How to Write an Introduction for a Descriptive Essay

Writing an introductory paragraph for a descriptive essay requires attention to the essay topic and organization. The introduction must grab the reader’s attention and describe the contents of the essay in a clear manner. Descriptive essays are normally written to provide readers with language that allows them to visually recognize the writer’s intentions. This type of essay describes emotions, people or periods of time. Using a writing format to develop ideas can allow the writer to create a compelling introduction to be used in the descriptive essay.

Identify your intended audience by thinking about who will read your essay. This will help you decide what type of language and style to use in your essay.

Evaluate the essay’s topic. Think about the subjects you will explore in your descriptive essay. Make a mental note of these.

Write down three to four statements that describe your essay topic. Include all relevant information. For example, if your topic explores a childhood experience, create a statement that expresses this, such as, “This essay discusses my childhood friendship with my next door neighbor, Libby Jones.”

Describe three things that you want your reader to learn. Write these three things down and use a general format for each statement. Examples of this include, “My readers will learn how close Libby and I were as children” or “My readers will learn what I learned as a child growing up in Brooklyn, New York.”

Gather the topic statements you wrote in the beginning and place them in a summary form. Remove any repeated words you may have used such as: “This essay discusses”. Read the paragraph aloud although it may sound odd or choppy. This can be repaired.

Create a summary paragraph that will serve as the introduction to your essay. Use descriptive filler words or terms to make the paragraph flow smoothly.