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Writing an essay is a lot more than just sitting in front of a computer and writing your heart out. All the things under the surface are the ones that make a great essay, depending on how much a writer is willing to work through.
When it comes to writing essays in high schools, students are more concerned about making it to the finish line in terms of quantity. But as they move higher in classes and levels, they get to understand the importance of quality in writing.
One of the things that all good-quality essays share is a solid introduction. Since many students do not know how to get one in their writing, this blog will go through the idea, its importance, and a simple guide to create a riveting introduction for your essay.
The importance of A Solid Introduction Essay Paragraph
Say you are a reader and you are not thinking much about a writer and his essay already. Yet you somehow find yourself lurking around the essay and you open it against your good judgment. Since the expectations were not high, what could go wrong? Yet, you find the writing interesting and the points were clear and intriguing enough to make you stick to the end.
This is what a good introduction to your essay can do. Many novice writers and students spend all their time and effort on the main body because it is the brain and brain of the essay. But for many readers, getting to the main body is a big haul, which only a solid introduction can cover.
That’s why students must understand the importance of a solid essay starter introduction and how to compose one for their essays.
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What Is In The Introduction Of An Essay?
The introduction of an essay is where the essay starts. The ideal introduction or opening paragraph is meticulously written and fine-tuned to help readers ease into the essay. Considered to be the most important section of the essay, writers need to spend a lot of time and effort nailing the introduction.
In a quality introductory paragraph, there are three important elements balanced against one another:
- A hook
- Context/ background information
- Thesis statement
In the following sections, we will cover these elements in detail to help students understand their nature and how they can be written to perfection.
Hooking The Reader
The first line of the introduction should be used to grab the attention of the readers. As mentioned in the previous sections, many readers are unwilling to essay in the first place. The writer must make them care enough to read the whole essay.
How To Set Up A Perfect Hook
A hook is a literary device that comes in different forms, shapes, and sizes. Depending on the scope and type of the essay, it can be a statistic, a bold question or statement, or even a shocking fact to catch readers off guard.
Examples of Hooks In Different Types of Essays
While all types of hooks can work for narrative and descriptive essays, due to their subjective and personal nature, writers need to think well and deeper.
Providing Context To The Readers
No matter how good a writer is with a topic or a subject, he would have to search latest facts and figures before writing the essay. The same is true for readers. They often need background information on the subject before diving deeper into it. This is also called context in the essay writing lexicon. After setting up an effective hook, writers should provide the necessary background information to readers to perfect the flow.
Striking The Perfect Balance
There is a recurring problem in otherwise very well-written essays, they either overdo the context section or keep it short so that readers cannot get a clear glimpse at the background. To get the intended effect for the readers, writers should strive for the perfect balance in the context.
How Much Context Is Enough
It is hard to give a word count to this part of the essay introduction, but let us take an example to help us through. Say, that your introduction is 100 words long, while setting aside 20 words for the hook and 25 for the thesis statement, you will have 55 words to illuminate the background information for your readers.
Providing A Thesis Statement
A thesis statement is the gist of the main theme or point of the essay. It is an essential part of the essay because one is incomplete without it. Depending on the type of essay, it covers the theme or the writer’s stance for the readers.
Characteristics of A Perfect Thesis
Everyone should have certain characteristics to be solid enough and stand out for the readers. Following are some of the most important characteristics to keep in mind boldness, brevity, a single sentence or a brief passage encapsulating the main idea of the essay.
The Right Place For Putting Down A Thesis Statement
There is a lot of debate surrounding the right place for the thesis. One thing is sure – it has to come in the introduction of the essay. As to its placement in this specific section, the best one is the closing lines of the introduction where it can bridge the section with the main body. However, expository essays can open with a well-crafted thesis statement.
Sketching The Map For A Perfect Essay
Apart from providing background information along with a hook and the thesis statement, the introduction of an essay also sets up the stage for the whole essay. Readers can easily sense the tone and voice of the whole write-up from the introduction part.
Even if you fail to do so, you need to create a riveting paragraph where all the information is relevant and interesting enough for the readers to go through the whole essay.
Covering All The Main Points
If the heading of the section seems a little confusing, it was expected. Many students would question how they can cover all the main points in the introduction. The answer is that they need to cover all the main points from the introduction point of view. It means that they must compose a winning hook, backed by the context that fills in the readers surrounding the importance and background information on the main topic. In the closing lines of the introduction, the thesis statement will balance things off.
Writing The Introduction With Ease
If students are looking for the ultimate tip on how to start an essay, it is about going through the introduction quickly and with ease. All of this can be achieved if they collect the necessary information on the topic and get on with the writing process. Even if they are not satisfied with the quality of the introduction, they can revisit the section after writing the whole essay and then improve it.
Fine-Tuning The Introduction
Now that you have completed the writing process, it is time to fine-tune the introduction. Again, the rules of the game are simple – focus on the basics and ensure that the three areas of the opening essay sentences are well-covered. These include the hook, the context, and the thesis statement.
Getting Feedback From Peers
Your peers and instructors can come in handy if you are unsure about the effectiveness and reach of the introduction of your essays. Instead of dreading the output, you test-run the section by asking them to provide feedback. When they are hooked and feel satisfied with the opening of your essay, it is a sign for you that the job was well done.
Summing Up The Discussion
As the age-old maxim goes, the first impression lasts. The same is true for the introduction of essays. Writers need to start on a high note and keep the readers in their minds. The first step is setting up a hook; the next one is about providing background information. In the closing lines, it is best to top off the section with a thesis statement.
We have shared a comprehensive guide on how to write a winning introduction. We hope that students and novice writers will find the resource helpful in acing their essays.
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