An introduction is the opening section of an essay that orients the reader to the subject, states or implies the thesis, and creates a reason to keep reading. It is the counterpart of the conclusion: the introduction sets up the essay’s question; the conclusion shows what the essay has found.
The introduction has three jobs:
- Engage the reader. The first sentence or two must give the reader a reason to care — a surprising fact, a vivid example, a question worth answering, or a tension worth resolving. An introduction that begins with a dictionary definition or a sweeping generalization (“Since the dawn of time…”) signals that the writer hasn’t yet found something worth saying.
- Narrow to the thesis. The introduction typically moves from broad context to specific claim, like a funnel. The opening provides enough background for the reader to understand the stakes; the closing sentences state the thesis. This funnel structure is conventional because it works — but it’s not the only option. Narrative essays may open with a scene. Lyric essays may open with an image.
- Signal the essay’s structure. The reader should finish the introduction knowing what the essay will argue and, at least roughly, how. This doesn’t require a “roadmap paragraph” (“First I will discuss… then I will argue…”), which is often mechanical. A well-stated thesis implies its own development.
Peter Elbow observed that most writers draft their real introduction last — the introduction written first is often a warm-up, restating what the writer already knows, while the real argument appears only after the writer has thought through the evidence [@elbow1973]. Revision often means replacing the draft introduction with one that reflects the essay’s actual argument.
Related terms
- conclusion — closes what the introduction opens
- thesis — typically stated or implied in the introduction
- hook — the device that earns the reader’s attention in the opening sentences