CSS Essay Introduction and Conclusion

Openings and conclusions: Hook, context and thesis up front. A close that settles the question.

In short. Open with a specific fact or contrast from the topic's own world, give two or three sentences of context, and end the introduction with your thesis. Conclude by answering the question directly and stating its implication; add no new arguments or decorative quotations.

By the end of this module you can

Open with a hook that belongs to the topic
Reach the thesis within the first paragraph
Conclude by answering the question, not repeating the essay

Examiners form their view in the first page. An introduction that wanders for three paragraphs before reaching a position tells them the essay will wander too.

Hook: a striking fact, a sharp contrast, or a short scene from the topic's world. Not a cliché and not a dictionary definition.
Context: two or three sentences on why the question matters now.
Thesis: your answer, ideally the last sentence of the introduction.
Roadmap (optional): one sentence on how the essay will proceed.

WeakSince the dawn of civilisation, man has been facing many problems. Climate change is one of them. In this essay we will discuss climate change and terrorism and which is bigger.

StrongIn the summer of 2022, a third of Pakistan was under water, a loss no terrorist group has ever inflicted on the country. Yet Pakistan's security planning still treats terrorism as the existential threat and climate as an environmental issue. That ranking is wrong: climate change is the larger threat because its damage is permanent, economy-wide and beyond the reach of force.

The strong opening uses a hook from the topic's own world, gives context in one sentence, and ends on the thesis.

Conclusion: answer the topic's question directly.
Show what the arguments added up to, not a list of them.
End on the implication: what should change, or what the reader should now think.
No new arguments, no new evidence, no final quotation for decoration.

Tip. Conditionals in conclusions are common and often wrong. "If Pakistan will reform its tax system, it will grow" should be "If Pakistan reforms its tax system, it will grow."

Activity: Choose the stronger opening

1. Topic: "Water, not oil, will cause the next wars." Which opening is strongest?

Water is a basic necessity of life and no one can live without it.
Since time immemorial, wars have been fought over resources.
Oil can be replaced; water cannot. As rivers shrink and populations grow, the resource that cannot be substituted is the one states will fight over.
In this essay I will discuss whether water or oil will cause wars.

Show answer

Oil can be replaced; water cannot. As rivers shrink and populations grow, the resource that cannot be substituted is the one states will fight over. — It opens with a sharp contrast that is the start of the argument itself.

2. What should the last sentence of the introduction usually be?

A quotation
The thesis
A definition
A rhetorical question

Show answer

The thesis — Ending the introduction on the thesis tells the examiner exactly what the essay will prove.

3. Which conclusion sentence is correct and strong?

In a nutshell, all the above discussion shows that water is very important.
If states will not cooperate, water will become a cause of conflict.
Water will not cause wars on its own; states that fail to share it will.
To conclude, we can say that there are many points on both sides.

Show answer

Water will not cause wars on its own; states that fail to share it will. — It answers the topic directly with a refined judgement. Option 2 has a conditional error ("If states do not cooperate"); options 1 and 4 are filler.

This week's grammar: Punctuation that examiners notice

Punctuation errors make sentences ambiguous and give an untidy impression on the first page.

Open grammar unit 10

Deliverable: Intro and conclusion pairs

Frequently asked questions

Should I start a CSS essay with a quotation?

Only if it is directly relevant and you use it to set up your argument. A specific fact or contrast is usually stronger.

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Activity: Choose the stronger opening

1. Topic: "Water, not oil, will cause the next wars." Which opening is strongest?

Water is a basic necessity of life and no one can live without it.
Since time immemorial, wars have been fought over resources.
Oil can be replaced; water cannot. As rivers shrink and populations grow, the resource that cannot be substituted is the one states will fight over.
In this essay I will discuss whether water or oil will cause wars.

Show answer

2. What should the last sentence of the introduction usually be?

A quotation
The thesis
A definition
A rhetorical question

Show answer

The thesis — Ending the introduction on the thesis tells the examiner exactly what the essay will prove.

3. Which conclusion sentence is correct and strong?

In a nutshell, all the above discussion shows that water is very important.
If states will not cooperate, water will become a cause of conflict.
Water will not cause wars on its own; states that fail to share it will.
To conclude, we can say that there are many points on both sides.

Show answer