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How Do You Write An Introduction to An Assignment? (With Examples of Assignment Introduction)
Whether you’re in school or college, you can’t avoid academic writing. It’s essential to write assignments to complete your course and graduate from it successfully. As a student, you must have discussed your assignments and academic writing projects with your friends, seniors, and mentors. Most assignments aim to gauge students’ knowledge about the subject and how well they express themselves while solving a problem or presenting their ideas and opinions.
Writing an assignment introduction paves the way of how a reader or a teacher perceives an entire assignment and can be considered a face of an assignment. Our assignment help experts are here to offer you the best tips on how to write an assignment introduction.
How to introduce an assignment?
As they say – well begun is half done. Our assignment writers agree and believe in this adage. Countless times, you must have skipped a video because you didn’t find its first 5 seconds interesting or catchy enough to hold your attention. Or you must have chosen to watch a movie because you liked its trailer. Similarly, an introduction is a bait for your readers to read your assignment, report, essay, or dissertation with interest. It’s the first impression you will cast on your professors.
GoAssignmentHelp assignment assistance experts who handle hundreds of ‘ do my assignment ’ requests every month share that most students find it difficult to write an introductory paragraph that is clear and concise. Here, we will simplify the process of writing an introduction for the given assignment for you.
A good introduction to an assignment example is always one that gives a clear idea to the readers about what your assignment topic is or what are you going to talk about in the rest of the copy. An old trick is to talk about general ideas about the topic and narrow down your discussion to the specific problem or aspect of the topic you are going to discuss.
An introduction is a guide to your assignment. It should include:
- Some background about the assignment topic, and
- An outline of opinions and arguments you are going to present.
An assignment introduction example or two can perhaps give you a better idea of what needs to be done.
Contact our experts for a powerful introduction to your assignment!
Different Elements of the Introduction of an Assignment
Before we delve into introduction assignment examples, you must understand elements that constitute a good introduction to an assignment:
- Importance of an assignment topic or the purpose of essay writing or dissertation writing,
- Keywords from the essay topic or assignment question to show how well you have understood the writing task,
- What is the proper definition of the assignment topic or the key terms it contains – and what can readers expect from the written piece,
- Student’s reason for writing on the topic. You may get some hints on it from what your teacher mentions on the assignment list or what he/she shares in the class about it,
- A quick bird-eye’s view of your approach on the assignment topic,
- Key points of your discussion that you will elaborate in the body of the paper,
- Quick discussion on previous studies, articles, news, or other works on the topic, and
- What are some of the limitations of the topic?
You don’t have to include everything in an introduction – just enough to make your reader or teacher curious about the topic. The following example of introduction for assignment starts with a central issue, goes on to add some background, and then, presents the argument the assignment writer elaborated further in the essay. It ends with a smooth transition statement meant to transport the reader to the next part of the essay.
How to write an introduction for a report?
When you are stuck with how to start a writing assignment, writing an introduction can solve most of your problems. Different types of assignments have different types of introductory paragraphs. The student introduction assignment example mentioned above is suitable for an essay. Now, we will see an example of an assignment introduction for a report.
Note that this kind of assignment introduction contains:
- A Background: A quick mention of previous studies and articles on the topic gives your teachers a perspective on what is already known about the topic, key issues that need to be addressed, and what you are going to discuss in your report.
- An Objective or a Thesis Statement: A hypothesis or a thesis statement is based on earlier findings and previous works on the topic. It provides a structure to your report. Check how the assignment writing service expert has mentioned the purpose of the study and a quick outline of the entailing discussion in one statement – right after the background.
- Importance of the Study: If you’ve not already highlighted the importance of the study yet, you may include a few more lines to mention the gaps in the topic research and how your paper is going to bridge those gaps.
Consult our assignment writers for fresh ideas and introduction samples for any type of assignment!
How to write an introduction for a thesis or a dissertation?
Most students come across a dissertation or a thesis writing task in their Master’s or Ph.D. degree course. A few need to write a dissertation in their Bachelor’s degree programs. But since they are new to dissertation writing, they wonder how to write an introduction for an assignment that is much longer than a normal essay writing task they have encountered yet. The truth is that writing an introduction for a dissertation is not much different from writing an introduction for an essay or a report (depending on the nature of your dissertation topic).
You can use the points mentioned above to learn how to write a good assignment introduction longer than a paragraph. The ideal length for a dissertation introduction is 5-7% of the total length of your research paper. Most Master’s dissertations are around 15,000 to 50,000 words long – depending on the subject area. Hence, their introductions can have anywhere between 750 and 2,500 words.
We provide affordable writing services for students who find it difficult to paraphrase their ideas succinctly in an introduction. Besides the general introduction, we also help students write an introduction for each chapter, which will help you include more references throughout your research paper. It will also help research paper writers to remind their readers of the purpose of the dissertation again and to retain their interest.
You must also read : Tips and Examples of The Conclusion Section of Assignments
Tips of Top-Rated Experts on How to Start an Assignment
Our essay writers advise students on how to write a good introduction for an assignment all the time. Besides what’s mentioned above, they also advise students to:
- make their introduction eye-catching,
- build up curiosity,
- outline the arguments, and
- maintain suspense.
Experts warn that merely stating the assignment question in other words or trying to state everything in the introduction like a summary of a story is not a good idea at all. You must follow the word limit suggested by your instructor for the assignment introduction and maintain a sharp, focused approach while penning the intro.
Need help with how to start an assignment introduction?
Introduction matters! Whether it’s a superstar or an assignment, the introduction is a key to his/its popularity. GoAssignmentHelp is a leading online assignment help service that brings you the best and most experienced assignment writers from the major cities of Canada, such as Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, Winnipeg, and more. You can seek help from them for writing the best introduction for your homework , essays , dissertations , thesis , and research papers .
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- If you are writing in a new discipline, you should always make sure to ask about conventions and expectations for introductions, just as you would for any other aspect of the essay. For example, while it may be acceptable to write a two-paragraph (or longer) introduction for your papers in some courses, instructors in other disciplines, such as those in some Government courses, may expect a shorter introduction that includes a preview of the argument that will follow.
- In some disciplines (Government, Economics, and others), it’s common to offer an overview in the introduction of what points you will make in your essay. In other disciplines, you will not be expected to provide this overview in your introduction.
- Avoid writing a very general opening sentence. While it may be true that “Since the dawn of time, people have been telling love stories,” it won’t help you explain what’s interesting about your topic.
- Avoid writing a “funnel” introduction in which you begin with a very broad statement about a topic and move to a narrow statement about that topic. Broad generalizations about a topic will not add to your readers’ understanding of your specific essay topic.
- Avoid beginning with a dictionary definition of a term or concept you will be writing about. If the concept is complicated or unfamiliar to your readers, you will need to define it in detail later in your essay. If it’s not complicated, you can assume your readers already know the definition.
- Avoid offering too much detail in your introduction that a reader could better understand later in the paper.
- picture_as_pdf Introductions
How to Write an Essay Introduction (with Examples)
The introduction of an essay plays a critical role in engaging the reader and providing contextual information about the topic. It sets the stage for the rest of the essay, establishes the tone and style, and motivates the reader to continue reading.
Table of Contents
What is an essay introduction , what to include in an essay introduction, how to create an essay structure , step-by-step process for writing an essay introduction , how to write an essay introduction paragraph with paperpal – step -by -step, how to write a hook for your essay , how to include background information , how to write a thesis statement .
- Argumentative Essay Introduction Example:
- Expository Essay Introduction Example
Literary Analysis Essay Introduction Example
Check and revise – checklist for essay introduction , key takeaways , frequently asked questions .
An introduction is the opening section of an essay, paper, or other written work. It introduces the topic and provides background information, context, and an overview of what the reader can expect from the rest of the work. 1 The key is to be concise and to the point, providing enough information to engage the reader without delving into excessive detail.
