How to Write an Introduction: Tips, Dos and Don'ts

An academic paper, an essay, a paragraph, a story – all need an engaging introduction. You have a few seconds to draw the attention of the reader through your introduction. If your introduction can’t grab the attention of your readers, it’s unlikely that they will read the rest. Therefore, knowing how to write an introduction is essential to keep the reader engaged with your writing. In this article, there are a few tips to help your write an introduction that will force your readers to read through the article until the end.

Table of Contents

• Importance of a Strong Introduction
• Tips to Write an Introduction
  • Answering the Readers, “Why Should I Read This?”
  • Engaging the Readers with an Anecdote
  • Tell the Reason behind Writing the Article
  • Sharing Something Personal
  • Engage the Readers by Asking a Question
• Dos and Don’ts of Writing an Introduction
  • Keeping the Introduction Short
  • Add Only the Major Points
  • Draft the Full Article Before Writing the Introduction
  • Do Not Stuff Your Introduction
  • Do Not Miss Out on Any Detail
• Frequently Asked Questions on Writing an Introduction

Importance of a Strong Introduction

An introduction is an indispensable part of any kind of writing. It lets the reader know the importance of the writing. It is basically a window to your written piece, which gives the readers a glimpse into the style and substance of your writing and keeps them interested and engaged. When a reader lands on your article, they might be looking for a reason to read it. Therefore, the introduction is what answers such questions and creates curiosity in the readers’ minds. To write a strong introduction, you can use questions, your personal thoughts, a famous quote related to the topic, a critique and so on.

Tips to Write an Introduction

Go through the following tips and try writing an introduction for your piece of writing.

Answering the Readers, “Why Should I Read This?”

When a reader accesses your article, they might ask themselves the reasons for reading the article. So, if you wish to capture the attention of the reader, then you must give them enough reasons to continue reading. If you have given a proper synopsis of what they can expect in the article, then nothing can distract your readers away.

Engaging the Readers with an Anecdote

Capture the reader’s attention with an engaging story that hints at the topic of the article, and they will be more likely to keep reading. An engaging story is the best way to keep the readers interested and motivated to read the full article.

Tell the Reason behind Writing the Article

Explaining the reason behind writing the article in the introduction paragraph gives the readers a drive to read on.

Sharing Something Personal

Sharing something personal in an introduction, similar to storytelling, might increase a reader’s interest. They will either be able to relate to the story, or the story will be so unusual that they will be compelled to read on to learn more.

Engage the Readers by Asking a Question

Asking questions related to the text might sound a little outdated, but it is a great way to keep the readers engaged. Asking a question in the introduction will raise curiosity in the readers’ minds and make them want to go through the full article.

Dos and Don’ts of Writing an Introduction

There is no perfect way of writing an introduction. An introduction varies from one writer to the other. You cannot use the same introduction for every piece, you will have to approach it depending on what you are discussing, the tone of your writing, and your target audience. Here are some guidelines to follow.

• Keeping the Introduction Short

There are no fixed rules for writing an introduction, but it is advisable you keep the introduction short so that your readers do not feel that it is overly exaggerated.

• Add Only the Major Points

It is a common practice to add all the points in the introduction. It need not be so. A good introduction will have just the major points to be focussed on. Try your best to keep it short.

• Draft the Full Article Before Writing the Introduction

Drafting the full article before writing the introduction is an effective method to follow. You can jot down roughly what you need in your introduction initially, but make sure to come back to it once you have completed the whole piece. This will help you check if you have included all that is required and also remove what is not necessary.

It will help you find the major points that you need to discuss in the introduction.

• Do Not Stuff Your Introduction

Write the introduction precisely and remove all unnecessary words or phrases. Using long, complex sentences can make your readers lose interest in your work. If you find a phrase or a number of words that can be replaced by a single word that conveys the same meaning, use them instead.

• Do Not Miss Out on Any Detail

Keep in mind that the introduction is the face of your writing. Therefore, mention all the necessary points and make sure to elaborate on the same points in the longer text. Remember that the introduction is just the preliminary step. Writing a good introduction and being careless with the rest of the work also is not optimum. So make sure you do it all right.