Tips For Writing Effective Introductions:
- Start by thinking about the question (or questions) you are trying to answer. Your entire essay will respond to this question, and your introduction is the first step toward that end. Your direct answer to the assigned question will be your thesis, which will likely be included in your introduction, so it is a good idea to use the question as a jumping-off point.
- Don’t waste time in composing a perfect introduction before writing the body. Some students cannot begin writing the body of the essay until they feel they have the perfect introduction. Be aware of the dangers of sinking too much time into the introduction. Some of that time can be more usefully channeled into planning and writing.
- It is OK to leave the writing of the introduction for a later stage in the essay-writing process. You may think you must write your introduction first, but that isn’t necessarily true, and it isn’t always the most effective way to craft a good introduction. You may not know precisely what you will argue at the beginning of the writing process. It is wonderful to start thinking that you want to discuss a particular point but end up arguing something slightly or even dramatically different by the time you’ve written most of the paper. Writing can be an important way to organize your ideas, think through complicated issues, refine your thoughts, and develop a sophisticated argument.
- Don’t be afraid to write a tentative introduction and change it later. Some people find that they need to write some kind of introduction to get the writing process started. That’s fine, but if you are one of those people, return to your initial introduction later and rewrite it if necessary.
- Get to the point as soon as possible. Generally, you want to raise your topic in your very first sentences. A common error is to begin too broadly or too far off-topic. Avoid sweeping generalizations
