Is an introduction absolutely necessary?
Most essays require an introductory paragraph to identify the topic and present the theme. Exceptions to this include short one- to two-paragraph essays, which require only a few sentences to introduce the topic. An introduction is also unnecessary in an inductive essay, which takes the reader through a discussion without a clear focus, and reveals its intention only at the end. A third exception is a narrative essay, which could survive without an introduction. Most of the time, however, it is a good idea to provide some sort of introduction.
