How to write an amazing introduction paragraph for IELTS writing task 2

Teacher - Mr. Richard Forrest

The introduction paragraph is really important if you want to score highly in IELTS.  it contains some of the most important information in your essay as it is where you will explain your opinion and how you will answer the question. 

In this article I will discuss:

1/  common mistakes that people make

2/   the structure of an introduction paragraph

3/  how to write an introduction paragraph with examples 

Before you start to write your introduction please make sure that you properly understand what the question is asking you.  You can find out more about question analysis here.

In addition please make sure that you have also finished your plan. You can find out more about how to plan here.

Common mistakes when writing introductions for IELTS 

1/ The number one mistake that I see students make when writing introductions is to not include a thesis statement.  Of course not all question types, such as the problem and solution based question type, require you to write a thesis but the majority do.  A thesis statement is just another way of saying your opinion, it makes a claim and directly answers the question.  When you don't include a thesis statement your essay reads a bit like you are thinking out loud and at the end coming to some sort of conclusion.  Instead of building your essay in support of your thesis, it becomes a lot more like a mystery novel where the opinion of the writer is not revealed until the last moment. We are not writing a Sherlock Holmes mystery murder so please...include a thesis statement! 

2/ The second significant mistake that I see students make is to talk about the topic far too generally.  Typically these essays will begin with transitions like nowadays or in the modern world. The key here is to get straight to the point, by talking about the subject in very general terms you are only wasting time and words. 

3/   I often see students not outlining what they are going to do in order to answer the question.  An outline statement allows the reader to know how you will answer the question.  I will explain how to write a successful outline statement later in the article. 

If you don’t include a sentence outlining what your essay will say, the examiner doesn’t really know what you are going to write about in the rest of your essay. This will also lose you marks. I’ll show you how to write an outline sentence below.

4/ Many students commit the error of attempting to wow the examiner with overcomplicated words and structures to try and be more interesting The IELTS test is a test of your English proficiency only, it is not a test of how interesting your writing is.  Before you start writing anything you should always consider your audience and the purpose of your writing. Your audience for the IELTS writing exam is the examiner. You are not trying to win a Pulitzer award for groundbreaking journalism. Therefore, it is important that we keep things simple and plain --- overcomplicating your writing will normally make it worse. 

5/ Finally I often see essays written in an informal style including things like contractions or informal idioms. Remember that this is an academic test and you will be expected to use an academic register in your writing.  The speaking test is a little bit more relaxed and there are sections where you can use an informal style.

The structure of a great IELTS writing task 2 introduction 

A great introduction has three simple stages:

1/  paraphrase the question and introduce the main topic

2/  a thesis statement

3/  an outline statement

 In general, the three stages should take you just three sentences --- one sentence per stage. However, there are occasions where you may perhaps need to cover all three points over perhaps four sentences to maintain control of the grammar. 

Let's now take a look at two example introductions:

Humans are responsible for climate change.

To what extent do you agree or disagree? 

1/ There is much debate surrounding the extent to which global warming can be attributed to human activity. From my point of view, it is self-evident that people are the primary driver of atmospheric warming. To support my viewpoint, I will first explore the fact that current global temperature averages are far above what we would anticipate. Secondly, I will show how the increasing frequency of extreme weather conditions proves that mankind is responsible for the changes.  

2/ In the modern world there is a lot of discussion about climate change and the impact it can have on our everyday lives. Climate change is a very serious problem and impacts all areas of our lives.  One of the ways climate change impacts our lives is that it creates more extreme weather conditions.  Renewable energy is one possible solution but it is not clear how we can make it affordable to everyone. 

Which one do you think is the best? 

The best answer here is the first one.  It is the best answer because it presents the general topic while paraphrasing the question,  provides a clear thesis statement, and outlines how it will proceed to answer the question.

The second one starts with a very general outline of the topic,  repeats keywords from the question, neglects to give a thesis, and fails to outline how the writer will support their thesis in the following paragraphs. 

How to write a good introduction

Let’s take a look at the three stages of writing a fantastic introduction in more detail. 

