Technical English II - Essay Introduction

Essay - Introduction

Writing is an art that can astonish the writer himself, as he or she can see what they are thinking. So wield your facile pen without hesitation!

Essays, reports, case studies, literature reviews, and reflective journals constitute a  part of the tertiary level course of study. Let's get familiar with writing an effective introduction of an Essay.

Essentially, an Introduction forms the window to your essay, where you will position your reader and allow him or her to see, what you see. The foremost step is to understand the given topic and comprehend the prompt. Mark, the key works and follow the three important steps given below:

1) Start your introduction with an attention-grabbing statement. It can be an overwhelming data, an astonishing question, a significant quote or an interesting fact.

2) Start narrowing your topic after you have written the first few lines on the general statement. These lines give more clarity about your understanding of the topic.

3) The thesis statement towards the end of the introduction paragraph states what stand the writer has taken and what to expect in the essay.

 Consider the given prompt:

Financial Education should be a mandatory subject of the undergraduate program. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Study the prompt carefully. The keywords are 'Financial Education', 'Mandatory' and 'Undergraduate'

* Incorrect opening line-I strongly feel that Financial Education should be a mandatory subject of the undergraduate level.
This is the general tendency of students. They write the exact phrase which will reduce their marks.

Therefore, let us explore the three ways in which the writer can approach the opening sentence.

1)Rephrasing the prompt: Making Financial Education an inevitable part of the tertiary level program, can prepare students to face life dynamically.
2) A significant Quote: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." This maxim is in alignment with the given prompt: Adopting Financial Education in the curriculum will provide a wider option for students.
3) Asking a viable question: "Have you ever wondered why German Students face adult life better as compared to other students?" Their subjects at the tertiary level involve finance and politics.

My Introduction would be as follows:

Have you ever wondered why German Students face adult life better than other students of their age group? Research has proved that introducing financial studies in the curriculum at the tertiary level gives students a wider option in life. German students discuss financial topics at great length. I strongly feel that students will be better prepared for the future if Financial Education becomes an indispensable part of the curriculum. 

The statement highlighted in green is the 'Thesis Statement' which highlights the stand taken by the writer and also reveals to the reader, what to expect in the essay.

Let's unfold the body and conclusion in the next post.

Ms Shashi Prabha
Assistant Professor
BNM Institute of Technology


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