How To Write An Essay Introduction And Conclusion

Introduction And Conclusion For An Essay

Introductions and conclusions play a special role in the academic essay.  A good introduction should identify your topic, provide essential context and indicate your particular focus in the essay. It should also engage the readers’ interest. The following guidelines will help you construct a suitable beginning and end of your essay:

For you to write an effective introduction you should:

• Find a startling statistic that illustrates the seriousness of the problem you will address.
• Quote an expert.
• Mention a common misperception that your thesis will argue against.
• Give some background information necessary for understanding the essay.
• Use a brief narrative or anecdote that exemplifies your reason for choosing the topic.
• In a science paper, explain key scientific concepts and refer to relevant literature.
• In a more technical paper, define a term that is possibly unfamiliar to your audience but is key to understanding the essay.

For an interesting conclusion, you should:

• Warn readers of the possible consequences of not attending to the problem if your essay deals with a contemporary problem.
• Recommend a specific course of action.
• Use expert opinion to lend authority to the conclusion you have reached.
• Give a startling statistic, fact or visual image to drive home the ultimate point of your paper.
• If your discipline encourages personal reflection, illustrate your concluding point with a relevant narrative drawn from your own life experiences.
• Return to an example anecdote or quotation that you introduced in your introduction, but add further insight that derives from the body of your essay.
• In a science or social science paper, mention worthwhile avenues for future research on your topic.