Gateway skill · Foundation skill 4 of 5
Introductions & Conclusions
You already know how to write a thesis. This lesson is about placing it: what goes before it in your introduction, and what closes the essay around it in your conclusion — for Task 2 only.
15–20 min · 5 drills · Task 2
Looking for Task 1?
Academic Task 1 needs an introduction and an overview. It does not normally need a conclusion — adding “In conclusion, I think...” to a Task 1 report is a common, avoidable mistake. The overview is taught in the thesis lesson, not here.
Go to Task 1 overviews →Before you start
Quick drill
Quick recall check: spot the strong thesis before you build an introduction around it.
Some people believe that unpaid community service should be a compulsory part of high school education. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Which sentence is a usable thesis for this question?
Two jobs at each end
An introduction and a conclusion are not decoration. Each has exactly two jobs. Nothing else is required, and nothing else should be added.
Introduction
- 1. Issue — paraphrase what the question is about
- 2. Answer — your position, stated clearly
Conclusion
- 1. Answer again — same position, different words
- 2. Main support — the reasons you already argued
Usually two sentences per paragraph, 40–60 words for the introduction, 30–50 for the conclusion. Not a hard rule — a function to complete, not a word count to hit.
Practice 1 of 4
Judgment drill
Diagnose what is missing from two flawed introductions before judging the strong one.
Some people believe that unpaid community service should be a compulsory part of high school education. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Which introduction is strongest?
Practice 2 of 4
Quick drill
Repair a broken introduction by adding the missing job, not by rewriting what already works.
See it once first
An introduction has two jobs: state the issue, then answer it. When one job is missing, the fix is to add that job — not to rewrite the sentence that already works.
Broken introduction: "Some people believe unpaid community service should be compulsory in high schools. This essay will discuss this."
What job is missing from this introduction? Write your answer in one line before choosing below.
Which rewrite fixes the introduction with the smallest possible change?
What usually goes wrong in an introduction
1. Copying the question
Weak
“Some people believe that unpaid community service should be a compulsory part of high school education. To what extent do you agree or disagree?”
An exact copy shows no paraphrasing skill and gains nothing.
Strong
“It is often argued that secondary-school students should be required to undertake unpaid community work as part of their curriculum.”
Same issue, the writer's own words.
2. A memorized-sounding opener
Weak
“In today's modern world, it is a highly debatable issue whether community service should be compulsory.”
Generic phrasing that could attach to any topic. Sounds recited, not reasoned — and states no position.
Strong
“It is often argued that secondary-school students should be required to undertake unpaid community work.”
Starts directly on the actual issue. No hook is required.
3. Announcing a plan instead of taking one
Weak
“This essay will discuss both sides of compulsory community service and give my opinion.”
States intent, not content. Could be pasted onto almost any agree/disagree question unchanged.
Strong
“I largely agree because compulsory service builds social responsibility and gives students practical skills.”
States the position itself, directly.
4. An introduction that does the body's job
Weak
“Community service is important. For example, in some countries students clean parks or tutor younger children, which teaches them responsibility and time management...”
An example belongs in a body paragraph. If it's used here, the body has nothing left to add.
Strong
“I largely agree because compulsory service builds social responsibility and gives students practical skills.”
States the reason; saves the example for later.
The answer sentence changes with the question
The issue sentence is always a paraphrase. The answer sentence depends on what the question actually asks for — the same operations you already learned to decode.
| Agree/disagree | I largely agree because it builds social responsibility and practical skills. |
| Discuss both views + opinion | While some argue compulsory service burdens students, I believe its benefits to society are greater. |
| Advantages/disadvantages | This essay will examine both the benefits and drawbacks of compulsory service. |
| Outweigh | Although compulsory service has some drawbacks, I believe its benefits are stronger. |
| Problems/solutions | This is caused by limited funding, and can be addressed through community partnerships. |
| Two-part question | This happens because of X, and I believe it is a negative development because of Y. |
Advantages/disadvantages is the one exception: unless the question asks for your opinion, no personal judgment is required — naming both areas is enough.
Practice 3 of 4
Judgment drill
Diagnose a conclusion that adds new information before judging the clean one.
Position: largely agree that community service should be compulsory in high schools. Body paragraphs argued: (1) it builds social responsibility, (2) it gives practical experience.
Which conclusion is strongest?
What usually goes wrong in a conclusion
1. A new idea at the very end
Weak
“In conclusion, I largely agree that compulsory service is beneficial. Schools should also give students a grade for their community work.”
Grading was never discussed in the body. A conclusion is not a last chance to add an argument.
Strong
“In conclusion, I largely agree that compulsory community service benefits students because it builds social responsibility and provides practical experience.”
Restates the position and the two reasons already argued — nothing new.
2. Contradicting the introduction
Weak
“Intro: I largely agree... / Conclusion: In conclusion, this policy has some merit but is mostly impractical.”
The position flips. A reader reaching the end has no idea what the writer actually thinks.
Strong
“Intro: I largely agree... / Conclusion: In conclusion, I largely agree that compulsory service is beneficial...”
Same judgment, held from first sentence to last.
3. Copying the introduction word for word
Weak
“In conclusion, I largely agree that compulsory community service benefits students because it builds social responsibility and gives students practical skills.”
Identical to the introduction's thesis. Understandable, but shows no range and looks rushed.
Strong
“In conclusion, compulsory community service is broadly beneficial, primarily because it fosters civic responsibility and equips students with real-world experience.”
Same meaning, restated — not copied. Key terms like 'community service' can stay; the sentence as a whole should sound different.
4. No judgment on an outweigh question
Weak
“In conclusion, there are both advantages and disadvantages to compulsory service.”
An outweigh question asks which side is stronger. Listing both sides again never answers that.
Strong
“In conclusion, although compulsory service has some drawbacks, I believe its benefits to student development outweigh them.”
States which side wins — the one thing an outweigh conclusion must do.
Practice 4 of 4 — new topic
Quick drill
Write a consistent introduction and conclusion for a new question, then check the position matches on both ends.
In many countries, young people are increasingly leaving rural areas to live in cities. Is this a positive or negative development?
Before choosing below: write your own introduction (issue + answer) and conclusion (answer again + main support) for this question. Then compare your position on both ends — do they match?
Which pair keeps the same position from introduction to conclusion, with no new idea in the conclusion?
60-second check
Introduction
- □ Paraphrased the issue, kept the qualifiers
- □ Stated a clear answer to the actual operation
- □ No hook, no definitions, no examples
Conclusion
- □ Same position as the introduction
- □ Only reasons already argued in the body
- □ Restated, not copied — no new idea