essay+writing+&+conclusions

An introduction to an essay It is a point of view formulated by critically assessing the information or **ideas** relevant to the **essay** topic. Points on how to write an essay An essay is a well researched and logically structured answer to a particular question, or questions, usually presented as an argument. It is a point of view formulated by critically assessing the information or ideas relevant to the essay topic. It is presented in the form of a series of main points which support your direct answer to the question. Each of these points is addressed in a separate paragraph and is supported with evidence, explanation and/or examples. The argument presented in an essay should be supported by referencing authorities in the relevant field. The argument should also form a cohesive whole: this means the paragraphs need to be logically ordered and connections made between the points presented in those paragraphs. Essays are used as an assessment tool to evaluate your ability to research a topic and construct an argument, as well as your understanding of subject content. This does not mean that essays are a 'regurgitation' of everything your lecturer has said throughout the course. Essays are your opportunity to explore in greater depth aspects of the course - theories, issues, texts, etc. - and in some cases relate these aspects to a particular context. It is your opportunity to articulate your ideas, but in a certain way: using formal academic style. In any type of writing or presentation you need to consider the institutional context (the university), and your audience (who will be reading your essay). These elements influence the style and tone of your writing. In most instances your writing should be formal and typically objective. This means everyday language and slang as well as unsubstantiated opinion is unsuitable in the context of an academic essay. Furthermore, students write essays for their tutors and lecturers: in other words, as a student you are in the uncomfortable position of writing about a topic for someone who most likely knows more about it than you do! You are writing for someone who is familiar with the content, as well as the conventions and practices of the discipline, and in your own writing it is expected that you adapt your writing to suit this context. = Conclusions =

This handout will explain the functions of conclusions, offer strategies for writing effective ones, help you evaluate your drafted conclusions, and suggest conclusion strategies to avoid.

Introductions and conclusions can be the most difficult parts of papers to write. While the body is often easier to write, it needs a frame around it. An introduction and conclusion frame your thoughts and bridge your ideas for the reader. Just as your introduction acts as a bridge that transports your readers from their own lives into the "place" of your analysis, your conclusion can provide a bridge to help your readers make the transition back to their daily lives. Such a conclusion will help them see why all your analysis and information should matter to them after they put the paper down. Your conclusion is your chance to have the last word on the subject. The conclusion allows you to have the final say on the issues you have raised in your paper, to summarize your thoughts, to demonstrate the importance of your ideas, and to propel your reader to a new view of the subject. It is also your opportunity to make a good final impression and to end on a positive note. Your conclusion can go beyond the confines of the assignment. The conclusion pushes beyond the boundaries of the prompt and allows you to consider broader issues, make new connections, and elaborate on the significance of your findings. Your conclusion should make your readers glad they read your paper. Your conclusion gives your reader something to take away that will help them see things differently or appreciate your topic in personally relevant ways. It can suggest broader implications that will not only interest your reader, but also enrich your reader's life in some way. It is your gift to the reader. [|top]

One or more of the following strategies may help you write an effective conclusion.  ·  Play the "So What" Game. If you're stuck and feel like your conclusion isn't saying anything new or interesting, ask a friend to read it with you. Whenever you make a statement from your conclusion, ask the friend to say, "So what?" or "Why should anybody care?" Then ponder that question and answer it. Here's how it might go: You: //Basically, I'm just saying that education was important to Douglass.// Friend: //So what?// You: //Well, it was important because it was a key to him feeling like a free and equal citizen.// Friend: //Why should anybody care?// You: //That's important because plantation owners tried to keep slaves from being educated so that they could maintain control. When Douglass obtained an education, he undermined that control personally.// You can also use this strategy on your own, asking yourself "So What?" as you develop your ideas or your draft.  ·  Return to the theme or themes in the introduction. This strategy brings the reader full circle. For example, if you begin by describing a scenario, you can end with the same scenario as proof that your essay is helpful in creating a new understanding. You may also refer to the introductory paragraph by using key words or parallel concepts and images that you also used in the introduction.  ·  Synthesize, don't summarize: Include a brief summary of the paper's main points, but don't simply repeat things that were in your paper. Instead, show your reader how the points you made and the support and examples you used fit together. Pull it all together.  ·  Include a provocative insight or quotation from the research or reading you did for your paper.  ·  Propose a course of action, a solution to an issue, or questions for further study. This can redirect your reader's thought process and help her to apply your info and ideas to her own life or to see the broader implications.  ·  Point to broader implications. For example, if your paper examines the Greensboro sit-ins or another event in the Civil Rights Movement, you could point out its impact on the Civil Rights Movement as a whole. A paper about the style of writer Virginia Woolf could point to her influence on other writers or on later feminists. [|top]

 ·  Beginning with an unnecessary, overused phrase such as "in conclusion," "in summary," or "in closing." Although these phrases can work in speeches, they come across as wooden and trite in writing.  ·  Stating the thesis for the very first time in the conclusion.  ·  Introducing a new idea or subtopic in your conclusion.  ·  Ending with a rephrased thesis statement without any substantive changes.  ·  Making sentimental, emotional appeals that are out of character with the rest of an analytical paper.  ·  Including evidence (quotations, statistics, etc.) that should