WriteMyPapers.net How to Write an Essay Introduction and Conclusion (and the Five Openings to Avoid)
In short
- An introduction answers three questions: what is the topic, what is my argument, how will I proceed?
- Write it last, or at least revise it last, so it matches the essay you actually wrote.
- A conclusion synthesises; it does not summarise or add new evidence.
- Avoid dictionary definitions, “since the dawn of time” and “in conclusion”.
Introductions and conclusions are the shortest parts of an essay and the ones students agonise over most. They also do disproportionate work: the introduction sets the reader's expectations, and the conclusion is the last thing they read before writing a mark. Writing centres agree on what works, and on what does not.
What an introduction must do
The UNC Writing Center calls the introduction "an important road map for the rest of your paper". By the end of it, a reader should know:
- the topic and why it is worth discussing;
- your argument (the thesis statement);
- how the paper will proceed.
UNC suggests a simple test: give your introduction to a friend. If they can predict the rest of the paper accurately, it works.
Strategies that work
- Start from the question. UNC's first piece of advice is to begin by "thinking about the question (or questions) you are trying to answer". Your opening should lead towards that question, not away from it.
- Pitch the breadth correctly. Give enough context to place the topic, but do not start with all of human history.
- Open with something specific. An intriguing example, a short scenario, a precise statistic (cited), a closely relevant quotation, or a genuine puzzle.
- Make the first sentence count. It should say something only your essay could say.
- Write it last. Drafting the introduction after the body means it describes the essay you wrote, not the one you planned.
Example
Weak: "Since the dawn of time, people have needed somewhere to live. Housing is very important. This essay will discuss student housing."
Stronger: "In 2024–25 the average room in purpose-built student accommodation in London cost more per year than the largest maintenance loan available to students living there. That gap raises a practical question for universities: should they guarantee first-year housing? This essay argues that they should, because …"
(The London figure comes from the Unipol/HEPI Accommodation Costs Survey 2024; a real essay would cite it, as we would in a reference list.)
Five openings markers are tired of
UNC lists the introductions that rarely work:
- The placeholder: vague sentences that only fill the introduction space.
- The restated question: a paragraph repeating the prompt.
- The dictionary definition: "Webster's defines…"; ineffective simply because it is so overused.
- "The dawn of man": sweeping claims about "throughout human history".
- The book report: title, author, date and plot the reader already knows.
What a conclusion must do
A conclusion answers the reader's last question: so what? UNC's handout on conclusions recommends several strategies:
- Play the "So what?" game. Ask "so what?" about your thesis and answer it, then ask again.
- Synthesise, don't summarise. Show how your points fit together, rather than listing them again.
- Return to the opening. Echo the scenario, image or key term you started with, now seen in a new light.
- Point to broader implications, propose a course of action, or name the questions that remain open.
What to avoid in a conclusion
- Opening with "In conclusion", "In summary" or "In closing": they read as stiff on the page.
- Stating the thesis for the first time.
- Introducing a new idea or subtopic.
- Repeating the thesis word for word.
- Emotional appeals out of character with an analytical essay.
- New evidence (quotations, statistics) that belongs in the body.
Example
Weak: "In conclusion, this essay has discussed three reasons why universities should guarantee housing. Housing is important for students."
Stronger: "Guaranteeing first-year housing is often framed as a cost. The evidence considered here suggests it is better understood as an investment in completion: the students most exposed to the private rental market are those a university is most likely to lose. The open question is not whether to act but how to fund it, and that is where the next debate should be."
Two checklists before you submit
Introduction
- Does the first sentence say something specific to this essay?
- Is the context just broad enough to place the question, and no broader?
- Is the thesis the last sentence, and does it answer the question asked?
- Can a reader predict the order of your main sections?
- Have you avoided definitions, sweeping history and restating the prompt?
Conclusion
- Does it restate the thesis in new words, informed by the body?
- Does it show how your reasons fit together, rather than listing them?
- Does it answer "so what?", with an implication, recommendation or open question?
- Is there no new evidence and no new argument?
- Does it echo the opening, if that helps the reader see how far the essay has come?
The body paragraphs between them follow their own pattern; our argumentative essay structure guide covers it, with a reusable outline.
Can I use a question or a quotation to open?
Yes, if it is closely tied to your argument and you answer it straight away. A rhetorical question that the essay never returns to, or a famous quotation that could open any essay on the topic, weakens the start. Ask yourself whether the opening would still make sense at the top of someone else's essay; if it would, find something more specific.
How long should they be?
As a rule of thumb, introduction and conclusion together take about 15–20% of the word count: roughly 150–250 words each in a 2,000-word essay. Check your course handbook; some disciplines expect a longer literature-based introduction.
A note on integrity
Openings and closings are where your voice is most visible. Learn the moves from guides and examples, then write your own. Your university's academic integrity policy applies to every sentence, including the first and the last.
Sources
- The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Introductions and Conclusions.
- Unipol and HEPI, Priced Out? The Accommodation Costs Survey 2024: London Edition (December 2024).