How can you write “In this essay, I will discuss…” in a better way?

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I cannot think of a better way to ruin one’s essay than starting it with the phrase “In this essay, I will discuss…”. This will have a similar effect as informing your listeners that now they will laugh before telling a joke. Or imagine you are watching a TV and just before a commercial there are words on the screen or a person telling you what type of commodity you are about to be persuaded to buy. And the problem is not in this exact phrase, but in any other similar straightforward opening:

• The purpose of this essay is…
• The core idea of this essay is as follows…
• This essay examines…
• I am going to tell you about…
• What you are going to read in this paper is…

Any tutor would most likely be inclined to rate your essay very low as soon as he/she sees such a boring and straightforward introduction. 

It is true that in the introduction of your essay you need to write what your essay is about. It is called the thesis statement or your key point and it must be right there at the beginning of your story. People prefer to know what they are going to read about in a paper as this allows them to correlate this particular story with existing stories (knowledge) in their heads. Reading becomes easier this way; this is how our brains work. However, your thesis statement must be phrased in an engaging and creative fashion, rather than a straightforward “In this essay I will discuss…”.  So, there is a sweet spot between a straightforward opening and no opening statement at all, and it is this spot that you need to hit with all your creativity and imagination.

Here are a few examples of how you could start an essay given a particular topic:

• Topic: “The best qualities that you value in people”. How to begin: “I believe that by nature people are good. They are born with the mission to care for others and to make this world a better place.”
• Topic: “How do you think you can help our college community be more inspiring and engaging for newcomers?” How to begin: “I was born in a family of professional musicians and since early childhood, I took lessons in various classical instruments, such as piano and violin…”
• Topic: “What was the best thing you did in your life so far and how did it change you”? How to begin: “I believe that the good that we do for other people is more important than our own gains. When my sister got seriously ill last summer, I did not go to the planned summer camp trip, but instead chose to stay with the family and support my sister…”

Remember to write about things that you are really passionate about. Do not be in a hurry, take your time, ask yourself what is it that you really care about, and would like to share your feelings and thoughts with others. This will help you make your introduction and entire essay captivating and engaging to read.