This is a new question that has appeared in the Leaving Cert in recent years. It came up in 2020 and asked students to write an introduction to a collection of essays on detective fiction. Students were thrown by the question, as it was something new but this is a simple question, if it is broken down properly.
The first thing that students need to understand is that there is an imaginary collection of essays on a topic that students then have to write an introduction for. In 2020, the essays were all on detective fiction and students had to write the introduction. So you have to imagine a series of essays about detectives trying to solve crimes. Your job is to introduce these essays and welcome the reader to the book.
Think about what the topic of the essays is and what type of stories would appear. There have been essays about the changes in shopping habits, sporting greats and climate change. You have to imagine what the essays would be about before you begin your introduction.
Welcome the reader to the book, explain the purpose of the book and what the reader can expect from reading through the essays. Your content will be dictated by the question and you will usually be asked to include three main points in your introduction.
Always finish off by telling the reader that you hope that they enjoy the essays.
If you want to see a sample introduction, please click here.