How do you write a good introduction paragraph for articles?

coolavender Level 1

September 24, 2018, 4:56 pm

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How do you write a good introduction paragraph for articles?

Many content writers struggle to get past the introduction section of their work. I've heard some writers say that if they can only write the first paragraph, the rest of the article will flow smoothly.

The introduction is an important part of an article or blog post. It is used to prepare the reader and provide context for the post. It should grab the reader's attention and quickly explain how the article can help him or her.

As an avid consumer of online content, I can't help but notice how some bloggers resort to cliches and overused expressions instead of taking advantage of the opening paragraph to captivate their readers.
For example, how often do you read unimaginative introductions like this one:

"X can be challenging."

One of the best tips I've learned is to write the main article first before writing the introduction.

How about you? How do you usually write your introduction sentence or paragraph? Is there a tip or technique you can share with the other writers?

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

Well, what I can say about how one should go about the opening paragraph of his or her article is completely dependent on the topic or subject of the article. This is what would decide and determine what and how the writer should go with starting the article. But the paragraph must contain information on what the article is all about and not just beating about the bush.

6 years ago

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jeffreyjose48

jeffreyjose48

I do not know if I really write good introduction. Its up for my readers to tell. Its really good to have good introduction. Introduction that can hook them to read your article some more.

6 years ago

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Youngshark

Youngshark

Ensuring that your readers are hooked right from the first word is important since it can indicate that one's audience will stick to the end of the story. Catchy phrases and questions are some of the methods that one can use.

6 years ago

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DenisP

DenisP

I like to make this sort of comparison: the introduction to an article should be the same as what a teaser trailer is to an upcoming movie.

The teaser reveals a little bit, but not enough to give away the entire plot. It gets you interested and wondering, “Hm, what’s this going to be about?” You don’t want to make it overly obvious what you’re going to be writing about, but you also want to give the reader a clue so that they have a reason to be interested.

6 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

Exactly, you have a very good point about the introduction of any article to be like a trailer into the full work because if the intro and the heading fails to capture the readers attention immediately at first glance, the work will definitely fail to hold more water in the eyes of the readers and they would most likely abandon the article without completing its reading.

6 years ago

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DenisP

DenisP

Yup, I’m glad you agree!

Have you ever seen a trailer and thought to yourself, “Eh, I don’t think I’ll be seeing that movie?” Or even worse, when you click on a trailer and don’t even bother finishing it?

Well, the exact same thing can happen if you write a bad introduction to your article. If the sneak peak isn’t interesting enough to capture the person’s attention, then they have absolutely zero incentive to actually give the entire body of work a chance.

6 years ago

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stbrians

stbrians

Well! When I read the opening paragraph of an article, I can tell the whole article and what it is all about. Some other articles are just blubberings from the first paragraph to the end.

An opening paragrapg is the face of your article. It must be what you want and what others will expect in the post. A good face introduces a good person. Write on.

6 years ago

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jayjaydimson

jayjaydimson

Well, I will be direct on the product for my introduction.

6 years ago

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Corzhens

Corzhens

The way to sell the article by the introductory paragraph is one of my weaknesses in writing. In fact, thinking of a good title gives me a hard time that I sometimes ask people for their opinion for a good title to my article. With the introduction my usual paragraph is the gist of the article that is connected to my own experience. If that is not attractive enough then I think I need help in that department. In one writing workshop that I chanced upon a video, it was said that the opening paragraph should have a hook that the reader will be forced to read up to the last paragraph.

6 years ago

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rlpzbeermoney

rlpzbeermoney

When I write an introduction, I use it to set the tone for the rest of the article. It should contain all the basic information the readers needs. A reader can just read the introduction and have a basic idea where the article is going. Just like in skimming where people only read the first and last paragraph to know quickly what it's about.

6 years ago

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Youngshark

Youngshark

This is always what journalists are taught in schools? It is also common in seo articles like some I have done before. It helps to keep readers focused and engrossed such that they develop a desire to read more into the article.

6 years ago

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Aeolos

Aeolos

Writing a very good introduction is sometimes quite hard for the writer to catch the attention of any readers. In my part, I would start by saying the very key point for my article. It would be followed by vague opinions to further pique the interest of my readers. Making a very good introduction is very crucial for me as it is my way of showing my skills in writing. It is also where I set up the mood I'll be using for my article.

6 years ago

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jeffreyjose48

jeffreyjose48

I agree with you. Its not easy to make a very good introduction that catches the attention of the readers. I think that by doing different versions of introduction will help one find the best.

