Category / Academic Articles

by Copley Sutton

Writing a good introduction and conclusion for your essay

A good essay is like a good sandwich. All the good stuff is in the middle, but without the bread it just wouldn’t taste as good. In the same way, your essay should have an introduction and a conclusion to complement it with that sense of roundedness.

There are various ways you can implement your introduction and conclusion. Take a look at the following. You can implement one of these examples to guide you in writing your own, or you can combine a few of them.

 

Soggy bread sandwich

What some would consider an easy way out, one method suggests that you simply use the content that’s been written and just compress it to form your introduction and conclusion. This means that you would have to do this after the main content is written. Doing this can work, but some readers will find it redundant that you keep repeating information in a different way.

 

Whole wheat bread

However, if you word the introduction in a way that lets the reader look forward to the content, and then close off nicely with a conclusion that confirms that same content, the reader is more likely to enjoy the beginning, middle and end of your essay. Give your reader a healthy pre- and post look at what your essay body contains without making it obvious that you’re reiterating anything.

 

Toasted sandwich

If you think you’re creative enough, you can always write an introduction and conclusion that are completely original and separate from the content. Doing this gives the reader a bit more to think about, but be careful not to go off the topic. Both introduction and conclusion should complement the filling.

 

No butter, with a touch of mustard

An introduction that contains absolutely no spoilers is only effective if it has a good hook. Offering no spoilers, but still being able to promise something to look forward to, will fulfil the purpose of your introduction.

In a similar way, your conclusion can now be left without any further convincing. Leave the reader to make his or her own conclusion to what they’ve just read. If your filling is tasty enough, who needs butter?

 

The purpose of the introduction and conclusion is to bring everything you’ve written together. Choose the above method that best suits your essay. Whichever you choose, make sure your introduction and conclusion compliment your paper.

by Copley Sutton

6 tips that will help you improve the quality of an academic essay

If you’ve started writing—or have already written—your essay assignment, you may wonder why it’s lacking that X-factor that so often raises eyebrows and obtains an above average score. Looking back, of all the essays you’ve written in the past, the best are most probably the ones you actually enjoyed writing. Here are some ways to learn how to have fun during the writing of your essays.

 

Find a niche within your topic and drive it home

No matter what the topic, find an angle on that topic that fits in with your passion. You can’t go wrong with your essay if there’s some niche material mixed in that you can write on. If and when you have the freedom to choose your angle, or even your topic, write on something that you know and love so that the reader can see the passion through the words.

 

Take an unexpected turn

When you’re concentrating on working out an unexpected twist in your essay, you’ll hardly notice the work aspect of your writing. Intentionally surprise your reader with some wacky implications or whimsical results. A bit of comedy can also be a welcome addition, but be sure to know when to make a joke and when to remain sober minded.

 

Take breaks, and relax while you write

Good essays aren’t written in a hurry. Rather allocate yourself enough time to write the essay so that you won’t have to rush through it. You’ll find that once you’re relaxed, you write with more enjoyment, and end up finishing sooner than expected anyway.

 

Watch videos about your topic

It’s easier to relay information back in your own words if you get the information from a video as opposed to writing material. There are tons of free video materials on the internet where valuable research data can be extracted. Give these a view if you’re sick of reading up on your topic.

 

Ask an opinion on relevance

Once your essay is done, it can’t hurt to ask a professional writer what they think. They can even fix up a few edits you may have missed and advise you on whether the essay is good, or GREAT. Writers have seen countless work, so you can trust they know what they’re talking about.

 

Now writing assignments don’t seem so bad anymore. With writing becoming a fun activity, the quality of your essays automatically rises and so does your grade.