Purpose of Introductions

What good is a movie if no one comes to see it? If a movie has a bland trailer, would you spend your time and hard-earned money to buy a ticket and watch it? It is likely that you would not spend cash or leisure time on something that did not catch your interest. Movie studios spend a lot of money to entice you to see their movies. According to 2009 figures, it is typical to spend $50 million selling a movie that cost $100 million to make (Roos, 2009). Now, that is an impressive amount of money and effort just to get audiences into theaters.

Therefore, if you imagine that the body of the essay is the “movie,” you still need to draw in the audience first. Your introduction can play like a movie trailer. It gets people in the seats for your performance. Essay introductions not only grab the audience’s attention and set the scene for the essay, but they also identify the intended audience. The author’s message for readers shines through the introduction and thesis statement.

The introduction also sets the tone and informs the reader as to the subject matter of the essay. Just as the movie trailer gives you an indication of whether or not the movie is going to be action and adventure or a sweet romance, the introduction sets the tone for your essay and lets the reader know what kind of essay it will be. The introduction also gives the audience the background for your essay. The trailer voice-over may say, “In a world where animal zombies are attacking innocent humans, the humans must plan to escape.” While you likely will not use the phrase “in a world where …” in your introduction, you will be giving the background to understand the essay. It will also put your topic or argument into context. Why is your argument or topic important in the larger picture? Use your introduction to clue in your audience.

Purpose of Conclusions

Similarly, a great conclusion is of utmost importance as well. If this movie you are going to see has a great beginning, a great middle, and then the end fizzles, you are not going to leave the theater saying what a great movie it was. An ending that creates meaning for the audience and ends the movie on a satisfying note is essential to getting your audience to think about the movie long after it has ended.

The same can be said for your essays. Think of the hours you invest in creating this work. Do you want someone to leave your essay without turning it over in his or her mind? If you did not stimulate thought, did you complete your mission of writing the essay? What was its purpose if the reader drops your essay and never thinks about it again?

Not only do you want your audience to leave your essay thinking about the ideas you have brought to their attention, but also you will want to help motivate the readers perhaps to change their thoughts or actions regarding the topic as well. Truly, the purpose of writing an essay is not to tell your audience what they already know or leave their beliefs unchallenged. Instead, you want to discover a truth and make your audience walk away from your essay considering a new point of view or opening their minds to a different aspect of the truth.

Relationship between Introductions and Conclusions

Connecting your introduction and conclusions is also important. You do not want to start your essay talking about horses and ending with a discussion about clowns. You can connect your introduction and conclusion by bookending your introduction and conclusion. Bookending is starting and ending your essay with a common element, such as a story, a question and answer, or a quote. This is a good way to bring your topic home or remind the audience where you started your journey together and how far you have come. This creates cohesion in your essay. If you started your essay with an image of riding a horse, you could come back around to that image again in your conclusion, which will help your reader feel like your essay flows well together and is on the same topic throughout.

Parts of the Introduction

How can you grab a reader's attention? There are several ways to accomplish this. The first section of an introduction is called a hook. The hook may include:

• an interesting fact,
• a quotation,
• a fascinating paradox,
• a question,
• a story or anecdote,
• a provocative statement.

The hook may be another device designed to grab the audience’s attention and entice the audience to read the essay.

If you were writing an essay about how child abuse affects a child’s brain, a quote with some bit of knowledge that your audience may not be aware of is a great way to start. For example, “Abuse during childhood can change the structure and function of a brain, and increase the risk of everything from anxiety to suicide” (Cromie, 2007). Another option is to paraphrase that interesting fact in your own words, citing it still, of course. A fascinating paradox may be, “Child abuse of all forms harms children psychologically; however, physical damage to the brain can be sustained from emotional and sexual abuse as well as the more obvious forms of physical abuse.” To rephrase that as a question, you may ask, “Can physical damage to the brain be caused by all forms of child abuse?” In a story or anecdote, you perhaps would tell the true story of a person whose brain was damaged by child abuse. A provocative statement may be, “When one thinks of emotional abuse, damage and change to the brain is not the first thing that comes to mind.” You do not want to draw attention to the fact that you are writing an essay. Comments such as, “My essay will be about child abuse” are too general and note that you are writing an essay. The fact that your essay is an essay is already apparent to the reader.

The second part of an introduction is called setting the scene. Imagine that you were preparing to throw a birthday party at your home for your best friend. Would you merely leave your home looking as it normally does every day, or would you prepare it for the event to come? You would likely make it look as though a birthday party was taking place by hanging banners, decorating with multicolored balloons, and tossing streamers around the room. Similarly, you would prepare your reader for the thesis to come. You may set the scene in your paragraph by adding some brief, helpful background information to the material provided by your thesis. This information may include.

• historical background,
• cultural context,
• issues related to the topic,
• important authors or text that may be referenced, or
• an indication of why the topic is important.