6 years ago

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Aeolos

Aeolos

When I was just starting in writing, my editor would sometimes ask me different versions of introduction before he would choose which one he would publish. It is a very tiring one as you have to approach a certain issue in so many ways that leaves you burned-out. Your introduction really affects your body and a lot of revisions will be done to have that almost perfect article you want.

6 years ago

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romyter013

romyter013

What I do sometimes, I started with just a little climax scenario, like people having a conversation and all that, using some invented names, so people will think of like who am I talking to or what is my article really about. Then theres my chance that they will try to continue reading my story of what it is really about. And they will start to know the whole story that I have in mind and realised they already finished my paragraph.

6 years ago

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Youngshark

Youngshark

Using a story to take the reader on a journey. Very wise of you. I love such articles since they flow smoothly amd it is kinda like watching a movie where the flashforward is used to get the audience more keen and asking questions which are only answered fully by the time the movie is concluded.

6 years ago

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blackmist

blackmist

I think introducing the main highlight of the article are a good idea because it portray the most interesting part of an article. It can attract the readers attention to continue reading it because they know that this is a good one unless it is an article that don't give that kind of impact then maybe even introducing the main highlight would be still useless.

6 years ago

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romyter013

romyter013

I couldn't agree more. Its true it really attract more readers to and not to stop reading it once the main character of the story is getting so interesting on the scene. It can be sad, happy, sorrow, anger, moody, scary or what so on, still depends of the taste of the readers as long they really enjoy reading it. And I still believe it still gets the attention of readers if you know how to play and start it with an exciting introduction to get the reader's eyes to finished your story.

6 years ago

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anchoreztin

anchoreztin

Introduction plays an important work in any article. It promotes engagement at the same time it tries to capture the reader's interest. The reader often decides from your introduction to whether continue reading your work or not. By the way, your introduction here is effective because you were able to get our attention and we find your post engaging and interesting.

6 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

Exactly! The introduction and the title of any writing is the most important aspect of any writing. It's where the author's central message lies and it's very important not to get it twisted in order not to have your readers bored and confused when reading your article. Try to answer the questions of 5 W's and 1 H in your introduction is the best way to get your readers to appreciate your work.

6 years ago

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mitan143

mitan143

Writing an introduction depends on how you want it. Think about what specific topic you want to include into your introduction first. Is it a relatable on the current situation by general, a background like a short history of your main topic, or etc. I usually write a short history for my introduction but sometimes I think it is already too boring so I decided to put a question introduction instead. It really depends on how you want it, but I know there are still guidelines on writing your introduction. You can follow that.

6 years ago

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jaymish3

jaymish3

A good introductory paragraph will keep your readers reading. It is advised that you have a smashing /interesting introductory paragraph. I think my introductory paragraphs are quite good. This is because I try to relate them to real life and incorporate facts e.g statistics, studies e.t.c. I think its easier to write your introductory paragraph after writing your article. If you start with your introductory paragraph first you will never get any of your article written. Writing the rest of your article gives you ideas for your introductory paragraphs.

6 years ago

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beerthooyah

beerthooyah

I usually began with an introductory paragraph that will explain the content of my article. Sometimes I use catchy phrases or sometimes a quotation just to get the attention of my readers. It is easy for me as a writer to outline first the content of my article and start with the main body of the text and closing paragraph. The introductory paragraph is usually the last part that I will write for it will depend on the context and meaning of my main paragraph.

6 years ago

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amelia88

amelia88

Often, I write my introductory paragraph last! I usually structure it so that it ends up being a summary paragraph of what the article covers, and sometimes I find that easier to do once the rest of the article has already been put together. It's very convenient because it all seems to flow easier.

6 years ago

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ajahcuizon

ajahcuizon

I usually write my introduction first before writing the body then edit it after finishing the whole article. Sometimes, relate my own experiences into something that could help me connect to the product as an introduction. After putting some experiences, I will then put some phrases that I believe will capture the attention of the reader. Slowly and smoothly, I'll shift the introduction into the main body as I already got the attention of the reader. Then everything will follow.

6 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

It really depends on the type of article I'm writing and it's subject. But what I usually do is to write what I can at first and rearrange the paragraphs later before editing and polishing.

6 years ago

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superlicca

superlicca

Keep the introduction brief and informative. As a reader, I don't like an article that has a long introduction and I would also look for relevant information. It is also great that with your introduction, you will be able to convince your reader that your content is worth reading.

6 years ago

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EfficientNinja

EfficientNinja

I usually write an introduction to the topic of the article. It's to give some quick idea to people who have no background with the topic. People who don't have any idea of the topic will stop reading if they don't understand any of the text.

