Introductions and Conclusions

Introductions and Conclusions Research 2010 Kirkland/Krieger

Introduction • This is your essays first impression: DO NOT START with an attention getter that is boring or off topic. • Intrigue the reader to continue reading. • Sets the tone for the ENTIRE ESSAY

Attention Getter • Attention getting techniques • Begin with an intriguing question: NOT A RHETORICAL ONE! • Begin with an anecdote (story) or an example. • Begin with a related quote. • Begin with background material, but make sure it is attention getting and NOT BORING!

Link • The sentence between your attention getter and your thesis. • This is the information that connects the attention getter to the thesis. • Ways this can be done is: • Providing explanations of relevance. • Why does it matter? • Background information.

THESIS TIME! • Your final sentence, as you already all have written is your THESIS which appears at the end of your introduction.

Example of Intro with Quote: • “At first if was just plain startling. Word from Scotland…(says) that a scientist named Ian Wilmut had succeeded in cloning an adult mammal – a feat long thought impossible,” (Wray 1). This new breakthrough in science brought more questions than answers. Cloning is a controversial subject, but for many years, scientists have attempted to master their theories. • KarissaKister 2009

Example using a story: • Imagine a platoon of six men being charged by German soldiers in World War II. On foot, they would never make it, and the Germans are closing fast. They hop into their Willys MB Jeep, two in front and four in the rear. One of the men in the back mounts the artillery machine gun, and begins defending the read of the vehicle. With the Germans now only twenty yards away and closing, the driver puts the Jeep into gear. Some believe that the Jeep won the war for the allies in the 1940’s, and at same strong but little vehicle still plays an important role in our society today. Since World War II, the Jeep has evolved into a very useful SUV and has quite the story to tell. • Eli Horyza 2009

Conclusion • A conclusion must: • Not repeat key words from the essay • Leave the reader with a finished feeling to the paper • Answer the “so what?” question, connecting the topic to the bigger picture….WHY DOES THIS MATTER TO US!

Conclusion • Ways to end your paper: • End with a final comment or example • Refer to the attention getter and how it is resolved…this will most likely be if your attention getter had a story involved. • Use a quotation to sum this up. If you use this, make sure you lead into the quote by explaining its relevance. Do not rely on the reader to make the connection for you.

Example conclusion: • Cloning is “science fiction comes to life. And a scary science fiction at that” (Wray 1). Cloning, just like any other new scientific breakthrough, will have its moment of fame and its place in history. However you look at it, cloning is a major topic. • KarissaKister 2009

Story Conclusion • So as the Germans charged the Willys MB, it’s little engine started to hum, it’s wheels begin to turn, and the gunfire grows more and more intense. The American soldiers literally put the pedal to the metal and sped out of the situation. If it hadn’t been for the Jeep, they would never have made it and their children would have no fathers. Thanks to the vehicle known today, the allies won the war and saved America. • Eli Horyze 2009

Introductions and Conclusions