Writing Successful Intros and Conclusions

The first/last things that your readers see!!!

We Know That. . . The introduction of an essay is

very important, as it contains the most significant sentence, the THESIS STATEMENT

The thesis statement is a sentence that tells the reader what the rest of the paper will focus on

The conclusion is meant to wrap up the paper and restate the thesis

A Good Intro. . . Captures the interest of

readers Makes them want to

read on! Ways to do this:

› A question› A quote› A definition› An anecdote (short story)

› A hypothetical situation

Examples: An Essay About Dogs

A question: Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live life through the eyes of your K9 companion?

A quote: Famous actress Marilyn Monroe once said, “Dogs never bite me. Just humans.”

A definition: In the dictionary, a dog is merely defined as, “a domesticated carnivorous mammal.” However, they mean a lot more to that to the average human being.

An anecdote: After having what I still regard as the worst day of my life, I came home and immediately buried my head in my hands and started crying. When I looked up, my dog was sitting right beside me, her head in my lap. Now, that’s a true friend.

Hypothetical Situation: Imagine that. . . .

A Good Thesis Statement. . .

Is relatively short and to the point

Is a statement, NOT a question

Identifies the subject of the paper

Takes a stand rather than announcing a subject

Allows the reader to anticipate the organization of your argument

Examples

Example One: Therefore, Shakespeare uses the dynamics of friendship as a tool to reveal more about his main players and illustrate that in a Shakespearean world, the closer the relationship, the more trouble it will cause, as is demonstrated by Romeo and Juliet as well as The Merchant of Venice.

Example Two: Therefore, Marianne Dashwood from Sense and Sensibility and the narrator of “Nutting” are connected due to their unmitigated respect for nature as well as their use of nature as a medium for meditation.

A Good Conclusion. . . Should answer the question “so

what?”: telling readers why this paper was important

Tie everything together, or point out why all the things mentioned in your essay related to your argument

Redirect your readers: Give your reader something to think about, perhaps a way to use your paper in the "real" world.

Create a new meaning: You don't have to give new information to create a new meaning. By demonstrating how your ideas work together, you can create a new picture.

Recap Introduction: It’s all about

engaging readers!!! Thesis Statement: Make a

definite stance and give the reader an idea as to what you will be talking about.

Conclusion: Although you should recap what your paper talks about, make it interesting!