6 years ago

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mitan143

mitan143

Good point. Giving your readers a short glimpse of your main topic or what's the content of your work is a good way to catch your readers' attention. It seems like a trailer from movies to me. I believe there are some works that have very informative and substantial content but didn't given the chance by the readers to read because the writer failed to catch their attention in the introduction. So you are definitely right.

6 years ago

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EfficientNinja

EfficientNinja

It is the nature of the world we live in today. Most of the people online have very low attention spans. Once they get bored of a subject they quit reading and they find another. It is mostly because there are lots of options to choose from on the web. Why would we even bother reading something that doesn't interest us, right?

6 years ago

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stbrians

stbrians

Introductions are hard nuts to crack. I usually fumble with words unable to get s start. Once I get the first paragraph, whiwhich i stillstill suspect is not alright, writing suddenly become easy.

Am still learning to write the opening words. Whst to do tobget the best opening is what am still searching.

6 years ago

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mdayrit

mdayrit

This is so true. I also find writing the introduction so hard sometimes. I would spend more time writing it than the body of the article. I always find myself writing around three introductions and then just choose among them which will fit the rest of my article.

6 years ago

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Barida

Barida

The introduction section /paragraph is where you are going to get the people reading your articles glued to you and this is going to be possible as long as you make an exciting, yet brief introduction on this part. I have always seen this as one of the ways that you can make people that are trying to read your articles appreciate you for everything that you are looking at doing.

6 years ago

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mitan143

mitan143

True! That's the importance of having a good and well-written introduction. I like that you said it should have to be exciting yet brief. I'd like to emphasize the word 'brief' because I have read some works that have long introductions and its content is actually explaining one thing. It seems like a redundancy of the content of the introduction to me.

6 years ago

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esteban123

esteban123

I think for me whenever I am writing an article, I see to it that the introduction is very interesting and catchy so that readers will be excited and attracted to read the entire article. We must ensure that the first that they read the article they would be hypnotized and would want to take at the article especially on its content and it's significance.

6 years ago

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superlicca

superlicca

To have a good introduction, you need to start with a strong first sentence. The purpose of your first sentence is to attract your readers to read the following sentences and the rest of your content. In this way, you can gain the trust of your reader to read the entire content of your article.

6 years ago

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Youngshark

Youngshark

I think it is always great to use the journalism newspiece writting format. This is where the most important details are typed first to captire the attention of readers. It is also filled with enticing and interesting phrases hence justifying its design.

6 years ago

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bachiekins

bachiekins

The "hook" is what my profs called the first paragraph. This determines if the readers will continue to read it. My style is to know who my readers are. Who is my target audience? How do I get their attention? Does it give enough mystery for them to keep reading? Does it support the title/headline?

Some of the questions I ask myself to find the lure for the reader.

6 years ago

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jayjaydimson

jayjaydimson

Well, you need to make your introduction good and also leaves the readers the smile on their face.

6 years ago

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Jeane

Jeane

I think the opening paragraph should be something that draws the reader in gives a good reason why should read the rest of the article and it must therefore contain relevant information that is mentioned in the title.

One shouldn't go out of their way to write something that will be witty or spend too much time trying to get that first perfect opening line that will instantly grab their readers attention. Just keep it simple. If you've got the title of your article right use the same strategy to write your first paragraph.

6 years ago

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jeffreyjose48

jeffreyjose48

I agree with you. Introductions needs to be good. It makes a good impression upon the readers.

6 years ago

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NerdIndeed

NerdIndeed

What if you are writing about a tragedy? How can you make them have smiles on their faces? Kidding.

6 years ago

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cmoneyspinner

cmoneyspinner

Outlines! If you can, it's good to prepare an outline which lists the specific points you want to make in an article. You can flesh out the article using your outline as your guide and then summarize. Use the summary as your Intro.

Writing an Outline
http://www.austincc.edu/tmthomas/sample%20outline%201.htm

6 years ago

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Gilgamesh

Gilgamesh

I oftenly write the body of the article before making its introduction because it takes more time in summarizing all the contents in a unique way where I will only use a few sentences that will describe tge topic and will engage the reader in reading my article. I found out that I am faster in making introduction if I write in a certain topic in a long period of time it is because I get used into it as times goes by.

6 years ago

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DenisP

DenisP

I’ve never found writing the introduction to be all that difficult. In my eyes, the introduction is basically a distilled version of the main body of work.

The introduction is meant to pose a rhetorical question for the reader to ask themselves, and the following body paragraphs are there to answer that question. It’s somewhat hard to describe, but I look at the introduction as what a teaser trailer would be to a film, for example.

