How to Write a High-Scoring Introduction (Text Response)

Examiners don’t need a dramatic opening; they need clarity. In 5 to 7 concise lines, your introduction should answer the prompt, frame the text, and signpost how your essay will prove it. Use the formula below, and you’ll avoid waffle, plot-retell, and vague claims.

The 3-Part Formula (CCS)

Context (1–2 lines)

Your introduction starts by providing crucial context. Identify the author, the text, and the live issue raised by the prompt. Your reader should instantly grasp what you are discussing.

Contention (1 sentence)

Following context, make your contention, your direct answer to the prompt clear and definitive. Avoid any hedging or ambiguity; this is your chance to make a strong statement.

Signpost (1–2 lines)

Conclude your introduction with a signpost that outlines two or three reason buckets you’ll develop in your body paragraphs. These will guide your reader and hint at your analysis without revealing all your points upfront.

Think clarity over flair. Keep specific nouns and analytical verbs up front: contends, exposes, challenges, suggests, condemns, complicates.

Step 1: Decode the Prompt (30 seconds)

To craft an effective introduction, begin by decoding the prompt.

1. Underline Command Term: Identify command terms such as "Discuss," "To what extent," "How does," or "In what ways." These words give direction to your response.

2. Identify Key Terms: Highlight the key concepts that must appear in your contention. These will guide your main argument.

3. Recognize Scope/limits: Determine what characters, scenes, ideas, or context windows the prompt covers.

   
   

Turn the prompt into a “because” sentence using the structure:

“The text argues X because (1) ____, (2) ____, and (3) ____.”

This becomes your contention + signpost.

Step 2: Build Clean, Examiner-Friendly Sentences

Once you’ve decoded the prompt, it’s time for the writing. Employ the 60/40 rule: use 60% of the prompt’s language (to stay on task) and 40% of your own precise phrasing (to add originality). Avoid common pitfalls like:

• Throat-Clearing: Avoid clichés like “Since the dawn of time…” or “In today’s society…”

• Plot Retell: Only include names and events if they prove an idea.

• Opinion Over Logos: Favor reasoned claims grounded in textual evidence over personal opinions.

  
  

Reusable Templates

Having established a formula to work from, you can use these templates for various types of text responses:

Universal Text Response (Single Text)

• Context: "[Author]’s [Text] explores [central issue]."

• Contention: "The text [analytical verb] that [answer prompt]."

• Signpost: "This is evident through [reason 1], [reason 2], and [reason 3]."

  
  

Comparative (Two Texts)

• "Together, [Text A] by [Author A] and [Text B] by [Author B] interrogate [issue]. While [A] [stance], [B] [contrast]. Both texts ultimately [shared/contested idea] through [angle 1], [angle 2], and [angle 3]."

  
  

Persuasive (Exam Piece)

• "[Issue] demands urgent attention. This article argues that [stance] because [reason 1], [reason 2], and [reason 3], calling on [audience] to [action]."

  
  

Worked Examples (Concise and High Scoring)

Let's look at three worked examples to illustrate how to apply the CCS formula effectively.

Example 1 — Women of Troy (Euripides)

Prompt: “In Women of Troy, the victors are the true losers.” Discuss.

Intro:

Euripides’ Women of Troy exposes the moral bankruptcy of conquest. The play contends that the Greeks "win" only in material terms, while their cruelty and impiety strip them of honour. This reversal is dramatized through their desecration of the sacred, their instrumental use of women as spoils, and the Trojans’ resilient dignity in suffering.

Example 2 — Sunset Boulevard (Wilder)

Prompt: “Sunset Boulevard condemns Hollywood’s appetite for illusion.” To what extent do you agree?

Intro:

Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard indicts an industry that sustains itself on self-deception. The film suggests Hollywood’s allure depends on mutually convenient fantasies. This critique emerges through Norma’s self-mythologising, Joe’s transactional ambition, and the studio system’s cold machinery that rewards image over integrity.

Example 3 — Generic (Use for Any Text)

Prompt: “[Character] is a victim of their society.” Discuss.

Intro:

[Author]’s [Text] interrogates how social pressures shape individual choice. The text argues that [Character] is constrained—but not absolved—by [institutional forces]. This tension is traced through [force 1], [force 2], and [moments of agency] that complicate simple victimhood.

High-Value Analytical Verbs & Nouns

Sprinkle high-value analytical verbs and nouns throughout your introduction to elevate your writing.

Verbs: contends, interrogates, satirises, indicts, complicates, reframes, subverts, humanises, exposes.

Nouns: complicity, agency, ideology, veneer, dissonance, hubris, sanctity, coercion, disillusionment.

Common Pitfalls (and Quick Fixes)

As you write, keep these common pitfalls in mind:

• Plot Summary Opening: Replace it with a concept. For instance, “Euripides critiques x…” instead of summarizing the plot.

• Vague Stance: Swap out phrases like “to some extent” for a precise claim, allowing for nuance later in the body.

• Laundry-List Signpost: Group ideas into buckets rather than listing events.

• Overlong Intro: Cap your introduction at around 80–120 words; save analysis for the body.

• Name-Dropping Metalanguage: Use terms directly related to meaning instead of tossing in jargon without context.

  
  

3 Rapid Planning Drills (3–5 mins each)

Now that you have an understanding of the CCS formula, practice with these rapid planning drills:

Drill 1

Prompt: “Power in the text is maintained through fear.” Discuss.

Because Sentence: The text argues power persists because (1) symbolic punishments, (2) surveillance, and (3) internalised guilt.

Intro: Write a 3-sentence intro using CCS.

Drill 2

Prompt: “To what extent does the ending offer hope?”

• Decide Stance: (e.g., measured hope).

• Signpost: enduring relationships, moral recognition, system unchanged.

  
  

Drill 3

Prompt: “The setting functions as a character.” Discuss.

Signpost: constraints it imposes, values it embodies, transformations it triggers.

Teachers/Parents: Time the drill at 4 minutes; aim for 90–110 words.

Quick Marking Checklist (Printable)

Here’s a quick checklist to help you review your introduction before submission:

1. Prompt words echoed in contention.

2. Analytical verb at the front.

3. 2–3 reason buckets instead of plot points.

4. ≤120 words, no throat-clearing.

5. Specific nouns > vague adjectives.

6. Ready transition to Body Paragraph 1.

   
   

Take Action!

Want targeted practice with model feedback? Book a free trial lesson with Education Nation — we’ll polish your intros and map your next 6 to 8 weeks.

By following this structured approach, you'll be able to craft high-scoring introductions in no time, giving you a strong start in your text response essays.