Writing Intros and Conclusions

The purpose of an intro is to...

• Ask a question for the whole essay

• Outline your entire argument for the reader

• Hook the audience and state your thesis

• Surprise the audience

Every intro should start with

• A statistic

• A quote

• Your thesis

• Anything that hooks the reader

What is a good "hook"?

• An interesting statistic

• A short, but interesting quote

• An anecdote about you

• All of the above

Where should your thesis go?

• At the beginning of the intro

• At the end of the intro

• In the middle of the intro

• Wherever you see fit

What is a thesis?

• Your argument for the essay

• A summary of the essay

• Your first piece of evidence

• An outline of your evidence

What goes in the thesis?

• Quotes you will use

• The topics of your paragraphs, in order.

• Statistics you will use

• None of the above

What is a conclusion?

• A retelling of your thesis

• A summary of the whole essay

• A reminder of the thesis and a satisfyingly finish

• A look to the future after your argument

The "satisfying finish" is...

• The bigger importance of your argument. "So what."

• A hook like your intro

• A cliffhanger at the end

• Your thesis retold

You should avoid...

• "What I'm going to write about..."

• "In conclusion..."

• "In summary"

• All of the above

How long should your intro and conclusion be?

• 1-2 sentences

• 3-5 sentences

• 5-7 sentences

• As long as you need