Introduction (writing) facts for kids
_intro_1.png)
An introduction is the very first part of an essay, article, or book. It's like a sneak peek that tells you what the rest of the writing will be about. It explains the main idea and what the author wants to achieve. After the introduction, you usually find the main part (the body text) and then the conclusion.
Contents
What an Introduction Does
An introduction usually explains what the document is about. It gives a quick overview or a short summary. It might also explain important ideas you need to know before reading. This helps readers understand the text before they even start.
The University of Toronto gives good advice for writing essays:
A good introduction should identify your topic, provide essential context, and indicate your particular focus in the essay. It also needs to engage your readers’ interest.
This means an introduction should tell you the topic and give important background. It also needs to make you want to keep reading!
Some writers like to write their introduction first. Others prefer to write it after they finish the main part of their work. Some even write a rough draft first and then fix it later.
Parts of an Introduction in Books
In longer works, like a technical book, the introduction might have smaller sections. These can include an abstract (a very short summary), a preface (where the author talks about the book), or foreword (an introduction written by someone else). These sections, along with the introduction, are called the front matter. They come before the main chapters of the book.
Different Styles of Introductions
Even though the main idea of an introduction is always the same, how it's written can change. It depends on what kind of document it is. For example, in a user guide for a product, the introduction will be about that product. In a report, the introduction might give a summary of what the report covers.
Do Introductions Always Summarize?
Not all introductions include a summary of the whole text. For example, the American Journal of Physics tells writers that their introduction doesn't need to summarize. Instead, it should give background information. It can also explain why the article is important or interesting.
However, other journals, like Biochemistry, have different rules. They suggest that the last paragraph of the introduction should summarize the main findings. So, whether an introduction summarizes or not can depend on the specific rules of a journal or publication.
See also
