Introductions and Conclusions Although introductions and conclusions do not contain any of the material that is of real value

in your essay, they are still an essential part of it. Think of it like a burger your introduction and conclusion is like the bun that holds it together, while the body paragraphs are the ingredients between them. Without the introduction and conclusion, your essay would fall apart! Introduction An introduction serves a self-evident purpose it introduces the ideas you are to discuss in your essay. It is a good idea to start your introduction with a hook an interesting, analytical statement which grabs your readers attention and interest, and makes them want to read the essay. For example:
True power lies not in physical force or violence, but rather the ability to orally manipulate ones audience through the art of rhetoric. The transition from childhood to adulthood is like a journey from one place to another, with an individual having to face many trials and changes in their life.

Your hook could also use a quotation:

Words before blows, is it so, gentlemen? The art of rhetoric and verbal manipulation is far preferable to the ability to use physical force or power.

After you have grabbed the readers attention, it is essential to introduce the text(s) that you are going to be talking about. There are three main pieces of information that must be included in any introduction: Text title (eg The Great Gatsby) Text type (eg novel) Author (eg F. Scott Fitzgerald)

This information may be arranged in any way, for example:

In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the symbol of the valley of ashes is used to present the wasteland that America has become as a result of the corruption of the American Dream. F. Scott Fitzgeralds novel, The Great Gatsby, presents the life of a man whose journey towards the woman of his dreams has been corrupted by his desire for money and material possessions.

It is important, however, to make sure that this fits in with the natural flow of your essay. An example of a redundant opening line would be as follows:
F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote the novel The Great Gatsby. Its about a man called Gatsby who tries to win Daisy by having large parties.

Although this presents all the necessary information, it does not lead anywhere and lacks fluency. As well as needing to see an exposition of the text in your introduction, examiners need to know that you are comfortable with your writing style and that you can link ideas together. After this, you should present a brief overview of the arguments you will make in your essay. This is one of the reasons why it is so important to have an essay plan so that you are already aware of the points you will be discussing, and can give a brief overview of them in your introduction. An example of this would be:

Antony is first and foremost a manipulative character, as his speech in Act 2, Scene 1 demonstrates. He also shows great loyalty to Caesar, and this is apparent through his agonising speech and soliloquy after Caesars death. However, he is also an ambiguous character with possibly dark and unknown motives, and one who the audience may find it difficult to make up their mind about.

This would follow an essay with three paragraphs, one based on each point discussed in the introduction: Antonys skill as an orator, his loyalty to Caesar, and his ambiguity. Conclusions: A conclusion is generally worth about 2 marks in a typical IGCSE literature essay marked out of 25. As a result, learning how to write an effective conclusion is extremely important for bumping up your essay score it can be the difference between passing and failing! The main task of a conclusion is to wrap up your essay, and to summarise all the points you have made in your essay. This means that it should make reference to each of the arguments you have constructed (this usually can be done by simply referring to the topic sentences you have used). After this, it should state your ultimate point of view on the essay topic. For example, if you are answering a question which begins Discuss whether or To what extent does, or one in a similar manner, it is vital to make reference back to the question in your conclusion. However, no additional critical analysis should be added in your conclusion. This is the job of your body paragraphs; the conclusion is only a tool for summing up the information in your body paragraphs. The following conclusion was written in response to the question, What does Shakespeare make you feel about Antony at the end of the play?:
Antony is presented as a mercurial, ever-changing character in Julius Caesar. He is a great orator, whose rhetoric powers have the capability to sway an audience; he is a character who gains respect through his loyalty to Caesar, yet he is also an ambiguous character who may have power-hungry motives. These attributes present him as a character whom the audience may have uncertain feelings towards.

This is an effective conclusion. Firstly, it makes a general statement about Antony. After this, it references all the points made in the essay (they are the same as in the introduction above). Finally, and perhaps most importantly, it gives the writers final opinion on the characterisation. Again, this is vital because of the nature of the question. If the conclusion did not include this final sentence, the essay would not be complete.