Introductions: what they are and how you, too, can make one

Introductions are one of the most important parts of an essay because they are basically your reader’s first impression of your ideas. No pressure, but this is the part where you drag your readers in with information so gripping that they just can’t put it down.

And even if you’re stuck with a lame, super un-spicy topic like saving the polar bears, you can still make your readers interested, without trying too hard. In fact, it’s surprisingly easy to do, as long as you start by providing context. 

Context 

While it may be tempting to wonder why you can’t just jump right into your topic and run with it, imagine if you tried to start a conversation the same way. Can you just start talking to someone about why tanning beds should have age restrictions, or why we need to protect the environment? No, and the reason for that is simple: they simply won’t care until you give them a reason. 

But if you were to mention a teenage girl who developed cancer from using tanning beds, or discuss the dwindling numbers of polar bears, this will tell your readers why they should care by providing a sense of relevant urgency. 

This is called providing context. Context is what it’s called when you show how your topic fits into reality and the world at large. The morality of tanning beds fits into the world because it affects people in real life by making them sick. Environmentalism fits into the world because it affects the animals we love, like polar bears. 

Providing this kind of context should be the focus of your introduction, because once your reader thinks your topic is important, they will be invested enough to read the rest of your paper. 

What this might look like: 

In the year 2016 alone, the number of polar bears living outside of captivity dwindled from 25,000 to 15,000.  

Background 

The next thing you want to discuss is some background. This is any information your readers will need to know in order to understand your topic. So, for instance, if any important, relevant laws were recently passed, or if your topics require lots of complicated definitions, then this would be the time to discuss such things. 

What this might look like: 

Although quite a few laws have been passed in favor of reducing humanity’s environmental impact, the populations of many endangered species continue to decline.  

Thesis and Moving On 

Once you’ve finished framing your topic you can move onto the part where you actually tell your audience what YOU think about the topic you’ve picked. So this would be the point at which you say: 

Due to these concerning ecological patterns, it’s morally mandated for the US Senate to introduce new legislation that will incentivize citizens to be more earth-conscious. 

And PRESTO — you have a basic introduction! Just keep in mind that your context and background portions should probably be larger than these examples, but not TOO big. You want to give your readers just the right amount of information to get them hooked without boring them. But most importantly, remember — you can do this! 

Happy writing! 

 

 

Have a question? Submit it to us, or come see us in the Writing Center for some more great advice!