11 Introduction Ideas to Begin Your English Compositions

A compelling start to your story grabs your reader’s attention. The readers in this instance, are most likely your school teachers. Having read hundreds, if not thousands of primary school compositions, the ability to still arrest your school teachers’ attention gives your composition an edge in grades over your peers.

Your introduction should be interesting. It should appeal to the reader’s curiosity; they want to know what happened next… Your composition should state the genre (the type of story) and introduce your main characters and the reader knows who the characters are; their feelings and relationships. The setting or scenario of the story is clearly defined. It should be a teaser to your main story.

It should not be more than a ¾ page long. However, it can be more than one paragraph. Always remember to write with the theme in mind. Here are 11 introductions for young writers to compose their story with:

1. Begin with a Complaint
I walked with a skip, humming my favorite tune. School had been hectic and mind-boggling but was finally over. It was my eleventh birthday and I could not wait for the lovely presents and delicious cake which my parents had prepared. Quickening my pace, I strode towards the void deck of my block of flats. Out of the blue, I caught sight of a blue parcel lying next to a dustbin just outside the lift.

2. Begin with Something Interesting
Every time I take the train, I will always think of a lesson that I learned which taught me a value – care. Some people think they know what this word really means, or just think that this value is not important. However, I know what this word means and how important it is. This is the story of how I learn the meaning and importance of this word… ~ Lim Xinya, Renee, Ai Tong School

3. Begin with an Intense Moment
The doors of the train opened silently. Before I had time to think, I was rudely shoved through them. I turned around and frantically tried to elbow my way out of the train. However, the impatient crowd forced me back. The doors of the train slammed shut. I was imprisoned inside the wrong train! I had no ticket and absolutely no idea where I was heading. ~ Nasya Chua Ye Qi (Methodist Girls’ School – primary)

4. Begin with an Unusual image of a Character
A loose white T-shirt drooped off the left should of the man, showing his bony shoulders and patches of peeled skin. He tugged at the bottom of his shirt as though trying to neaten it but there was little that he could do. ~ Lee Jing Hong (Jing Shan Primary School)

5. Begin with a Dialogue
“This is so frustrating!” I muttered angrily, not wanting to disturb anyone. I was making my way back home from school and decided to entertain myself by playing a newly-released game. I was with my best friend; Mare and she was watching me rage with a lop-sided grin on her face. Her expression changed when she saw that I was just about to cross the road, still engrossed in the game. ~ Amethya Alma Arielyn (Canossa Convent Primary School)

6. Begin with a Sound
Brring! My alarm clock sounded shrilly. I groaned and rubbed my eyes, still heavy with sleep. I sat up and began to get ready for work. Half an hour later, at seven, I was already out of the house with my morning cup of coffee. ~ Victoria Deborah Lee (Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Primary School)

7. Begin with a Startling Fact
The canteen is a terrible place. I fear it, hate it, loathe it. Why? Many memorable incidents have happened to me there… memorable in the negative sense… ~ Teng Jie Ying Faith (Fengshan Primary School)

8. Begin with a Flashback
As the time to leave my primary school and proceed to a whole new environment approached, I started to think more about my school. Being a foreigner, I had laid all my foundation with the help of my fellow peers and teachers. Leaving my school and the environment I had just recently adapted to and migrating to a new place was not as easy as it seemed. ~ Kim Jeong Yeon (Lianhua Primary School)

9. Begin with Image Description
My surroundings were filled with sand. It was hot and arid. I was parched but there was not a single water source in sight. My water canteen lay buried, forgotten in the innermost reaches of my backpack. It had been dry for two weeks. For the past few days. I had been living beside an oasis filled with clean, clean water. However, when I left, I had forgotten to fill my water canteen. Perhaps it was the unlimited abundance of water near my temporary camp that had given me a reckless streak. I now realized that the oasis I left was probably the only one for miles around. But by the time I realized, it was too late. ~ Joye Lim Qian Qi (Rosyth School)

10. Begin with a Character’s Action
Licking at the brackish taste of perspiration on his lips, John lugged his bag to the MRT station near his school. The sun seemed to beat down like drumbeats, steady and relentless. His bag that seemed to be filled with rocks weighed down on him. Trudging to the MRT station, John grumbled, “Great! What a good way to end my perfect week!” ~ Ryan Chia (Maha Bodhi School)

11. Begin with a Thoughtful Statement
Taking the train. What a simple yet underrated task. I have always thought that taking the train was a boring chore. What could happen? We often underestimate the dangers of commonplaces, but now, with the ongoing terrorist attacks, we ought to be more vigilant as ignorance can put us in danger. As a student, I never really understood the severity of everything. But, after the incident in the train, I was suddenly jolted of my safe, innocent husk and into the harsh, cataclysmic reality… ~ Shermaine Lim Sher Min (Punggol Primary School)

All examples above are taken from the book National English Writing Composition – The best of primary 5 and 6 compositions, published by the Singapore Young Writers Press. Please check out their website www.singaporeyoungwriterspress.com for more information.

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