5.1: Conclusions
- Page ID
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)About Conclusions
Conclusions and introductions are sometimes the hardest parts of a paper to write. While the body (middle part) is often easier, every essay needs a good beginning and ending to help the reader understand and remember your ideas.
A strong conclusion helps the reader move from your essay back to real life. It shows why your ideas matter and gives your reader something important to remember.
Your conclusion is your chance to say the final words about your topic. In this part, summarize your main points, explain why your ideas are important, and leave your reader with a positive impression. You can also connect your ideas to bigger issues or ask readers to think more about your topic.
Good Strategies for Writing Conclusions
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Ask “So what?” After writing your conclusion, ask yourself or a friend, “So what?” Why do your ideas matter? Try to answer this question in your conclusion.
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Return to your main theme. Connect back to ideas or images from your introduction.
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Pull your ideas together. Briefly sum up main points, but don’t just repeat them. Show how your ideas connect.
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Share an interesting idea, question, or quotation.
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Suggest an action or question for the reader. Tell the reader what to do next or give them something new to think about.
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Explain why your topic is important for a bigger group, community, or the world.
What to Avoid in Conclusions
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Don’t start with “in conclusion” or “in summary.” These sound too simple or boring.
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Don’t give your thesis statement for the first time at the end—put it at the start of your paper!
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Don’t add new ideas or topics in your conclusion.
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Don’t just repeat your thesis in other words.
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Don’t use emotional or dramatic words if your paper is academic.
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Don’t add facts or quotes that belong in the body of your paper.
Weak Types of Conclusions
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Restatement Only (“That’s My Story and I’m Sticking to It”): Just repeats the thesis and quickly ends.
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Mystery Ending (“Sherlock Holmes”): Hides your main argument until the conclusion. The thesis should come at the beginning.
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Too Emotional (“America the Beautiful”): Uses lots of feelings, which may not fit an academic essay.
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Extra Information (“Grab Bag”): Adds random facts or ideas that don’t connect to the main paper.
A good conclusion makes the reader understand why your essay mattered and gives them something to think about.Here is your passage, rewritten in clear and simple language for intermediate ESL students:
About Conclusions
Introductions and conclusions can be the hardest parts of an essay to write. The introduction starts your paper and the conclusion finishes it. These parts help your reader understand your ideas clearly.
A strong conclusion helps your reader see why your essay is important. The conclusion is your last chance to explain why your ideas matter. You can remind the reader what you wrote about, show why it is important, and give them something to think about after reading your paper.
Your conclusion can do more than just repeat your introduction. You can talk about the bigger meaning of your topic or suggest new ideas for the reader to consider.
A good conclusion should make your reader feel glad they read your essay and should help them see your topic in a new way.
A good conclusion gives a strong ending to your essay, reminds the reader of your main ideas, and explains why your topic matters.
Works consulted
We consulted these works while writing the original version of this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find the latest publications on this topic. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial .
All quotations are from:
Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, edited and with introduction by Houston A. Baker, Jr., New York: Penguin Books, 1986.
Strategies for Writing a Conclusion. Literacy Education Online, St. Cloud State University. 18 May 2005 < http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/acadwrite/conclude.html >.
Conclusions. Nesbitt-Johnston Writing Center, Hamilton College. 17 May 2005 <http://www.hamilton.edu/academic/Res...nclusions.html>.