Essay paper

Guide to essay paragraph structure
Writing an introduction to your essay
An introduction is usually around 10% of the total word count. Some students find it easier to write
the introduction in their first draft, while others prefer to write it after their body paragraphs have
been finalised. An introduction is the first thing your audience reads, so it needs to be clear, concise
… and engaging!
* Note: All citations in this guide are in the Harvard style of referencing. See the Deakin guide to referencing
for further details of Harvard and other styles used at Deakin.
Essay introduction – Example 1
Here is an example of an introduction to an essay that provides:

Background information
Some background information is provided to give the reader some context for the discussion.
Purpose
It is clearly stated what the essay will argue – and is a direct response to the essay question.
Outline
Indicates the main ideas to be discussed in the essay so that the reader knows what to expect.

It was in response to the following assignment question: ‘Discuss the issue of legalising same-sex
marriage in the twenty-first century, with regards to current and past laws, cultural and social
perspectives.’

Numerous philosophers have contributed to the debate on legalising same-sex
marriage. Some (Edwards 2008; Finnis 1994) argue that legalising same-sex marriage
would threaten the ideology of traditional marriage and deny the right of people of
faith to reject ‘alternative’ forms of matrimony. Others (Calhoun 2000; Mohr 2005)
contend that refusing same-sex couples the right to marry under law is an act of
oppression that ultimately denies them of their moral equality. This essay argues that
the notion of marriage has evolved over centuries with shifting social and cultural
standards, and that therefore there is a strong argument that in the twenty-first
century same-sex marriage should be legalised. Firstly, marriage will be defined from
the perspectives of natural law theory and new natural lawyers. Secondly, there will
be an analysis of various factors that contribute to the dynamics of marriage that are
often overlooked by the anti-same-sex lobby. Finally, reasons will be provided why
same-sex marriage must be recognised under law and how this is in accord with other
current laws around anti-discrimination and equity.