How to write the ENEM essay introduction: structure, examples and common mistakes
The opening paragraph sets the tone for your whole ENEM essay — ENEM is Brazil's national high-school exam, and in a few lines the marker already senses whether you grasped the theme and have a clear stance. A strong introduction doesn't need to be ornate; it needs to do three things: set the context, state the thesis, and signal the arguments to come. This piece shows how, with two worked examples and the mistakes that cost the most points.
The three jobs of a good introduction
- Context — what are we talking about and why does it matter? A figure, a historical fact, a reference, or a framing of the problem that orients the reader.
- Thesis — what is your point of view? The most important sentence of the paragraph; it states what you will defend and guides the rest of the text.
- Signal of the arguments — where will you take it? A brief indication of the two lines the following paragraphs will follow.
Doing these three jobs helps Competency 2 (grasping the prompt and structuring the text) and sets up the cohesion assessed in Competency 4.
Structures that work
There is no single formula, but two schemes are reliable: repertoire + thesis + signal (open with a productive reference, connect it to the theme, state the thesis, then flag the arguments); and direct context + thesis + signal (frame the problem briefly without a citation, state the thesis, flag the arguments). In both, the thesis is unambiguous and arrives before the paragraph ends — the reader must finish the introduction knowing exactly what you will defend.
A worked example
Hypothetical theme: valuing young people's mental health. Using repertoire + thesis + signal:
The 1988 Constitution defines health as a right of all and a duty of the State; even so, care for young people's mental health remains at the margins of public policy. That gap reveals a problem that must be faced — both for the lack of access to care and for the stigmas that silence those who suffer.
The thesis is clear and the arguments are announced — the development already has somewhere to go.
Common mistakes in the introduction
- No thesis — the paragraph describes the theme but never says what you defend.
- Copying the source texts — reproducing excerpts from the exam does not count as repertoire.
- An overlong introduction — spending half the text on context leaves little room to argue.
- A rhetorical question instead of a thesis — “does society even care?” is not an affirmative stance.
- Drifting off the cut — framing a broader theme than the one proposed starts the essay off-topic.
Before moving on, test your introduction
A simple test: reread only the introduction and ask “what is the thesis?” If you cannot point to the sentence, neither can the marker. That is hard to see alone. Nudge Buddy helps you see your own text from the outside: it returns the questions a reader would ask at the opening — is the thesis clear? does the signal of arguments appear? — and you rewrite. It writes nothing for you and is not an AI detector. Free, with the ENEM preset.
Common questions
What does a good ENEM introduction need?
Three jobs: set the context, state the thesis, and signal the arguments. The thesis is the most important sentence, and the reader must finish the introduction knowing what you will defend.
Can I open the essay with a rhetorical question?
A rhetorical question does not replace the thesis. The reader must finish the introduction knowing exactly what you will defend — that needs an affirmative, clear thesis, not a question.
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