Does it matter that my introduction and conclusion are considerably smaller than the other areas of my paper?

Question

While my intro and conclusion equal 125 and 200 words respectively, the other sections average around 300 words per paragraph. I know content is more critical so is this difference in 'size' relevant?

Answer 1

Every professor has their own criteria, and some of them have some odd rules for writing. Generally though, your intro and conclusion will be shorter. Say what you need to, say it well and don't worry about counting words. The whole point of a paper is to write about a topic clearly, don't lose sight of that.

Answer 2

Well, i think it's quite normal for introduction and conclusion to be shorter then other parts of the paper...and actually, i think that's the way it should work. In introduction, you are supposed to tell the readers how you are going to approach the question, or probably it gives a sense of direction, i.e. it gives hints of what's going to come up next (what your essay or paper is about). Conclusion is not supposed to be long too. Just imagine, if your conclusion is a long one, how are the readers going to get a summarized idea of your work. A brief and precise conclusion is best to sum up the content of the paper.

Answer 3

Depends what you mean by an introduction. For some papers, the statement of the background to your argument is going to be quite a long section.

The conclusion is likely to be short.

In a business paper, always put the conclusion first. (e.g. "If we franchise our operation in the European Union this company will grow 40% by the year 2010.") If you put the conclusion at the end, nobody will read it, and it's your conclusion that really matters to your audience.

Answer 4

it isn't important how big it is, but what you do with it that counts.

yes, i know that's usually the answer to an entirely different question, but in this case, it applies quite well.

the introduction and the conclusion should, indeed, be much briefer than the body of the report/composition. the introduction should give a brief overview of the points you intend to make, and the conclusion should give a short summation of the points made and the resolution arrived at based on your facts as presented.

the most important part of your paper is most certainly the body.

Answer 5

no not really.i am in AP english and history, college level, and my teacher told me that on the AP exam your conclusion could be as short as a sentence, but it depends on the content of the sentece.your intro and conclusion dont need to be nearly as long as a paragraph in your paper.

Answer 6

the intro and conclusion should be around 5-10 sentences.

Answer 7

i think the intro and conclusion are usually supposed to be smaller than the body.

Answer 8

no, it is perfectly fine. usually they are smaller. just make sure to have a good hook, and a good end to make them think