C1 Stage 5: Short essay
Open an essay with a clear answer
How to write a C1 essay introduction
You can write an introduction that says why the question matters, gives your answer clearly and shows where the essay is going.
This guide is for B2 writers moving to C1. It is a stage 5 skill: write a short essay (4-5 paragraphs) (220-280 words).
When to use an essay introduction
At the start of every essay. Some writers write it last, once they know their main points.
An essay introduction: how to do it
An introduction does three jobs in three or four sentences: it says why the question matters now, gives your answer in one clear sentence (your thesis), and says what your main points will be. Do not open with something empty like 'Nowadays, technology is very important.' Then make sure the rest of the essay does what the introduction promised.
Useful language for an essay introduction
- In recent years, ...
- This raises the question of whether ...
- This essay argues that ...
- While ..., I believe that ...
- This is true for two main reasons.
- ... will be considered in turn.
Example of an essay introduction
In recent years, many local councils have cut library budgets, arguing that e-books and online databases can now do the same job for a fraction of the cost. This raises the question of whether the physical library still deserves public money. This essay argues that it does, because libraries guarantee equal access to information and remain one of the few free public spaces in most towns. The first reason is access. Digital services assume every user owns a reliable device, has a stable connection and knows how to search effectively. For many older residents, low-income families and recent migrants, none of these can be taken for granted. A library, by contrast, offers computers and printers and, crucially, staff who can help people use them. Beyond access to information, libraries offer something no website can: a quiet, warm space anyone may use free. Students without a desk at home revise there, parents bring young children to reading sessions, and isolated people find a reason to leave the house. Replacing this with an app would save money only by moving the cost elsewhere, into weaker exam results and greater loneliness. Admittedly, digital services are valuable, and libraries should expand them. Yet they work best as an addition to the building, not a replacement. In short, closing libraries in the name of efficiency would widen the very inequalities that public services exist to reduce.
Topic: Should public libraries be replaced by digital services?
How the BetterWrite coach checks an essay introduction
The BetterWrite coach checks 4 points for this skill, plus accuracy and staying on topic, and quotes your own words when one is not there yet.
Try it
Write a short essay (220-280 words) for your tutor: Should governments tax sugary drinks? Focus on your introduction.
Write 220-280 words (a short essay (4-5 paragraphs)).