Ever struggled constructing an introduction to your essay that feels cohesive and logical? This post will guide you through structuring your introduction so that your essay opens with flying colours.
A cohesive and fluent essay structure is essential to communicating your arguments in a readable way. Your English essays are about answering a question with complex ideas in a comprehensible manner, and a solid logical structure facilitates this process. Our upcoming posts are on framing your holistic argument in a logical manner. If you haven't read it yet, check it out before diving into the specifics on essay writing.
The introduction is the blurb of your essay. Here you;
Link back to the question and the composer's purpose
I say arguments instead of ideas because essays aren’t a package of analysis nor an informal conversation with the reader. They are a logical discussion that ends with the reader gaining a new understanding of the text and/or question.
For this guide, we’ll be using the following HSC style question from the Texts and Human Experiences Module as an example to guide you towards writing more cohesive, stronger essays:
“Conflict allows us to grow.” To what extent is this statement true of your prescribed text?
A. Thesis
The thesis should not only respond to the given question, but also introduce your holistic discussion.
The easiest way to do that:
Find the key words of the question and paraphrase them to answer the question
Introduce something new to the reader, an idea not explicitly mentioned in the question (this shows a developed understanding of your text and an ability to think about complicated ideas)
Link to the marking rubric. See our Writing to the Rubric page to find out more.
(optional) Introduce your text, author and context. This part depends on the question and your module. See our pages on writing Time and Context essays and comparative essays to learn more
Ok so that all looks a little complicated. Lots of things to fit into one or two sentences. But if we write concisely and purposefully, the process is simplified.
Pick out which option you think is the best for our question. Reminder, that’s;
“Conflict allows us to grow.” To what extent is this statement true of your prescribed text?
A. William Shakespeare’s 1598 tragicomedy ‘Merchant of Venice’ discusses the immense growth the mercantile collective achieves through surmounting inherent conflicts of the human experience empowering the individual’s quest for freedom against the imposed restrictions of destiny, thereby demonstrating the large extent to which the conflicts of humanity force evolution and advancement. | B. The challenges we face in our everyday lives allow humanity to grow, says Shakespeare in his 1598 ‘Merchant of Venice’. | C. Our responses to the inherently conflicted dualities of collective and individual human experience inspire cathartic introspection to facilitate the enrichment of humanity. |
If you chose Option C, you’re well on your way to understanding how to write an introduction.
Why Option C?
Option A:
✔️ Uses key words from the question
✔️ Specifies what conflicts are being faced
✔️ Introduces a new layer of conceptual understanding not given in the question
╳ Rambles about ideas excessively specific to the text and therefore doesn’t answer the question holistically
╳ Expression is periphrastic and confusing for reader
Option B:
✔️ Is concise and uncomplicated
╳ Soft language that doesn’t move or stimulate the reader
╳ No extra level of conceptual understanding outside of the question
Option C:
✔️ Is concise, logical and uncomplicated
✔️ Uses key words from the question
✔️ Uses strong language that is thought provoking and stimulating
✔️ Specifies what conflict is being faced
✔️ Introduces a new layer of conceptual understanding not given in the question
See how a logical flow of complex ideas in a straightforward manner can massively impact your writing?
Tip: Use big words to use less words not more
If you want to learn more about how to write concise yet thoughtful expressions, see our resources page.
B. Content
The next stage of your introduction is laying out the ideas that are to follow in your body. Again, this section is going to change depending on what kind of essay you’re writing, but will remain fairly consistent across the English subject.
Here, we’re looking at the broad ideas of our paragraphs and how they fit into the question. By now you should've brainstormed what concepts you're talking about or already written your body paragraphs. See Before Writing Your Essay to learn more.
You should be talking about these ideas in an order that progressively builds to an ultimate conclusion. This is crucially maintained in your introduction so that your first Body Paragraph appears first in your introduction and so on.
Remember, the markers can only mark our work well if they understand it.
Shakespeare’s 1598 tragicomedy ‘Merchant of Venice’ explores the paradoxical relationship between morality and transactional wealth which engenders self-interested responses to collective paradigms.
Since we didn’t include the text in our thesis, it must be added here. Again, the expression is clear and straightforward while incorporating complex ideas and arguments. It also bridges our thesis with our future argument by building on our ‘self-interested responses’ and founding the first part of a holistic response.
The process is the same for introducing the rest of your arguments, just make sure you’re always considering the question when writing.
C. That's it!
So that’s the introduction, the foundation of your essay.
In the end our introduction came out like this.
Our responses to the inherently conflicted dualities of collective and individual human experience inspire cathartic introspection to facilitate the enrichment of humanity. Shakespeare’s 1598 tragicomedy ‘Merchant of Venice’ explores the paradoxical relationship between morality and transactional wealth which engenders self-interested responses to collective paradigms. Further, through representation of ostracised individuals, he elucidates the restrictions on personal desire enforced by obligation to shared ideals. Ultimately, Shakespeare encourages a stronger attachment to collective morality and bold acceptance of the inherent faults of the human condition to allow us to evolve and grow past restrictive paradoxes.
Key lessons to take from this are;
Write in a logical and concise way to facilitate the marking process
Introduce both your holistic argument and your sub-arguments (paragraphs)
Always answer the question
If you found this post helpful then check out our others on Body Paragraphs and Before Writing Your Essay, share them with your friends and let us know how you go in your exams.
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Good Luck and Happy Writing!
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