Essay

Introduction Types
The introduction is the most important part of your essay, and it has one purpose to fulfill above all others: to draw in the reader. Ideally this should all begin right from the attention-grabbing opening sentence. If the introduction can then go on to orient the reader to the focus of the essay, then that can be very helpful. Orientation, however, is not an essential purposebecause that can be achieved gradually in the essay. Many people make the mistake of writing a paragraph that explains what they are going to talk about in the rest of the essay. Such a paragraph might include something such as the following: "My journey toward college has been shaped by a variety of experiences, including academic studies, volunteer work, and extracurricular activities." Thereader knows that you are going to talk about these things and is most likely muttering to himself, "Get to the point."
If you have a paragraph such as this in your essay, the best move is to delete it. Often your second paragraph, which begins to discuss a specific experience, will work much better as an introduction. Yet you may also find that a later paragraph works even better. In general, youshould bring your most compelling experience to the forefront and then structure your essay around that.

Essay>Assembly>Introductions

In writing, as in life, it’s important to make a good first impression. Your introduction is your chance to grab your reader’s attention, show why your ideas are worth considering, and give a brief overview of your argument. There are, of course, many ways towrite an introduction, and some types work better than others for certain papers.
A couple of general tips for writing introductions:
• Write the introduction last. It’s easier to write something interesting and meaningful after you’ve warmed up a little. Besides, your understanding of your topic will change as you write your paper, so if you write the introduction first, it won’t match therest.
• Start off with a concise, yet intriguing, first sentence. Remember the introduction is just that, an introduction—not the entire paper. So start with something interesting rather than just summarizing the paper.
• Don’t drive the reader away. The introduction should make the reader want to read the rest of the paper. Bombastic speech, wordiness, and simple grammar errors presentyou unfavorably, so be especially careful to avoid them.

Essay>Assembly>Types of Introductions

What kind of writing are you doing? Some audiences like showy and descriptive introductions; others like short and direct ones. The type of introduction you use also depends on how you want to present yourself. Do you want to come across as straightforward and “down to business,” or as a passionateadvocate for a cause? Below are several types of introductions. Decide which one fits your paper, combine a few types, or make up your own!
• Solve a Problem.
Especially useful for analytical writing.
Pro: Easily contextualizes the argument for the reader.
Con: Cheesy if the problem isn’t that big or not many people will see it as a problem.
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•Start with an anecdote, a quotation, a question, or an interesting fact.
Works well to grab readers emotionally.
Pro: Engaging.
Con: Can easily be cliché or off-topic.
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• Map out your argument.
Helpful for long papers that are research-heavy or that have complex arguments.
Pro: Gives a transparent view of the paper.
Con: Leaves noroom for suspense. Can be very dry.
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• Acknowledge what others have said on the subject.
Good for any persuasive piece.
Pro: Gives your reader background on the subject.
Con: Others' comments might not be completely relevant, or they could hurt your essay if you can’t debunk them or use them to your advantage.
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• Point out an...