Introduction To Essay

CHAPTER 15
The Introduction,
the Conclusion,
and the Title
A: The Introduction
B: The Conclusion
C: The Title
A
catchy title and introduction are important parts of an essay. Both attract the
reader’s attention and make him or her want to read on. The conclusion of
an essay performs a different job, leaving the reader with something to think
about or with a sense of why the topic matters. Most writers polish these three
elements after they have planned and written the essay though, sometimes, a great
title or the idea for a good introduction might occur to them earlier. This chapter
will teach you how to write memorable introductions, conclusions and titles.
A. The Introduction
Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

An introduction has two functions in an essay. First, it contains the thesis statement
and, therefore, tells the reader what central idea will be developed in the rest of
the paper. Since the reader should be able to spot the thesis statement easily, it
should be given a prominent place—for example, the first or the last sentence in
the introduction. Second, the introduction has to interest the reader enough that he
or she will want to continue reading the paper.
138
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CHAPTER 15 The Introduction, the Conclusion, and the Title 139
Sometimes the process of writing the essay will help clarify your ideas about
how best to introduce it. So once you have completed your essay, you may wish
to revise and rewrite the introduction, making sure that it clearly introduces the
essay’s main idea.
There is no best way to introduce an essay, but you should certainly avoid
beginning your work with “I’m going to discuss” or “This paper is about.” You
needn’t tell the reader you are about to begin; just begin!
Here are six basic methods for beginning your composition effectively. In each
example, the thesis statement is italicized.
1. Begin with a single-sentence thesis statement. A single-sentence thesis

statement can be effective because it quickly and forcefully states the main idea of
the essay:
Time management should be a required course at this college.
● Note how quickly and clearly a one-sentence thesis statement can inform the
reader about what will follow in the rest of the essay.
2. Begin with a general idea and then narrow to a specific thesis statement.
The general idea gives the reader background information or sets the scene. Then
the topic narrows to one specific idea—the thesis statement. The effect is like a
funnel, from broad to narrow.
Few Americans stay put for a lifetime. We move from town to city to suburb,
from high school to college in a different state, from a job in one region to a better
job elsewhere, from the home where we raise our children to the home where
we plan to live in retirement. With each move we are forever making new friends, who
become part of our new life at that time.
—Margaret Mead and Rhoda Metraux, “On Friendship,” in A Way of Seeing
● What general idea precedes the thesis statement and then leads the reader to
focus on the specific main point of the essay?
● The rest of the essay will discuss how friendships change as people move.
3. Begin with an illustration or anecdote (a brief narrative). A brief illustration

or anecdote in the introduction of an essay makes the thesis statement more concrete
and vivid, a good technique for catching the reader’s interest.
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140 UNIT 4 Writing the Essay
The other day I was watching a Reebok commercial. It was about a young
male who, after purchasing a pair of sneakers, was walking down the street to
a smooth jazz tune. As this “pretty boy” walked in his new pair of sneakers, he
drew the attention of all in his path, especially the females. For a second I was
envious of this “dude.” I’ve been purchasing sneakers for over eighteen years,
and I haven’t had one girl look at me the way they did him during his thirty-
second stroll down some dark and filthy sidewalk. As I watched this ad and
others like it, I started to analyze the ads’ underlying message. I wondered why
the majority of sneaker ads are geared to inner-city youth, especially ads for brand-name
sneakers.
—Saladin Brown, Student, “The Illusion of Ads”
● Mr. Brown’s thesis poses a question that his essay will try to answer.
● What example does the writer provide to make the thesis statement more
concrete?
● The rest of the essay will discuss the reasons why athletic shoe advertisers seem
to target inner-city males.
4. Begin with a surprising fact or idea. A surprising fact or idea arouses the
reader’s curiosity about how you will support this initial startling statement.
Millions of law-abiding Americans are physically addicted to caffeine—and most of

them don’t even know it. Caffeine is a powerful central nervous system stimulant
with substantial addiction potential. When deprived of their caffeine, addicts
experience often severe withdrawal symptoms, which may include a throbbing
headache, disorientation, constipation, nausea, sluggishness, depression, and
irritability. As with other addictive drugs, heavy users develop a tolerance and
require higher doses to obtain the expected effect.
—Tom Ferguson and Joe Graedon, “Caffeine,” Medical Self-Care
© fotolia

● Why are the facts in this introduction likely to startle or surprise the reader?
● The rest of the essay will discuss caffeine addiction in depth.
5. Begin with a contradiction. In this type of introduction, your thesis

statement contradicts what many or most people believe. In other words, your
essay will contrast your opinion with the widely held view.
49002_15_ch15_p138-146.indd 140 12/14/10 9:38 AM

