Writing and editing
How to Write a Better Introduction: Before-and-After Examples
- READERWhat brought them here?
Start with their question
- OPENINGWhat do they need first?
Give an answer or useful context
- ARTICLEDoes the rest deliver?
Keep the promise you made
To write a better introduction, start with what your reader came to find out. Name the subject, give them any context they need, and make it clear what the article will cover. You don't need a startling fact or a clever opening line to do that.
Sometimes the fix is a shorter first paragraph. Sometimes it's a missing explanation. And sometimes the original is already doing its job. The examples below were written for this guide to show those different decisions. They're illustrations, not customer work or claims about results.
What does the reader need first?
Before changing a sentence, finish this thought: someone reading this article wants to know... Be specific. A person looking for a definition needs a different opening from someone weighing up a service or reading an opinion column over lunch.
| Article type | Useful starting point | Usually unnecessary |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | What the thing is and what it does | A history of the whole subject |
| How-to guide | The task and where to begin | A paragraph about why tasks matter |
| Service advice | The reader's problem or decision | Unproved claims of superiority |
| Opinion | A clear view worth discussing | A forced neutral summary |
Harvard College Writing Center's guidance on introductions makes a useful distinction: an academic essay needs to explain why its question matters, but it doesn't need a dramatic hook. For a practical web article, we'd apply the same restraint. Give readers a reason to continue without manufacturing excitement.
1. A definition: explain the subject sooner
Consistency is an important consideration for any organisation that produces written content. As different people contribute material, maintaining a shared approach can become challenging. A style guide provides a way to address this issue through a set of agreed writing rules.
A style guide is a set of agreed rules for your writing. It covers choices such as spelling, punctuation and how you refer to your products, so different writers can use the same approach.
- The definition moves into the first sentence, where a beginner can find it.
- Concrete examples explain what 'writing rules' means. Use examples the full article actually covers.
- The reason for having a guide stays, and examples make the rules more concrete.
This isn't a rule that every article should open with a definition. Here, the title asks what something is. Answering it directly makes sense. In an article for experienced editors, explaining 'style guide' from scratch might be irritating.
2. A how-to guide: begin with the task
Taking notes is a valuable part of reading and learning. However, the growing amount of information people encounter can make organising those notes difficult. There are several approaches that can help you develop a more effective system for managing your material.
Start by putting your reading notes in one place. Then group them by topic and keep each source beside the notes it belongs to. This guide shows you a simple way to do both, without spending the afternoon choosing another app.
- The reader gets a first step instead of a general statement about learning.
- The second sentence names the work involved, rather than promising an unspecified 'effective system'.
- The app aside fits an informal guide. Remove it if the audience expects a more formal tone.
Check that the instructions really appear later in the article. An editor shouldn't invent a method just to make the introduction sound useful. If the draft has no practical advice yet, the body needs work too.
3. Service advice: name the decision
High-quality written communication plays a crucial role in how a business presents itself. Professional editing and proofreading services can both contribute to stronger content, although understanding the differences between them is essential when deciding which option to choose.
If your article repeats itself or takes too long to explain the point, start with editing. If the structure works and you mainly need to catch typos, proofreading may be enough. Here's how to decide what your draft needs.
- The revision replaces a broad business claim with two recognisable problems.
- It helps readers make the decision named in the title.
- It doesn't pretend every draft needs a bigger, more expensive service.
Generated introductions often need this kind of attention. Swapping 'crucial' for 'important' won't fix the delayed answer. If you're revising generated copy with our AI humanizer, judge the suggested opening by how well it explains the subject, not by how many words have changed.
4. An opinion: leave a good opening alone
I don't think every meeting needs a slide deck. If we're deciding who does what by Friday, a shared note will do.
- The view is clear, and the second sentence gives it a specific context.
- The first-person voice belongs in this opinion piece. There is no reason to remove it.
- Adding a grand statement about workplace culture would slow the opening down.
Editing doesn't have to leave fingerprints on every paragraph. Keep wording that suits the audience and says what the writer means. Save the effort for something that needs it.
Check the opening against the rest of the article
- 01Read the title and opening together
Do they address the same question? If not, decide which one accurately describes the article.
- 02Test the first sentence
Temporarily remove it. If nothing useful disappears, you may not need it. Restore it if it provides context or voice.
- 03Check the promise
Look for every claim about what the guide explains, compares or proves. Make sure the body delivers it.
Then read the opening aloud. Change anything you'd struggle to say naturally, but don't force a chatty tone onto a formal article. For a broader check, use our article editing checklist. You can also submit your draft for an editorial review and compare the revision with your original before deciding what to keep.