It’s there to give you a brief idea of what the article is about, and is intended to grab your attention and leave you wanting to know more.

6 years ago

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HappyLady

HappyLady

I work on the principle that the first paragraph is the "hook." Many people look at that and the ending and skim the middle. Therefore to encourage people to read the middle, you have to make them want to do so. Therefore if I spend a day or two on a first paragraph, it is time well used. Always come in with a bang and never go out on a whimper is my motto. Often it is the conclusion that gives me grief.

6 years ago

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NerdIndeed

NerdIndeed

I think a good introduction is to give a background first about the topic you are writing about. Say you are writing about something technical, provide a brief history as to who made it and what it is capable of doing, then proceed with its uses, pros, and cons.

6 years ago

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mdayrit

mdayrit

I agree. This makes the reader dive deeper to your article. It serves as an outline of what they can find if they read the whole content.

6 years ago

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romyter013

romyter013

Exactly. I read at the back of the book, its really mean but if you are going to read the first and second pages, it will tell you why what they really meant about it. Then if you are going to read the third, fourth and so one, it will give more details and story about it too. So in short, you have to buy the book, read it and you have been tricked.

6 years ago

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jetselle

jetselle

I have written plenty of articles and writing introductions is perhaps the foremost tough a part of writing my articles. Once I’m able to write the introduction for a writing, each alternative issue becomes very simple. i've got improved over the years, and that i have additionally learned plenty. I’ll be sharing with you during this article the way to write the right introductions for your articles, whereas at the identical time supplying you with examples to assist you higher perceive my points.

6 years ago

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theresajane

theresajane

I totally understand you. When I was a student, we were taught that we can use clichés and overused quotes for our introduction if we are having a hard time coming up with fresh ideas to make our written output captivating. It may also be true to some, so as for me, I always try to find someone who can read my work and have it be criticized. Through their reactions and suggestions, my mind snaps and I usually can think of something better through their help.

6 years ago

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jaymish3

jaymish3

I agree with you@theresajane. The best way to write an introductory paragraph is to use cliches and quotes. It gives you something to write about and it grabs people's attention. I know that the introductory paragraph is the most important in your article as it determines if people will continue to read your article, it is also the hardest paragraph to write. It is supposed to introduce people to what you are writing in at most a couple of sentences.

6 years ago

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MomoStarr16

MomoStarr16

In my case I always make it a short paragraph. Sometimes it is a question with a short summary about the article or story I am writing. But be careful not to give a lot of spoiler when doing this style. Make it short but interesting to get the heart of your readers.

6 years ago

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nrnlss

nrnlss

I write book reviews, so I usually write a quote that have a connection to the topic of the book that I am currently writing.

6 years ago

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theresajane

theresajane

That's a good and appropriate way of starting a paragraph. I envy book reviews as when they start with a quote or a line, it isn't viewed as cheesy because it is really a part of the piece being reviewed.

6 years ago

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mirodge

mirodge

You are right, the most difficult part in writing is how you begin an introductory part. Mostly of the readers will give their rate upon reading the first page. So give your best.

6 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

The first paragraph can make or break an article. That's why it's imperative that it should capture the readers attention. It should include a preview of some relevant information that is thoroughly explained throughout the entirety of the article. Having a boring first paragraph may lessen the interest of readers which can make them drop the article.

6 years ago

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jaymish3

jaymish3

Correct@Kakashi 2020, The introduction paragraphs main aim is to capture the readers attention. This is where you convince your audience to read on and that your article is worth a read. You need to summarize the article without giving to much away but revealing just enough to get the reader to continue with your article. In my opinion a good introductory paragraph raises questions that will be answered by reading the rest of the article.

6 years ago

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Gandalf

Gandalf

The first two sentences are the most important and need to tell the reader what the article is about, and also to include a few of the keywords that will keep their attention. The best way is to make a statement or to ask a question which you will answer in the article and give a couple of possible answers.

A good opening is important, and should be redrafted at the end, and then see if the question and topic matter was actually addressed. That's the problem with click and bait, when headers and opening lines have nothing to do with one another and that is poor writing that is considered spam as in they just want clicks for the ads on the page.

6 years ago

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hstinscdln

hstinscdln

I start it with something a little bit too off and not exactly telling ot stating the topic yet. I first go with something related to it or similar to it and find a way on how I can connect it with what I have to say or what I am trying to point out. Find something that will leave the reader thinking before you finally state your main purpose in writing your work.

6 years ago

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Wenkx03

Wenkx03

I think a good introduction would catch more readers to read your article. A straight to point paragraph with a strong foundation will be a great article. Readers would love read that.

6 years ago

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