Concluding Paragraphs

Concluding Paragraphs

In informative and persuasive writing, a conclusion serves to bring your discussion to a logical end. Too abrupt an ending leaves your reader suddenly cut off. A conclusion that is merely tacked onto an essay does not give the reader a sense of completion. An ending that flows gracefully and sensibly from what has come before it reinforces the writer’s ideas and enhances an essay. This is the last thing your audience will read; show them that what they have read means something! Offer an effective and skillfully rendered conclusion, and you will have a very memorable paper. A concluding paragraph often takes one of several forms. The most common ways of concluding an essay are given below.

Selected Devices for Concluding Paragraphs:

-- Use the devices for introductory paragraphs. For example, if you mention birds as a metaphor in your introduction, bring back that metaphor in the conclusion. This offers a way of tying your paper together.

-- Summarize the main points of the essay, although this technique is not very effective. Use it sparingly.

-- Call for awareness and/or action.

-- Point to the future.

An effective conclusion does not detract from the central message of an essay. Refer below for a list of what to avoid when writing concluding paragraphs.

What to Avoid in Concluding Paragraphs

n Do not go off the track. Avoid introducing an entirely new idea or adding a fact that belongs in the body of the essay. Your conclusion should flow from the rest of your essay.

n Do not reword your introduction. Avoid simply listing the main idea in each topic sentence or restating the thesis. While a summary can refer to those points, it must tie into what was covered in the essay. A good test is to check if the introduction and conclusion are interchangeable. If they are, you need to revise.

n Do not announce what you have done. Avoid statements such as “In this paper I have tried to show the main causes for the drop in oil prices.” This concept is a little too obvious. Do not be afraid to discuss what you have done, but do it in a more subtle way.

n Do not make absolute claims. Avoid statements such as “This proves that. . . “ and “If we take this action, the problem will be solved.” Always qualify your message with expressions such as “This seems to prove. . . “ and “If we take this action, we will begin working toward a solution of the problem.” The reason why you want to avoid this is that extreme claims like the examples are very hard to prove. We live in a world without a lot of absolutes, so simply write what you were trying to prove. Again, do not be afraid to be confident of your success, but do not claim total victory, either.

n Do not apologize. Avoid casting doubt on your material by making statements such as “I may not have thought of all the arguments, but. . .” and “Even though I am not an expert, I feel that what I have said is correct.”

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This page last updated on 2/06/03.