What is an introduction?
Introduction – a brief opening beginning to the essay.
Without it, the semantic integrity of creative work is impossible.
Writing an introduction is both easy and difficult at the same time.
The introduction to the essay is small in volume, but an important part of the structure of the essay, affecting the overall assessment of the entire work. The very first paragraph draws readers’ attention to the essay and gives them background information about the topic.
From the many types of introductions, you can choose the most appropriate in meaning and write a beautiful essay that meets all the necessary requirements.
The purpose of the introduction is to bring the reader to the problem of the text that needs to be commented on.
The introduction may contain a general point of view on the topic raised by the author. It can report the main problem of the text or determine the range of problems raised by the author.
When writing an introduction, it is more logical to lead the thought from general discussions on the topic to a particular case described in the text. The introduction should throw a bridge from the introductory sentences ending with the formulation of the problem to the main part, where this problem will be considered from different sides.
Definition of introduction
The introduction definition to the essay is not allocated as a separate block (no title like “Introduction” is made), it is not placed on a separate page. After the introduction, empty lines are not needed – the subsequent text begins immediately. Due to the small volume of most essays, the volume of the introduction is usually less than a page (several paragraphs of text). It is necessary to ensure a logical transition between the introductory part and the main text.
The introduction in writing should be small in volume. Introduction, which substantiates the relevance of the chosen topic, analyzes the problems, sets the purpose and objectives of the work and specifies its structure.
There are several types of introduction.
1) Question-answer unity. Such an introduction resembles a dialogue in form and immediately attracts attention with an energetic beginning.
2) A chain of interrogative sentences. It is written at the beginning of the essay and aims to fix the reader’s attention on the key concepts of the source text.
3) Named sentences. The sentences that open the essay may contain the basic concepts or the name of the hero, which is narrated in the text.
4) A rhetorical question. A question is a statement that does not require an answer.
6) Lyrical introduction. This is a reflection, a statement expressing a sensual attitude to the depicted.
Introduction depending on the type of essay
Now let’s go a little deeper into the types of essays and what you need to write there.
If the essay is based on numerous arguments, be sure to summarize them in the introduction. There are no two identical essays (not counting cases of plagiarism), but there are general principles that will help you make the essay as effective as possible, no matter what goal you pursue. For example, if you are trying to convince the reader of something in your essay, it may be useful for you to summarize your thoughts in the first or in the first few paragraphs of the introduction. This will help the reader understand how you will back up your thoughts.
If you are working on an art essay, try to capture the attention of the one who is reading. This type of essay applies to this: use comparisons, allegories and other tricks of self-expression. Artistic texts are filled with emotions much more than all other texts. In such writings, it is appropriate to start with metaphors. If you try to write something fascinating or memorable in the first few phrases, you will be able to interest the reader in your work.
The introduction to an essay on art and entertainment is easier to write if you link the details to the main text, and set up beacons for readers.
If the essay is of a technical or scientific nature, you should not go beyond it. You need less creativity, more specifics. Your task is to inform people about serious and important things.
In a journalistic essay, more attention is paid to the facts, rather than the opinion of the writer. Try to be objective. In such an essay, you do not need to convince anyone of anything or change someone’s mind; the facts will do everything for you. Just describe it.
Elements of the introduction
A well-written introduction gives the reader an idea of what you are going to write about. In it, you state the essence of your argument or discussion, regardless of whether you are writing an essay or a blog post. For a good introduction, you should start by engaging the reader with an interesting introduction. After that, you will provide some transitional suggestions to move on to your main ideas, from a broad idea to a more specific one.
As a rule, the introduction consists of four constituent elements that follow each other. They are listed below:
- Various hooks
- Background information
- Contacts
- Theses
The introduction begins with the hook and the very first sentence belongs to it. It is intended to engage readers or attract their attention. Therefore, it should be attractive, charming and readable to encourage readers to read the entire play.
Background information is additional information that your reader needs to know in order to understand your work. It may include things like definitions, historical context, current events that are relevant to your letter, or other information.
Connect is used in longer essays. This is a short sentence that starts with a transition and connects the background information with the thesis. Its purpose is to allow readers to connect with the main topics of the essay.
Theses are very often called the heart, core, or center point of an essay. Without a thesis, an essay cannot be called well, since it lacks a central point. In a five-paragraph essay, the thesis should consist of one sentence with three proofs, which are discussed in the main paragraphs. However, in longer essays it may be longer. It can be two or three sentences, and each sentence has two or three proofs and a counterargument.
The function of introduction in writing an essay
When starting to write an essay or any other type of written work, it is important to write the beginning correctly, namely the first paragraphs. Thus, the reader will be interested from the first lines, which will set the tone for the entire subsequent text. Of course, there is no single correct way or algorithm for writing an essay. After all, it’s a creative job. Essays can be written on a variety of topics, in different ways and options. Nevertheless, there are common features in the best introductions. If you take them into account, you will be able to work out the introduction more efficiently. Let’s get started!
The main purpose of the introduction is to make readers feel that they are going to read about something.
To write a good essay, an introduction plays an important role. To understand if you did a good job writing the introduction, reread it and answer your questions.
Do you want to know what is written next? Are you interested in the introduction? Did it prompt further reading? Did you want to get answers to the questions asked in it? If your answer is yes, then the goal, which was to intrigue the reader, can be considered achieved.
