. The main thing to remember is that there is no right way to do things.
The first part of your introduction should give readers an idea about what they are going to read. You can mention key ideas in this section and gradually lead them toward the thesis statement.
In this part, you have to answer these key questions:
It is important to answer these questions in a few sentences. Make sure that you keep your answers concise and straightforward to avoid confusing or overwhelming the readers.
3. Thesis Statement
The thesis statement is the crux of your essay. It should be concise, accurate, and specific to provide an idea about what you are going to argue in later sections without repeating too much.
Here is an example of a thesis statement for an essay about the importance of work-life balance:
|Many large corporations should create comfortable and flexible working schedules for their employees in order to help them have a better work-life balance.|
Writing a good introduction is not difficult and complex. On the contrary, you will easily write one if you follow the proper outline structure.
Below is an introduction structure that you should follow:
Check out the following document to understand the outline template even better.
Essay Introduction Template
The four most common types of academic essays are narrative, analytical, and persuasive, all of which have unique purposes. It's important to include appropriate content in each introductory paragraph, depending on your writing type.
Below we discuss these main types to give you a better understanding.
The narrative essay requires the writer to tell a story. The main purpose of these essays is simply storytelling, which makes them much different from other types.
When writing an essay about a story, every claim included in the introduction must relate back to some moment or event from within your essay’s topic. This will help keep things organized and make sure you're presenting all sides of the argument.
The children were sent away from London during World War II because of the air raids. They went to live with an old Professor who lived in a faraway country house, and he had no wife! The kids instantly fell in love at first sight when they arrived at this strange new place called “The House Of Old Professors."
It's so big!" said Peter thinking about how large his bedroom would be while being careful not to make any noise or dirty anything else that might bother him.
Analytical essays are a type of essay that aims to educate readers about a certain topic. Unlike a narrative essay, analytical ones do not have any story or characters they're focusing on but instead analyze an idea and its consequences within the given topic.
When writing such essays, students can use any valuable information that is directly related to their thesis statement as an engaging hook for the introductory paragraph. For example, a good opening sentence or rhetorical question gives readers clues about what they will be reading and helps create interest in reading.
|Even though presidents, CEOs, and generals still have a lot of work to do, we can look forward to new possibilities in the grand scope of history. Our top priority should be figuring out what we will do with ourselves now that famine, plague, and war are under control. In a healthy, prosperous, and harmonious world, this is something we need to ask ourselves.|
Persuasive essays are great for persuading people of your point of view. You can do this by using persuasive strategies such as ethos, pathos, and logos.
Hooks are a great way to engage your readers and make them want more. A hook statement in such essays can be anything from an interesting fact or even humor, as long it serves both the thesis statement and is able to further argumentation on its own.
|Abraham Lincoln was a great president. He was tall, gave speeches, and led America through a war. But do you know that he also liked to tell jokes and laugh?|
This biography tells us why Lincoln was such a great president. He was funny and wise, which helped him get through tough times.
The personal essay is a type of academic writing that requires the author to share their own story and reflect on what they have learned from it. This can be seen as one's most intimate form since there isn't much room for creativity or exploration into new topics.
Instead, this essay should focus solely upon how you felt during certain events in your life so far--and why those experiences matter in your life.
The hook for this type of essay is anything you wish. You can use an interesting quote, joke, or fact related to the main story.
Personal Introduction Example:
|Reflecting on my life, I have often thought that if given the opportunity to live it all over again with some changes made in favor of better luck or circumstances, then without hesitation. Yet this is not possible, so the next best would be remembering what has gone before and using those memories as guides for future endeavors.|
Writing an effective essay introduction is never easy; it requires proper planning and preparation. However, without this, you will never create a well-written essay.
Here are some steps that you should follow when you start writing the essay introduction.
1. Identify the Audience
To start writing an essay, you must know who your audience is. It will help knowing what they want to read and their interests in choosing an interesting essay topic.
To start writing an essay, you must first determine your target audience. Knowing what your target audience likes to read and their interests will help in selecting a topic.
2. Do Some Research
Research can be a key component to creating a successful essay. With good research, you will easily write the introduction without any struggle at all.
3. Ask a Thought-Provoking Question
You can also start your introduction with a question that will catch the reader's attention. If you are writing a persuasive essay or compare and contrast essay, there is no better way to draw your reader's attention with an interesting question.
However, if your essay prompt is a question, then don't repeat it in your essay. Instead, make sure that you come up with an engaging and creative question of your own.
4. Include an Interesting Fact or an Anecdote
You can also add some interesting facts or an anecdote that doesn’t fit in the essay body. These types of statements work as effective opening lines to your writing, where you might be trying to get readers’ attention with a catchy statement about whatever subject matter it is that you're going into.
The introduction is the first step to a successful essay. Therefore, it is important to write an essay introduction that captures the reader’s attention.
The following are the steps that will help you in writing the essay introduction like a pro.
1. Start with a Hook Statement
A hook statement is an important part of any essay. Begin the introduction with a catchy sentence that grabs your reader's attention and introduces them to your topic right from the start. In other words, it should be used as an "attention grabber.”
Moreover, the hook statement can be a question, quote, shocking fact, or anything that you find interesting. Avoid making broad claims and stating facts as they are not interesting to readers.
2. Provide Background Information
Provide some background information about the topic. Therefore, the reader easily understands your topic and argument.
In this section, you might include:
However, information varies and depends on the essay topic. Also, the information that you write should be broad and relevant to your argument. Don’t provide in-depth details and background information that belongs to the essay body.
3. Thesis Statement
The thesis statement is the last part of an introduction, where you cover the essay’s main purpose. With the help of a thesis statement, you can directly communicate the point you will attempt to make through your essay.
4. Check and Revise
Once you finish writing the essay introduction, it is a good idea that you check and revise it again. Examine the structure and match the content of the essay with a topic. Also, make sure that your thesis statement is represented in your essay.
Examples always help the writers create a well-written piece. Thus, we made it easier for you and combined some essay introduction samples that our professional writers write.
These are the few tips for your ease that our expert writers have suggested.
Now, you get a complete guide of an essay introduction. However, if you cannot write the essay introduction yourself and still need help, contact SharkPapers.com.
So, contact us now and avail the best academic help for your assignments.
Barbara has a Ph.D. in public health from an Ivy League university and extensive experience working in the medical field. With her practical experience conducting research on various health issues, she is skilled in writing innovative papers on healthcare. Her many works have been published in multiple publications.
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