Some tutors argue that having no introduction at all is better than producing one which is rambling, cloudy, or vague. If all your arguments are directly relevant to the question, your approach to the question will quickly become apparent. Even if you think the question is especially difficult or that it embraces complex issues, you should avoid saying so as part of the introduction. This can create the impression that you are making excuses in advance of your answer. You might however wish to name or outline any difficulties - so long as you go on to tackle them.
Some people use an appropriate quotation as a means of starting the introduction.
If you use this approach, you should follow the quotation with some interesting observations of your own. Do not give the impression that you are using somebody else's work as a substitute for your own. Plato was the first philosopher to deal comprehensively with the concept of universals, and he did so in such a compelling manner that his ideas still have an influential force today. This method, it will be seen, somewhat predetermines the nature of his answers. Many people find introductions difficult to write, particularly if this is the first part of the essay assignment they attempt.