Nathan D.
Nathan D.

Essay Introduction Writing Guide For Students

5 min read

Published on: Nov 3, 2019

Last updated on: Jan 20, 2023

Essay Introduction

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Do you need essay introduction help? We'll show you how to start an engaging introductory paragraph that will grab your audience's attention. You can't just start writing without thinking about what you want the reader to feel when they're done reading.

Otherwise, your essay could end up being boring! This is a step-by-step guide for how to create an introductory paragraph for any type of essay.

The essay introduction plays a vital role in making a good impression on the reader’s mind. It is written with the motive of impressing the reader so that they continue reading the complete essay.

The essay introduction is the first thing in your essay, so it should be strong and compelling. Learn to write a good introduction from this blog.

How to Write an Essay Introduction Paragraph

An introduction is the first paragraph of an essay. The aim of an introduction paragraph is to let the audience know what they should expect from the essay. The good introduction is not just interesting but informative as well. When writing an introduction, you should include the following things in it:

  • Grab the reader’s attention
  • Provide a brief background about the topic
  • State your position and set the context of your essay

Here is an essay introduction writing process that will help you write a compelling and persuasive essay introduction:

Essay Introduction Outline

As we have discussed above, the introduction paragraph has three main goals, and they all should be incorporated in the introduction. Here is the outline for the introduction paragraph:

1. Hook statement

  • Grab the reader’s attention with a strong hook statement.
  • A hook statement could be a quote, rhetorical question, or anything.

2. Background information

  • A little background information is necessary to understand the topic
  • General statements to engage the reader
  • Tell the reader what they can expect from the essay

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3. Thesis statement

  • It is the crux of the whole essay
  • Set the focus of the essay
  • Answer the question that is being asked in the essay topic

Let's discuss each of the points in detail:

  1. Hook the Reader

    Start the introduction with a strong hook statement that immediately catches the reader’s attention and introduces the topic. Here are some suggestions on how you can make a strong hook statement:

    • State an interesting fact
    • Ask a rhetorical question that intriguing readers curiosity
    • Use a famous quote
    • Reveal a common misconception about your topic
    • State an anecdote or create some drama
    • Avoid using cliches
    • Avoid stating dictionary definitions
    • Avoid common facts and statistics
    • Avoid being mysterious
  2. Provide a Brief Background

    After the hook statement, share some background information to explain the topic in a general context. The background information helps the reader understand the essay topic. Depending on the subject of your essay, you can include the following things in the background paragraph:

    • Define the unfamiliar terms
    • Include historical statistics, general context, or geographical information
    • A summary of current research work
    • Scholarly debates or theories

    The background information should be directly relevant to the topic. It should be brief but clearly relevant to the main argument of the essay.

  3. State the Thesis Statement

    The thesis statement is the last part of the introduction paragraph. It sets the focus of the essay and gives a complete context of the essay argument. It is generally one to two sentences and comes at the end of the introduction paragraph. To make your thesis statement strong and compelling, include the following things in it:

    • Directly answer the question that is being asked about the topic.
    • Include the main argument of your essay
    • Set the focus of your essay
    • Include the overview of the main argument of the essay
    • Narrow down the context of the topic and state the main aim of the essay
  4. Revise your Paragraph

    As you do research and write, your argument might change. For this reason, it is often a good idea to wait until later in the writing process to write the introduction paragraph. It can even be the last thing that you write.

    When you are finished writing the essay body and conclusion, go back to the introduction and make sure that it matches what you have written in your essay. It is especially important to make sure that your thesis statement accurately represents what you have said in your essay if your argument has changed direction from what was planned.

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Essay Introduction Template

Essay Introduction Example

Here is a sample introduction to help you better understand the essay introduction structure:

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Do’s and Dont’s of an Essay Introduction

Here are a few things that you should keep in mind while writing an introduction paragraph:

  • Do not start with a dictionary definition
  • Avoid vague and cliche statement
  • Do not repeat sentences
  • Keep it short and brief. The detailed information will be given in the body of the essay
  • Don’t forget to define the key terms
  • Don’t share everything about your essay; only discuss the main points
  • Don’t make an announcement, i.e., this essay will discuss.
  • It is just one paragraph, so include only the most important points of your essay.

The instructions and examples given above will help you write an interesting introduction. However, if you still need some help, you can contact FreeEssayWriter.net. We are a professional essay writing service that offers all kinds of academic writing services

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do you start an essay introduction?

You can start your essay introduction in the following manner:

  1. Create an interesting hook to grab readers attention
  2. State your major point after hook
  3. State your thesis statement

What to write in an essay introduction?

An introduction is the first paragraph of a written research paper, or the first thing you say in an oral presentation, or the first thing people see. The introduction gives people a starting point to follow up on or learn more about.

What is the purpose of an essay introduction?

The purpose of the introduction is to give a reader an idea about what you're talking about. Therefore, it should give background information on what you're writing about and tell them your answer.

Nathan D.

WRITTEN BY

Nathan D. (Education, Research)

Nathan is a highly experienced writer and author. With a Ph.D. degree in journalism, he has a wealth of knowledge and expertise to share with the world. Nathan is passionate about writing, and his work has been featured in some of the most respected publications. His clients and colleagues respect him deeply for his knowledge and insight into the writing process.

Nathan is a highly experienced writer and author. With a Ph.D. degree in journalism, he has a wealth of knowledge and expertise to share with the world. Nathan is passionate about writing, and his work has been featured in some of the most respected publications. His clients and colleagues respect him deeply for his knowledge and insight into the writing process.

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