Writing Effective Introductions and Conclusions

Introduction

Although the body is a very important part of any essay, learning to write effective introductions and conclusions can make or break your essay. Contrary to the idea that what is presented in the body is all that counts, also consider that introductions and conclusions are truly the beautiful wrapping on the package. After all, who will want to bother reading the body of your subject if you have not presented it in a dynamic, intriguing manner. Likewise, ending your essay with a bland, confusing, or contradictory conclusion can leave your reader with a poor final judgment of your argument; it can literally wipe away all the hard work you did in developing your argument. This lesson will help you to write beginnings and endings that will have your audience anxious to read on and be satisfied at the finish.

Enticing Introductions

Ask yourself this question: When I begin to read any book, magazine, or newspaper article what is it that keeps me reading, or makes me stop reading? Interest, of course. That is the power of the introduction. Your essay is no different. You must catch your reading audience's attention from the very start, or run the risk of losing their interest and full attention. Later, in the body of your essay, you will continue to woo and persuade them, drawing them ever closer to your perfect ending. However, it is the introduction that will get them there.

So, how do writers develop a knack for capturing their audience at the start? Practice certainly accounts for a large part of that effectiveness, as does the ability to write well, but these are skills that develop over time; new essay writers need tools that can be used right now to create dynamic beginnings. Below are three Intro Tools you can use right now to capture your readers attention:

• The Hook
  
  The Hook is a line or sentence that really sparks the readers thinking or imagination. Think of it as a worm at the end of the fishing line. If you want the fish to bite, make sure the worm is juicy, fresh, and enticing.


• The Challenge
  
  The Challenge is a thought or idea that shakes up the norm. It literally shocks the reader by daring them to think differently or by opposing a standard they have long ingrained in their minds as true, correct, or "right."


• The What If
  
  The What If poses a potential possibility that the reader has never considered before. It presents an alternate way of looking at the subject you are presenting and peaks their interest for that very reason. People like alternatives.