Introductions: First Impressions Count in Academic Writing

It may only be one short paragraph, but the introduction seems to be one of the two most troublesome paragraphs in an essay (the conclusion is the other). How can such a few sentences cause so much anxiety?

Introductions are important because they serve as the "gateway" to the rest of the essay. Introductions carry the thesis statement, and serve as an informative and stylistic lead in to the rest of the paper. An effective introduction should give the reader a sense of where the paper is going, what will be argued, and possibly what kinds of supporting information to expect.

So, cramming all of that into one paragraph can understandably cause a bit of stress. A rambling, disorganized introduction can turn readers off, even confuse them. More practically, a sloppy introduction can turn an instructor off and perhaps cause you to lose points.

Let's take a look at some introduction essentials.

The Inverted Triangle

The inverted triangle model, point downwards, is often used to illustrate the form an introduction should take. The wide top represents the way you can ease into the argument with a general statement or two.

If your paper is about a particular cultural attribute, for example, you could begin with a couple of general statements about the culture. Beginning this way gives the reader a bit of context for your more specific thesis statement. If you wish to "hook" the reader, you could use these couple of sentences to mention some fascinating tidbit relating to the topic, or perhaps a relevant quotation.

As the triangle narrows, you should also begin narrowing or focussing your discussion until you reach the "point," or the thesis, which is the main crux of the whole paper. Although it's not always located exactly there, it's best to try to make the thesis statement the last sentence of the introduction, especially if you're not confident enough to play around with style. It will be easy for the reader to identify, and it will serve as a springboard into the body of the paper.

Let the Introduction be the Blueprint of the Essay

In basic short essays, you can do yourself a favour and use the introduction to map out your essay for you.

For example, if you mention that there are "three factors that influenced the development of XXX design," then you know that you need roughly three body paragraphs, each describing one of the three factors.

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