What is the purpose of the introduction?
When writing the introduction to your essay, you need to be sure to state your point of view clearly.
This expression or assertion of your viewpoint is known as a thesis statement.
A thesis statement will sum up the position you are going to take in your essay.
The introduction therefore acts as a kind of road map to your reader since it guides him or her by pointing out the direction that your writing is going to take.
What is the structure of the introduction?
You can think of an introduction to an essay as an upside-down triangle.
In other words, an introduction can be wide at the top and gradually becomes narrower in its focus.
So, you can begin the introduction with some general background information about your topic.
The subsequent sentences in your introduction then need to become more specific by stating supporting points and examples.
Now try the exercises that follow.
The Introduction − Exercise 1
A student has been asked to write a personal response piece on the subject of whether it is fair to receive grades for group projects at college. Look at the two introductions below. Then choose the best one.
Introduction 1:
Many students have the dream of attending college one day. They scrimp and save or even borrow the money to attend college, and then they have to face the reality of how their work is going to be assessed. Group projects are sometimes assigned at college. In a group project, the student has to prepare work with other students from his class. The teacher then gives the grade for the project on the basis on the group’s performance as a whole or for an individual student’s performance within the group.
Introduction 2:
Group projects at college are sometimes assigned in order to promote teamwork and interpersonal communication skills. When the teacher sets a group project, students are required to work together in small groups in order to achieve the desired outcome. Yet, in my experience, students rarely work together in such an idealistic, cooperative manner. Rather, the one or two responsible students in the group will be left to complete the project, while others shirk their responsibility. I am opposed to the use group projects for assessment purposes since non-motivated students often perform very few of the required tasks and attempt to take credit for the work of the more capable students.
Answer: Introduction 2 is the best example.
Introduction 1 starts in a much too general way by discussing college life itself, rather than group projects. Introduction 1 also fails to express the position the student is going to take on the subject.
Introduction 2 begins by making some general comments about group projects. The student then clearly expresses his opinion about the topic.
Students sometimes worry about the opinions they express in their personal experience or personal response pieces.
However, note that you will not be assessed on your opinions themselves, but rather on how well you express and support them
Also note that because this is a personal response piece, you can use the words I and my.
You should complete the thesis statement exercise before continuing with exercise 2 below.
The Introduction − Exercise 2
Have another look at the introduction to the essay provided from above. Then identify the thesis statement.
Group projects at college are sometimes assigned in order to promote teamwork and interpersonal communication skills. When the teacher sets a group project, students are required to work together in small groups in order to achieve the desired outcome. Yet, in my experience, students rarely work together in such an idealistic, cooperative manner. Rather, the one or two responsible students in the group will be left to complete the project, while others shirk their responsibility. I am opposed to the use group projects for assessment purposes since non-motivated students often attempt to take credit for the work of the more capable students.
The thesis statement is as follows: I am opposed to the use group projects for assessment purposes since non-motivated students often attempt to take credit for the work of the more capable students.
We can understand that it is the thesis statement of a personal response piece because it begins with the phrase “I am opposed to.”
It is very common for the thesis statement to be placed in the last sentence of the first paragraph of an essay, as it is in the example above.
Note that you can also place the thesis statement at the beginning of the piece for special emphasis if you wish.