Writing a Conclusion

Written by Write Site Staff

When writing most papers, you will include an introductory paragraph, the main body paragraphs, and the conclusory paragraph. The conclusion is used to complete your paper. Without a conclusion, your paper will seem unfinished, like a story without the “happily ever after.” Having a strong conclusion will bolster your paper’s purpose while giving readers a satisfying ending.

Goals of a Conclusion

Emphasize your thesis.

Rephrase your thesis in a new way. This refreshes the reader’s memory about your main point and allows you to show that you have proven your thesis over the course of your paper. Many writers choose to restate their thesis for the first sentence of their conclusory paragraph.

Synthesize your argument and main points.

Synthesize – don’t summarize. You do not need to recap your entire paper point by point. Instead, synthesize the paper’s main points; show your reader how the points you made, and the support and examples you use to develop those points, fit together.

Succinctly answer the question “So what?” or “Now what?”

Why should readers care about your argument? What does your paper add to the discussion about your topic? Where should readers go from here? This is your opportunity to elaborate on the significance of your findings, suggest larger implications now that you have synthesized your main points, and even propose a course of action or questions for future study if appropriate.

Provide a sense of closure.

You can provide closure and make a clever exit by leaving the reader with a strong closing statement. This can be tricky because, depending on the paper, this may be the only piece of personal input you have. In an informative essay, your closing statement will be your only personal input on the subject – mostly being what you feel about the subject in accordance with your main points. In an argumentative essay, it will be your point of view – on which side of the argument you fall. You want to leave your reader thinking.

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One technique for restating your thesis with different language is to use a complex sentence for your thesis statement the flip the subordinating and independent clauses when you restate it. You can also use another subordinating conjunction that shows the same basic relationship between the two clauses.

For example:

• Original thesis: Most critics agree that the Harry Potter films were really well cast, although some purists believe that the films did not do justice to Ron’s character.

• Restated thesis: Whereas some purists believe that the Harry Potter films did not do justice to Ron’s character, most critics agree that the Harry Potter films were really well cast.

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Writing Centers’ Power

Written by Charles Dyer

Believe it or not, there is a group called the North Texas Writing Center Association (NTWCA). This association of writing centers is a subset of the South Central Writing Centers Association, which is an affiliate of the International Writing Centers Association. One might expect this to then become, in the distant future, a member of the Inner Solar System Writing Center Association – in due time.

The NTWCA hosts a fall conference, a short day to share stories of successes and failures, to discuss strategies and techniques, and to impart administrative know-how. One goal of the conference is to discover what works and what doesn’t. Part of the conversations center around the widespread apathy toward writing in general.

The stories are more or less the same at any writing center. Students feel that writing is a burden, a requirement, and something only few can do well. The reasons for this are complicated and not entirely understood because the way we teach writing and grammar is complicated and not entirely understood.

With the pressure of STEM curricula bearing down on schools and teachers, the study of humanities has been slowly pushed to the sidelines and seen as a luxury. Where there are calls for mandatory composition courses in high school and college, the ins and outs of those courses are muddled and – at times – do more harm than good. This is not breaking news and is something composition directors and academics struggle to untangle daily.

What writing centers are left with are frustrated students with lackluster drives to write anything at all. Part of a writing center’s job then becomes motivating students to write and write WELL. Easier said than done, of course.

These are the kinds of conversations had at writing center conferences like the NTWCA held in the fall of 2019 at Tarrant County College’s northeast campus. Out of the strains of the conversation emerged a central question: What do we tell students to make them care about writing?

There are a few ways writing enthusiasts answer this question. The first is that there is an innate need for writing of all kinds – that it’s both an art form and a necessity for civilization.

Another answer is one I heard at the NTWCA conference. “If you want any kind of substantial job, you need to be able to write well.” The more practical answer, this insight follows the expansion of career centers and services in higher education and the ever-shrinking baseline worth of a bachelor’s degree. The more skills you have, the more likely you are to earn whatever job you want.

The third answer – a favorite of mine – is that effective communication is the glue of a society. The ability to write clearly and sensibly eliminates ambiguity and inspires cooperation. The ability to tell stories entertains the heart and excites the imagination. To be able to write is to be able to move an audience or a reader. Words drive actions and thoughts until they become real and tangible.

That’s all well and fine, but how to make students believe that is a hefty question with a monstrous answer out there somewhere. For a writing center, however, it’s about the little things. Tutors and consultants can reinforce the importance of writing little by little. That’s why returning students are so important. We have the unique opportunity to impact a human’s life when it comes to their ability to express themselves. That’s so special.

Make sure students know how important it is for them to be able to write clearly and that effective communication is their key to the world.