The essay introduction is crucial as it sets the tone for the entire piece and provides the reader with a roadmap of what to expect. Here are key elements to include in your essay introduction:
- Hook : Start with an attention-grabbing statement or question to engage the reader. This could be a surprising fact, a relevant quote, or a compelling anecdote.
- Background information : Provide context and background information to help the reader understand the topic. This can include historical information, definitions of key terms, or an overview of the current state of affairs related to your topic.
- Thesis statement : Clearly state your main argument or position on the topic. Your thesis should be concise and specific, providing a clear direction for your essay.
Before we get into how to write an essay introduction, we need to know how it is structured. The structure of an essay is crucial for organizing your thoughts and presenting them clearly and logically. It is divided as follows: 2
- Introduction: The introduction should grab the reader’s attention with a hook, provide context, and include a thesis statement that presents the main argument or purpose of the essay.
- Body: The body should consist of focused paragraphs that support your thesis statement using evidence and analysis. Each paragraph should concentrate on a single central idea or argument and provide evidence, examples, or analysis to back it up.
- Conclusion: The conclusion should summarize the main points and restate the thesis differently. End with a final statement that leaves a lasting impression on the reader. Avoid new information or arguments.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to write an essay introduction:
- Start with a Hook : Begin your introduction paragraph with an attention-grabbing statement, question, quote, or anecdote related to your topic. The hook should pique the reader’s interest and encourage them to continue reading.
- Provide Background Information : This helps the reader understand the relevance and importance of the topic.
- State Your Thesis Statement : The last sentence is the main argument or point of your essay. It should be clear, concise, and directly address the topic of your essay.
- Preview the Main Points : This gives the reader an idea of what to expect and how you will support your thesis.
- Keep it Concise and Clear : Avoid going into too much detail or including information not directly relevant to your topic.
- Revise : Revise your introduction after you’ve written the rest of your essay to ensure it aligns with your final argument.
Unsure of how to start your essay introduction? Leverage Paperpal’s Generative AI templates to provide a base for your essay introduction. Here’s an example of an essay outline generated by Paperpal.
Use Paperpal’s Preditive AI writing features to maintain your writing flow
This is one of the key steps in how to write an essay introduction. Crafting a compelling hook is vital because it sets the tone for your entire essay and determines whether your readers will stay interested. A good hook draws the reader in and sets the stage for the rest of your essay.
- Avoid Dry Fact : Instead of simply stating a bland fact, try to make it engaging and relevant to your topic. For example, if you’re writing about the benefits of exercise, you could start with a startling statistic like, “Did you know that regular exercise can increase your lifespan by up to seven years?”
- Avoid Using a Dictionary Definition : While definitions can be informative, they’re not always the most captivating way to start an essay. Instead, try to use a quote, anecdote, or provocative question to pique the reader’s interest. For instance, if you’re writing about freedom, you could begin with a quote from a famous freedom fighter or philosopher.
- Do Not Just State a Fact That the Reader Already Knows : This ties back to the first point—your hook should surprise or intrigue the reader. For Here’s an introduction paragraph example, if you’re writing about climate change, you could start with a thought-provoking statement like, “Despite overwhelming evidence, many people still refuse to believe in the reality of climate change.”
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Including background information in the introduction section of your essay is important to provide context and establish the relevance of your topic. When writing the background information, you can follow these steps:
- Start with a General Statement: Begin with a general statement about the topic and gradually narrow it down to your specific focus. For example, when discussing the impact of social media, you can begin by making a broad statement about social media and its widespread use in today’s society, as follows: “Social media has become an integral part of modern life, with billions of users worldwide.”
- Define Key Terms : Define any key terms or concepts that may be unfamiliar to your readers but are essential for understanding your argument.
- Provide Relevant Statistics: Use statistics or facts to highlight the significance of the issue you’re discussing. For instance, “According to a report by Statista, the number of social media users is expected to reach 4.41 billion by 2025.”
- Discuss the Evolution: Mention previous research or studies that have been conducted on the topic, especially those that are relevant to your argument. Mention key milestones or developments that have shaped its current impact. You can also outline some of the major effects of social media. For example, you can briefly describe how social media has evolved, including positives such as increased connectivity and issues like cyberbullying and privacy concerns.
- Transition to Your Thesis: Use the background information to lead into your thesis statement, which should clearly state the main argument or purpose of your essay. For example, “Given its pervasive influence, it is crucial to examine the impact of social media on mental health.”
A thesis statement is a concise summary of the main point or claim of an essay, research paper, or other type of academic writing. It appears near the end of the introduction. Here’s how to write a thesis statement:
- Identify the topic: Start by identifying the topic of your essay. For example, if your essay is about the importance of exercise for overall health, your topic is “exercise.”
- State your position: Next, state your position or claim about the topic. This is the main argument or point you want to make. For example, if you believe that regular exercise is crucial for maintaining good health, your position could be: “Regular exercise is essential for maintaining good health.”
- Support your position: Provide a brief overview of the reasons or evidence that support your position. These will be the main points of your essay. For example, if you’re writing an essay about the importance of exercise, you could mention the physical health benefits, mental health benefits, and the role of exercise in disease prevention.
- Make it specific: Ensure your thesis statement clearly states what you will discuss in your essay. For example, instead of saying, “Exercise is good for you,” you could say, “Regular exercise, including cardiovascular and strength training, can improve overall health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.”
Examples of essay introduction
Here are examples of essay introductions for different types of essays:
Argumentative Essay Introduction Example:
Topic: Should the voting age be lowered to 16?
“The question of whether the voting age should be lowered to 16 has sparked nationwide debate. While some argue that 16-year-olds lack the requisite maturity and knowledge to make informed decisions, others argue that doing so would imbue young people with agency and give them a voice in shaping their future.”
Expository Essay Introduction Example
Topic: The benefits of regular exercise
“In today’s fast-paced world, the importance of regular exercise cannot be overstated. From improving physical health to boosting mental well-being, the benefits of exercise are numerous and far-reaching. This essay will examine the various advantages of regular exercise and provide tips on incorporating it into your daily routine.”
Text: “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
“Harper Lee’s novel, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ is a timeless classic that explores themes of racism, injustice, and morality in the American South. Through the eyes of young Scout Finch, the reader is taken on a journey that challenges societal norms and forces characters to confront their prejudices. This essay will analyze the novel’s use of symbolism, character development, and narrative structure to uncover its deeper meaning and relevance to contemporary society.”
- Engaging and Relevant First Sentence : The opening sentence captures the reader’s attention and relates directly to the topic.
- Background Information : Enough background information is introduced to provide context for the thesis statement.
- Definition of Important Terms : Key terms or concepts that might be unfamiliar to the audience or are central to the argument are defined.
- Clear Thesis Statement : The thesis statement presents the main point or argument of the essay.
- Relevance to Main Body : Everything in the introduction directly relates to and sets up the discussion in the main body of the essay.
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Writing a strong introduction is crucial for setting the tone and context of your essay. Here are the key takeaways for how to write essay introduction: 3
- Hook the Reader : Start with an engaging hook to grab the reader’s attention. This could be a compelling question, a surprising fact, a relevant quote, or an anecdote.
- Provide Background : Give a brief overview of the topic, setting the context and stage for the discussion.
- Thesis Statement : State your thesis, which is the main argument or point of your essay. It should be concise, clear, and specific.
- Preview the Structure : Outline the main points or arguments to help the reader understand the organization of your essay.
- Keep it Concise : Avoid including unnecessary details or information not directly related to your thesis.
- Revise and Edit : Revise your introduction to ensure clarity, coherence, and relevance. Check for grammar and spelling errors.
- Seek Feedback : Get feedback from peers or instructors to improve your introduction further.
