Developing an Effective Introduction and Conclusion
In any written assignment, there is a basic structure that includes the introduction, body, and conclusion.
This article will focus on developing an introduction and conclusion that effectively sets up and closes your paper.
The introduction, as you may already know, is the first paragraph of the paper.
Sometimes the intro consists of a paragraph or two (depending on length of the assignment).
The introduction also includes your thesis statement and provides a general context for, or overview of, your topic.
In addition, your introduction should be engaging and entice the audience to want to continue reading.
If you get stuck when trying to write your intro, skip ahead to other parts of the paper.
You can always write the introduction last, if you need to.
The introduction is important because first impressions count! They can set the tone for the events to follow.
The goal of the introduction is to grab the reader's attention, pull the reader into the paper and give him or her a reason to keep reading.
Here are a few strategies to help you create a compelling introduction: - Begin with a quotation or a definition - Pose a question - Start with a short summary - Open with a brief narrative - Open with a startling fact or statistic Not all of these techniques will work in one paper, but you could certainly try one or two of these techniques to hook your reader right away.
Grabbing the reader's attention isn't the only important part of your introduction.
Your thesis statement is arguably the most essential part of writing your paper.
To review, a thesis statement is a declarative statement that points to the main idea of your paper.
An effective thesis statement should: • be a central idea that requires supporting evidence.
• be specific and focused.
• be the last sentence of the introduction (usually).
Since the thesis statement is so important, it is worth spending time on.
It is suggested to write a working thesis statement (a rough draft of your main ideas) and then review it with your instructor, if possible.
The whole paper hinges on this thesis statement.
Without it, the whole structure of your paper may fall apart.
In addition to the introduction, the conclusion is also very important.
The conclusion is the last paragraph of your work.
It steps away from the specific points made in the body of your paper.
The conclusion also does the following: • Gives a general summary or overview of the main points.
• Should promote deeper meaning or make the reader think about the topic.
• It wraps everything up and should be memorable.
Conclusions are not the place to introduce new materials or ideas since there is no place to defend or support them.
Avoid using quotes or other evidence from your research in your conclusion.
Save that for your body paragraphs.
A powerful conclusion ties all of the threads together and could inspire the audience to take action or at least find great meaning or purpose.
One idea that I suggest to my students is to make the conclusion memorable, you could include a detail, image, or idea from your introduction.
This could bring your paper full circle.
This article will focus on developing an introduction and conclusion that effectively sets up and closes your paper.
The introduction, as you may already know, is the first paragraph of the paper.
Sometimes the intro consists of a paragraph or two (depending on length of the assignment).
The introduction also includes your thesis statement and provides a general context for, or overview of, your topic.
In addition, your introduction should be engaging and entice the audience to want to continue reading.
If you get stuck when trying to write your intro, skip ahead to other parts of the paper.
You can always write the introduction last, if you need to.
The introduction is important because first impressions count! They can set the tone for the events to follow.
The goal of the introduction is to grab the reader's attention, pull the reader into the paper and give him or her a reason to keep reading.
Here are a few strategies to help you create a compelling introduction: - Begin with a quotation or a definition - Pose a question - Start with a short summary - Open with a brief narrative - Open with a startling fact or statistic Not all of these techniques will work in one paper, but you could certainly try one or two of these techniques to hook your reader right away.
Grabbing the reader's attention isn't the only important part of your introduction.
Your thesis statement is arguably the most essential part of writing your paper.
To review, a thesis statement is a declarative statement that points to the main idea of your paper.
An effective thesis statement should: • be a central idea that requires supporting evidence.
• be specific and focused.
• be the last sentence of the introduction (usually).
Since the thesis statement is so important, it is worth spending time on.
It is suggested to write a working thesis statement (a rough draft of your main ideas) and then review it with your instructor, if possible.
The whole paper hinges on this thesis statement.
Without it, the whole structure of your paper may fall apart.
In addition to the introduction, the conclusion is also very important.
The conclusion is the last paragraph of your work.
It steps away from the specific points made in the body of your paper.
The conclusion also does the following: • Gives a general summary or overview of the main points.
• Should promote deeper meaning or make the reader think about the topic.
• It wraps everything up and should be memorable.
Conclusions are not the place to introduce new materials or ideas since there is no place to defend or support them.
Avoid using quotes or other evidence from your research in your conclusion.
Save that for your body paragraphs.
A powerful conclusion ties all of the threads together and could inspire the audience to take action or at least find great meaning or purpose.
One idea that I suggest to my students is to make the conclusion memorable, you could include a detail, image, or idea from your introduction.
This could bring your paper full circle.
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