Writing Effective Introductions & Conclusions (College Board AP® English Language & Composition): Study Guide

This study guide introduces you to writing introductions and conclusions in AP Lang. In the previous study guide, How to Frame an Argument, you learned what to establish. This study guide explains how introductions engage the audience, frame the issue, provide necessary context and lead into a defensible thesis. It also explains how conclusions bring an argument to a unified end by showing the significance, implications or broader relevance to the argument.

you learned what to establish in How to Frame an Argument; here's how to arrange it

What makes an effective AP Lang introduction?

An effective AP Lang introduction prepares the reader to understand the argument. Ideally the introduction: 

• Engages the audience

• Introduces the subject

• Provides necessary context

• Establishes the issue or tension

• Leads smoothly into the thesis

The introduction should create a clear path from the opening idea to the writer’s claim.

The elements of a strong AP Lang introduction

Using a hook to engage the audience

A hook is an opening move that draws the reader into the issue. A hook may be:

• A brief scenario

• An intriguing statement

• A question

• A relevant statistic

• A quotation

• A short anecdote

• A surprising contrast

A hook should be connected to the argument. It needs to lead to the thesis; otherwise, even the most dramatic of hooks could distract the reader instead of helping them understand the direction of the argument.

For example:

Notice how this hook prepares the reader for an argument about library access.

Necessary contextualization

Contextualization gives readers the background they need to understand the issue. 

Context may explain:

• What problem exists

• Who is affected

• Why the issue matters

• What debate surrounds the topic

• What limitation or tension complicates the issue

For example:

You can read more on necessary contextualization in How to Frame an Argument.

The thesis statement

The thesis is the main claim the writer will defend. A strong thesis should:

• Respond to the prompt

• Take a defensible position

• Give the essay a clear focus

• Possibly preview the line of reasoning

For example:

You can read more on thesis statements in How to Write a Defensible Thesis Statement in Unit 2.

What makes an effective AP Lang conclusion?

An effective conclusion brings the argument to a unified end. It should do more than repeat the introduction. A conclusion may:

• Restate the thesis in fresh language

• Bring together the main reasons

• Explain the broader significance of the argument 

• Call the audience to act

• Suggest a change in behavior or attitude

• Propose a solution

• Explain implications

• Return to an image, question, or idea from the introduction

Strategies for AP Lang conclusions

Calling the audience to action

A call to action urges the audience to do, support, reconsider or change something. 

For example:

Connecting to a broader context

A conclusion may explain why the argument matters beyond the immediate topic.

For example: 

Returning to the introduction

A conclusion may return to an opening image or idea.

For example: 

Opening idea

Closing idea

Where does the thesis go?

In most AP Lang essays, the thesis should appear near the beginning, often as the final sentence of the introduction. This placement helps readers understand the argument before they read the body paragraphs. 

However, the thesis can technically appear anywhere in an AP free-response essay, as long as it presents a defensible position that responds to the prompt.

The AP English Language free-response rubrics note that a thesis may be more than one sentence if the sentences are close together, and that the thesis may appear anywhere in the response.

Still, for student writing, the safest habit is to put the thesis at the end of the introduction.

A conclusion may restate or sharpen the thesis, but students should not usually wait until the conclusion to reveal the main claim in a timed AP essay.

Step-by-step: writing introductions and conclusions

Step 1: understand the prompt and rhetorical situation:

• Identify the task, the topic, the context and the type of support required

• Before writing an introduction, know what kind of essay the prompt is asking for

Step 2: choose an opening move:

• Begin with an opening that connects directly to the issue

• Consider the following: 

  • A brief scenario

  • A focused question

  • A meaningful contrast

  • A relevant statistic or fact

  • A concise statement of the problem

Step 3: frame the issue with necessary context:

• Help the readers understand the situation or tension that leads to the thesis

• Ask:

  • What problem does the argument respond to?

  • Who is affected?

  • What makes the issue complicated?

  • What does the audience need to understand before the thesis?

Step 4: present a defensible thesis:

• State the main claim clearly

Step 5: draft the body paragraphs:

• The body paragraphs should develop the reasons suggested by the thesis

• For the library-hours example, the body paragraphs might address:

  • Safe study space

  • Support for families and students with limited resources

  • Responsible use of public resources

Step 6: know what the conclusion must unify:

• Before writing the conclusion, identify what the body paragraphs have proved

• The conclusion should bring these ideas together:

  • What did the argument prove?

  • Why does the issue matter?

  • What should the audience understand, reconsider or do?

  • Can the conclusion return to the opening idea? 

Step 7: end with significance, implication or return:

• A conclusion should show why the argument matters

• A closing move might include:

  • Explaining the broader context

  • Suggesting a practical solution

  • Calling the audience to act

  • Explaining an implication

  • Returning to an image or idea from the introduction

Step 8: check that the introduction and the conclusion match:

• After drafting, ask:

  • Does the introduction prepare the reader for the thesis? 

  • Does the conclusion bring together the main line of reasoning?

  • Does the ending sound complete rather than repetitive?

  • Do the opening and closing fit the same argument?