When I became an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), I was excited by

the opportunity to assist others and save lives. Like most people, I didn’t think
of an EMT job as dangerous. After all, EMTs arrive after the accident or crime
has occurred, so the riskiest part of our work would seem to be the high-speed
ambulance ride to or from the scene. I never expected to encounter a situation
that put my life and my partner’s life in danger when we answered someone’s
call for help. But one night a year ago, responding to a 911 call to aid a gunshot
victim, we found ourselves in a situation that soon turned deadly dangerous.
—Marlena Torres Ballard, Student
● The writer first describes her excitement at becoming an EMT, and her initial
belief that the job was not dangerous.
● How does she then contradict this idea?
● The rest of the essay will tell the story of her frightening experience.
6. Begin with a direct quotation. A direct quotation is likely to catch your

reader’s attention and to show that you have explored what others have to say
about the subject. You can then proceed to agree or to disagree with the direct
quotation.
“All glory comes from daring to begin,” according to an old saying. The
last two-and-a-half-year chapter of my life shows just how true this saying is. It
started when I got laid off from my job at the furniture manufacturing plant in
Morganton, North Carolina. I had worked there for ten years after high school
and assumed I always would. The chapter ended with me wearing a light blue
cap and gown, walking across the stage to receive my college degree in dental
assisting as my family and friends cheered me on. By daring to find a new path and
stay on it through the hardships, I have changed my life for the better.
—Sam Chaich, Student
Of course, definitions, comparisons, or any of the other kinds of devices you

have already studied can also make good introductions. Just make sure that the
reader knows exactly which sentence is your thesis statement.
B. The Conclusion
A conclusion signals the end of the essay and leaves the reader with a final thought.
As with the introduction, you may wish to revise and rewrite the conclusion once
49002_15_ch15_p138-146.indd 141 12/14/10 9:38 AM

you have completed your essay. Be certain your conclusion flows logically from
the body of the essay.
Like introductions, conclusions can take many forms, and the right one for
your essay depends on how you wish to complete your paper—with what thought
you wish to leave the reader. However, never conclude your paper with “As I said
in the beginning,” and try to avoid the overused “In conclusion” or “In summary.”
Don’t end by saying you are going to end; just end!
Here are three ways to conclude an essay.
1. End with a call to action. The call to action says that in view of the facts and
ideas presented in this essay, the reader should do something.
Single-gender schools work. As we have seen, boys-only and girls-only

middle and high schools help steer young people toward academic achievement
and higher self-esteem. Showing off for the opposite sex, dating too early, and,
especially in the case of girls, failing to raise their hands for fear of outshining the
boys, are problems avoided altogether in single-gender environments. Parents
and concerned citizens must contact their representatives and school boards to
demand the option of single-gender schools. We owe it to our children to fight
for the schools that truly serve them.
● What does the writer want the reader to do?
2. End with a final point. Make a point that follows from the ideas or experiences
discussed in your essay. Some writers also summarize their main ideas, but if you
do this, be sure to add a new point or thought; don’t just repeat what you have
already said.
The next morning I had an eerie feeling of remorse and buried the birds in
the back yard. The BB gun ended up lying on the ground and rusting into the
earth. I think that this experience is the reason I chose not to become a hunter. I

understand having to kill an animal for food, but I do not agree with killing an
animal just for sport. I still like to shoot guns today but only at brightly colored
targets taped to a board.
—Shannon Holman, Student, “The Daisy”
● With what final point does Holman end the essay?
49002_15_ch15_p138-146.indd 142 12/14/10 9:38 AM

3. End with a question. By ending with a question, you leave the reader with a
final problem that you wish him or her to think about.
Yes, it is embarrassing to speak with our children about sex. We will feel
awkward not knowing what to say, stymied as they resist the discussion.
However, knowing the pressures that kids today face, the terrible examples
bombarding them from popular culture, and the real threat of diseases, can we
afford not to?
—Amelia Garcia, Student, “Talking to Kids about Sex”
● What problem does the writer’s final question point to?
C. The Title
If you are writing just one paragraph, chances are that you will not need to give it
a title, but if you are writing a multiparagraph essay, a title is definitely in order.
The title is centered on the page above the body of the composition and
separated from it by several blank lines (about 1 inch of space), as shown here.
about 11Ⲑ2
Title
about 1"
If you are writing just one
paragraph, chances are that
you will not be required to
give it a title, but if you are
writing a multiparagraph theme,
a title is definitely in order.

