The Introduction ( American essays)

Title: The title should reflect what the essay is about. Short, concise titles that are taken from the question asked are best. For example, if the question is “What are the qualities of a good teacher?” then a suggested title might simply be “The Qualities of a Good Teacher”.

Within the title, all important words should be capitalized. Small words such like “a, and, the, in, on, or” should remain lowercase. The exception being that the first and last word of the title should always be capitalized.

The title should be underlined, italicized, or bolded to draw attention.

Write the title in the form of a statement as opposed to a question.

Attention Grabbing First Sentence: The first sentence of the essay is by far the most important. Attracting or losing the reader’s interest occurs right at the beginning. The sentence should be a lead in to the essay and general in nature. For example:

“A great teacher possesses certain characteristics.”

Roadmap: The purpose of the roadmap is to give the reader a clear idea of how the essay will unfold.

The Rule of 3 – select three things to write about in the essay. By choosing three, the essay develops with greater clarity and focus.

Classic road mapping sentences:

1. The reasons for this include...
2. The most notable examples consist of...
3. The main features include...

Set-up Transition Sentence: lays the foundation for how the essay will unfold and gives guidance to the reader.

Classic set-up transition sentences that add structure to the essay:

1. A brief discussion of these points reveals...
2. Examination of these factors illustrates...
3. Analysis of the these issues...
4. Investigation of...
5. Review of these problems...

Keep in mind that the introduction provides a general overview of what the essay is going to be about. This paragraph is not the place for detailed discussions or examples. These come later. Furthermore, the introduction should not include words like “Thus, therefore,” or “In conclusion”. These words belong at the end of body paragraphs or in the conclusion.