1. Introduction & Conclusion Paragraphs

2. Introduction Paragraph
You know your introduction needs a clear thesis statement. But what else do you put in the paragraph?
To answer that question, think about the purpose of an introduction:

3. Introduction Paragraph
Introduce your topic
Create interest
Provide necessary background information
Identify your main idea
Preview the rest of your essay

4. Introduction Paragraph
Your thesis statement will identify your main idea and preview the rest of your essay.
You will probably place your thesis at the end of your introduction paragraph.
You can use the other sentences in your introduction to introduce your topic, create interest, and provide necessary background information.

5. Introduction Paragraph
What is one important goal you would like to achieve in the next few years?
In your essay, identify that one goal and explain how you plan to achieve it. Use your personal observations, experience, and knowledge to support your essay.

6. Introduction Paragraph
The paragraph below is an example introduction for this topic. As you read, think about what each sentence does within the paragraph.
What sentence(s) introduce the topic and create interest?
What sentence(s) provide background information?
What sentence(s) identify the main idea and preview the rest of the essay?

7. Introduction Paragraph
Making goals for myself and working toward them keeps me on my toes and makes my life interesting. There are many goals that I would like to achieve throughout my life. I have begun working toward many of them by looking into going back to school and thinking about what I’d like to do for a career. One major goal I would like to accomplish in the next few years is getting a better job. My plan to get a better job is to finish school, prepare a resume, and then search for jobs.

8. Introduction Paragraph
Making goals for myself and working toward them keeps me on my toes and makes my life interesting. There are many goals that I would like to achieve throughout my life.
Notice how the first two sentences introduce the topic and create interest in it.

9. Introduction Paragraph
I have begun working toward many of them by looking into going back to school and thinking about what I’d like to do for a career.
The third sentence provides some background information for the reader. Although this background information might not be absolutely necessary, it gives the reader some background for the essay and also creates interest in the topic.

10. Introduction Paragraph
One major goal I would like to accomplish in the next few years is getting a better job. My plan to get a better job is to finish school, prepare a resume, and then search for jobs.
The final two sentences identify the main idea and preview the rest of the essay.

11. Introduction Paragraph
Notice also the movement from general to specific in this paragraph. When you read carefully through the paragraph, you’ll notice that each sentence is a bit more specific than the last. It’s a good idea to move from general to specific like this in your introduction.

12. Conclusion Paragraph
It is important to have a strong conclusion, since this is the last chance you have to make an impression on your reader.
The goal of your conclusion isn’t to introduce any new ideas, but to sum up everything you’ve written.
Specifically, your conclusion should accomplish three major goals:

13. Conclusion Paragraph
Restate the main idea of your essay, or your thesis statement
Summarize the three subpoints of your essay
Leave the reader with an interesting final impression

14. Conclusion Paragraph
The paragraph below is an example conclusion for the sample essay topic. As you read, think about what each sentence accomplishes within the paragraph.
What sentence(s) restate the essay’s thesis statement?
What sentence(s) summarize the essay’s three subpoints?
What sentence(s) leave the reader with an interesting final impression?

15. Conclusion Paragraph
Getting a better job is a goal that I would really like to accomplish in the next few years. Finishing school will take me a long way to meeting this goal. To meet my goal, I will also prepare my resume and search for jobs. My goal may not be an easy one to achieve, but things that are worth doing are often not easy.

16. Conclusion Paragraph
Getting a better job is a goal that I would really like to accomplish in the next few years.
Notice that the first sentence restates the thesis.

17. Conclusion Paragraph
Finishing school will take me a long way to meeting this goal. To meet my goal, I will also prepare my resume and search for jobs.
The second and third sentences summarize the essay’s subpoints.

18. Conclusion Paragraph
My goal may not be an easy one to achieve, but things that are worth doing are often not easy.
Finally, the fourth sentence leaves the reader with an interesting final impression.

19. Conclusion Paragraph
No new information is presented in this paragraph.
Instead, the writer sums up what has been written so far and leaves the reader with a last thought.
While the content of the paragraph is very similar to the introduction, the paragraph itself is not exactly the same.

20. Conclusion Paragraph This is important.
Even though the goal of the conclusion is to restate a lot of the information from the introduction, it should sound different because the conclusion’s purpose is slightly different than the introduction.