The purpose of an essay introduction is to give an overview of the topic, context, and main ideas of the essay. It is meant to engage the reader, establish the tone for the rest of the essay, and introduce the thesis statement or central argument.
An essay introduction typically ranges from 5-10% of the total word count. For example, in a 1,000-word essay, the introduction would be roughly 50-100 words. However, the length can vary depending on the complexity of the topic and the overall length of the essay.
An essay introduction is critical in engaging the reader and providing contextual information about the topic. To ensure its effectiveness, consider incorporating these key elements: a compelling hook, background information, a clear thesis statement, an outline of the essay’s scope, a smooth transition to the body, and optional signposting sentences.
The process of writing an essay introduction is not necessarily straightforward, but there are several strategies that can be employed to achieve this end. When experiencing difficulty initiating the process, consider the following techniques: begin with an anecdote, a quotation, an image, a question, or a startling fact to pique the reader’s interest. It may also be helpful to consider the five W’s of journalism: who, what, when, where, why, and how. For instance, an anecdotal opening could be structured as follows: “As I ascended the stage, momentarily blinded by the intense lights, I could sense the weight of a hundred eyes upon me, anticipating my next move. The topic of discussion was climate change, a subject I was passionate about, and it was my first public speaking event. Little did I know , that pivotal moment would not only alter my perspective but also chart my life’s course.”
Crafting a compelling thesis statement for your introduction paragraph is crucial to grab your reader’s attention. To achieve this, avoid using overused phrases such as “In this paper, I will write about” or “I will focus on” as they lack originality. Instead, strive to engage your reader by substantiating your stance or proposition with a “so what” clause. While writing your thesis statement, aim to be precise, succinct, and clear in conveying your main argument.
To create an effective essay introduction, ensure it is clear, engaging, relevant, and contains a concise thesis statement. It should transition smoothly into the essay and be long enough to cover necessary points but not become overwhelming. Seek feedback from peers or instructors to assess its effectiveness.
References
- Cui, L. (2022). Unit 6 Essay Introduction. Building Academic Writing Skills .
- West, H., Malcolm, G., Keywood, S., & Hill, J. (2019). Writing a successful essay. Journal of Geography in Higher Education , 43 (4), 609-617.
- Beavers, M. E., Thoune, D. L., & McBeth, M. (2023). Bibliographic Essay: Reading, Researching, Teaching, and Writing with Hooks: A Queer Literacy Sponsorship. College English, 85(3), 230-242.
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How to Write an Assignment Introduction – 6 Best Tips
In essence, the writing tasks in academic tenure students are an integral part of any curriculum. Whether in high school, college, or university, they may also address the various issues and concerns with their friends and mentors about different academic writing assignments they receive.
The main purpose of all these assignments is to recognize how you can adequately express yourself through words and how much you understand a particular subject.
An introduction is a base of an assignment. It is challenging to prepare, and many students struggle to write an assignment.
Some students have doubts about how to write assignment introduction. The current educational system has neglected to teach this vitally necessary writing method.
The best thing about writing is that you can learn and grow all the time by practicing. In this blog, I will discover significant tips for assignment writing, which is the art of writing an assignment introduction.
If you are struggling with your assignment, then you can get top-notch assignment help online service from our experts who will help you with any type of assignment.
What Is The Introduction Section?
Table of Contents
An assignment introduction segment is a crucial piece of any task or article. It is the main area of your task. This area generally has not more than a few passages.
Why is an introduction section important?
It is a fact that your “ first impression is your last impression .” So, if you write a good introduction to your assignment, you catch your examiner’s eye and get good grades.
The primary purpose of the introductory paragraph is to give the readers a real understanding of the topic of your assignment. The introduction gives the subject a generalization until the author narrows the discussion.
It is just like your assignment guide. It also provides context information regarding the assignment topic and an outline of your view or claim.
You can understand it more deeply if you go through some introduction examples. It gives the reader an overview of your essay and what it’s all about.
What Are The Characteristics Of A Good Introduction?
- Ensure your writing is clear and precise, and there must be no language errors.
- The introduction section should be attention-grabbing to browse and attracts the reader to continue reading the rest of the assignment.
- The introduction should tell the reader what the full assignment is all concerning.
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Hope that you find this information useful. Happy learning, and best of luck with your assignment.
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Points To Remember Before Write Assignment Introduction
Before you searching the answer to your question about how to write an assignment introduction, you must keep these things in mind before writing it:
Proper introduction for a process documentation creates your experience a lot easier. It frees you from evaluating whether readers would be excited to continue your work. If you want to attract more readers, keep a few parameters before creating the introduction section It is a strong recommendation for the serious writers to take help from AI Content Detector Tools which are much efficient to secure your website ranking factor. You have a choice to check the best solution on Originality.AI in this regard.
1. Understand Your Readers
To present a valid assignment to your audience, you must use audience-centric language rather than writer-centric. Ask yourself what the audience needs to understand from your writing. Are your audience expected to have an emotional reply to your writing? What do you need the audience to act, think, or feel about it? No matter how well-educated, we all bear the challenge of getting into someone’s shoes. Audience information is one of the keys to efficient completion.
2. Think About The Good Ideas
The thesis statement is your essay’s most significant sentence. So you’ve got to work over and over to get it accurate. Get assured you explain the research question acutely while writing your thesis statement. In the sentence of the thesis statement, your point of view should be clear. Avoid a lengthy, wordy, and complex statement of the thesis.
3. Avoid Explanation
Don’t try to explain anything to make your argument in the introduction section. You should drop the information part to the principal body. Just mention the primary points of the argument you plan to make later in the assignment. This point is important while searching for how to write an assignment introduction, as the introduction must be written in brief only.
4. Volume Matters
There is no doubt that the duration of the introduction depends on the subject, the format of the assignment, and the research work. However, it will be written in one paragraph.
Remember that your introductory section should be more or less half a page long so that the audience can finish it one day. The introduction should be one-tenth of the entire assignment.
- The introduction must be 200-250 words when writing a 2000 words assignment.
- The introduction must be 350-400 words when writing a 3000 words assignment.
5. Don’t Act In The Dark
None of this comes as a surprise in academic writing. Academic writing is unlike writing fiction, where you can keep the audience in suspense. The entire assignment should be outlined in the introduction in academic literature, followed by a description in the central body. The following points will comprise an overview,
a. Related background data
b. A Map of Essay
c. A Sentence of Thesis
d. Your opinion.
Note: This is the rule for writing an introduction in the assignment. But there is no fast and robust rule for introduction writing. You need to be careful about the criteria you need to fulfill. Nevertheless, the above suggestions certainly will enable you to write a useful introduction.
6 Tips For How To Write An Assignment Introduction?
These are the following tips and tricks to write assignment introduction.
Tip 1:- Try to Find A Good Idea To Write An Assignments
Your whole assignment should often be based on the assignment question’s answer, and the introduction is the first step of your assignment. Your direct response to your question on the assignment is your idea statement that should be involved in your introduction. Your assignment problem often starts with a large view and narrows down to some topic field. You should follow assignmentguru.com for an identical pattern while writing the introduction. Begin with a broad picture to attract readers, then give the readers particular information to engage in more reading.
Tip 2:- Choose Specific And General Perspectives
Remember, the subject needs an effective ‘big opening.’ For instance, an opening sentence that explains, ‘Human beings are capable of learning more than any other entity on earth’ would not be appropriate for the subject of ‘work and study.’ In another instance, the opening statement does not provide a world perspective in an assignment focusing on the city or state. So when you think about how to write an assignment introduction, you must take care of the opening statement as the success of the assignment introduction depends on it.
Tip 3:- Try To Write Assignment Introduction At The Beginning
The best method to write assignment introduction is to write it at the beginning. The explanation for this is very clear when you write the introduction, you may have an indefinite view of the key points of the argument. Yet when you finish the material, you have good ideas about what you’ve written in your writing so far. When you follow all the rules, first write all of your proof and, finally, the introduction. Please ensure that your facts, conclusion, and introduction represent the claim you plan to bring forward.