If you are providing historical background about the issue, be sure to keep it relevant or you run the risk of losing your audience. Just provide enough information for your reader to feel competent about what he or she is reading. Similarly, it can be important to place your topic into culture context. How will your topic affect the culture in which your audience resides? Issues related to the topic will serve to bring the topic into context or focus. If you are referring to an expert or referencing important text in your essay, you may wish to bring them into your introduction as well to give some background. Also, let your audience know why your topic is important. Why should it matter to them?

For the paragraph about child abuse, the writer might add these sentences “Nearly everyone knows that child abuse is harmful to children and can lead to ill effects later in life. However, the reasons why abuse can lead to depression, anxiety, and suicide are not well known. People often assume it is because of psychological reasons that people who were abused as children suffer later in life.” This information prepares the audience for what kind of essay you will be writing and reminds them of what is commonly known about the issue you are writing about in your essay. The topic of child abuse and its effects are brought into cultural context in this case, as it is an assumption held by many Americans, one that often leads them to believe that psychological reasons cause people who were abused as children to suffer.

It is also important to identify the intended audience. Whom are you trying to attract with your writing? While a document may have readers you do not necessarily plan for, you do want to invite those individuals who will most benefit from your essay to read your writing. For example, you would not simply hope that people would show up to the birthday party mentioned previously. You would invite your friend's friends and lure the guest of honor to your house. You can signal whom you are inviting by what you write in your introduction.

Why does audience make a difference when you are trying to convey a message? The intended audience can alter your message and how you present it. In addition, the content of that message changes depending on the audience. A doctor explaining a new cancer treatment at a conference with other doctors would use different terminology and explanations than if he or she was talking to a patient about that same new treatment.

Practice Exercise

Your topic and what you write is dependent upon your audience. The writer of the example essay on child abuse wants to focus on an audience of parents, caregivers, and educators. Therefore, when the writer identifies the audience in the introduction paragraph, it would sound like this: “Parents, caregivers, and educators should be aware of the changes abuse can make to the developing brain.” By naming them, the writer has specifically invited parents, caregivers, and educators to the discussion occurring in the essay. If you are writing for a general audience, this step is not necessary; however, as you write, it is good to keep in mind the ideal audience for your essay. Even if you do not explicitly state the specific audience you are trying to attract to your essay, what you write will attract different audiences. For example, as you conduct research, you will notice that websites often are meant for a general audience, while a journal article might be meant for an academic or medical audience. The journal article may include words or concepts the general audience may not be as familiar with because its authors assume the article's audience will be other academics or doctors.

The last part of the introduction is your thesis statement, or where you establish your message for your audience. This is your chance to tell the audience what you want them to know and learn from all your hard work and research. This is the road map to your essay telling the audience exactly where you will be taking them on the journey that is your essay. The following is an example of an introduction paragraph. You can see the different parts noted throughout the paragraph.

Practice Exercise

Parts of the Conclusion

The final paragraph is the last thing the audience sees before they leave your essay and go off to think on their own about what you have discussed. You will want to wrap up the discussion in a satisfying way. You do not want to leave any topic unresolved. Have you ever watched a television show or a movie that ended with a cliffhanger? It probably left the story unresolved for you. Were you satisfied with that ending? Most people only end with a cliffhanger if there is another story coming that will resolve the cliffhanger. However, if that one story or essay is all there is on the topic, then a lot is left unsaid. Your audience may go away talking, but are they saying good things about your essay if you leave them hanging? Instead, wrap up in a fashion that completes the journey you have begun. This starts by creating meaning for the reader.

You create meaning for the reader by connecting with the hook you provided in the introduction paragraph of your essay. In the essay on child abuse, the section that creates meaning could look like this: “Physical damage to the brain can be caused by abuse occurring during childhood. This will affect the child for the rest of his or her life, making the child more prone to anxiety, depression, suicide, and perhaps even other mental and/or physical disorders.” The writer is connecting back to the hook by echoing the original quote, “Abuse during childhood can change the structure and function of a brain, and increase the risk of everything from anxiety to suicide” (Cromie, 2007). This also bookends the essay by reminding the audience of what we discussed in the introduction. You can bookend your conclusion by

• answering the question you asked in the introduction,
• concluding the story or anecdote you began in the introduction,
• coming back to an image you presented in the introduction,
• coming back to a quote or topic you mentioned in the introduction.

These items assist in “closing the book” on your topic and helping to create a satisfying ending.

The next section of the conclusion should inspire readers to continue thinking about your essay. Your audience might ask themselves, "How does this information apply to me?" You can make it apply by bringing it back around to them and reminding them of their place in your essay. In the example essay, the writer may say, “This is important for parents, caregivers, and educators to know so that they can minimize the future negative effects on the children in their care.” This statement answers the question of how knowing about the effects of child abuse on the brain applies to the audience. The audience of parents, caregivers, and educators should walk away from this essay knowing what it is you wanted them to ponder.

