ConclusionBy: Ayshe Shepherd, Hayley

Todaro, Marisa Taverna, Anna Shepherd, and Taylor Palmer

A Conclusion Should...

Wrap up your essay for your reader. It is a good idea to rewrite your thesis statement in order to suggest to your reader that you have accomplished what you set out to accomplish.

Point A: Rewording the Thesis  •This should be ONE sentence. 

•Look at your thesis statement again and rework it in a new way. 

Rewording the Thesis Continued...•Avoid repeating key words and phrases from the thesis statement because you don't want the summary statement to sound boring or repetitive. 

•Using a thesaurus is a good way to find new, interesting words.

Some Examples of Rewording a Thesis Statement: 

•Thesis Statement: Many Americans are buying the Toyota Corolla because of its competitive price, fuel economy, and high resale value.

•Reworded Thesis Statement: Reasonable pricing, low miles per gallon, and an attractive resale value have all contributed to the popularity of the Toyota Corolla in today's market.

Examples of Rewording a Thesis Statement Continued...

•Thesis Statement: San Francisco is a stimulating place to visit because of its magnificent location, its theaters and art galleries, and its many fine restaurants.

•Reworded Thesis Statement: If you love beautiful surroundings, world class theater and art, and an exquisite meal, then San Francisco is the place for you.

Point B: Broadening Sentences

• This should be THREE to FIVE sentences. 

• Here, you are restating your three main points from the body paragraphs. 

• Try to summarize the three main points from the body to keep the reader's attention. 

• DO NOT include any NEW information, just simply restate your facts. 

Examples of Broadening Sentences: 1.(This paper is about the 'Tell-Tale Heart" and Edgar

Allan Poe)"Thick darkness," "thread of the spider," and "vulture eye" are three images that Poe used in "The Tell-Tale Heart" to stimulate a reader's senses. Poe wanted the reader to see and feel real life. He used concrete imagery rather than vague abstract words to describe settings and people. 

Examples of Broadening Sentences Continued:1.(This paper is about Disney Land) I could see tired

children, toddling along and struggling to keep their eyes open as best they could. Others slept in their parents' arms as we waited for the parking lot tram that would take us to our cars. My forty-year-old feet ached, and I felt a bit sad to think that in a couple of days I would be leaving California, my vacation over, to go back to my desk.

Point C: Concluding, "Clencher," Statement• This should be ONE sentence. 

• With this sentence, the writer leaves his final impression on the reader. 

• It is a final statement that gives the reader signals that the discussion has come to an end. (This final statement may be a "call to action" in a persuasive essay.)

Point C: Clencher

The conclusion sentence differs according to the subject and the writer. The conclusion may give a moral or a lesson. Therefore conclusion is very important for writing. A good ending is as important as a good beginning.

Example of a Clencher sentence: 

1. If Edgar Allan Poe was one of Stephen King's teachers, then readers of King owe a debt of gratitude to that nineteenth-century creator of horror stories.

2.(This paper was about love.)The love is an unfinished resource of human warmth, and cannot be stolen, because it is a free things.

Example of a Final Conclusion Paragraph:I thought I would spend a few hours at Disneyland, but here I was at 1:00 A.M., closing time, leaving the front gates with the now dark towers of the Magic Kingdom behind me. I could see tired children, toddling along and struggling to keep their eyes open as best they could. Others slept in their parents' arms as we waited for the parking lot tram that would take us to our cars. My forty-year-old feet ached, and I felt a bit sad to think that in a couple of days I would be leaving California, my vacation over, to go back to my desk. But then I smiled to think that for at least a day I felt ten years old again.

Quiz:  Take out a sheet of looseleaf. 1. What should a conclusion paragraph do?

2. Name the 3 parts of a conclusion paragraph

3. What is part A in the conclusion paragraph?

4. What is included in part B?

5. What is the purpose of a concluding, "clencher," statement?