Tip 4:- Use Creativity As An Opportunity
Don’t be scared to make and alter an experimental introduction in the first as you proceed with the subject. Writing an introduction is often the most challenging for any student since this is the first thing readers can search for. All you should do is write a normal introduction to get the work started. Complete the task, return to the introduction section again, and thoroughly review it. If rewriting is required, do not hesitate to do so.
Tip 5:- Give Earlier Attention To All Sentences
You may start with a quotation, short story, analogy, or even subject-related statistics. Create a strong impression on the audience by making that relevant information accessible. This is the point of thinking outside the box and using new skills. The reader won’t want to read the truth they already know. Uniquely, you need to find specific ways of expressing details or opinions. The students who want to know how to write an assignment introduction are searching for a unique way and methods to write it.
Tip 6:- Be Optimistic
Avoid phrases like “I will address about- in this article. Such sentences are of no concern to the reader’s mind. First of all, you need to leap in confidence in your story. Readers will find it hard to connect when you don’t believe in your content. So be sure of what you’re writing; only the readers will be involved in more reading.
- The purpose and objectives of your assignment .
- Why this assignment task is valuable?
- The scope of the assignment or what the assignment covers.
- A brief description of the organization of the assignment content.
All the above strategies help you in writing an effective and engaging introduction.
What Are The Most Common Strategies To Write Assignment Introduction?
These are the following most common strategies for writing assignment introductions.
- Start with a board idea about the topic. After that, narrow down the discussion to the area you focus on in your assignment. We also need to explain why this assignment is useful and important.
- Then briefly discuss the tasks to be tackled, which usually includes the objectives and purpose of an assignment.
- Finally, give the reader a brief preview of your homework, which you will include in subsequent sections.
What Are The Elements Important To Write Assignment Introduction?
Here the following elements are crucial to write an assignment introduction.
- The first and foremost most important element to writing the school or college assignment is the brief background of the study.
- Apart from this, you need to add the context of your assignment in the introduction.
- Also, the other major elements to writing an assignment introduction are adding the contention, major points to study, the definition of the topic, why you are writing on this topic only, giving an outline, etc.
Assignment Introduction Examples
These are the following assignment introduction examples;
Quick links
- How To Attach Assignment In Google Classroom
- How To Make An Assignment On MS Word With Easy Steps
Conclusion (Write Assignment Introduction)
From the above discussion, now you get the answer to your question, “how to write an assignment introduction.” All the above strategies and points help you in improving your writing. We hope that you find this information useful. Happy learning, and best of luck with your assignment.
If you need any help regarding your assignments, then you can contact CallTutors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you say in a quick introduction.
The personal introductions should include the name, expected graduation date, major career goals, experience in projects, internship, co-op, etc.
How To Start An Assignment Introduction?
Follow these steps to start a good assignment introduction :
1. Define the main purpose of writing 2. Discuss the problems and try to solve them 3. What will be the tone and style of writing?
How Long Should An Assignment Introduction Be?
The introduction for the assignment should be three to five sentences long or 50-80 words.
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Introductions
What this handout is about.
This handout will explain the functions of introductions, offer strategies for creating effective introductions, and provide some examples of less effective introductions to avoid.
The role of introductions
Introductions and conclusions can be the most difficult parts of papers to write. Usually when you sit down to respond to an assignment, you have at least some sense of what you want to say in the body of your paper. You might have chosen a few examples you want to use or have an idea that will help you answer the main question of your assignment; these sections, therefore, may not be as hard to write. And it’s fine to write them first! But in your final draft, these middle parts of the paper can’t just come out of thin air; they need to be introduced and concluded in a way that makes sense to your reader.
Your introduction and conclusion act as bridges that transport your readers from their own lives into the “place” of your analysis. If your readers pick up your paper about education in the autobiography of Frederick Douglass, for example, they need a transition to help them leave behind the world of Chapel Hill, television, e-mail, and The Daily Tar Heel and to help them temporarily enter the world of nineteenth-century American slavery. By providing an introduction that helps your readers make a transition between their own world and the issues you will be writing about, you give your readers the tools they need to get into your topic and care about what you are saying. Similarly, once you’ve hooked your readers with the introduction and offered evidence to prove your thesis, your conclusion can provide a bridge to help your readers make the transition back to their daily lives. (See our handout on conclusions .)
Note that what constitutes a good introduction may vary widely based on the kind of paper you are writing and the academic discipline in which you are writing it. If you are uncertain what kind of introduction is expected, ask your instructor.
Why bother writing a good introduction?
You never get a second chance to make a first impression. The opening paragraph of your paper will provide your readers with their initial impressions of your argument, your writing style, and the overall quality of your work. A vague, disorganized, error-filled, off-the-wall, or boring introduction will probably create a negative impression. On the other hand, a concise, engaging, and well-written introduction will start your readers off thinking highly of you, your analytical skills, your writing, and your paper.
Your introduction is an important road map for the rest of your paper. Your introduction conveys a lot of information to your readers. You can let them know what your topic is, why it is important, and how you plan to proceed with your discussion. In many academic disciplines, your introduction should contain a thesis that will assert your main argument. Your introduction should also give the reader a sense of the kinds of information you will use to make that argument and the general organization of the paragraphs and pages that will follow. After reading your introduction, your readers should not have any major surprises in store when they read the main body of your paper.
Ideally, your introduction will make your readers want to read your paper. The introduction should capture your readers’ interest, making them want to read the rest of your paper. Opening with a compelling story, an interesting question, or a vivid example can get your readers to see why your topic matters and serve as an invitation for them to join you for an engaging intellectual conversation (remember, though, that these strategies may not be suitable for all papers and disciplines).
Strategies for writing an effective introduction
Start by thinking about the question (or questions) you are trying to answer. Your entire essay will be a response to this question, and your introduction is the first step toward that end. Your direct answer to the assigned question will be your thesis, and your thesis will likely be included in your introduction, so it is a good idea to use the question as a jumping off point. Imagine that you are assigned the following question:
Drawing on the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass , discuss the relationship between education and slavery in 19th-century America. Consider the following: How did white control of education reinforce slavery? How did Douglass and other enslaved African Americans view education while they endured slavery? And what role did education play in the acquisition of freedom? Most importantly, consider the degree to which education was or was not a major force for social change with regard to slavery.
You will probably refer back to your assignment extensively as you prepare your complete essay, and the prompt itself can also give you some clues about how to approach the introduction. Notice that it starts with a broad statement and then narrows to focus on specific questions from the book. One strategy might be to use a similar model in your own introduction—start off with a big picture sentence or two and then focus in on the details of your argument about Douglass. Of course, a different approach could also be very successful, but looking at the way the professor set up the question can sometimes give you some ideas for how you might answer it. (See our handout on understanding assignments for additional information on the hidden clues in assignments.)
Decide how general or broad your opening should be. Keep in mind that even a “big picture” opening needs to be clearly related to your topic; an opening sentence that said “Human beings, more than any other creatures on earth, are capable of learning” would be too broad for our sample assignment about slavery and education. If you have ever used Google Maps or similar programs, that experience can provide a helpful way of thinking about how broad your opening should be. Imagine that you’re researching Chapel Hill. If what you want to find out is whether Chapel Hill is at roughly the same latitude as Rome, it might make sense to hit that little “minus” sign on the online map until it has zoomed all the way out and you can see the whole globe. If you’re trying to figure out how to get from Chapel Hill to Wrightsville Beach, it might make more sense to zoom in to the level where you can see most of North Carolina (but not the rest of the world, or even the rest of the United States). And if you are looking for the intersection of Ridge Road and Manning Drive so that you can find the Writing Center’s main office, you may need to zoom all the way in. The question you are asking determines how “broad” your view should be. In the sample assignment above, the questions are probably at the “state” or “city” level of generality. When writing, you need to place your ideas in context—but that context doesn’t generally have to be as big as the whole galaxy!
