How do I write an introduction for my coursework essay?

Your introduction should briefly set up the parameters of your essay; and touch on the themes and topics that you're going to cover in your essay. It's essentially the tl;dr of your essay, but you have to write it in such a way that the reader wants to read the rest of your essay. It's not a summary of the plot of the text you're writing about.

It's also important to provide context for the text; when it was written, what role it played in the author's development as a writer, whether the author's previous work inspired the text or whether the text inspired the author's later work. It's also useful to set up the historical context of the piece; if you're writing about a novel written in the post-war period, or if the writer moved in particular circles that had an impact on their work (e.g. Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury set).

IC
Answered by Isobel C. English Literature tutor

4597 Views

See similar English Literature GCSE tutors

Related English Literature GCSE answers

All answers ▸

How should I approach material that I haven't seen before in an exam?


How can I ensure that I get into the top bands for my OCR GCSE English Literature essays?


In 'An Inspector Calls', how far does Priestley present Mrs Birling as an unlikeable character?


How do I do a close reading of a poem?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

© MyTutorWeb Ltd 2013–2025

Terms & Conditions|Privacy Policy
Cookie Preferences