The introduction is one of the most important parts of any piece of writing. It’s your chance to hook the reader, introduce the topic and purpose, and set the stage for the rest of the content.
But writing an effective, engaging introduction can be tricky. Where do you start? What information should it contain? How do you craft irresistible opening lines?
This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know to write a stellar introduction. Follow these tips and you’ll have readers eager to keep reading.
Hook the Reader
Your first task in the introduction is getting the reader’s attention right away. This is crucial – readers have short attention spans, so you only have seconds to grab their interest before they move on.
Use these techniques to hook them from the very first line
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Open with a surprising statistic or little-known fact
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Start with a thought-provoking question
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Begin with an attention-grabbing quote
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Share a humorous anecdote or joke
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Use vivid, descriptive language to set a scene
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Tell a brief story or fable that ties to your topic
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Reference a recent event that relates to your subject
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Describe a common frustration or problem in your field
The hook should align with the overall tone of your piece. Make it catchy but relevant.
Keep It Short
The introduction shouldn’t be long-winded. Keep it concise and direct so you don’t lose the reader’s attention.
Aim for 3-5 sentences or 50-100 words. It’s better to be brief than ramble on. You’ll elaborate on key points later.
If you do need a lengthier intro due to the complexity of the topic, break it into chunks with paragraph breaks for readability.
Explain the Article’s Purpose
After getting the reader’s interest, clearly state the purpose of your piece. Tell them what insights they can expect to gain.
For example:
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“This article will walk through five common challenges writers face and tips to overcome them.”
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“In this post, we’ll look at the key stages of the product development process.”
Letting readers know the content that lies ahead provides orientation and incentive to continue.
Explain the Article’s Value
Highlight why your piece is worth the reader’s time. How will it help, inform, or enlighten them?
You might mention:
- A common problem it will help solve
- Useful takeaways or tips
- New research or discoveries it reveals
- Fresh perspective it provides
Show the value upfront so readers appreciate the usefulness of the content.
Refer to a Concern Your Reader Might Face
One technique is addressing a concern, fear, or objection the reader may have and overcoming it right off the bat.
For example:
“Many people avoid networking events because they fear awkward conversations. This article will break down simple small talk strategies to make networking feel completely natural.”
This shows you empathize with the reader and will address their worries.
Use Storytelling – the Smart Way
Stories naturally hook attention. But beware of lengthy anecdotes in the intro – you risk the reader losing patience.
Instead, tell micro-stories of just 1-2 sentences. For example:
“John twisted his ankle the night before the marathon. All of his training over the past 6 months seemed wasted in an instant.”
This tiny tale about twisted ankles transitions smoothly into your post on injury prevention.
Analyze Search Intent
Look at the keywords and phrases that brought readers to your post. What were they searching for? Fulfill this intent in the intro.
If readers searched “keto diet recipes,” they want meal ideas fast – so provide that in the opening sentences.
Writing with search intent in mind ensures you satisfy readers’ needs from the start.
Funnel Your Main Idea
The intro is also the place to establish the core focus of the piece – your thesis or controlling idea. But don’t state it explicitly right away.
Instead, funnel down to it gradually. Start broad, then narrow in. This rhetorical technique eases the reader into your main point.
For example, start with background on your industry, then mention common issues, then specify the niche problem your article addresses.
This bit-by-bit narrowing culminates naturally in your thesis statement. The reader feels oriented and ready to dive in.
Structure it With Signposts
Clarify the introduction’s structure for the reader by including signposts or pointers.
Phrases like “We’ll begin by…Next we’ll…Finally, we’ll…” act as a roadmap showing what lies ahead.
Signposts remove disorientation and make your intro easy to follow.
Establish Your Tone
Your intro words set the tone for the entire piece. The language you use plants expectations of what’s to come.
If using humor, inject it early so readers know to expect an amusing article. Similarly, taking a formal approach upfront tells readers it will be an academic piece.
Ensure your tone matches the subject matter and your own writing style.
Consider a Creative Format
Straying from a traditional block paragraph intro is encouraged if it fits your content.
For example:
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Open with 3 key statistics bullet pointed
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Start with a FAQ format responding to common questions
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Begin with a visual chart or infographic
Don’t feel constrained – structure the intro in a way that works best for your message.
Invite the Reader In
Lastly, close your intro with an inviting statement that urges the reader into the body of your work.
Ending with an explicit call to action is very effective. For example:
- “To learn more, let’s explore the incredible history of space exploration.”
This technique takes the reader warmly by the hand and pulls them into the piece.
Use these tips as a checklist for crafting brilliant introductions. Keep your openers short and compelling, and readers will follow you anywhere. Now get writing that stellar intro!
