How to Write Incredible

Introductions and
Captivating Conclusions
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Created by Dianne Mason

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TO THE INSTRUCTIOR:
Common Core requires that when writing informational texts students know how to
introduce a topic and how to write a concluding statement that supports the information
presented in the writing. This handout is useful as a mini-lesson for students about how to
open and close their essays. I go over it with them in class before they write their first
essay and we look at numerous examples from newspaper articles, novels, short stories,
and essays.
One fun activity is to assign them different types of openings and closings and have them
search for examples in books, newspaper, or magazines. Be sure to have them bring in
copies of the opening paragraph and the concluding one for essays they find so that they
can see how the two are tied together.

Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason

How to write incredible introductions

The first thing you have to do as a writer is to grab your readers attention, and I dont
mean by saying Hey, you! or Psst or yelling Fire. You can, however, do any of the
following:

Tell them a story.

Everybody loves a good tale. It was a dark and stormy night. Once upon a time
You wont believe what happened. Of course you would never actually begin your
essay like this, but you get the general idea.

Surprise them.
Who doesnt like to be startled with unexpected facts?
A deer is more likely to kill you than a shark.
Too little sleep can shrink your brain.
A cockroach can live several weeks with its head cut off.

Quote someone famous or not so famous.

We tend to pay attention to what famous people say. As for not so famous ones, quoting
them is a bit like eavesdropping, and you know how much we all like to do that.
To be or not to be, that is the question. (Shakespeare)
Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your
country. (John F. Kennedy)
Just because you can, doesnt mean you should. (My mother)

Ask a question.
That always gets someones attention. Well, almost always. Maybe not when theyre
texting or watching an exciting football game.
Is bigger always better? Is more better than less? Is new necessarily better
than old?
Have you ever wondered what your dog is thinking?
Why did John Wilkes Booth shoot Lincoln?

Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason

Relate your topic to recent news.

Yesterday, yet another teenager died after falling off a cliff at Stone
Mountain State Park.
Exit polls show that in the presidential election last week, 1% more people
under age 25 voted than in 2008.
Investigation of the four-alarm fire at the lakeside apartments reveals that
the fire started when a deep fat turkey fryer exploded a wooden deck.

Justify your qualifications.

Lets face it. People listen if they think you know what youre talking about. So tell them.
I have been a Master Gardener for fifteen years, and Id like to share my
knowledge of how to grow healthy, delicious tomatoes without using
pesticides.
As the mother of triplets, I feel uniquely qualified to give advice on how to
cope with the terrible twos.

Give background information leading to a stated thesis.

This approach works when you know your audience is interested in your topic or on
exams when you dont have much time.
Every year, millions of parents in America face the dilemma of whether or
not to put their child in day care. With so many two-income families, this
decision is becoming more and more commonplace. Many parents fear day
care will have an adverse affect on their child. Those parents can relax.
Research shows that children benefit emotionally, socially, and cognitively
from a good daycare experience.

There you have it 7 tried and true ways to hook your reader.
IMPORTANT! BE WISE! READ AND HEED THIS ADVICE!
No matter how engaging your anecdote, how amazing your
startling fact, how memorable your quotation, or how
important your question is doesnt matter unless you relate
your opening directly to your topic. After you grab your
readers attention, tell them your purpose and main idea.
You do that with a thesis statement.

Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason

Avoid at all costs.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

In this essay I will___________.

This paper will show that ____________.
Throughout history___________.
Websters defines _________ as________.
I am going to explain the ____________.

Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason

How to write captivating conclusions

A good conclusion tells the reader, Okay, Im finished. Thats it. There isnt any
more. Its all over now. Sayonara.
Here are some basic principles:
Keep it short.
Never leave them turning the page looking for the rest of your paper.
Leave them room to think and feel for themselves.
Offer a surprise that seems inevitable.
Stay away from tired endings such as and in conclusion, as we have seen,
and in summary.
A good conclusion also arises naturally from what comes before. It is a logical outgrowth
of the essay. Like the introduction, the conclusion relates directly to the topic and the
main idea.
Below are 6 ways to end your essay. Bear in mind, this is not an exhaustive list. The best
conclusions arise naturally from what comes before.

A reminder statement
You dont have to include all the points from your essay. Find a fresh way to state your
thesis.
Thesis: If youre in the market for a cat or dog, you should consider adopting from
a local shelter because it will save you money, save a life, and cut down on the
over-population of dogs and cats.
Conclusion: Remember, your adoption fee supports the work of the animal shelter
and therefore enables even more pets to be adopted rather than euthanized.

Quotation
This works very nicely, especially if youve opened with a quotation and can quote from
the same person again. Remember, however, it must be pertinent, not just tacked on.
Thesis: Scientists are not exactly sure why humans need sleep, but lack of sleep
has detrimental effects on a persons health.

Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason

Conclusion: Until scientists unravel the mystery of sleep, perhaps its best to
think of it as Shakespeare did when he wrote the following in Macbeth: Sleep that
knits up the ravelld sleave of care,/ the death of each days life/ sore labours
bath,/ balm of hurt minds, great natures second course,/ chief nourisher in lifes
feast. Night, night!

Prediction
You know what that means telling what you think the future holds.
The next time you go diving, you will know how to_____.
In no time at all, you will be able to _________________.
Someday scientists will unravel the mystery of sleep and figure out a way for
humans to get its benefits without actually having to do it.

Summary statement
This is a common conclusion, but it can be sort of boring.
Thesis: The human eye belongs to a general group of eyes found in nature called
camera-type eye because the individual components of the eye work in a manner
similar to an analog camera.
Conclusion: Vision is a complicated process and each eye is unique. However,
the structures function much like an analog camera. The cornea acts as the
viewfinder. The pupil changes size like the aperture and the lens corresponds to
the lens of a camera. The retina functions like film.

An invitation or challenge
You can ask the reader to take action.
Thesis: The territorial defensive behavior of peregrine falcons fluctuates based
on three factors: the time of year, the breeding cycle, and the cause for defense.
Conclusion: Much remains to be learned about these fierce, beautiful fighters.
You can help with conservation efforts by joining The Peregrine Fund, a non-profit
organization dedicated to protecting birds of prey.

Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason

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Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason

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Copyright 2012 Dianne Mason