The introduction will have two sentences: a paraphrase of the question and an outline statement.
Paraphrasing is simply saying the sentence again with different words but with the same meaning. We can do this by using synonyms and/or changing the order of the words.
Question- Global warming is one of the biggest threats humans face in the 21st Century, and sea levels are continuing to rise at alarming rates.
Paraphrased- Climate change is among the principal dangers facing people this century, and ocean levels are increasing dramatically.
As you can see above, I have used synonyms to change the words of the questions but it still has the same meaning. The examiner will be looking for your ability to do this in the exam, so it is a good idea to practice this skill.
OUTLINE STATEMENT
Our outline sentence is next and this tells the examiner what they are going to read in the rest of the essay. This makes it very clear to the examiner and makes the rest of the essay much easier to understand. You will, therefore, gain marks for coherence and cohesion.
Our outline sentence should look something like this:
This essay will first suggest that the biggest problems caused by this phenomenon are the loss of land and the flooding of homes and then argue that pollution reduction and building flood protection are the most viable solutions.
State problems: The foremost problems caused by climbing sea levels are that land is being lost and peoples’ residences are often flooded.
State problems: The foremost problems caused by climbing sea levels are that land is being lost and peoples’ residences are often flooded.
Explain first problem: As water levels rise, low-lying land is submerged and many countries become smaller.
Explain second problem: Furthermore, millions of people all over the world live in coastal areas, and if the sea rises by even a few feet, they are inundated with water and lose their property.
Example: The devastation brought about by this was clear for all to see during the 2011 Tsunami in Japan, in which millions of people were displaced.
This example is much more specific. Stating a place and/or date can help you make your examples more specific.
