Introductions

July 22, 2025

Posted by STLCC in Writing Resources 

A well-written introductory paragraph grabs readers, explains the topic, and convinces them to continue reading. However, you may not want to write the introduction until you have crafted a working thesis statement and a basic idea/outline of the essay's body paragraphs.

The introduction includes three basic parts: hook, background, and thesis.

Grab Readers With a Hook

This is the statement/set of statements/paragraph that snags your readers. Hooks can be “soft,” appealing to human nature (sensory description, narrative, dialogue) or “hard,” appealing to logic (startling statistics, data, facts). What type of hook you use depends on the purpose and tone of the writing—a formal argument needs a different hook than a casual personal narrative. The very best hook will stop readers in their tracks, make them say, “Whoa!” and eagerly read what follows to find out more, but even the simplest hook should catch their interest enough to keep them reading. 

Learn more about strategies for "Hooking Your Reader".

Background (The Middle Part)

After the hook, you will need to lay out the background your readers will need and/or clarify the importance of this topic and why they should be interested in it.

For instance, the introduction to a research essay on Sherman’s march to the sea may need a summary of Civil War events leading up to that campaign. Alternatively, an essay proposing a solution may, after hooking the reader, need to give an overview of the problem to be solved, and how it might affect the reader, before laying out the solution.

Usually, the introduction is just one paragraph, but sometimes you’ll find you need two (or even more!): one whole paragraph for hooking readers, and a second (third, fourth?) to prepare the reader for the information the body of the essay will provide. How do you know when to expand and when to be brief? Firstly, the introduction should be proportional to the rest of the writing; a two-page personal essay does not need a one-page introduction, while a ten-page argument essay may. More importantly, though, the introduction should leave your reader on the brink of the body paragraphs, ready and fully prepared to take in your ideas.

End With a Thesis Statement

The thesis statement is the single sentence that encapsulates what you have to say in this piece of writing. It is (usually) the very last sentence of the introduction, no matter how long or short that introduction is, and should gracefully and logically follow from what’s been said there. It acts as liaison between the introduction and the body of the paper. See our resource on Thesis Statements for more information about constructing one.