Introductions and conclusions
Introductions and conclusions
Introductions
The introduction to an essay will refer to the essay title and talk about the topic in general terms, giving a broad ‘lead-in’ to what is to be discussed in the essay.
1. Define and limit the scope of your essay.
2. Outline the proposed methods of development of the essay.
3. Set the overall mood and dominant attitude of the essay. In fact, the introduction serves as a preview of what is to come. A preview should be fairly brief, simply offering an indication of what is to come and tempting the reader to want to know more.
Conclusions
A concluding paragraph gives a lasting impression. It should be brief- no longer than a tenth of the essay- but is powerful as it is the last thing the marker reads.
Do!
- Refer back to the question raised in the title.
- Restate the main ideas that the essay has developed.
- Summarise your main points and show how they relate to each other.
- Draw general conclusions.
Don’t!
- ‘Go off’ in a new direction.
- Throw in any comments that are not related to the title.
- Express any new ideas.
Essays with great introductions and conclusions
- 'Without the First World War British women would not have gained the right to vote in 1918.' Do you agree or disagree with this interpretation?
- In Tess of the DUrbervilles, how does Hardy present Tess and Angels relationship as one that is destined to fail?
- 'All political parties are prey to the iron law of oligarchy.' Discuss
Tip: Consider if you need to define any of the key words. If there are multiple understandings of the terms, you may need to say which interpretation you will be using in your essay.