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Singapore Waste Project – The Introduction

Getting started is often the hardest part of a writing task! So here are some ideas to help you write an introduction to your Singapore Waste report.

The introduction can be quite short – about a half a page perhaps, certainly not longer than a page. Ideally it should do two things:

  1. "Hook" the reader. In other words, present an interesting fact or argument that will get the reader interested and make them want to read more.
  2. Tell the reader what the body of the report contains.

The "Hook"

The following are a couple of examples of sentences that might "hook" your reader. (Please don’t copy them, you can write your own.)

  1. Every day in Singapore roughly one million plastic bags are handed out in supermarkets. Meanwhile, plastic bags are a major source of pollution in the sea and on our beaches. This is just one example of the massive waste problem that this report investigates.
  2. Search for Singapore on a map of the world: it is just a dot. Nevertheless, this tiny island of four and a half million people generates over seven and a half million kilograms of waste per day. That’s six times more than it produced in 1970!

The "body" of the report

This report examines / investigates / explores / looks into

the problem of waste disposal in Singapore. As people grow richer,

they consume more and so produce more waste. What can the

Singapore government do to deal with this problem?

The report contains / consists of / is divided into

three main sections.

Firstly, I describe / examine / look at / discuss / outline

the volume / amount / quantity

and types / categories of waste produced / generated in Singapore.

Secondly, I ……

the ways in which the government disposes of this waste at present.

In addition, I …

the main / key

objectives / aims

of the Singapore Green Plan, which emphasises / stresses waste reduction and recycling rather than disposal.

Finally, I …

an action plan for waste reduction in my own life. This is the most challenging section of the report because it forces me to turn words into action!

 

NB: The words in bold are options. In other words, you should use only one of them. For example, you could write:

"This report examines the problem of waste disposal …"

OR "This report investigates the problem of waste disposal …"

OR "This report explores the problem of waste disposal …"

OR "This report looks into the problem of waste disposal …".

 

It is important to vary (change) the optional words. Do not repeat the same verb throughout your introduction. Instead, do this kind of thing:

"Firstly, I examine the volume and types of waste … Secondly, I describe the ways the government … In addition, I outline the key objectives of … Finally, I discuss an action plan …"

You do not have to follow this plan exactly, but I hope it helps. Show your first draft to the teacher or classmates (or a parent/guardian) and ask for comments. Good luck!

  
 

Frankie Meehan