Tips to help you with your essay

Here are some tips to help you write the introduction to your essay.

1. Do not go into too much detail in the introduction. A long introduction may confuse the reader into believing he has already reached the body of the text, or may create a feeling of impatience as it delays involvement with the real substance.
   
   
2. If you are defining academic terms, you may be better to quote an academic source. `The dictionary defines .... as ......' may not be academic enough. Often the popular or `normal' definition is contrasted with a more specific academic one.
   
   
3. Although you want to catch the attention of the audience, remember that it is an academic audience that you are writing for. Don't be too cute or journalistic. e.g. `Ting, ting goes the tram as it carries busy workers to their jobs or housewives to the market.'
   
   
4. You may want to go back and rewrite your introduction after you have finished writing the rest of the essay. This is a good idea as the introduction and conclusion are often complementary. The conclusion, for instance, may return to the points raised in the introduction to answer the issues outlined there.
   
   
5. Be careful not to repeat the exact words of the title too often e.g. `This essay looks at the role of women in present day Hong Kong. When we consider the role of women in present day Hong Kong we find that the role of women in present day Hong Kong has undergone many changes'. The title of this essay was, of course, `The Role of Women in Present-day Hong Kong'.

By Shelagh Byron

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