Example Introductory Paragraph: Structural Components
In this table, each structural component of the introduction is listed in the left column, and the corresponding sample text is on the right:
|
Structural Component |
Example Introductory Paragraph |
|---|---|
|
Opener |
Dublin is such a small city: everyone knows everyone elses business. |
|
Shared Context |
This is Doran’s lament, one of many such laments in Dubliners, a book whose very title seems to presage a comprehensive portrait of Ireland’s capital city. Joyce makes full use of the advantages Dublin offers as a setting. Both national capital and provincial town, the city was the ideal site for cutting — and often scathing — dissections of this land. |
|
Motive |
It would be unfortunate, however, to see Dubliners merely as an ethnographic study, for Joyces commentary has a broader scope. |
|
Topic or Purpose |
Dublin comes to serve as a locale for a drama which is played out all over the world, a drama about home. Joyce studies the nature of home, what it is and what it means to leave it. |
|
Thesis Statement |
However different his characters may be, together they form a tableau which, while it does much to indict the idea of home, also shows a deep compassion for those who are bound to it. |
|
Roadmap |
Although this theme may be examined in many stories — the failed attempt at leaving in “Eveline” is an obvious example — a look at two less obvious works, “The Boarding House” and “Little Cloud,” may best suggest its subtlety and pervasiveness. |
Writing Successful Introductory Paragraphs
This handout is available for download in DOCX format and PDF format.
In the most abstract sense, the function of an introductory paragraph is to move the reader from the world of daily life into the textual and analytical space of an essay.
In a more concrete sense, an introduction performs three essential functions:
- It clearly and specifically states the topic or question that you will address in your essay.
- It motivates the topic or question that the essay will examine.
- It states, clearly and directly, your position on this topic or question (i.e., your thesis).
While reading your introduction, your reader will begin to make assumptions about you as an author. Be sure to project yourself as a thoughtful, knowledgeable and nonbiased writer capable of dealing effectively with the complexities and nuances of your topic. Your introduction should set the tone that will remain consistent throughout your essay. In addition to emphasizing the uniqueness of your approach to your subject matter, you should seek to draw your reader into your essay with the gracefulness of your prose and the rational demeanor you project as a writer.
In addition to stating the topic and scope of your analysis, your introduction should provide your readers with any background or context necessary to understand how your argument fits into the larger discourse on the subject. The details you use to orient your reader with your topic should be woven throughout the structural components of your introduction listed below.
In addition to grabbing the reader’s attention, the opening sentence of an essay sets up the structure of the introductory paragraph. You want to create movement among your ideas, which is best done by moving either from the particular to the general or from the general to the particular. Essays that move from the particular to the general often begin with an anecdote, quotation, fact or detail from the text that can be used to introduce readers to the larger issues the essay will address. Introductions that move from the general to the particular — typically referred to as the funnel structure — often begin with a wider view of the topic that will be used to establish a context for the more localized argument that the author will present.
Claims about the topic that the author posits as common knowledge or uncontroversial, which the reader will readily accept as true without extensive evidence or argument. The shared context often entails a claim or claims that are obviously true, which the “motive” and “thesis” will then complicate or even oppose.
The introductory paragraph must leave the reader with a clear understanding of the specific subject area that your essay will investigate. Defining your essay’s scope in this way often requires distinguishing your specific focus from the larger discourse on your topic. Though this is not always essential, many essays include a purpose statement that tells the reader directly: “this paper examines…” or “the aim of this essay is to…”
The motive is a specific sentence, usually near the middle of your introduction, that clarifies for the reader why your thesis is interesting, nonobvious and/or contestable. In essence, your motive answers the question “so what?” that a reader might ask of your thesis. Because they show that the truth about a subject is not as clear as it might seem, motive statements often employ terms of reversal — “yet,” “but,” “however,” etc. — that reflect a departure from the obvious.
The thesis statement is the central claim your essay will make about your chosen topic. Since the topic area must first be described and motivated, the thesis statement is usually placed near the end of the introduction.
Though this is often unnecessary in shorter papers, essays that are long (seven-plus pages) or especially complex are often easier for the reader to understand if the author offers some preview of the essay’s structure at the beginning of the paper. In especially long essays (20-plus pages), this outline of the essay’s structure may demand a paragraph of its own (usually the second paragraph).
Here is an example of an introductory paragraph that we will analyze sentence by sentence:
How to Write an Eye-Catching Essay Introduction | Scribbr
How to write a good introduction paragraph?
Start with a Hook: Begin your introduction paragraph with an attention-grabbing statement, question, quote, or anecdote related to your topic. The hook should pique the reader’s interest and encourage them to continue reading. Provide Background Information: This helps the reader understand the relevance and importance of the topic.
How to write an essay introduction?
Avoid new information or arguments. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to write an essay introduction: Start with a Hook: Begin your introduction paragraph with an attention-grabbing statement, question, quote, or anecdote related to your topic. The hook should pique the reader’s interest and encourage them to continue reading.
What makes a good introduction?
An interesting, thought-provoking, or generally entertaining introduction makes your reader excited to keep reading—and an eager reader is an attentive reader. Introductions generally follow the writing style of the author and the format for the type of paper—for example, opening with a joke is appropriate for some essays, but not research papers.
What is a good introduction in a paper?
As the first paragraph of your writing, it makes the first impression and sets the reader’s expectations for tone, voice, and writing style. More importantly, your introduction provides the necessary background for your reader to understand your paper’s purpose and key points. The introduction is also a way to engage and captivate your reader.
