How to Write a Good Introduction

A good introduction is key to writing an engaging essay. Especially as readers’ attention spans are decreasing, a good introduction will ensure that you get the reader on your side immediately. Beyond encouraging people to read your paper, however, an introduction can serve as a useful way to preview points and orient the reader.

Grab the reader’s interest

First and foremost, a good introduction should capture your reader’s interest. A strong sentence or interesting fact is one way to gain a bit of interest, and can also help preview later information that you plan to discuss. For example, if you’re writing an essay about gun control laws, it may be worth juxtaposing a few brief statistics from different countries before you discuss how each country achieves those numbers. Doing so makes readers invested in your essay, because they want to learn more, and are more interested in the content.

Provide broad context

Particularly for essays that deal with complex topics, providing context can be crucial to a reader's understanding, and the decision to stick with your essay. When providing context in your introduction, you want to make sure that you consider the broader knowledge necessary to understand the concepts in your essay without overwhelming the reader or getting too far into the weeds. For example, while it may be useful to contextualize how different protagonists in Sophocles’ tragedies have a tragic flaw, it’s probably less important for readers to understand what Sophocles’ life was like if your essay is focused on a narrative analysis of one of his plays.

Clearly state your thesis

Every essay is making an argument, and your thesis spells that out for the reader. If you don’t have a clear thesis, your essay won’t be focused and will be hard for readers to engage with. You want to make sure that your audience knows what argument you’re making in your essay, and so it’s always best to include a strong thesis as the last sentence in your introductory paragraph. A strong thesis statement must be easily identifiable without using any vague ideas, so that any reader can clearly explain what the point of your paper is.

Consider writing your introduction later

Sometimes you run into writer’s block while working on a paper. It can be incredibly frustrating to be staring at a blank computer screen, just waiting for the introduction of your essay to come to you, so that you can focus on fleshing out the body paragraphs. Even if you have a clear outline for your paper, it can be challenging at first to determine when and how to give your readers the context they need to fully grasp your essay. In these kinds of situations, it’s often a good idea to skip ahead to writing the body of your essay. This helps refocus your mind and can help you gain a better understanding of what facts you bring up in your paper that may need contextualization.

If you keep the above tips in mind, you’ll be well on your way to writing a strong introduction. Of course, you might at times need some extra help on your paper. If you feel that the body paragraphs of your essay are well-formed, but you’re having trouble with the conclusion or introduction, you’ll find plenty of academic paper services to help you get a quality introductory paragraph. When you’re looking down the barrel of a tight deadline, using a service to help you finish your paper can be a great way to meet your deadline.