Try writing your introduction last. You may think that you have to write your introduction first, but that isn’t necessarily true, and it isn’t always the most effective way to craft a good introduction. You may find that you don’t know precisely what you are going to argue at the beginning of the writing process. It is perfectly fine to start out thinking that you want to argue a particular point but wind up arguing something slightly or even dramatically different by the time you’ve written most of the paper. The writing process can be an important way to organize your ideas, think through complicated issues, refine your thoughts, and develop a sophisticated argument. However, an introduction written at the beginning of that discovery process will not necessarily reflect what you wind up with at the end. You will need to revise your paper to make sure that the introduction, all of the evidence, and the conclusion reflect the argument you intend. Sometimes it’s easiest to just write up all of your evidence first and then write the introduction last—that way you can be sure that the introduction will match the body of the paper.
Don’t be afraid to write a tentative introduction first and then change it later. Some people find that they need to write some kind of introduction in order to get the writing process started. That’s fine, but if you are one of those people, be sure to return to your initial introduction later and rewrite if necessary.
Open with something that will draw readers in. Consider these options (remembering that they may not be suitable for all kinds of papers):
- an intriguing example —for example, Douglass writes about a mistress who initially teaches him but then ceases her instruction as she learns more about slavery.
- a provocative quotation that is closely related to your argument —for example, Douglass writes that “education and slavery were incompatible with each other.” (Quotes from famous people, inspirational quotes, etc. may not work well for an academic paper; in this example, the quote is from the author himself.)
- a puzzling scenario —for example, Frederick Douglass says of slaves that “[N]othing has been left undone to cripple their intellects, darken their minds, debase their moral nature, obliterate all traces of their relationship to mankind; and yet how wonderfully they have sustained the mighty load of a most frightful bondage, under which they have been groaning for centuries!” Douglass clearly asserts that slave owners went to great lengths to destroy the mental capacities of slaves, yet his own life story proves that these efforts could be unsuccessful.
- a vivid and perhaps unexpected anecdote —for example, “Learning about slavery in the American history course at Frederick Douglass High School, students studied the work slaves did, the impact of slavery on their families, and the rules that governed their lives. We didn’t discuss education, however, until one student, Mary, raised her hand and asked, ‘But when did they go to school?’ That modern high school students could not conceive of an American childhood devoid of formal education speaks volumes about the centrality of education to American youth today and also suggests the significance of the deprivation of education in past generations.”
- a thought-provoking question —for example, given all of the freedoms that were denied enslaved individuals in the American South, why does Frederick Douglass focus his attentions so squarely on education and literacy?
Pay special attention to your first sentence. Start off on the right foot with your readers by making sure that the first sentence actually says something useful and that it does so in an interesting and polished way.
How to evaluate your introduction draft
Ask a friend to read your introduction and then tell you what they expect the paper will discuss, what kinds of evidence the paper will use, and what the tone of the paper will be. If your friend is able to predict the rest of your paper accurately, you probably have a good introduction.
Five kinds of less effective introductions
1. The placeholder introduction. When you don’t have much to say on a given topic, it is easy to create this kind of introduction. Essentially, this kind of weaker introduction contains several sentences that are vague and don’t really say much. They exist just to take up the “introduction space” in your paper. If you had something more effective to say, you would probably say it, but in the meantime this paragraph is just a place holder.
Example: Slavery was one of the greatest tragedies in American history. There were many different aspects of slavery. Each created different kinds of problems for enslaved people.
2. The restated question introduction. Restating the question can sometimes be an effective strategy, but it can be easy to stop at JUST restating the question instead of offering a more specific, interesting introduction to your paper. The professor or teaching assistant wrote your question and will be reading many essays in response to it—they do not need to read a whole paragraph that simply restates the question.
Example: The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass discusses the relationship between education and slavery in 19th century America, showing how white control of education reinforced slavery and how Douglass and other enslaved African Americans viewed education while they endured. Moreover, the book discusses the role that education played in the acquisition of freedom. Education was a major force for social change with regard to slavery.
3. The Webster’s Dictionary introduction. This introduction begins by giving the dictionary definition of one or more of the words in the assigned question. Anyone can look a word up in the dictionary and copy down what Webster says. If you want to open with a discussion of an important term, it may be far more interesting for you (and your reader) if you develop your own definition of the term in the specific context of your class and assignment. You may also be able to use a definition from one of the sources you’ve been reading for class. Also recognize that the dictionary is also not a particularly authoritative work—it doesn’t take into account the context of your course and doesn’t offer particularly detailed information. If you feel that you must seek out an authority, try to find one that is very relevant and specific. Perhaps a quotation from a source reading might prove better? Dictionary introductions are also ineffective simply because they are so overused. Instructors may see a great many papers that begin in this way, greatly decreasing the dramatic impact that any one of those papers will have.
Example: Webster’s dictionary defines slavery as “the state of being a slave,” as “the practice of owning slaves,” and as “a condition of hard work and subjection.”
4. The “dawn of man” introduction. This kind of introduction generally makes broad, sweeping statements about the relevance of this topic since the beginning of time, throughout the world, etc. It is usually very general (similar to the placeholder introduction) and fails to connect to the thesis. It may employ cliches—the phrases “the dawn of man” and “throughout human history” are examples, and it’s hard to imagine a time when starting with one of these would work. Instructors often find them extremely annoying.
Example: Since the dawn of man, slavery has been a problem in human history.
5. The book report introduction. This introduction is what you had to do for your elementary school book reports. It gives the name and author of the book you are writing about, tells what the book is about, and offers other basic facts about the book. You might resort to this sort of introduction when you are trying to fill space because it’s a familiar, comfortable format. It is ineffective because it offers details that your reader probably already knows and that are irrelevant to the thesis.
Example: Frederick Douglass wrote his autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave , in the 1840s. It was published in 1986 by Penguin Books. In it, he tells the story of his life.
And now for the conclusion…
Writing an effective introduction can be tough. Try playing around with several different options and choose the one that ends up sounding best to you!
Just as your introduction helps readers make the transition to your topic, your conclusion needs to help them return to their daily lives–but with a lasting sense of how what they have just read is useful or meaningful. Check out our handout on conclusions for tips on ending your paper as effectively as you began it!
Works consulted
We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.
Douglass, Frederick. 1995. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself . New York: Dover.
You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Read a text summary on how to write introductions and conclusions.
- Newcastle University
- Academic Skills Kit
- Academic Writing
Introductions and conclusions can be tricky to write. They do not contain the main substance of your assignment, but they do play a key role in helping the reader navigate your writing. The usual advice is
- Introduction: say what you're going to say
- Main body: say it
- Conclusion: say that you've said it
However, this approach can feel repetitive and is not very rewarding to write or read.
A more engaging approach is to think about the perspective of the reader and what they need to know in order to make sense of your writing. In academic writing, it is the writer’s job to make their meaning clear (unlike in literature and fiction, where it is the reader’s job to interpret the meaning) so that the reader can concentrate on deciding what they think of your work and marking it. Introductions and conclusions play an important role in explaining your aims and approach, so to help you write them well, you could think about what questions the reader has for you as they pick up your work for the first time, and when they have finished reading it.
Introductions
The introductions are the first part of your assignment that the reader encounters, so it needs to make a good impression and set the scene for what follows. Your introduction is about 10% of the total word count. It can be difficult to think what that first opening sentence should be, or what an introduction should include.
From your reader’s perspective, they have three questions when they first pick up your assignment.
