The Value of Introductions
A good introduction prepares the reader for an essay’s main ideas;
it usually includes an attention-getting hook of some kind, discussion
of background, a thesis statement, and a plan for answering questions raised
by the thesis. Along with helping the reader, the introduction also provides
the writer with a sense of the task she has assumed; it clarifies in her
own mind the subject’s limits and the most effective means of dealing with
the subject.
Different Kinds of Introductions
Quotation: A provocative,
attention-getting quotation may quickly bring the reader’s attention to
the essay’s central issues. Sometimes, a quotation comes from an unrelated
source, and its value is in its novelty; sometimes, the quotation comes
from a recognized expert, precisely focusing attention on the essay’s subject.
The writer then works on from the quotation to prepare the reader for the
larger discussion and presents the thesis statement.
Historical Review: Readers will often be unfamiliar with a subject’s important background information. Using the introduction to explain some of the subject’s history will prepare the reader for a focused argument leading from the thesis statement. A historical review will also clarify the relevance and immediacy of the thesis statement.
Review of a Controversy: A particular kind of historical review is a review of a controversy, which examines both sides (or many sides) of a problem. In this case, the introduction will briefly explain the different perspectives on the controversy, and then establish with the thesis statement which perspective the writer believes is correct.
From the General to the Specific: The writer can provide the reader with context for a subject by beginning with a more general subject with which most readers are familiar. This will allow for a gradual transition from the reader’s world to the unfamiliar world of the essay.
From the Specific to the General: Alternatively, the writer may wish to use a specific anecdote or illustration of what will be an essay’s more general subject. The specific example can quickly draw the reader in to the issues that make the subject interesting, and should prompt some of the questions that the thesis will attempt to answer.
Question: The writer may directly engage the reader by posing a question. The writer in that way encourages the reader to begin considering possible answers –– and the writer’s thesis statement, presenting an answer, will be a satisfying response to the opening question.
Statement of thesis: The
most direct form of introduction begins with the thesis statement in the
first sentence. Since the subject of the essay will often be controversial,
or unfamiliar to the reader, the rest of the introduction will then begin
to outline the arguments that the writer will use in the essay.
The Value of Conclusions
When the essay’s main text is finished, the reader should understand
the details of the problem(s) the writer has presented in the essay. It
is then time for the writer to explain what it all means. That involves
summarizing the paper, and restating the thesis, but hopefully something
more, too. The text may have introduced new questions, or offered an unexpected
twist on the thesis. There may be textual details providing particular
insights about the thesis. The conclusion allows the writer to recall such
things for the reader.
Different Kinds of Conclusions
Statement of the Subject’s Significance:
After writing an essay that focuses tightly on the subject, the conclusion
may allow the writer to discuss how larger issues are affected by the resolution
of the thesis statement. The writer has asked and answered various questions
in the essay; the conclusion tells the reader what those answers mean.
Calling for Further Research: One conclusion that the writer may reach after exploring the thesis in the essay is that there is not yet enough information to make final statements about the subject. In this case, the writer uses the conclusion to make specific suggestions about what the next steps in the investigation should be.
Solution/Recommendation: When the purpose of the essay is to discuss a problem or a controversy, and the factors that contribute to it, the writer will use the conclusion to explain what the appropriate steps are to resolve the controversy or fix the problem.
Quotation: Whatever the writer’s subject, a significant, dramatic quote from another source may be a powerful way to finish the conclusion of an essay. The quote should not stand alone, of course; it should be the logical capstone of the subject’s summary that the writer offers in the conclusion.
Question: When an essay
concludes by calling for further research, or offering a solution or recommendation,
not all issues may be resolved. As in the introduction, posing a question
may be appropriate. A writer should not leave the question unanswered,
though. If there is uncertainty, the writer should follow the question
by suggesting where the study should continue.
Speculation: In essays
that investigate historical events, and in essays that address current
problems, the writer may not always be able to provide absolutely certain
answers, but may still wish to provide the reader with some resolution.
When a writer speculates, her statements should be closely tied to the
information in the earlier parts of the essay; the conclusion must always
be grounded in what the writer has already explored.
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