How to write an introduction?

Question

I just finished writing a report at school. This is my first time doing this and I find it hard to write an interesting introduction. I’m expecting to hear some advice from experienced writers here.

Answer 1

Treat the introduction as the window to your report. As such, you must give the reader all the incentives to read it your whole report by writing an exciting and captivating introduction. In general, you must keep your introduction long enough to cover all the basic – background, problem, outline of the solution – but short enough so as not to bore the reader.

Keep it short by removing anything that can be effectively discussed in the body of the report. Just give the reader a hint of what’s inside without revealing all of it. For instance, focus on what you have done in the report and postpone the discussion of related works until the body of the report. It is also advisable to keep your idea clearly separated to avoid confusion. Stick to one topic per paragraph and you will be alright.

Sometimes we are caught in the bad habit of using lots of words when one or two will suffice. Practice writing economically. If you doubt whether a concept belongs in the introduction or not, then it probably does not.

Answer 2

How to write an introduction is indeed a challenging job for a newbie. But I think it will be easier for you since you have written the whole report yourself. Knowing all the details of a report will certainly help you draft a clear and concise introduction.

Let us take a quick look at the basic parts of an introduction:

The Background – Give the present state of the topic you are writing the report about. Keep it short, usually no more than a page long.

The Problem - This is where you discuss the reason why you are writing the report. Discuss the problem that you are trying to solve. If written correctly, this will give the reader enough reason to continue reading the rest of the report.

The Proposed Solution – This part gives you the chance to present your own method of solving the problem. Tell the reader what makes your solution better than the existing ones.

To help capture your reader’s attention, keep all your ideas properly separated. As a general rule, it is best to discuss one idea at a time. Always use short sentences whenever possible.