Writing Conclusions ENC 1101

A conclusion should… Give a sense of completeness and closure Show the lingering possibilities of the topic, its larger meaning and implications Close the discussion without closing it off Stress the importance of the thesis Leave a final impression

What NOT to do Do not summarize your essay. Short essays do not require a restatement of the main idea. Avoid phrases like “in conclusion,” “in summary,” “to sum up.” Your reader will see they are at the end of the paper. Do not add new information. Do not allow a strong essay to fizzle with a weak conclusion.

Approaches to writing conclusions Answer the question "So What?" Show your readers why this paper was important. Show them that your paper was meaningful and useful. Synthesize, don't summarize Don't simply repeat things that were in your paper. They have read it. Show them how the points you made and the support and examples you used were not random, but fit together. Redirect your readers Give your reader something to think about, perhaps a way to use your paper in the "real" world. If your introduction went from general to specific, make your conclusion go from specific to general. Think globally. Create a new meaning You don't have to give new information to create a new meaning. By demonstrating how your ideas work together, you can create a new picture. Often the sum of the paper is worth more than its parts. From St. Cloud State Literacy Education Online

Link your conclusion to your introduction Reiterate words or phrases Echo, don’t repeat

Conclude with a sentence of one syllable words. Creates understated drama

Challenge the reader. Help them to apply the information in your essay to their own lives.

Look to the future. Emphasize the importance of your topic Redirect readers’ thoughts Help them see your topic from a global perspective

Pose questions. Help readers gain a new perspective Bring main ideas together to create new meanings

Conclude with a quote. Use a quote from or reference to a primary or secondary source Amplify your main point

Set your discussion in a new context. Put your topic in a different, perhaps larger, perspective Ex) link the past to the present or the present to the past

Redefine. Redefine one of the key terms of your argument. Landscape? Brute force? Muscle?