How to Write a Concluding Paragraph

Use the last paragraph to convince readers why they should care.

The concluding paragraph of a paper will take the thesis and main points and boil it all down to the essentials the reader needs to know. The paragraph is also a place to connect all the dots of the paper's points, facts and questions, and how they relate to one another. The goal is not to summarize; rather, the writer's goal is to sell the entire paper's usefulness in the concluding paragraph.

Instructions

1. List the reasons why the reader should care about the thesis or main point of the paper. Use the resulting answers to form the first sentence of the concluding paragraph.

2. Write one sentence describing how the significant points or main points of the paper all relate to the thesis.

3. Study the collected research, facts, and quotes. Insert an unused quote or fact that supports the main point.

4. Determine whether the paper provides solid results, new perspectives, or strategies. List the results in a sentence or two.

5. Decide if the reader needs to do something specific after reading this information, and provide instructions or questions for the reader to execute or ponder.

6. Reserve the last line for the most powerful sentence. Arrange the sentences until the paragraph flows smoothly and ends with a satisfying closing.

References

• Hamilton College; Writing Center
• St. Cloud State University
• Study Guide Zone
• The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill; School of Education