Conclusions (in general… and for this assignment)

Purpose: The conclusion of a text (essay or reflection letter) has a few purposes. In addition, there are several different kinds of conclusions to choose from. Ultimately, its your choice: think about the assignment and what your instructor is asking for, and then think about which type of conclusion best suits your essay.

Purpose #1 Your conclusion acts as a signal. It tells readers theyve reached the end of the essay. They feel completion. Helpful tip: dont add any new ideas here!

Purpose #2 It reminds your readers of the main points in the essay. They might have become so interested in your later body paragraphs that they dont have the information from the earlier body paragraphs fresh in their minds anymore.

Purpose #3 It leaves your readers with some final thoughts on the topic.

You can try different techniques…

Make a prediction In some cases, making a prediction is a natural progression in your essay. For this essay, you will have written your So what? section. Your conclusion could predict what would happen if we didnt pay attention to the So what? lesson (or if we did!) A prediction isnt necessary or required or even appropriate in every essay. You be the judge.

Make a suggestion Instead of predicting what would happen, you could make a concrete suggestion to your readers about how they could act or think about the topic that is discussed in your paper.

Ask a question Some writers like to end their essays by asking a question of their readers. For example: –As we consider what we have learned from Author A and Author B, we ask ourselves: How can I bla bla bla? What would life be like if I bla bla bla? What kind of bla bla bla do I want to be/live in/etc? –[Dont use a series of questions – you could ask one that is appropriate to your paper and then answer it, perhaps.]

Give an opinion Because were not using first person in this essay, your personal opinion is not a good choice for a conclusion. However, you might be able to use we if you feel really compelled to give your opinion rather than a suggestion or question.

Summarize! This is a good strategy for your synthesis paper because the essay is so complicated. Because you want to help your readers remember the key points of your essay, you might consider summarizing them here. Paraphrase your main ideas. Build sentences that repeat key words or phrases you want your readers to remember. Please dont simply repeat word for word your thesis statements, topic sentences, etc.

One last thought… Dont forget the So what? This needs space in your essay. It should have at least a paragraph, and placing this paragraph after all the synthesizing and analyzing is good planning! Show your readers how all that analysis connects to them. Show them how insightful you are!

Or you can mix and match! Opinion + prediction Prediction + suggestion Summary + restatement of thesis Summary + prediction + suggestion Be creative!

In conclusion… Conclusions serve a few different purposes. –They tell your reader the essay is coming to an end. –They often remind your reader of your main points. –They leave your reader with final thoughts.

There are a number of techniques Your job is to decide which is best for your essay (this will vary depending upon the assignment). When you choose which technique(s) to use, consider both the type of essay youre writing and what youve said within your essay. Dont stay married to one technique for every essay you write.

Good luck!