Skip to content Show
Introductions and conclusions play a special role in the academic essay, and they frequently demand much of your attention as a writer. A good introduction should identify your topic, provide essential context, and indicate your
particular focus in the essay. It also needs to engage your readers’ interest. A strong conclusion will provide a sense of closure to the essay while again placing your concepts in a somewhat wider context. It will also, in some instances, add a stimulus to further thought. Since no two essays are the same, no single formula will automatically generate an introduction and conclusion for you. But the following guidelines will help you to construct a suitable beginning and end for your essay. Some general advice about introductions
How do I write an interesting, effective introduction?Consider these strategies for capturing your readers’ attention and for fleshing out your introduction:
In fleshing out your introduction, you will want to avoid some common pitfalls:
Some general advice about conclusions
How do I write an interesting, effective conclusion?The following strategies may help you move beyond merely summarizing the key points of your essay:
How does genre affect my introduction or conclusion?Most of the advice in this handout pertains to argumentative or exploratory academic essays. Be aware, however, that different genres have their own special expectations about beginnings and endings. Some academic genres may not even require an introduction or conclusion. An annotated bibliography, for example, typically provides neither. A book review may begin with a summary of the book and conclude with an overall assessment of it. A policy briefing usually includes an introduction but may conclude with a series of recommendations. Check your assignment carefully for any directions about what to include in your introduction or conclusion. How long should an intro be for a 5 page essay?The subject matter of each sentence therefore gets more specific as you go. If you're curious about how long your introduction should be, the rule of thumb is that it should be 20% of your total paper. So, a five page essay should have an introduction that is roughly one page.
Is a 300 word introduction too long?Nail the intro
As a general rule of thumb, introductions should be about 10 per cent of the total word count (so a 300 word introduction for a 3,000 word essay).
Is 200 words too long for an intro?It may be useful to think of the introduction as a signpost to what is coming up next in the essay; with this in mind, it is often written last. It is usually about 5-10% of the word count (100-200 words long for a 2000 word essay). Do avoid rewriting the question!
Is 3 sentences enough for an introduction?A good intro will be clear, brief, purposeful, and focused. While there are some exceptions to this rule, it's common for intro paragraphs to consist of three to five sentences.
|