You could approach this question in a number of ways:
- Although your lecturer knows the assignment questions they’ve set, they don’t know how you have understood and interpreted it. To demonstrate that you’ve read it accurately, you can echo back the question to your reader, paraphrased in your own words so they know you have really understood it rather than just copying and pasting it.
- There might also be different ways to interpret the assignment, and clarifying for the reader how you’ve interpreted it would be helpful. Perhaps different angles on it are possible, there is more than one definition you could be working to, or you have been given a range of options within the assessment brief, and you need to tell the reader which approach you are taking.
- It’s also common to give a brief overview of a topic in the introduction, providing the reader with some context so they can understand what is to follow. Of course, your lecturer is already likely to know this basic information, so you could think of it as giving the reader confidence that you also share that foundational knowledge and have got your facts right. This aspect needs to be as brief as possible, as it can be very descriptive (which will not get you higher marks) and if it extends too far, can take up too much space in your essay which would be better used for analysis, interpretation or argumentation. A rough guide is to ask yourself which information is built on later in your assignment and cut anything that doesn’t get ‘used’ later on.
The obvious answer to this question is "because you told me to write this assignment”! A more interesting response, though, is to show that you've really understood why your lecturer has set that question and why it’s worth asking. None of the questions you are set at University will be simple or straightforward, but will be complex and problematic, and many have no single clear answer or approach. In responding thoughtfully to the question “why are you doing this”, you are reflecting on why it is significant, complex and worth doing, that you've understood the complexity of the assignment you’ve been set and recognise the lecturer’s aims in setting it.
Every student who answers a particular assignment will produce a different answer, with a different structure, making different points and drawing on different information. Your reader wants to know what your own particular approach to the assignment will be.
- You might answer this question in terms of what your structure is going to be, signalling how many sections you use and what order they appear in, signposting how you have broken the assignment down and organised it, so the reader knows what to expect.
- You might also explain to the reader which choices and decisions you have made to narrow it down to a manageable, focussed assignment. You might have chosen to set yourself particular limits on the scope of your assignment (for example, a focussing on a particular context, timespan, or type), or which examples and case studies you’ve chosen to illustrate your answer with, and why they are appropriate for this assignment.
- If relevant, you might also tell the reader about your methodology, the theories, models, definitions or approaches you have applied in order to answer the assignment question.
Your introduction may not include all these elements, or include them in the same balance or in this order, but if you address the reader’s three questions, your introduction will fulfil its purpose. Make sure you’re not jumping into your argument too early. Your introduction should introduce your argument but not actually do the work of making it yet; that is the job of the main body of the assignment.
Conclusions
Conclusions can feel a bit repetitive, as you need to revisit the points you’ve already made, but not include any new material. Again, the conclusion is usually about 10% of your total word count. The challenge is to make them engaging to read for your marker, but also interesting for you to write, so they feel purposeful. You cannot include any new material as conclusions should close a discussion down, not open up new avenues or leave points unresolved. If a point is important, it should be dealt with in the main body rather than as an afterthought.
As they read, your marker is focussing on each paragraph in detail, identifying the point you’re making, analysing and evaluating the evidence you’re using, and the way you explain, interpret and argue, to see if it makes sense. They’re also thinking about the quality of your work and what mark they’re going to give it, looking to see that you’ve met the marking criteria. University assignments are long enough that the reader will find it hard to give each point this kind of detailed scrutiny and keep the whole assignment in their mind at the same time. The job of the conclusion is to help them move from that close-up reading and zoom out to give them a sense of the whole.
Again, a good approach is to think of the questions that your reader has when they reach the end of your assignment.
Your conclusion is the overall answer to the original assignment question you were set. See if you can summarise your overall answer in one sentence. This might be the first line of your conclusion. Make sure that your concluding answer does match the question you were set in the assessment.
Having told the reader where they've got to, you will need to remind them of how you got there. To strengthen their confidence in your overall answer, you can remind them of the points you made and how together they build your conclusion.
Although you cannot include new information in your conclusion, you can show your thinking in a new light. One question your reader may have is “where does that leave me’? or “so what?”. You could therefore briefly discuss the significance of your conclusion. Now that you’ve demonstrated your answer to the question, how does that add to our overall understanding of this topic? What do we know, what can we do now, that we couldn’t before? If we hadn’t explored this topic, where would we be? Why is this conclusion important? This might resolve the issues you raised in the introduction when you answered the question ‘why am I doing this?’
A possible follow-on to this question is to examine what work might come next, if you didn’t have time constraints or word limits. This is particularly relevant in second and third year and masters level assignments, especially dissertations. This is a good way to show awareness of how your own thinking fits in the wider context of scholarship and research and how it might be developed. It might be a way to touch on aspects you had to cut out, or areas you couldn’t cover.
When to write the introduction and conclusion
You don’t have to write your assignment in order. If you find that the introduction is hard to start, then you could write it at the end of the process, which will ensure that it matches the assignment you’ve actually written. However, it might be a useful approach to at least begin by thinking about the introduction questions above, as it will help you in the planning process. Likewise, you could start with writing the conclusion if you have done extensive thinking and planning, as formulating your end goal might help to keep you on track (although be open to your overall answer changing a little in the process). Again, thinking about the conclusion questions above at the start of the process is a useful planning tool to clarify your thinking, even if you don’t write it until the end.
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Writing introductions and conclusions.
Read a text summary on how to write introductions and conclusions. **PDF Download**
21 Writing an Introduction and Conclusion
The introduction and conclusion are the strong walls that hold up the ends of your essay. The introduction should pique the readers’ interest, articulate the aim or purpose of the essay, and provide an outline of how the essay is organised. The conclusion mirrors the introduction in structure and summarizes the main aim and key ideas within the essay, drawing to a logical conclusion. The introduction states what the essay will do and the conclusion tells the reader what the essay has achieved .
Introduction
The primary functions of the introduction are to introduce the topic and aim of the essay, plus provide the reader with a clear framework of how the essay will be structured. Therefore, the following sections provide a brief overview of how these goals can be achieved. The introduction has three basic sections (often in one paragraph if the essay is short) that establish the key elements: background, thesis statement, and essay outline.
The background should arrest the readers’ attention and create an interest in the chosen topic. Therefore, backgrounding on the topic should be factual, interesting, and may use supporting evidence from academic sources . Shorter essays (under 1000 words) may only require 1-3 sentences for backgrounding, so make the information specific and relevant, clear and succinct . Longer essays may call for a separate backgrounding paragraph. Always check with your lecturer/tutor for guidelines on your specific assignment.
Thesis Statement
The thesis statement is a theory, put forward as a position to be maintained or proven by the writing that follows in the essay. It focuses the writer’s ideas within the essay and all insights, arguments and viewpoints centre around this statement. The writer should refer back to it both mentally and literally throughout the writing process, plus the reader should see the key concepts within the thesis unfolding throughout the written work. A separate section about developing the thesis statement has been included below.
Essay Outline Sentence/s
The essay outline is 1-2 sentences that articulate the focus of the essay in stages. They clearly explain how the thesis statement will be addressed in a sequential manner throughout the essay paragraphs. The essay outline should also leave no doubt in the readers’ minds about what is NOT going to be addressed in your essay. You are establishing the parameters, boundaries, or limitations of the essay that follows. Do not, however, use diminishing language such as, “this brief essay will only discuss…”, “this essay hopes to prove/will attempt to show…”. This weakens your position from the outset. Use strong signposting language, such as “This essay will discuss… (paragraph 1) then… (paragraph 2) before moving on to… (paragraph 3) followed by the conclusion and recommendations”. This way the reader knows from the outset how the essay will be structured and it also helps you to better plan your body paragraphs (see Chapter 22).
Brief Example
(Background statement) Nuclear power plants are widely used throughout the world as a clean, efficient source of energy. (Thesis with a single idea) It has been proven that thermonuclear energy (topic) is a clean, safe alternative to burning fossil fuels. (Essay outline sentence) This essay will discuss the environmental, economic, social impacts of having a thermonuclear power plant providing clean energy to a major city.
