Q: My professor wrote “Zzzz” next to the introduction on my last paper!  How can I write better introductions?

 A: You have many choices about what kinds of introductory strategies to use.  Check out these resources to make your openings more effective and interesting.

For an essay in which you need to introduce a claim, our worksheet on How to Create a Solid Introduction offers step-by-step guidance on developing the context for your topic, stating your claim, and indicating the structure of your argument.  

Harvard’s Writing Center also discusses introductions in academic argumentation in their handout: Beginning the Academic Essay.

The University of North Carolina Writing Center offers good advice on ways to craft lively and engaging introductions for a variety of papers.  They also describe some common strategies to avoid unless you want to put your readers to sleep from the start.  Read their handout: Introductions for details. 

Of course, it’s also good practice to ask your professor to discuss specific comments with you.  Different writing situations may call for special introduction strategies to supplement the good general writing resources we point to here.