Writing an introduction – What you need to know
The introduction should introduce the topic to the reader and arouse his curiosity. This is not so easy in a class assignment or exam, because you first have to understand what you are supposed to do. My most important tip:
Read the assignment carefully and make a mark, on which topic you for whom What kind of text write your introduction.
Of course, every introduction is different and there is no one right way to write one! But you can always take the following things to heart in your introduction:
- Name your topic and – if possible or necessary – tie it into a context
- Write down your reference (source, writing occasion, quote, your opinion)
- If possible, answer the who, where, when, how, how many, why, by what, and so on questions.
- Write in the present tense if you don’t need to refer explicitly to the past. Future tense is also sometimes acceptable as a tense.
- In general, try to use a neutral choice of words and do not state your opinion.
- For some texts you also have to think of a headline, for others not. However, I recommend that you always write something as a heading to structure yourself.
- However, sometimes you can and must write from the first-person perspective or address people.
By the way, you can find hints on how to write in my learning snack on operators and keywords. In addition, you will usually find this information in the assignment as well. Therefore it is – as already often said – very important that you carefully read the assignment! By the way, I made a video that gives you some important information even as it goes on. But of course I will be happy if you read the whole text.
Example article to write introduction
"It’s about time!" – Teacher representative Gemein, 22.01.2021
School uniforms to become mandatory
Berlin (dpa) – From the coming school year, school uniforms will be compulsory at German schools from elementary school to the Gymnasiale Oberstufe (high school). The law has already passed and a lawsuit by students and parents that went all the way to federal court has now been dismissed.
After Germany followed the example of many countries, in which school uniforms are usual, the bill was introduced by education minister Lempel, which was also accepted with a large majority. There must finally be an end to the "social injustice from the closet" that brings feelings of inferiority, envy, anger, violence and criminality, Lempel said. Teachers also welcome the decision, which "finally means an end to caps, sweatpants and belly-free T-shirts," says U. Mean, the chairman of the German Conservative Teachers. Parents’ associations are also happy because the children now no longer have to "spend hours looking for the right outfit", it was explained in a press release. Pupils and some parents had complained against it, because the identity promotion and the right to free development would be limited thereby. However, the judges at the Federal Court of Justice rejected the complaint. Lempel was satisfied and looks forward to a "golden age of German school education with equal opportunities and a focus on the essentials".
This article is fictitious, but it represents a well-known topic of dispute in schools and also in society.
Introduction write summary
The introduction of a summary is easy and quickly explained. You read, listen to, watch a source such as a newspaper article, YouTube video, non-fiction text, interview, short story, novel, etc. and classically you put all the important information in this introduction:
School uniforms become compulsory
In the newspaper article "School uniforms will be mandatory" from 22.01.2021 reports on the introduction of school uniforms from the 2021/22 school year, which can now be implemented thanks to a dismissed lawsuit and is welcomed by teachers and politicians.
Writing an introduction Summary
A summary is basically identical to the abstract and is just in English. Be aware that you may not be able to write in English some information because you lack the vocabulary. There is nothing wrong with that!
School uniforms to be compulsory in Germany
The newspaper article "School uniforms will be compulsory" of January 22nd 2021 deals with a lawsuit about the topic of school uniforms which will be compulsory from next term on. Teachers and politicians welcome the verdict.
Informative text – introduction letter
When writing informative texts, it is important to know who you are writing for and what type of text you should write. Also, you have several materials to include here. Therefore, it is important to have a heading and an introductory sentence. Use neutral language and avoid your own opinion, even if you are writing for your classmates.
All important information about school uniforms for the upcoming school year
In Germany there will be school uniforms in all general education schools from the 2021/22 school year onwards. This has been demanded by politicians and teachers and has been confirmed by a court. In addition to many doubts, there are also positive aspects, which will be highlighted below.
Argumentative text – How to write the introduction
In argumentative writing, state your opinion or compare two opinions. So these are classic commentaries or discussions. Since you usually also have multiple sources, refer to an opinion rather than a single one. So in this case you may use neutral language, but express your own opinion. You will support your own opinion with arguments in the following text and finally give your conclusion.
Therefore, before you start writing, you should already have a concept paper and be clear about your opinion and arguments.
The case for school uniforms
After the Federal Court of Justice ruled against the introduction of school uniforms, many students are wondering what to do next. I think that there are many reasons for the introduction of school uniforms.
Written discussion/ comment – write an introduction
In a written discussion or comment, the point is to do the whole thing in English. Linguistically, the level is of course a bit lower and you often have only one source to which you have to write a discussion or comment. Have a look at my article on English vocabulary.
Should there be school uniforms?
Many people say that school uniforms take away your identity and personality and make you a faceless robot. I think that this is not true and want to tell you why school uniforms are a good idea.
Of course, you can also use a quotation or refer to a specific passage in the text. "Many people say" is a very common way to start when you are dealing with a general statement. You can also ask a question "Why do many people think that school uniforms will take your own identity??".
Analyzing writing – how to write an introduction
In analytical writing, you name the author, title, year of publication, and genre, as well as the topic. Again, the language is neutral and factual and free of individual opinion.
Why school uniforms are required
The newspaper article "School uniforms become mandatory" from 21.01.2021 describes the reactions to a court decision and states the reasons for the introduction of school uniforms.
The author and the newspaper are omitted in this case, of course. More often, however, you will have to deal with a poem or a short story. In the upper school, speeches are sometimes used as an occasion to write an analyzing text.
Summary for introduction writing of different types of texts
Writing an introduction is already the first important step in guiding the reader (and also the teacher) into your text and bringing them closer to the topic and your presentation.
Of course, this article cannot cover every text type and every writing occasion, because there are countless combinations of them. You should also realize that my sample solutions are not perfect and cannot and should not be copied by you. Everyone formulates things differently and as a student you write even differently than a teacher who has studied for a long time and written several master’s theses.
Always think of the task first. Before you can write an introduction, you need to know exactly what your assignment is. This important information will then also guide your writing. Afterwards you look at your working material like texts, pictures, diagrams, interviews, newspaper articles, poems, novels, short stories and so on. Maybe you do some research on the internet when it comes to a homework assignment. In any case, you should study the topic well and know what knowledge and information is available to you before you try to formulate the text you want to use and thus also your introduction.
In itself, you don’t have to learn by heart how a certain type of text goes, even if students often want to do so. But in the end you just make yourself crazy, because there is no one right solution. Remember to use mostly presence and neutral language for your text. The rest can be wonderfully deduced from the assignment and therefore does not need to be memorized.
Relax and try to write in a fluent and unstrained language. Many students like to write highbrow and get tangled up in fancy wording that is not fun for anyone to read. However, you should also try not to always work with the same sentence patterns and sentence beginnings. Variety is really important to keep the reader (and the teacher) interested in your text for a longer period of time.
I hope that with this learning snack I could take away your fear of writing introductions a bit, because in itself you almost always go about it the same way and with a bit of common sense it will be fine!