- Background statement
- Thesis statement – claim
- Essay outline sentence (with three controlling ideas )
Regardless of the length of the essay, it should always have a thesis statement that clearly articulates the key aim or argument/s in the essay. It focuses both the readers’ attention and the essay’s purpose. In a purely informative or descriptive essay, the thesis may contain a single, clear claim. Whereas, in a more complex analytical, persuasive, or critical essay (see Chapter 15) there may be more than one claim, or a claim and counter-claim (rebuttal) within the thesis statement (see Chapter 25 – Academic Writing [glossary]). It is important to remember that the majority of academic writing is not only delivering information, it is arguing a position and supporting claims with facts and reliable examples. A strong thesis will be original, specific and arguable. This means it should never be a statement of the obvious or a vague reference to general understandings on a topic.
Weak Thesis Examples
The following examples are too vague and leave too many questions unanswered because they are not specific enough.
“Reading is beneficial” – What type of reading? Reading at what level/age? Reading for what time period? Reading what types of text? How is it beneficial, to who?
“Dogs are better than cats” – Better in what way? What types of dogs in what environment? Domesticated or wild animals? What are the benefits of being a dog owner? Is this about owning a dog or just dogs as a breed?
“Carbon emissions are ruining our planet” – Carbon emissions from where/what? In what specific way is our planet suffering? What is the timeframe of this problem?
A strong thesis should stand up to scrutiny. It should be able to answer the “So what?” question. Why should the reader want to continue reading your essay? What are you going to describe, argue, contest that will fix their attention? If no-one can or would argue with your thesis, then it is too weak, too obvious.
Your thesis statement is your answer to the essay question.
A strong thesis treats the topic of an essay in-depth. It will make an original claim that is both interesting and supportable, plus able to be refuted. In a critical essay this will allow you to argue more than one point of view (see Chapter 27 – Writing a Discursive Essay ). Again, this is why it is important that you complete sufficient background reading and research on your topic to write from an informed position.
Strong Thesis Examples
“Parents reading to their children, from age 1-5 years, enhance their children’s vocabulary, their interest in books, and their curiosity about the world around them.”
“Small, domesticated dogs make better companions than domesticated cats because of their loyal and intuitive nature.”
“Carbon emissions from food production and processing are ruining Earth’s atmosphere.”
As demonstrated, by adding a specific focus, and key claim, the above thesis statements are made stronger.
Beginner and intermediate writers may prefer to use a less complex and sequential thesis like those above. They are clear, supportable and arguable. This is all that is required for the Term one and two writing tasks.
Once you become a more proficient writer and advance into essays that are more analytical and critical in nature, you will begin to incorporate more than one perspective in the thesis statement. Again, each additional perspective should be arguable and able to be supported with clear evidence. A thesis for a discursive essay (Term Three) should contain both a claim AND counter-claim , demonstrating your capacity as a writer to develop more than one perspective on a topic.
A Note on Claims and Counter-claims
Demonstrating that there is more than one side to an argument does not weaken your overall position on a topic. It indicates that you have used your analytical thinking skills to identify more than one perspective, potentially including opposing arguments. In your essay you may progress in such a way that refutes or supports the claim and counter-claim.
Please do not confuse the words ‘claim’ and ‘counter-claim’ with moral or value judgements about right/wrong, good/bad, successful/unsuccessful, or the like. The term ‘claim’ simply refers to the first position or argument you put forward, and ‘counter-claim’ is the alternate position or argument.
Discursive Essay Thesis – Examples adapted from previous students
“ Although it is argued that renewable energy may not meet the energy needs of Australia, there is research to indicate the benefits of transitioning to more environmentally favourable energy sources now.”
“It is argued that multiculturalism is beneficial for Australian society, economy and culture, however some members of society have a negative view of multiculturalism‘s effects on the country.”
“The widespread adoption of new technologies is inevitable and may benefit society, however , these new technologies could raise ethical issues and therefore might be of detriment .”
Note the use of conjunctive terms (underlined) to indicate alternative perspectives.
In term three you will be given further instruction in developing a thesis statement for a discursive essay in class time.
The conclusion is the final paragraph of the essay and it summarizes and synthesizes the topic and key ideas, including the thesis statement. As such, no new information or citations should be present in the conclusion. It should be written with an authoritative , formal tone as you have taken the time to support all the claims (and counter-claims) in your essay. It should follow the same logical progression as the key points in your essay and reach a clear and well-written conclusion – the statement within the concluding paragraph that makes it very clear you have answered the essay question. Read the marking criteria of your assignment to determine whether you are also required to include a recommendation or prediction as part of the conclusion. If so, make recommendations relevant to the context and content of the essay. They should be creative, specific and realistic. If you are making a prediction, focus on how the information or key arguments used in the essay might impact the world around you, or the field of inquiry, in a realistic way.
A strong, well-written conclusion should draw all of the threads of the essay together and show how they relate to each other and also how they make sense in relation to the essay question and thesis.
make clear, distinct, and precise in relation to other parts
Synonyms: catch and hold; attract and fix; engage
researched, reliable, written by academics and published by reputable publishers; often, but not always peer reviewed
concise expressed in few words
assertion, maintain as fact
a claim made to rebut a previous claim
attract and hold
used to link words or phrases together See 'Language Basics'
able to be trusted as being accurate or true; reliable
decision reached by sound and valid reasoning
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How To Write A Solid Assignment Introduction
By: Derek Jansen | December 2017
I’ll kick off this post by making a bold assertion:
The introduction chapter of your assignment is the single most important section in your entire assignment.
Yip. Not the analysis chapter. Not the recommendations chapter. The introduction chapter. Yip, that short 200/300/400-word chapter that so many students rush through to get to the meatier chapters. Why do I say this? There are a few reasons:
It creates the first impression.
Apart from the executive summary (which some assignments don’t have), the introduction creates the very first impression on your marker. It sets the tone in terms of the quality of the assignment.
It introduces your industry.
You might have decades of experience in your industry – but your marker won’t. This means that the simplest concepts can be misunderstood (and thereby cost you marks) if not explained right at the beginning of your assignment. A good introduction lays the foundation so that the marker can understand your upcoming arguments.
It defines and justifies your topic.
The introduction, if developed correctly, clearly outlines what the assignment will be about (and what it won’t) and why that’s important (i.e. a justification). In other words, it makes it clear what the focus of the assignment will be about, and why that is worth investigating. This clarity and justification of the topic are essential to earning good marks and keeping you focused on the purpose of the assignment.
It clarifies your approach.
Beyond the what and why, a good introduction also briefly explains how you’ll approach the research, both from a theoretical and practical perspective. This lays a clear roadmap both for the marker and for yourself. For the marker, this improves the readability and digestibility of the document (which is essential for earning marks). And for you, this big-picture view of the approach keeps you from digressing into a useless analysis.
In short, a good introduction lays a solid foundation and a clear direction for the rest of your assignment. Hopefully, you’re convinced…
The 5 essential ingredients.
In this post, I’ll outline the key components of a strong introduction chapter/section. But first, I want to discuss the structure.
Some assignment briefs will provide a proposed structure which combines the introduction and analysis chapters. I always encourage my clients to split this up into two chapters, as it provides a clearer, more logical structure. You’ll see why once I discuss the core components.
#1 – The Four Ws
A logical starting point is to assume the marker knows nothing about your business . Make sure you cover the basics:
- Who – what is the name of the business? If its multiple words, you should take the opportunity to introduce an acronym here. Then, stick to the acronym throughout the rest of the assignment. It’s also good practice to provide a list of acronyms in the appendix.
- What – explain what the business does, in simple English. Avoid industry jargon and explain the basic operating model of the business.
