Write Your Conclusion

Purpose: The conclusion of the paper/speech helps to wrap up your key ideas and summarize your main points.  It is another critical point in your paper and as such it requires attention and revision. 

What you should do in a conclusion:

·        Tell how you put all of your information together to develop an answer to your research question.

·        Tell your audience what you wanted them to get from your paper/speech.

·        Lead back to your thesis statement.

·        Leave your audience with some last thoughts to ponder about the information you have presented.

·        Be brief and to the point.

What you should not do in a conclusion:

·        Do not contradict the point that you have made.

·        Do not introduce a new topic or new information.

·        Do not conclude with a cliché (“You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him/her drink”)

·        Do not apologize for a lack of knowledge, ability, or resources.

·        Do not use obvious transition words or phrases such as in conclusion, in summary, and as I have attempted to show.  You may, however, use less obvious transition words such as therefore, finally, and consequently.

A solid, basic, conclusion should restate your main point (thesis) and should let the reader know what you thought about the project.  Let us know your opinion about the topic not what you thought about doing the project.  For an example of using your opinion you might end with “Joan of Arc was and is a powerful role model for young women all around the world.”  You notice I didn’t put “I believe” or “I think”… it’s your project and it already tells us what you think.