ASU Writing Center - Online Handouts - Introductions and Conclusions

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INTRODUCTIONS AND CONCLUSIONS

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.