- Where – explain where the business operates from and where its customers operate. If you have multiple offices and serve multiple markets, a visual representation can save you some words.
- When – mention the age of the business, and how many staff it employs. You can also note the ownership structure (private company, listed entity, JV, etc).
If you’re only going to focus on one country/branch/department, make mention of this now. Also, be sure to justify why you’re focusing on that (for example, due to limited access to data).
If done right, you will have now painted a very clear (but concise) picture of the organisation for the marker. The next step is to discuss the context that the business operates in.
#2 – A brief discussion of the context.
Now that you’ve introduced the business, you need to move towards identifying the key issue(s) that will form the focus of the assignment. To do this, you need to lay a context, which will then lead to the issue(s). This will vary between assignments, and could be something like:
- The entry of new competitors resulting in reduced market share (STR, SM)
- A merger leading to a culture clash and poor performance (MP)
- A corporate scandal resulting in reputation damage (R&R)
- Changing regulation leading to the opening of a new potential country market (IB)
In other words, you need to present a (brief) story of how the key issue(s) or opportunity has arisen – X has lead to Y, which caused Z.
#3 – Identification of the key issue and research question(s).
With the context set, you need to clearly state what the key issue(s) or opportunity is, and why this is worth investigating (for example, due to the financial impact if left unresolved). This is pretty straightforward, but it is a critical step often missed by students, and results in the marker questioning the quality of the entire assignment.
With the key issue identified, its time to lay out your research question(s). In other words, state in question format, what question(s) your assignment will seek to answer.
For example:
- “What has changed in Organisation X’s competitive context, and how should it best respond to ensure sustainable competitive advantage?”
- “Should Organisation X internationalise to Country Y?”
- “What segments exist within Industry X and which segment should Organisation Y target?”
- “Which digital business model should Organisation X adopt?”
By stating your research question(s) up front, you are providing a very clear, focused direction for your assignment, thereby reducing your risk of getting distracted by the shiny objects that will invariably pop up along the way. You are stating clearly what you will and won’t focus on, and ring-fencing the assignment to a manageable breadth. This is critically important for earning marks, as it allows you to go deep into a highly relevant set of theories and develop meaningful insights, rather than superficially fluttering with numerous less-relevant ones.
What’s critically important is that you achieve alignment between the context, the issue(s) and the research question(s). They should all flow in a logical fashion, as shown below.
If you achieve this alignment, you have a rock-solid foundation for your assignment, and your marker will be crystal clear regarding your direction, and why you chose that direction.
#4 – A brief outline of your theoretical approach.
Now that you’ve made it clear what your assignment is aiming to achieve (i.e. what research question(s) it wants to answer), it is very good practice to briefly mention:
- How you will approach the analysis.
- What key theory you will draw on.
In other words, you should give the marker an indication of how you approached the analysis, and on what theoretical basis. For example:
“The report begins by briefly looking at the organisation’s broader strategy, as well as values using Schwartz’s model (1994). It then reviews stakeholders using Mitchell et al.’s framework (1997) and identifies a key group with which reputation needs to be managed to achieve strategic alignment. It then analyses antecedents, reputation, and outcomes of the said group using Money et al.’s (2012) RELATE framework. This is followed by proposed strategic actions.”
As you can see, this excerpt clearly outlines how the analysis was approached, and what key theory was used in the relevant sections. This gives the marker a big-picture view of the assignment, which aids the digestibility of the document.
#5 – A brief outline of your fieldwork.
Now that you’ve communicated the approach, structure and underpinning theory, it’s best practice to make a quick mention of your fieldwork. Yes, you’re typically supposed to collect some primary data (for example, undertake some semi-structured interviews or a survey), as well as secondary data (for example, review industry reports, company data, etc), for your assignments – especially in Stage 2 and 3 of the program.
In this final section, you should very briefly outline what you did in this respect so that the marker can rest assured that your assignment is not an opinion piece. A quality assignment draws on multiple data sources to make well-informed, data-backed arguments. Show that you’ve done this, and be sure to refer the reader to the appendices for evidence of this work (for example, interview transcripts, survey results, etc.).
Lastly, make mention of your relationship with the business, and your broad responsibilities. Remember to keep this in third-person language. For example:
“The author is employed as the [INSERT YOUR TITLE] and is responsible for X, Y and Z.”
Let’s recap.
In this article, I’ve hopefully convinced you of the critical importance of writing a strong introduction chapter. I’ve also presented 5 essential ingredients that you should bake into your intro in every assignment. By incorporating these ingredients (ideally, in this order), you will set the foundation for a strong assignment.
To recap the 5 essentials:
- A (plain language) explanation of the organisation.
- A brief discussion of the context.
- Identification of the key issue and research question(s).
- A brief outline of your theoretical approach.
- A brief outline of your fieldwork and your professional position.
Informative and easy to apply advice…tx D
You’re welcome, Rishen 🙂
It is a very useful and understandable explanation of writing a research paper. Thank you so much for the sharing free such a useful example.
Yours sincerely Tara
This is really good, thank you.
Thanks for the feedback, Paul. Best of luck with your Henley MBA.
Very useful guide for the MBA. You mention that it’s good practice to use a range of sources to support arguments. If an assignment task isn’t that strategic (e.g. reviewing a process for a particular team within the business), can the assignment be supported purely by ‘fieldwork’ and models/theory? Thank you.
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Different types of assignments have different types of introductory paragraphs. The student introduction assignment example mentioned above is suitable for an essay. Now, we will see an example of an assignment introduction for a report. Note that this kind of assignment introduction contains:
Every good introduction needs a thesis statement, a sentence that plainly and concisely explains the main topic. Thesis statements are often just a brief summary of your entire paper, including your argument or point of view for personal essays. For example, if your paper is about whether viewing violent cartoons impacts real-life violence ...
Table of contents. Step 1: Hook your reader. Step 2: Give background information. Step 3: Present your thesis statement. Step 4: Map your essay’s structure. Step 5: Check and revise. More examples of essay introductions. Other interesting articles. Frequently asked questions about the essay introduction.
In general, your introductions should contain the following elements: When you’re writing an essay, it’s helpful to think about what your reader needs to know in order to follow your argument. Your introduction should include enough information so that readers can understand the context for your thesis. For example, if you are analyzing ...
Here are the key takeaways for how to write essay introduction: 3. Hook the Reader: Start with an engaging hook to grab the reader’s attention. This could be a compelling question, a surprising fact, a relevant quote, or an anecdote. Provide Background: Give a brief overview of the topic, setting the context and stage for the discussion.
Tip 1:- Try to Find A Good Idea To Write An Assignments. Tip 2:- Choose Specific And General Perspectives. Tip 3:- Try To Write Assignment Introduction At The Beginning. Tip 4:- Use Creativity As An Opportunity. Tip 5:- Give Earlier Attention To All Sentences. Tip 6:- Be Optimistic.
1. The placeholder introduction. When you don’t have much to say on a given topic, it is easy to create this kind of introduction. Essentially, this kind of weaker introduction contains several sentences that are vague and don’t really say much. They exist just to take up the “introduction space” in your paper.
The introductions are the first part of your assignment that the reader encounters, so it needs to make a good impression and set the scene for what follows. Your introduction is about 10% of the total word count. It can be difficult to think what that first opening sentence should be, or what an introduction should include.
The introduction and conclusion are the strong walls that hold up the ends of your essay. The introduction should pique the readers’ interest, articulate the aim or purpose of the essay, and provide an outline of how the essay is organised. The conclusion mirrors the introduction in structure and summarizes the main aim and key ideas within ...
A brief discussion of the context. Identification of the key issue and research question (s). A brief outline of your theoretical approach. A brief outline of your fieldwork and your professional position. In this post, I’ll outline the 5 key components of a strong introduction chapter/section in a mark-earning Henley MBA assignment.