1/  paraphrase the question and introduce the main topic

Paraphrasing is a key skill for the entire test.  Paraphrasing is when you express the meaning of (the writer or speaker or something written or spoken) using different words. There are many ways that you can paraphrase but perhaps the easiest way is to think of synonyms. 

My synonyms for the question above in the example one were:

Humans →  mankind  - people 

Climate change →  global warming and atmospheric warming  

NOTE - With my paraphrasing for climate change you will notice that I used the word warming twice.  It is not always necessary to change both parts of a compound noun in order to successfully paraphrase. 

Another way you can paraphrase is to start your first sentence at a different point from that of the original source. 

Let’s look at the same question again: 

Humans are responsible for climate change.

To what extent do you agree or disagree? 

To use this technique I could write something like the following - 

Climate change is widely believed to be caused by humans.

NOTE - In the above example I have not bothered to use synonyms although it is highly recommended that you also use synonyms in combination with changing the order.

Another quick paraphrasing tip for when you are struggling to think of good synonyms is to change the word form and not necessarily the word. 

Consider for a moment the word attraction. 

We could successfully paraphrase the word attraction by changing the form to attract, attracts, attractive, attracted, and attracting. 

2/  a thesis statement

Once again you will only need to write a thesis statement for a question in which you are asked your opinion.  Very much like going to a bar on a Friday night if someone does not ask you for your opinion... it's probably best to keep it to yourself. 

The thesis statement is perhaps the most important sentence in the whole essay.  It is the sentence upon which the rest of your essay is built.

The main mistake I see people make with the thesis statement is to not be clear.  I often see people write things like "I agree with the statement”  but this can often be confusing depending on the question. It is far better to be explicit and clear in your response.  Tell the reader exactly what you think, do not leave anything to the imagination. 

It should be possible to complete your thesis statement in just one sentence.  If you cannot write your thesis statement in just one sentence it's probably an indication that it is too complicated and that you need to simplify it. 

Thesis statement templates for IELTS 

Note - These templates are merely guides, you will need to think about how to best adapt them for the question you have. 

Opinion essays 

This essay strongly supports the notion that…

This essay strongly disagrees with the notion that...

From my perspective, it is clear that…

 From my point of view, it is axiomatic that…

In my opinion, it is self-evident that...

Problem and solution essays

The principal issue associated with X is...  

The primary problem caused by X is…

Advantage and disadvantage essays 

The main advantage of X is……….. and the most significant disadvantage is that….

The most significant benefit of X is... and the main negative effect is...

Discuss both sides essays 

For a “discuss both sides essay”, just make sure that you clearly state both sides of the argument.  You can use some of the phrases from the above templates to help you. 

3/  an outline statement

Considering that we have already set the stage with our introductory sentence and given the examiner our opinion we are now ready to outline how we will answer the question.  To be clear we will explain to the examiner what we will talk about in the following supporting paragraphs.  It is recommended that you write your outline if you can in just one sentence although sometimes it is easier to write with two to maintain control of the grammar. 

Outline statement templates for IELTS 

1. To support its central thesis, this essay will first explore the fact that current global temperature averages are far above what we would anticipate. Secondly, it will show how the increasing frequency of extreme weather conditions proves that mankind is responsible for the changes.  

2. Firstly, I will support my main argument by showing how space exploration is responsible for many major technological breakthroughs, and secondly, I shall detail its contribution to the growth of science major graduates. 

In the above examples, all I am doing is letting the reader know what topics I will cover in the next two supporting paragraphs.  Remember each supporting paragraph should contain only one central theme. Meaning that the first topic will be discussed in the first supporting paragraph and the second topic will be discussed in the second supporting paragraph.

TIP - The major mistake that I see students make when writing the outline statements is to attempt to explain their ideas. There is not really any need for you to explain your ideas here because that is what you are going to do with the rest of the essay.  

Next steps?

I hope that you have enjoyed reading this blog.  If you have any questions regarding the test or would like to inquire about my writing correction services or IELTS online classes please email me at info@lovetolearnenglish.com.