The complete guide on “How to write an essay introduction”. What is the essay introduction, and why it’s important? Find writing tips, in what grade does eassy writing begin, and more.
An essay is a non-fiction, brief composition that describes, analyzes, argues, or clarifies a subject. It is made up of an introduction, a thesis statement, a body, and a conclusion. Essays are critical to students because they enhance their communication skills and comprehension skills.
At Kids on the Yard, we are passionate about improving students’ abilities to write because writing skills are required throughout a person’s life. Furthermore, we believe that strong writing skills will allow them to communicate and express their mind effectively both in and outside school. In this article, we shall introduce you to the compelling writing of an essay’s introduction.
WHAT IS AN INTRODUCTION?
An introduction is the first paragraph of an essay. It introduces the reader to your topic, and outlines your main ideas. A good introduction hooks the interest of a reader and provides the context of the entire essay.
WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?
An introduction is essential because it provides a first impression of the paper. It also introduces you to your reader and determines if they will read further or brush your essay aside to search for better content. Conversely, a lack of a strong introduction or presence can leave your reader confused and disoriented.
TIPS TO WRITING A GOOD INTRODUCTION FOR YOUR ESSAY
1st: Get your Readers Attention
The first sentence of the introduction should set the tone of the entire essay. After that, you should spend enough time brainstorming on the best “hook” to use. A sentence can be considered a “hook” if it is concise, catchy, and exact enough to stir the reader’s curiosity. Most of the readers hate and avoid dense, long sentences.
A hook sentence may include:
- A an astonishing fact or interesting statistics
- A rhetoric question
- A misconception or myth about your topic
- A humorous or catchy quote.
- A short story
2nd: Lay Down the Background
Provide your reader with brief information about the essay topic or argument on the subject. Background information should not be too detailed but should be relevant and focused on the essay topic. You should not include too much detail at this point. Save the rest of the information for the body of the essay. For a short essay, a sentence or two is enough to provide background information.
Background information may include:
- Social, geographical, or social context information.
- A summary of your essay
- Definition of key terms in the essay
- Research summary of the topic.
3rd: Present a Thesis Statement
A thesis statement is a sentence that concludes the introductory paragraph. It usually offers a summary of the essay’s argument or claim. A thesis statement provides you with an opportunity to make direct remarks about your topic or, to sum up, your general argument.
A thesis statement is the most crucial part of an introduction since it provides the direction for the entire essay. For it to be effective, it must provide a claim that requires explanation and evidence. Through the thesis statement, the reader understands your central point about an issue or argument.
Your Thesis Statement should:
- Narrow down your essay topic to a specific focus
- Provide a clear direction of the entire essay
- Be at the end of the introductory paragraph
- Have a clear position and justify elaboration of the essa
- Point forward to the essay’s conclusion
4th. Revise, Revise, Revise!
At Kids on the Yard, we emphasize to our students that revision is the backbone of writing. While you may not be a perfect writer, you can significantly improve by rewriting and revising your work constantly. Never view revision as a process of fixing something wrong; instead, consider it as an opportunity to improve something already good.
After you are satisfied with the introduction and have finished writing your essay, including the body and the conclusion, go back to the introduction and check if it aligns with the entire essay. Again, it is vital to recheck your thesis statement and determine if it represents the argument in the essay. If the argument in the essay has taken a new direction, consider changing the thesis statement too.
At the end of your essay, you should be confident that:
- Your first sentence is relevant and hooking up the reader
- Your background information effectively introduces the topic
- Your thesis statement is clear and represents the main argument or point of the essay.
- The introduction is free of grammatical or spelling errors
- The introduction paragraph aligns with the rest of the essay
Last but not least!
Essay Writing Begins in 3rd Grade
Overall writing pace for elementary school students: In kindergarten, students learn how to use their fine motor skills and write simple words and simple sentence structure. Once first grade begins, they will be introduced to complete sentences that contain nouns, verbs, and adjectives alongside expanding to write in multiple sentences by the end of the year. In second grade, students are expected to grow too numerous paragraphs. Third grade is when essay structure is introduced. Students are then expected to expand to a 3 to 4 paragraph structure in fourth grade with far more details and importance on setting, characters, and grammar. Finally, fifth grade is when the 5 paragraph structure is entirely taught and expected to take this knowledge with them into their Middle School years to come.
