Good Essay Introduction Translates to Real Life Skills

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Watching Joe Biden, the VP hopeful in the U.S. 2008 elections, highlighted to me the importance of capturing the interest of your audience. Even if you are highly competent and you have solid experience, you still suck if you are not able to introduce your ideas well. So no matter how extensive your research is on your argument essay; or how exact and illustrative your sentences are in your descriptive essay; it will be for nothing if your essay introduction sucks!
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So here are Tips on How to Write an Essay Introduction:
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Be Arresting- You have to draw the reader, boost his interest and decrease his resistance to reading. How? Aside from an opening statement which leads your reader to your main point, you can also open with a provocative question. You can also begin with a narrative, then a question which introduces the reader to what the essay is about.

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No Need to be Funny and Clever- So how can you be interesting? Choose an interesting essay topic. Where to find a topic? Think of current events or an on-going debate. Can you give fresh perspectives on assumptions or conventional ideas? What issues and problems can your readers relate to? Can you offer an explanation on a significant but muddled issue?

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Use Creative Writing Techniques- Great essay writers use the element of fiction or techniques of novelists to stir up their readers, create tension, and keep them reading.

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Clearly State Your Thesis Statement- Why should they read your essay?

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Avoid giving too much background- Don’t bore your readers and distract them with a long essay introduction. Instead focus the reader’s attention to the main point or thesis of your essay.

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Avoid the heavy-hand - Avoid an aggressive introduction of declaring outright that your thesis statement is the best position. You need to catch the interest of your readers first and warm them up to your essay. At this point, you have not proven the credibility of your position yet to make an abrupt statement of your position on the issue or your thesis. In the essay introduction, you have to establish that your essay is worthwhile to read. So be clear, yet seductive. Avoid being harsh and aggressive. Natural instinct for people is to put down bold and outright absolute statements.

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Finally, my last tip on how to write an essay introduction is to put these tips in practice. Use this tips even in your personal blogs or websites. Knowing how to capture other people’s interest, is a powerful skill that will benefit your future professional career. And maybe it may even help you get elected to public office! –