Writing

Introductions &

Conclusions

Presented by

Level 3 Library Extension learningsupport@bond.edu.au

Library Extension

Why are they important?

•Introductions are the first impression

•Conclusions are the last impression

Introductions

•No one way of doing it – different approaches

•Background info

•Road map

•Reader is left with no surprises

•Don’t have to do it first! Can come back to it later and tweak it.

Typical contents of an introduction

•Give background information about the subject

•Orientate the reader

•Definitions/History (where necessary)

•Why it is an important area

•Thesis statement – what are you going to talk about (in order) / sentence summary of your essay

•Give background information about the subject

•Orientate the reader

•Definitions/History (where necessary)

•Why it is an important area

•Thesis statement – what are you going to talk about (in order)

Typical ‘shape’ of an introduction

Example introduction

Writing an academic assignment is extremely important for students. This will be one of the main criteria that is used to assess their knowledge, which in turn is reflected in the final grade. As Roberts (2009, p.22) explains it, “a student’s ability to write dictates a huge amount in university”. However, for many people, both native and non-native speakers, it is a daunting task and one that raises several challenges particularly in the areas of organisation, style and grammar.