Nagi: Having a strong conclusion and a strong introduction that really help your reader know what you're about to argue and what you're about to talk about.

Hello. I'm Jackie Wills I've been RLF fellow at Sussex since September 2010. I see up to six students a day with questions about their writing and I'm often asked ‘what do I put in an introduction?’ So, here's a short guide. Your introduction is where you set up your store, it's where you're totally clear about your argument and how you're developing it.
Think of it as a statement of opinion or theory, the place where results are revealed. It's where you identify the issues you're going to explore and where you show you've understood the title. A good introduction inspires the reader because it approaches the title or question confidently. If you imagine an essay as a conversation, your introduction is where you tell a friend you haven't seen for years the really important news. As the conversation goes on you elaborate on your news as you would in the body of the essay and by the end of the conversation you're more reflective – this is the role of the conclusion. The style of your introduction will vary according to whether you're writing a science or humanities essay, but its function is essentially the same depending on your subject; it's the place to summarise your argument and conclusions or reveal your findings, identify the stance you're taking and how your argument fits into the critical landscape. If you use a quote make it relevant and not too long. If your argument is based on a specific theory, make this clear and elaborate on it in the body. Identify major trends or factions that contribute to the debate you're engaging with. Make your methodology clear.

An introduction needs to be 10% of the essay’s total word count. Now there are two common mistakes in an introduction: one is to repeat the essay title in your first sentence. You don't need to do this. If your title says critically analyse X you don't need to write ‘I am going to critically analyse X’. The second mistake is to save your big ideas for the conclusion. This isn't a novel – you don't need to keep the plot secret. You need to let the reader know what the big ideas are from the start, and the place for these ideas is the introduction. This is why it's important to plan and know your argument before you start writing. Then you're in no doubt about what to put in your introduction. It will lead the reader naturally into the body of your essay because you've already worked out the structure, and the body leads smoothly into the conclusion. And it's worth remembering you don't have to write your introduction first – in fact, writers often compose it at the end.

Certainly be prepared to redraft it if you find you've moved away from your plan, but regardless of whether you write it first or last the introduction is your chance to draw a reader in.

Hello, I'm Jackie wills. I've been RL Fellow at Sussex since September 2010. I see up to six students a day with questions about their writing, and I'm often asked ‘what do I put in a Conclusion?’ So here's a short guide.
A good conclusion gives a sense of completion to your essay. It's where you reflect on the evidence you've presented and how it supports the question or title generally. A conclusion should be about 10% of the total word count, although it can be slightly shorter. Sometimes it's tricky to get a conclusion right because this is a much quieter part of your essay than the introduction. It's a bit like winding down a conversation.
It's useful to list some of your options for the conclusion to avoid simply repeating the introduction or summarizing the whole of your essay. Once you've thought about these options go for the strongest. So you could revisit the question and highlight one or two of your key points; or your focus might be on gaps in the evidence research or critical thinking; you could concentrate on the way forward; or speculate about future developments in the debate or in the research you've reviewed; perhaps you could suggest areas where more research is needed and what course that research could take. If you have doubts about the strength of theories and ideas you've been exploring, your conclusion might revisit these areas of confusion and suggest how they might be resolved. If your evidence strongly supports your argument, again you can point this out. You shouldn't put new material in the conclusion. Make sure there are at least some references in the body of your essay to the point you're making, but there might be an issue you didn't elaborate on which provides you with a focus for the conclusion.
One common mistake people make in conclusions is thinking this is where you put your results or argument. Your big ideas must go in the introduction. If, when you read over your conclusion you find you've arrived at some important ideas that you haven't put in the introduction go back and redraft, making sure that you have enough evidence to support them in the body. Another mistake is thinking a conclusion is the place to introduce a personal opinion for the first time. It's not. If your opinion is valid it forms part of your argument.
So a conclusion is your chance to leave the reader with a clear idea of what you've made of your research. Make the most of this opportunity to reflect on material you've spent so much time with, so your reader feels part of the process of inquiry and ends your essay satisfied and interested.