All about essays

A catchy and informative introduction provides 50% of the success of any text. I bet that the following introduction: “I was walking along the street on a windy winter evening. Suddenly, I heard quick steps approaching me...” will catch your attention. The correct introduction stimulates you to continue reading and you find yourself in the middle of the book fully into the story. It takes time to create a great opening, but it is worth the efforts. In this article, we will discuss how to write a correct introduction and evoke interest in your readers.

What Is Introduction?

The introduction is an opening part of the essay which introduces your topic to readers. Its main goal is to grab readers’ attention and motivate them to read your writing till the end.

Structure of Introduction

As a rule, the introductory part of the essay consists of three parts: the attention grabber, connections, and thesis statement. An attention grabber contains one sentence. A quote or an anecdote is good as a starting sentence. A quote or an anecdote you’ve chosen should fit the goal of your essay. Some background information is also welcome after writing a starter. You may start with the broad explanation of the issue and then narrow down to the specific points of discussion.

Further, you need to outline the main claims of the essay you’re going to discuss. Body paragraphs should be concise and relevant. The outline will help you to follow the narrative. Don’t forget to answer the following questions: “who?”, “what?”, “where?”, “how?”, “why?”, and “when?” to provide narrative flow. This part of the text typically consists of 2-3 sentences.

According to Edusson review, the introductory part of the essay ends with the thesis statement. Your entire writing will revolve around it. The thesis statement should be focused and specific. One sentence is enough for the thesis statement.

The Length of Introduction

There are no particular requirements to the length of the introductory part of the essay. The main recommendation is that the introduction shouldn’t exceed 10% of the overall length of an essay or an article. If your essay has five paragraphs, the optimal length of the introductory part of the essay is one paragraph. On the contrary, if your writing is 30-50 pages, the introduction can take several pages.

Different Types of Introduction

The type of introduction may change the type of the initial essay. There are three types of essays, namely: the narrative, analytical, and persuasive. For instance, narrative introduction will include a thesis statement which can be the main lesson learned from the story. Typically, the hook in a narrative essay is a sneak peak of the part of the story.

In an analytical introduction, the hook directly relates to the thesis statement. It can be either a rhetorical question or a statement that gives readers’ the clues to the understanding of the key point. This type of introduction will also include a well-researched statement.

The persuasive introduction may start with an interesting fact to be discussed further in the essay or an anecdote. Basically, a hook in the persuasive essay offers a room for your fantasy. A thesis statement in the persuasive introduction should briefly summarize the key points of your writing.

Key Takeaways

Hook is used to grab the readers’ attention;

Write main points you’re going to discuss;

Don’t include a lot of background information;

Write a thesis statement presenting the main issue of your essay;

Write your thesis statement at the end of the introductory part of the essay;