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This article was written by Emily Listmann, MA. Emily Listmann is a private tutor in San Carlos, California. She worked as a social studies teacher, curriculum coordinator, and SAT prep teacher. She received her Master of Education from the Stanford Graduate School of Education in 2014. This article cites 10 references that can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 1,041,167 times.
The final paragraph is your last chance to make a good impression on the reader. His goal is to leave the reader with the feeling that he understands his arguments and evidence. A great conclusion must unite all the ideas of it. You can do this by using a few concrete examples, repeating key points, and careful editing. There are several steps you can take to write a successful conclusion to any article.
Review your thesis. One of the most important components of an effective conclusion is a well-written thesis. Before you write your final paragraph, you need to make sure that your argument is cohesive and polished. Spend some time editing and polishing your thesis.[1]
- Make sure your thesis is not vague. For example, don’t just say, “This is a document on the death penalty.”
- Instead, try to be clear and specific. You might write: “The death penalty costs the United States millions of dollars a year and, as such, is one of the largest expenses in our criminal justice system. This paper will examine why the United States justice system needs a significant reform.”
- This is also the time to make sure that your essay is organized the way you want it to be and that you have supported your thesis with solid evidence and analysis. You can’t write a successful conclusion until you organize your essay in a way that makes sense.
Rewrite your thesis. Your conclusion should restate your main points. A key part of a good conclusion is restating your argument. Be sure to state your argument clearly in the conclusion.[2]
- Don’t just copy and paste your thesis. Put it in other words.
- For example, your thesis might say: “The Cold War significantly changed American foreign policy. It made many policymakers accustomed to a definite enemy. This led to a somewhat confused foreign policy in the 1990s, after the fall of the sovietic Union”. You’ll want to rephrase that in the conclusion.
- Try saying: “As shown by looking at the foreign policy actions of Presidents Bush and Clinton, post-Cold War foreign policy has suffered from a consistent lack of action.
Use specific examples. Your conclusion should remind your reader of what they learned. Be sure to remind them why his argument is sound. By using concrete examples, you will reinforce the argument you have worked so hard for.[3]
- You might consider providing a helpful anecdote in your conclusion. For example, if you’re writing about the plight of polar bears, offer a story about a polar bear at the San Diego Zoo.
Summarize your main points. Your article should be organized in a way that clearly explains the main components of your argument. For example, perhaps his article on the Civil War is about its causes and its impact on the economy and politics. Make sure your conclusion reminds your readers of every part of your article.[4]
- Try synthesizing. This means that the analysis goes beyond simply summarizing your points.
- Your conclusion is a great place to not only summarize, but also draw links. Tell your reader how your various dots connect.
- For example, you might point out that the Civil War affected both the economy and politics, and that the two were intertwined.
Make a lasting impression. Your conclusion is your last chance to make a strong impression on the reader. Be sure to include all the necessary components in your conclusion. You will need to review it carefully after you have written your draft.[5]
- Be sure to make your argument clear. Your reader should not be confused by his statement.
- Review your main points. Did you include them all in your conclusion?
- Does your conclusion explain why your topic is important? Remember, this is your last chance to convince your reader that your research is important.
- Make the importance clear. You might say, “This research is important because it illustrates the connections between 19th century literature and feminists today.”
Establish a sense of closure. You want your reader to know that you have reached the end of your work. The wording and content of your final paragraph should make this clear. There are several ways to establish a sense of closure.[6]
- Try to connect the last paragraph with the first. For example, if your introduction talks about a dog named Sam, end your article by referring to Sam again.
- Connecting the first and last paragraphs is a good way to wrap up your work. This “locks” your theme.
- You can also end your essay with a quote or fact that you mentioned earlier in the essay. This gives a good sense of closure to your reader.
Suggest an action plan. The conclusion is not just a place to emphasize the points you have already raised. You should also use it as a space to indicate any “next steps” required. You can tell your reader what needs to be done to solve the problem. Talking about next steps makes it clear to your reader that you are nearing the end of your essay.[7]
- Maybe you’re writing an article about the obesity epidemic in America. His conclusion is a great place to offer some solutions.
