For many students, the introduction is one of the most challenging elements of an essay, over which they sit for long hours in vain. This is because you have to formulate goals, prove the relevance of the problem raised, and touch upon other complex concepts in this part of the work. Of course, you can order your cheap homework on writingcheap.com and forget about it. However, it is worth learning to accomplish it on your own and not spend money on home assignments. Today, we are going to discuss the fundamental elements of any introduction and offer you some tips.
What is an Introduction, and Why is it Important?
People form their first impression of your essay after reading an introduction. They understand what to expect from the rest of the work and choose to continue reading or not. In addition, you write the next paragraph based on the introduction because all parts of the essay should be connected.
Essential Elements of an Introduction
- The problem and its relevance. The introduction begins with a statement of the problem and explains why it is so important to study it. Let’s say that the issue of your work is the negative impact of social media on the emotional state of teenagers. The relevance of examining such a problem may be that social media causes children to develop a fear of missing out, lowers their self-esteem, and consequently increases their anxiety and conflicts. Accordingly, the problem requires finding a solution to fix it. Don’t forget that you are writing an essay, not a scientific paper, so you can state the problem in the form of questions, cite your own reasoning, and use artistic techniques. Your task is also to make your readers interested in the problem from the very first lines.
- Purpose and objectives of the paper. Why have you taken this particular essay topic? Perhaps you have some original solution to the problem posed. Maybe you see the problem from a perspective that no one has seen before. Your work will aim to offer the author’s version of the solution to the problem or to consider it from some special position. In doing so, the objectives represent specific actions to achieve your goal.
- Studies of the problem. Some researchers take pride in inventing the bicycle and then are surprised to find out that half the world is already riding the most advanced models of bikes. Reading the literature on the topic of your essay, you can not only find out the degree of study of the raised problem but also meet interesting ideas that may push you to an original solution to the problem.
- Basic concepts. The introduction also designates exactly what key concepts will be touched upon in the essay. These can be special terms on the topic of the essay that you will need during your reasoning.
- Thesis statement. This is the most important sentence in your essay. It is your main idea, and your attitude towards the whole problem discussed, articulated in one sentence. It tells the reader that you understand the main issue of the essay, and it will be clear and coherent.
Essay Introduction Options
There are several options on how you can start writing your essay. We offer you the most common ones.
- Historical. You can refer to a moment from the past (a specific century, year, period) or compare past and present;
- Biographical. If your essay is about a person or their work(s), feel free to use this option. An interesting fact from the biography can be a starting point;
- Analytical. You can begin the essay by defining key terms (appearing in the title or significant for the statement);
- Quotative. This option is used most often. Remember that no one is surprised by a quotation anymore. Approach the question thoroughly. Find a juicy and vivid quote related to the topic of the essay.
- Personal. Tell a life story that explains your choice of topic.
Plan of writing
We offer you a seven-step layout that will make the process of writing your introduction easier.
- Think about the first sentence that interests the reader. This is important: not everyone is willing to take the time to read the information that does not interest them or solve their problem. The reader needs to understand right away what it’s about. Such hooks are not easy to find, but they guarantee a high score. This little-known fact, original statistics, “hyped” information (like feminism, body positivity, vaccinations, etc.).
- Get to the point. The 2nd and 3rd sentences should serve as a link between the 1st one, main, and rest of the piece. They should develop the thought from the first sentence, expanding on the context. Create a smooth transition, not a jumping-off point transition.
- Tell your reader what the essay is about. When you were going to write it, you set a certain goal: not just to inform something, but to express your opinion, to convince in something, to reveal some secret. Share this with the reader so that they make a decision to stay (or go).
- Outline the structure. This will help you maintain the logic of the narrative, making the work understandable and coherent. By having an idea of structure, you don’t run the risk of forgetting something. Only you should see the structure, and the reader should see a smooth and clear text. If the topic of the essay is simple and does not require focus, specificity, then you can not think over the structure.
- Formulate a thesis statement. This is just one sentence, briefly and concisely describing the main message. This statement concludes the first paragraph.
- Decide on the tone of the essay. The writing style is the main factor that affects the attractiveness of your text in the eyes of the reader. Write simply and clearly, try to establish a connection with the reader, and speak the same language.
- Keep it short. Focus on the shortest possible introduction. Write everything you want to say. Reread it. Reduce what you have written by a third. Reread it. You may find places where you can write simpler and shorter sentences. So do it.
Fear of a Blank page
What should you do if you have a blank sheet of paper in front of you for a long time? Just sketch out the main elements of the essay and move on to writing the next part of it. Writing the final version of the introduction is much easier at the very end of the work when you already have the main part and the conclusion ready. Your task is to get past the so-called blank page stage, where many people abandon their work. Also, don’t worry if the introduction or the entire paper doesn’t turn out as flawless as you would like it to. Over time, you will write better and better essays.
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