Conclusions

The Purpose: Strongly emphasizes the stance of your paper (thesis statement) and Reaffirms your main points

Structure of Conclusion: Your conclusion will mimic the structure of your introduction, but in the reverse order. Your conclusion should start with a restatement of the thesis statement.

Conclusion Format Restated Thesis Statement (Using different words, of course) Synthesis of main ideas Make a connection

Thesis Restatement Restate your thesis, but do not copy it word for word. Example: Thesis statement: Paulo Coelho uses the motif of personal legends to help the reader understand that everyone in the world has a specific destiny that guides his or her actions. Thesis Restatement: Coelho’s use of the personal legends motif communicates his belief that an individual’s life events are directed by a fundamental purpose. Break the thesis into two sentences if necessary! Restatement differs from Repetition: good writers can say the same thing in a variety of different ways

Synthesis of Main Ideas Summarize the ideas you have covered in your paper and discuss the implications. Has the author influenced other writers? Has the author changed people’s opinions of a topic? What impact has the author’s life and/or work had on the world?

Make a Connection Add a final thought to give your reader something to ponder. A quote or strong image will work well here. What happens if you end your conclusion with a question?

Make a Connection Add a final thought to give your reader something to ponder. A quote or strong image will work well here. What happens if you end your conclusion with a question?

Example conclusion paragraph: In “The Death of the Moth,” Virginia Woolf designates death as the most powerful force of nature. She, surprisingly, does not portray it as a violent force. Instead, she depicts death as being calm and peaceful, a force that ends life’s struggle. Through the moth's epic battle for life, Woolf asserts that death is indeed the stronger force of nature and life the weaker and questions why all living beings choose the weaker force. She invites readers to draw personal conclusions. Perhaps there is a force stronger than the force of life and death. Perhaps there is a power that is able to govern both life and death, and that power is the force of nature. 

Things to Avoid! Beginning with an unnecessary, overused phrase such as “in conclusion,” “in summary,” or “in closing.” Stating the thesis for the very first time in the conclusion. Introducing a new idea or topic. Ending with a rephrased thesis statement without any major changes. Including evidence (quotations, statistics, etc.) that should be in the body of the paper.