Introductions and Conclusions

More Notes
Introductions and Conclusions

Often I hear students say that they are having trouble writing introductions and conclusions for their essays. My experience is similar. I too have found that creating introductions and conclusions is one of the more difficult parts of the writing process. Let's see if any of the strategies below will help.

The Bottom Line

The Purpose of an INTRODUCTION

The Purpose of a CONCLUSION

The purpose of the introduction is to grab attention and to help a reader get a clue (about the essay's focus and the writer's main point). How often have you started to read something but put it down quickly because the first paragraph or two didn't grab your interest? Well, as a writer, remember that you must also grab your reader's attention in the introduction so that your reader will want to finish reading your work.

The purpose of the conclusion is to wrap up your discussion and draw it to a close. The conclusion does not have to grab attention in the same way that the introduction does; nevertheless, it should be carefully constructed because it is your last chance to make a memorable impression on your reader. Also, readers will remember best what they read last, so the conclusion is the last chance to drive your message home.

Possible Strategies for Introductions*
See if any of these strategies will work for your particular topic. Use whichever strategy will lead smoothly into your thesis statement. (Some of the strategies below are accompanied by a sample. The thesis statements are underlined in the samples.)

Provide relevant background information

Signs of commercialism at holiday times are easy to see in the United States. Christmas decorations begin their call to consumers in October. Memorial Day and Labor Day remind shoppers to prepare for the seasonal change in clothing fashions. Halloween and Easter mean children can make toll calls to the great Pumpkin or the Easter Bunny.

Some people disapprove of these commercial uses of holidays in the United States. These people feel that the meaning of a holiday gets lost when television is blaring news of the latest holiday sale or expensive gift item. Many people also feel that the proliferation of gifts and greeting cards creates stressful pressure on budgets and ruins any pleasure derived from giving and receiving. No one, however, has to forget the meaning of a holiday simply because commerce is involved. In fact, commercialism can increase people's enjoyment of the holidays. After all, commercial uses of holidays benefit the nation's economy and lift people's spirits.

Use dramatic description

Relate a brief, interesting story or anecdote

Such small acts of sympathy and caring, observed in scientific studies, are leading researchers to trace the roots of empathy—the ability to share another's emotions—to infancy, contradicting a longstanding assumption that infants and toddlers were incapable of these feelings

Give a pertinent statistic or statistics (as an attention-getter, but don't use anything here that you would use as supporting details in your body paragraphs)

Ask a provocative question or questions (to get people thinking)

Unfortunately, most outdoor exercisers do not know whether to stay put or to dash for shelter when a thunderstorm approaches, and sometimes the consequences are tragic

Use an appropriate quotation from someone else (and discuss it)

Chances are high that most adult men and women will need to know how to live alone, briefly or longer, at some time in their lives

Make an analogy (compare your topic to something else)
Define a term that will be used throughout the essay, but avoid using a dictionary definition unless, perhaps, you intend to denounce that dictionary definition or explore all its connotations
Identify the situation (set the scene, but set it with rich, descriptive details)

Avoid These Strategies for Introductions*
Here is a list of phrases and strategies you should not use:

Obvious statements that refer to what the essay is about or will accomplish, such as "I am going to discuss the causes of falling oil prices."
Apologies, such as "I am not sure this is right, but this is my opinion."
Overworked expressions, such as "Haste really does make waste, as I recently discovered" or "Love is grand."

Possible Strategies for Conclusions*
For concluding paragraphs, you can try any of these strategies:

Use any of the strategies listed for introductions; however, it is a good idea not to use the same strategy that you used in your introduction.
Summarize the main points of the essay—but avoid a summary if the essay is less than three pages long.
Ask for awareness, action, or a similar resolution from readers.
Look ahead to the future. End with a hypothetical description of here-is-what-would-happen-if.

Avoid These Strategies for Conclusions*
Here is a list of phrases and strategies you should not use:

Do not introduce new ideas or facts that belong in the body of the essay.
Do not simply reword your introduction.
Do not announce what you have done, as in "In this paper, I have explained the drop in oil prices."
Do not make absolute claims, as in "I have proved that oil prices do not affect gasoline prices."
Do not apologize, as in "Even though I am not an expert, I feel my position is correct" or "I may not have convinced you, but there is good evidence for my position."

*Source: Troyka, Lynn Quitman. The Simon and Schuster Handbook for Writers. 5th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice, 1999.