The title is centered on the
page above the body of the
essay and separated from it by
several blank lines (about 1 inch
of space).
49002_15_ch15_p138-146.indd 143 12/14/10 9:38 AM

● Do not put quotation marks around the title of your own paper.
● Do not underline or italicize the title of your own paper.
● Remember, unlike the topic sentence, the title is not part of the first paragraph; in
fact, it is usually only four to five words long and is rarely an entire sentence.
A good title has two functions: to suggest the subject of the essay and to
spark the reader’s interest. Although the title is the first part of your essay the
reader sees, the most effective titles are usually written after the essay has been
completed.
To create a title, reread your essay, paying special attention to the thesis
statement and the conclusion. Try to come up with a few words that express the
main point of your paper.
Here are some basic kinds of titles.
1. The most common title used in college writing is the no-nonsense

descriptive title. In this title, stress key words and ideas developed in the essay:
Anger in the Work of Jamaica Kincaid

Advantages and Disadvantages of Buying on Credit
2. Two-part titles are also effective. Write one or two words stating the general
subject, and then add several words that narrow the topic:
Rumi: Poet and Mystic

Legal Gambling: Pro and Con
3. Write the title as a rhetorical question. Then answer the question in your
essay:

What Can Be Done About the High Price of Higher Education?
Are Athletes Setting Bad Examples?
49002_15_ch15_p138-146.indd 144 12/14/10 9:38 AM

4. Relate the title to the method of development used in the essay (see Unit 3
and Chapters 16 and 17):
Illustration: Democracy in Action

Three Roles I Play
Narration: The Development of Jazz
Edwidge Danticat: The Making of a Storyteller
Description: Portrait of a Scientist
A Waterfront Scene
Process: How to Start a Book Group
How to Get in Shape Fast
Definition: What It Means to Be Unemployed
A Definition of Respect
Comparison: Two Country Stars Who Crossed Over
Unconventional Dads: Homer Simpson and Tony
Soprano
Contrast: Pleasures and Problems of Owning a Home
Montreal: City of Contrasts
Classification: Three Types of Soap Operas
What Kind of E-mail User Are You?
Cause and Effect: What Causes Whales to Beach Themselves?
The Effects of Divorce on Children
Persuasion: Internet Pornography Should Be Banned
The Need for Metal Detectors in Our Schools
Use this list the next time you title a paper.*

* For more on how to capitalize in titles, see Chapter 37, “Mechanics,” Part B.
49002_15_ch15_p138-146.indd 145 12/14/10 9:38 AM

EXPLORING ONLINE
http://www.powa.org
Click “thesis/support essays” and scroll to “introductions and conclusions.”
Read more about beginning and ending your essays effectively.
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
Under “essay and research paper level,” scroll to “beginnings”
for lively sample introductions, plus tips for the writer.
Basic Writing CourseMate

Basic Writing CourseMate, a complement to your textbook, includes practices
and quizzes, videos to accompany the readings, career and job-search resources,
ESL help, and live links to every Exploring Online in the book. To access this
resource, please visit www.cengagebrain.com, and enter the ISBN of this title
(from the back cover of your book) into the search box at the top of the page.
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CHAPTER 15

Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

49002_15_ch15_p138-146.indd 138 12/14/10 9:38 AM

1. Begin with a single-sentence thesis statement. A single-sentence thesis

Time management should be a required course at this college.

3. Begin with an illustration or anecdote (a brief narrative). A brief illustration

49002_15_ch15_p138-146.indd 139 12/14/10 9:38 AM

Millions of law-abiding Americans are physically addicted to caffeine—and most of

Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

● The rest of the essay will discuss caffeine addiction in depth.

5. Begin with a contradiction. In this type of introduction, your thesis

49002_15_ch15_p138-146.indd 140 12/14/10 9:38 AM

When I became an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), I was excited by

● How does she then contradict this idea?

6. Begin with a direct quotation. A direct quotation is likely to catch your

Of course, definitions, comparisons, or any of the other kinds of devices you

49002_15_ch15_p138-146.indd 141 12/14/10 9:38 AM

Single-gender schools work. As we have seen, boys-only and girls-only

● What does the writer want the reader to do?

Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

● With what final point does Holman end the essay?

49002_15_ch15_p138-146.indd 142 12/14/10 9:38 AM

● What problem does the writer’s final question point to?

a title is definitely in order.

49002_15_ch15_p138-146.indd 143 12/14/10 9:38 AM

1. The most common title used in college writing is the no-nonsense

Anger in the Work of Jamaica Kincaid

Rumi: Poet and Mystic

Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

49002_15_ch15_p138-146.indd 144 12/14/10 9:38 AM

Illustration: Democracy in Action

Use this list the next time you title a paper.*

49002_15_ch15_p138-146.indd 145 12/14/10 9:38 AM

Basic Writing CourseMate

Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

49002_15_ch15_p138-146.indd 146 12/14/10 9:38 AM

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