- For example, you might say, “Clearly, there is a need for a greater focus on physical activity at an early age.” Or you could say, “More research needs to be done to learn how to effectively treat the negative side effects of obesity.”
- You can also use your conclusion to point to larger themes. For example, his article on the 1961 Freedom Rides might make some broader points about the civil rights movement.
Use simple language. Whichever device you use to begin your conclusion, you need to focus on your choice of words. Keep your opinion clear and concise. You want your argument to be clear and specific. There’s no need to try to use big words or fancy prose in your conclusion.[8]
- Try to avoid using a long sentence to start your conclusion. You want to grab the reader’s attention and keep it.
- There’s no need to say, “And so, as we’ve effectively shown using complicated evidence…” Instead, just say, “Clearly we need change.”
- Try to write the first sentence of your conclusion using only one-syllable words. This will add drama to your work.
Give context. Context is information that helps the reader fully understand your argument. You may have made your views clear, but you need to do more than that. The context will tell your reader why your topic 0 and your argument are important.
- Clearly stating the importance of your argument is a good way to start your conclusion. Your reader will understand exactly what he is trying to say.
- You can say, “This research is important because it could help save animal lives.” It is a direct and declarative statement.
- Context can help you explain why a topic is important. For example, your conclusion might begin with a statement like “As this essay is being written, an empty number of young people are incarcerated in the United States.”
Be creative. Your reader will probably know that you have reached the end of the essay. Usually this is simply because they don’t have any more pages to read. Don’t feel the need to state the obvious.[9]
- Avoid saying, “In conclusion.” There are other, more interesting ways to start your conclusion.
- Try saying, “As research has shown.” You can also introduce her final points by saying, “Finally…”
- You can also indicate that your reader is at the end by saying: “To review…” or “We can see…”
- You can also write: “Of course…”. Try a few different options to see what works best for your role.
Pay attention to transitions. Transitions are sentences that connect different parts of your paper. There should be clear transitions between the introduction, each of the main paragraphs, and the conclusion. When editing, make sure the transitions are well written.[10]
- There are a few words you can use to indicate that you are moving on to the next part of your work. You want your reader to know when you have reached your conclusion.
- In addition to saying “In conclusion…”, there are other choices you can make. For example, you could try, “Finally,…” or “As this document shows…”.
- Be sure to transition between each main point. You can use words like “Compared to,” “Next,” or “A different approach” to illustrate your changing themes.
Edit carefully. You put a lot of effort into your conclusion and into your work as a whole. You don’t want your effort to be ruined by bad editing. Please take the time to thoroughly edit your work before submitting it.[11]
- Look for spelling and grammatical errors. Use the spell checker to help you.
- Content editors. Read each sentence of your article to make sure it makes sense and helps you get your point across.
- Don’t be afraid of cuts. If you find a passage that doesn’t contribute to your argument, get rid of it.
- Read out loud. This is a great way to catch mistakes you missed while reading.[12]
Get feedback. Sometimes it can be hard to be objective about your own writing. Ask someone else to read your article for you. A friend, schoolmate, or family member may be willing to offer something.[13]
- Be open to constructive criticism. Don’t take it personally if a friend offers some helpful advice.
- Explain the task. You might say, “This document is supposed to be an evaluation of the Indiana public school system. Is my point clear?”
- Ask your reader to pay attention to your conclusion. They might spot holes you didn’t see.
Check the requirements. Once you’ve edited, it’s time to give your document its final look. You want to take the time to make sure you meet all the requirements. For example, if the guidelines say it should be 5-7 pages, check that it is.[14]
- Format the paper as specified. If it should be in 12 point Times New Roman, make sure it’s the font you used.
- Submit the job as specified. If your teacher asks you to submit an electronic copy and a hard copy, please follow those instructions.
Categories: How to
Source: HIS Education