Introductions

1
Introductions

• Your introduction will be the first paragraph of
  your essay.
• The thesis should appear at the end of the
  introduction.
• Do not begin your introduction with a question.
• Do not begin your introduction with a scope
  greater than the geographical and historical
  scope of your essay. Never write, Since the
  beginning of time or Throughout history.

2
Introductions

• Your introduction is meant to orient your reader.
  Where are you talking about? When? What are
  you proposing to leave, and what direction are
  you proposing to go in?
• You should touch on every key element in your
  thesis in your introduction. Your introduction,
  first of all, introduces your thesis.
• With regard to a government or an institution,
  the area of responsibility of the government or
  institution might be enough to introduce that
  element in your thesis.

3
Introductions

• Do not use a hook. Your introduction should be
  interesting, but that is because your thesis
  should be interesting to the people who are
  affected by the problem you are addressing.

4
Conclusions

• Your conclusion should restate your thesis in a
  way that is made possible by the points of your
  essay. Your concluding thesis will probably be
  slightly longer than the thesis of your
  introduction.
• Your conclusion should give a sense of
  completeness to your essay.
• Your conclusion should reinforce your thesis.

5
Conclusions

• Do not introduce material in your conclusion that
  will distract from your thesis.
• Do not introduce material in your conclusion that
  is essential to your thesis. That material
  should be in the body of your essay.
• Do not introduce objections or limitations in
  your conclusion. If it is necessary to
  explicitly discuss objections or limitations then
  discuss them in the body of your essay.

6
Conclusions

• A conclusion will likely point to the collective
  future that you anticipate if your proposal is
  accepted.