Writing essay Introductions.

The purpose of introductions:

The introduction to any essay should do the following things:

· Show that you have read and understood the essay question or title by working the key words into your own writing.
· Introduce/set-up your position/argument in relation to the essay title/question by briefly outlining the line of argument you will take in the course of the essay.

How should introductions be written?

The introduction is the first thing that the examiner will read therefore you need to grab their attention and make them believe that you know what you are talking about.

You should:

· Write in the third person.
· Use formal, Standard English.
· Use the key words of the question so the examiner can see you have understood it
· Be brief and concise – you should be able to say everything you need to say within one paragraph!

Phrases to avoid when writing introductions:

In this essay I am going to . . .

This essay will show how . . .

In response to this question I am going to . . .

In this essay I will prove that . .

Or any other phrases that resemble these in any way!!

In addition, do not just write out the exam question as the first sentence of your essay or even as a title. It is an unnecessary waste of precious exam time as the examiner knows which question you are answering and by writing it out you are not showing any interpretative skill, simply that you can copy out text.

	Created by Sarah Holmes over 8 years ago

A notes page explaining to learners the purpose and style of introductions for GCSE English essays.