How to Write an Effective Essay Introduction Paragraph?

The introduction paragraph of any essay or thesis is its most crucial component. It is the pivot that directs the direction of the writing, and it is the fulcrum that determines whether your audience will read through every other paragraph in the essay. The introduction paragraph of an article is a summary, as the conclusion paragraph.

However, the introduction paragraph is an opening summary of the entire piece, while the conclusion paragraph is the closing summary of the essay. Your introduction paragraph lets your reader know what your essay is all about, and what they should expect from the following section.

There is no general rule for writing a perfect introduction paragraph. However, there are certain things you should look out for when writing your introduction paragraph. Your understanding and use of these tips will help you write a great introduction paragraph for your essay or thesis.

Read More: Essay Introduction Paragraph Examples

How to Write an Introduction Paragraph?

1. Captivate and Sustain the Reader’s Attention

It takes about 15 seconds for anyone to decide whether they will read your essay or not. Consequently, you have only 15 seconds to convince your reader that you have something worthwhile to say in your article. On average, most readers can only read 3-4 sentences in 15 seconds.

What you write in these first 3-4 sentences will determine the next reaction of your reader to your essay: will they read it through, or will they discard it for something else?

The opening sentences of your introduction paragraph should do only one thing: attract and sustain the reader’s attention. To get this done, you must put yourself in the reader’s position and objectively answer the question:

Why should I read this article? You can start with a rhetorical question, interesting statistics about the topic, a common perception about the subject, or a discovery on the issue you are writing on.

Read More: How to Write an Essay about Yourself?

For example, you can start with a question like: How much do you think you can earn on YouTube every month? Or you can use statistics like: It is sad to say, but a person dies every 2 minutes from COVID-19 in Italy.

Find the right “hook” and keep your reader on the line like a fish without option.

2. Clearly State the Focus of Your Essay

Immediately after your “hooking sentence,” state the main focus of your essay. This where you should provide detailed background information that will say clearly what your article is all about and why you decide to write something on the topic.

Assuming your essay topic reads: How to Earn Money on YouTube. The hooking line for this topic could be something like: “How much do you think you can earn on YouTube every month?” The main focus for an essay like this should be:

Every single day, more than 1 billion US dollars flow in and out of YouTube, and many persons have positioned themselves to get their share out of this sum. You, too, can open your purse to get something out of this sum. The fantastic thing about there is no limit to how much you could earn each day. 

3. Connect Your Thesis Statement or Topic with Every Other Thing

Now you have successfully captivated and sustained the attention of your reader with a good anecdote—a perfect hook line, and you have drawn out the main focus of your essay. It is now time to clearly state your topic and connect it to the hooking line and the main focus of your article.

Let’s use the same example we’ve used previously:

“How much do you think you can earn on YouTube every month? Every single day more than 1 billion US dollars flow in and out of YouTube, and many persons have positioned themselves to get their share out of this sum. You, too, can open your purse to get something out of this sum.

The amazing thing about there is no limit to how much you could earn each day. Let’s get to answer the question on your mind: How do I go about this just right away? This brings us back to the topic of this essay: How to Earn Money on YouTube.”

You could see how we connected the topic to every other thing. The reason is to bring back the subject of your essay before your reader and remind them of why they chose to check out your theme in the first place.

These three steps will guide you to write the perfect introduction paragraph for your essay. However, it is also essential to take notes of the following tips when writing your introduction paragraph.

• Keep It Short: This is very important. As much as possible, keep your introduction paragraph short. You still have a lot to write in the body of your essay. Your introduction paragraph should be like a dessert for the entire dinner.
• Keep It Lean: Avoid using filler phrases and words when writing your introduction paragraph. Write in an active voice and keep all your sentences short.
• Keep It True: This is where many writers lose the trust of their readers. They spend all their time writing a striking introduction paragraph that doesn’t represent the content of their essay. Don’t oversell your piece in the introduction paragraph. Keep it factual, and let it be an accurate representation of the entire article.
• Do A Draft First: This is a general writing rule: Do a Draft First. However, it is more important for your introduction paragraph. You need to take out the critical points of your essay and draw your introduction paragraph in such a way that every aspect is adequately captured in the focus of the idea.
• Give It Time: Don’t rush your introduction paragraph. Take your time, and give it your best shot.

Remember, there is no thumb rule for writing an introduction paragraph. However, if you keep to the recommendation above, and add your uniqueness to your craft, you will get a perfect introduction paragraph.