(Excerpt from the Book: Essentials of Essays and Business Communication by Julie Tagg)

Writing Strong Introductions

In writing, you should captivate the reader. You must ensure that your introduction is alluring. Here are some “hooks” that can be incorporated into successful introductions.

Anecdote

A brief story with a point will paint a picture with words and then explain how it demonstrates your main idea. You can even refer to the story again in your conclusion.

Startling Statement

A one-liner that is provable, eye-catching, and that will help to grab a reader’s attention.

Famous Ideas

Paraphrase a famous idea or quote as they relate to your argument.

Question

A thought-provoking rhetorical question will help your reader assess his or her own opinions of your topic.

First- and Second-Person Address

Words directly focused on the audience help your reader easily identify with you. Use “you” and “your” or “we” and “our.”

A Combination

You can use one or more than one of these techniques to draw the reader’s attention and develop your specific tone.

Evaluating your progress in writing the essay

Now that you have written your introduction, evaluate the progress that you have made in starting your essay:

1. What is the main idea?
2. What are the points or details that you will use to support this main idea?
3. What is the organization or structure of your essay?
4. What point of view will be used?