Composition 101: Five Paragraph Essay, Conclusions Scholar’s Latino Initiative 2011-2012

Introduction: Conclusions Conclusions should: Transition the reader from your essay back into their world; Highlight why your essay is important to the reader’s daily life. Consider issues beyond the prompt of the essay; Reaffirm that reading your essay was worth the reader’s time. Should give the reader something to take away. Point 1: The introduction to an essay is like the opening credits to a movie. It has the music, there are scenes from the movie etc. From the moment the movie starts you start to get a sense of what kind of movie it will be even if you no nothing about the move: you bright scenes, with light music you’re probably watching a romantic comedy, you start to get in the mood for the movie. If you hear music with lots of horns, and the images are zooming by you, your probably watching an action movie, you start to prepare yourself for action scenes. The introduction of an essay should do the same thing.

How to Write a Conclusion Ask yourself or a reader “So what?” Example: you write a paper on taxes and you argue that they can be good. Friend: So what? You: Well, people and society benefit from them. Friend: Why should I care? You: There are implications for whether government taxes your income and/or your purchases. It determines whether there will be good roads, a functioning court system, a military, and schools.

How to Write a Conclusion Return to your introduction. Example Intro: In the 1965, over 42% of the population smoked, and the average tax on cigarettes was $0.05. In contrast, in 2000, only 23% of the population smoked and the average tax on cigarette was $1.50. Conclusion: In the 1960’s, people could not imagine that forty years later the smoking rate would plummet by 20%, but partially due to the increased taxes on cigarettes, it has. Notice that I use the introduction, but I do not just repeat, verbatim what I said in the introduction.

How to Write a Conclusion Include a provocative quote, insight, statistic etc. from your research. Purpose a course of action: What does your essay mean for future policy? Research? Point to broader implications: What does your essay say about human behavior? Broader policy?

What to Avoid Starting your conclusion with, “In conclusion”, “In summary”, “In closing” etc.; Copy and pasting from you introduction; Introducing a new new bit of evidence in support of your argument; Making a sentimental or emotional appeal; If your writing a technical paper about taxes, bad idea to include a sad tale about teachers being laid off or someone loosing their house.

Bad Conclusions “This is what I think. Period.” Very short Repeats your thesis Example: In conclusion, taxes can be good, because they finance the functioning of the government. Saves the thesis for last: you state your thesis for the first time in the conclusion.

Bad Conclusions Impassioned or personal. Random conclusions. Makes points that are not in the main part of the paper. Is disjointed from the rest of essay. Off topic. Example: Social Security is a prime example of why taxes can be good. Social Security helps ensure that our grandmothers and grandfathers will not have to eat dog food in the twilight of their lives.

Recap of Class 2 Things to do and to avoid: Do: define terms Do: use the language of prompt Do: use concrete examples Don’t: Get overly personal/emotional.

Recap of Class 2 Introductions Conclusions How to write an introduction Different kinds of introductions Good introductions Bad introductions Conclusions How to write a conclusion Good conclusions Bad conclusions