Some say that variety is the spice of life, and when it comes to variety, nobody does
it better than Essaypro.
Today we're starting a brand new, three-part series that will take you, the writer, through
the intricacies of creating an essay for your school, college, or wherever you happen to
be spending your studying time right now. We have spoken about writing essays before,
and we suggest that you review those videos at any time, so your skills remain sharp and
ready.
Each video in this new series will be framed around a specific part of the essay writing
process so we can keep a pinpoint focus on the task, and help you do the best you can.
In the first part (this one), we'll go through the process of creating an effective introduction.
The second one will focus on crafting body paragraphs, and the third and final video
will show you the best way to write a memorable conclusion for the piece.
And remember, here at Essaypro.com, we want you guys to learn how to write better. Check
out our past videos to make your writing life a whole lot easier – leave a Like, and press
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To frame the essay and give relevance to the series, we chose a hot topic: The coronavirus
pandemic. It's happening around you right now, and you might even be personally affected
in some way.
So without further ado, let's get started.
Introduction to the coronavirus pandemic essay
A bland, generic, and wordy introduction is the quickest way to lose the reader right
before it even starts. Instead, it pays to be creative. A punchy, well-written introduction
is a very effective way to grab the reader's attention. The only problem is that you only
get one shot at it, so you need to make it count. Find ways to adapt the essay topic
into a story that people will want to read. And the coronavirus, a pandemic, easily lends
itself to this.
Let's illustrate this proposition with examples of a bad intro vs a good one.
The coronavirus pandemic started in a remote city of China, from which it spread to many
parts of the world. The virus is a very dangerous organism, whose origin remains unknown. Almost
a million people have now become infected with the disease that scientists called Covid-19.
Now, this intro is ok. It could do with some finesse, but it's serviceable, at least. The
main problem I have with it is that it's too generic. It's bland - safe - it doesn't take
any risks, but it's also likely to not generate many readers, either. It lacks that wow factor.
How about introducing a bit of creativity? Why not start with a striking quote about
pandemics, to grab the reader’s attention right off the bat?
More than 50m people around the world died during the 1918-1919 flu pandemic. That's
why we have epidemiologists all over the globe tracking the emergence of new strains of the
flu virus.' Thus spoke Tom Frieden, a world-renowned infectious disease expert. And when someone
like him speaks in times like these, you better listen.
Now, isn't that a more effective way to kick things off? We start with a shocking statistic
about the approximate mortality of a previous pandemic -the Spanish Flu-. The first few
lines of the intro instantly evoke imagery of a harsh past, of the decimation of entire
societies by an out-of-control enemy that killed millions. It is as dark and grim as
it is effective. This is the key to an attention-grabbing intro. Remember, you only get one shot at
this. Use short, effective sentences, and avoid rambling paragraphs that say a lot without
saying much, if you know what I mean. Shorter, cleaner sentences work best. Like Corporal
Hicks said when his squad faced overwhelming odds in the second major combat scene of the
classic sci-fi movie Aliens, ‘Remember, short, controlled bursts.’
There’s a piece of advice that never gets old, so remember it when you write your intro!
Recap
Let’s do a quick recap of what we’ve learned in this video, and what the main takeaway
points should be:
An effective introduction grabs the reader’s attention quickly, and does not let go of
it throughout; Try not to sound too generic. If you do, you
will just be like anyone else in a crowd. Your voice will not stand out.
Write a short-ish, effective introduction. A rambling paragraph will make the reader
want to stop halfway through. Use your intro to write a little story that
will evoke something in the reader’s mind. An emotion. The writer communicates with the
reader through words, so those words must mean something.
Conclusion
An interesting, intriguing, and well-written introduction is the gateway to a piece of
text that people will want to read more about, so make sure you get it right. If your introduction
is bland and generic, you will be marked as such.
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And that's it. You are now ready to create a striking intro for your essay. In the next
video, we’ll show you how to craft the perfect body paragraphs. We hope you enjoyed this
video, and remember to subscribe to our channel. Want better writing? Use Essaypro.