You not only want to inspire your readers, but also you want to motivate them to act or change thoughts or behaviors. After all, your hard work in writing this essay is not just to get a grade. When you graduate and begin your chosen profession, you will be writing to convince your audience, whether it will be in emails, memos, or reports. You will want to motivate your audience to take action or think in a new or different way.

In the essay about child abuse, the writer could state, “In addition, knowledge of past abuse will help identify potential areas of difficulty for the child.” If one knows about past abuse, you may be saying to your audience, one can change his or her behavior accordingly and help the child through his or her difficult times. Most parents, caregivers, and educators would want to achieve that goal of helping the child in question, and you gave them a way to apply the knowledge they have gained towards that goal. On the other hand, you may want your audience to consider a different point of view. Giving your audience the tools to apply the knowledge you have given them to their lives will help immensely.

On that note, you want to leave your audience with a satisfying conclusion. Wrapping up everything for the reader and tying up loose ends is a courtesy that your audience will expect. Remember the cliffhanger example? You definitely do not want to keep your audience wondering what is next when you have decided you are finished with your essay. Tying everything together is important. It makes a neat, digestible package for your readers. The writer concludes the essay on child abuse by noting: “Armed with this knowledge, perhaps people involved in a child’s life can better ensure brain health for the child in question.” The writer has told the audience everything he or she wanted them to know. The curtain has closed, or the credits are running at the end of the show. The audience can now leave the theater of your essay, full of things to talk about and do.

The following is the conclusion paragraph for the child-abuse essay with the puzzle pieces connected.

Practice Exercise

Critical-Thinking Applications

The following is the body of a short essay about ocean pollution and its effect on sea animals. How is the full essay similar to what you will be writing as a college student? In what way could it be seen as writing as a global citizen?

Practice writing introductions and conclusions by adding an introduction paragraph and a conclusion paragraph that fit with the short essay body.

One of the common ocean pollutants is sewage disposal. Untreated sewage represents 80% of the sewage that is pumped into the Mediterranean Sea. While many people feel that oil spills are responsible for most of the pollution in the ocean, only 12% of the oil in the ocean comes from oil spills. A lot more of it is caused by run-off waste flowing down rivers and drains. This represents a danger to sea animals (WWF, 2012).

Toxic chemicals are another major issue for our seas. Sometimes humans purposely dump these chemicals into the sea whereas others are absorbed from the environment. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) (2012), nearly every marine organism is contaminated by manufactured chemicals. These organisms range from plankton to whales. This is concerning when we think about preserving our sea life (WWF, 2012).

Not only are chemicals, sewage, and oil an issue for our sea animals, but “seas of garbage” (WWF, 2012) affect sea life. Six-pack rings choke animals in the sea. Plastics are often seen, mistakenly, as food by sea life. Plastic bags block the breathing passages and stomachs of marine animals. This is detrimental to the future of sea life.

In professional writing, introductions and conclusions are crucial. Imagine you are writing a cover letter. Today, nearly every job requires a cover letter along with a resume. Imagine you are composing a cover letter for a position you really want. How might the first paragraph look using the steps outlined in this section? What would the conclusion paragraph look like? You would be trying to motivate your potential employer to hire you. How could you inspire and motivate your audience in this case?

Introductions and conclusions are also crucial in informal, personal writing. For example, say the person you are interested in starts dating your best friend.

• How would you write an email to your best friend?
• What would you say to catch his or her attention?
• At the end of this email, how would you inspire him or her to perhaps change his or her thoughts about the situation and reconsider his or her position?
• Practice writing this email to your best friend in a loving spirit.

Chapter Review

Conclusion

A great beginning and a great ending will leave your audience discussing your essay, which is the purpose of writing an essay. Getting your audience to think about and consider your topic is an essential purpose of writing. Hooking your readers and explaining your topic’s relevance and purpose is vital—after all, if your audience picks up your essay and sets it right back down again, you have lost them and the chance to get them to consider your topic. The introduction grabs the audience’s attention and sets the stage for the body of your essay.

The conclusion is equally critical because it is the last opportunity to provoke thought and leave an impression of your topic. You may bookend with your introduction to create a sense of continuity throughout the essay. This creates an understandable, complete package for your reader. Like the conclusion of a movie, it answers the questions and concerns you have raised. A satisfying ending will tie up any loose ends or questions a reader might have and leave your reader with something to talk about.

References

Cromie, W. J. (2007). Childhood abuse hurts the brain. Harvard University Gazette. Retrieved from http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/2003/05.22/01-brain.html

Roos, D. (2009) "Why do movies cost so much to make?" Retrieved from http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/movie-cost.htm

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (n.d.) What is cyberbullying. Retrieved from http://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/what-is-it/index.html

World Wildlife Fund (WWF). (2012). Ocean pollution is a global threat. In D. A. Miller (Ed.), Current Controversies. Pollution. Detroit: Greenhaven Press. (Reprinted from Marine Problems: Pollution, n.d.) Retrieved from
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