Worked example: introduction and conclusion

Prompt:

• Develop a position on whether public libraries should extend evening hours for students and families

Introduction:

For some students, the quietest place to work is not a bedroom, kitchen table or crowded living room, but a public library. Yet that option disappears when library doors close before students finish activities, have family responsibilities or struggle with evening transportation. A community that values education should make its public resources available during the hours students can actually use. Public libraries should extend evening hours at least two nights a week because later access would give students a safe place to study, support families without a reliable quiet space at home and make better use of a public resource the community already funds.

Conclusion:

Extending library hours would not solve every challenge students face, but it would make one trusted public space more available when students and families need it most. By offering evening access even a few nights a week, communities could turn the library from a daytime service into a more dependable support system. If the purpose of a public library is to expand opportunity, its doors should be open during the hours when opportunity is hardest to find.

Why these are effective:

The introduction begins with a student needing a place to work. The conclusion returns to the idea of library doors being open when opportunity is hardest to find. Together they identify the issue, frame why it matters, present a fensible thesis, bring the argument to a unified end and connect the specific policy to a broader value. 

Tips for writing effective introductions and conclusions

Match the introduction to the FRQ type:

• FRQ1 and FRQ 3 introductions usually frame an issue and lead to the student’s position or thesis

• FRQ 2 introductions usually frame the rhetorical situation and lead to a thesis about how a writer or speaker achieves a purpose

Make the introduction serve the argument:

• The opening should present the reader with the issue, context and thesis:

  • Write the hook with this in mind rather than writing a hook just to have a hook

• You should give your reader enough context through farming.

End by showing why the argument matters:

• A conclusion should bring the argument together and explain the argument’s significance

Common mistakes when writing introductions and conclusions

• Using a hook that doesn’t connect to the thesis

• Providing too much background

• Stating the thesis too vaguely

• Saving the thesis until too late

• Adding a new argument in the conclusion

• Ending with a weak phrase or idea

Frequently asked questions

How long should an AP Lang introduction be?

In timed writing, an introduction is usually brief. Often, three to five sentences are sufficient: an opening move, a sentence or two of context, and a thesis.

Can I write the conclusion before the introduction?

Usually, the introduction is written first because it frames the argument and presents the thesis. However, you may think about the conclusion early and during the writing process by asking what larger idea should my essay leave the reader considering. Your conclusion should be written or revised after the body paragraphs so it matches the argument the essay actually made. 

What if I run out of time for the conclusion?

Do not sacrifice body paragraphs just to write a long conclusion. A strong essay needs claims, evidence and commentary. Supporting paragraphs greatly affect your score. Conclusions likely do not. Still, you should compose the best conclusion you can within the time given while not sacrificing your supporting paragraphs. 

How are introductions and conclusions scored on the FRQs?

Introductions and conclusions are not scored as separate categories. They matter, though, because they help establish a defensible thesis, clarify a line of reasoning and show control of the rhetorical situation. A strong conclusion can support the overall quality of the essay when it explains the significance or broader relevance of the argument rather than repeating the thesis. 

How are FRQ 1, FRQ 2 and FRQ 3 introductions different?  

FRQ 1 and FRQ 3 introductions usually introduce and frame an issue before presenting the student’s own position FRQ 2 introductions usually introduce the rhetorical situation before presenting a thesis about how a writer or speaker makes rhetorical choices. A helpful approach for FRQ 2 is to consider MSCAPE or SPACE CAT. 

For more on MSCAPE and SPACE CAT, see Introduction to the Rhetorical Situation.

Key terms and glossary

• Anecdote: a brief story used to introduce or illustrate an idea

• Audience: the intended readers or listeners for an argument

• Broader context: the larger issue, situation or significance connected to an argument 

• Call to action: a statement that urges the audience to think, behave or act in a particular way

• Clincher sentence: a memorable final sentence or idea that gives the conclusion a sense of closure 

• Conclusion: the final section of an argument that brings the thesis and line of reasoning to a unified end

• Contextualization: necessary background that helps the audience understand the issue and claim 

• Framing: the process of orienting the audience to the issue, context, stakes and position of an argument

• Hook: an opening strategy that engages the reader’s attention and leads toward the argument

• Implication: what follows from an argument or what the argument suggests beyond the immediate topic

• Introduction: the opening section of an argument that orients, engages and focuses the audience

• MSCAPE: the rhetorical situation tool that considers Message, Subject, Context, Audience, Purpose and Exigence

• Open thesis: a thesis that presents the writer’s main analytical claim without listing every supporting point or rhetorical choice

• Closed thesis: a thesis that previews the specific points, reasons or rhetorical choices the essay will discuss

• Rhetorical analysis: analysis of how a writer or speaker uses rhetorical choices to achieve a purpose for a particular audience

• Scenario: a brief imagined or real situation used to help readers understand an issue

• Significance: the importance or meaning of an argument beyond the immediate claim

• Thesis: the main, overarching claim a writer seeks to defend or prove by using reasoning supported by evidence

• Unified end: a conclusion that brings together the main claim, reasoning and significance of the argument