How to Improve Conclusions

A conclusion leaves the reader thinking about the essay and its purpose.

A powerful conclusion in an expository essay or research paper summarizes the thoughts and facts explained in the writing. The conclusion restates the ideas elaborated on in the body of the essay. This is the last chance for the writer to make his point. A good conclusion does this by prompting the reader to reflect and contemplate the ideas expressed in the writing.

Instructions

1. Start the final paragraph with a concluding sentence. Refer back to your thesis in the opening paragraph. Restate the thesis in a different way. Provide a concluding word or phrase, such as "clearly," "as you can see" or "in conclusion," in your concluding sentence. Write three distinct concluding sentences on a piece of scratch paper. Choose the best sentence and start your concluding paragraph with that sentence.

2. Pose a question, call to action or a challenge to the reader in the concluding paragraph. These tactics allows readers to go beyond what has been written and to apply new knowledge to their lives. For instance, if a essay was presented about the advantages of buying local food, "Do you know how many miles that tomato on your sandwich traveled?" would be a question to ask. Prompt the reader to visit the local farmer's market to buy their produce. Challenge readers to take note of where their food comes from and to make an effort to buy locally. After reading the concluding paragraph of the essay, the reader will know for certain the purpose of the essay.

3. Read the concluding paragraph out loud to ensure that it reinforces the goal of your writing.

References

• St. Cloud State University; Literacy Education Online; Strategies for Writing a Conclusion; Randa Holewa
• Michigan State University; Transition Words; Gregory Campbell; December 1994