TYPES
OF CONCLUSIONS
The conclusion (ending
or closing) of your writing is what wraps it all up for the
reader. Stop writing when you have said it all, but the
conclusion should tie up all loose ends. Do not leave the reader
hanging. Leave him/her with something to think about. Do not
insult the reader by telling him/her what you have written about.
Also, do not use the lead as the conclusion; you can restate what
you wrote in the lead, but do not just repeat it. NEVER end with
"...and it was all a dream." That has been overdone.
Below are some ideas on how to write a good conclusion. Remember
that not every type of lead will work for every writer or for
every piece of writing. You'll have to experiment. Be sure to
have a least three sentences in your conclusion, whatever type it
may be.
Question
 | Close with a question that involves the reader. You can
answer the question, or leave it for the reader to decide
based on what you wrote. The question must relate to the
main idea.
 | Example: It was the worst experience of
his life. Andrew decided that it was the last
time he would ever go on a roller coaster. Who
can blame him? |
|
Strong Statement
| Close with a statement that forcefully states your
opinion.
| Example: A criminal, no matter his/her
age, should be dealt with according to the
crime. The legal system is too lenient when it
comes to juvenile offenders. Laws need to be
rewritten immediately so that no more hard core
criminals go free just because they are
juveniles. |
|
Summary
| Close with a summary of your main ideas. However, do not
repeat yourself word for word; say it in a different way.
Also, remember not to insult the reader by saying,
"I wrote about..." The reader is smart enough
to know what he/she just read.
| Example: As you can see, it is not
important to know everything, but it is important
to know how to find the answer. There will not
always be a teacher nearby with the answer. You
have to learn how to research, how to dig through
sources to find what you need to know. |
|
Personal Comment
| Close with a personal comment or response to what you
have written. It is not the same thing as an opinion. It
is more like a personal conclusion you have reached or a
lesson you have learned because of the experience you
wrote about in your paper.
| Example: Riding a roller coaster with
someone who is a "chicken" is something
I will certainly never do again. I should have
listened when Sheila told me she did not want to
ride it. I should have let her take the
"chicken exit." Next time I will know
better. |
|
Mystery
| Close with a statement that shows some things will never
be resolved. However, be sure to do this in a way that
the reader does not think you just forgot to end your
story or paper.
| Example: We watched Adam walk down the
road until he became just a tiny speck and then
disappeared altogether into the dust of twilight.
Just as he appeared, he was gone. That was the
last time any of us ever saw him. |
|
Beginning of New Story
| When writing a story or personal narrative, you can close
with a hint of things to come, or the beginning of a new
story--a sequel of sorts.
| Example: He was exhausted. It had been a
long and difficult week. Javier closed his eyes
and thought of the many other adventures that lie
ahead. |
|
Well Known Quotation or Quotation from a Famous Person
| Close with a quotation that is well known or from a
famous person. Be sure to put quotations around the
quotation and give credit to the person who said it if
you write it word for word. Of course, the quotation must
be directly related to your topic. A good source is a
book of quotations. Look in the library or ask your
teacher.
| Example: According to Senator Bob Dole, in
order to be a citizen, all Americans must be able
to speak English. In theory this seems like a
good policy. However, what will become of the
citizens who never learn to speak English? |
|
Quotation Not from a Famous Person
| Close with a quotation from a person that is not famous.
It could be a character from the story or someone you
know personally. You still must put it in quotation marks
and give credit to the person who said it if you write it
word for word.
| Example: "You're going to regret
this." Those were Sheila's last words as I
pulled her into the roller coaster seat. I now
know she was not kidding. |
|
Open Conclusion
| Close with an ending or statement that lets the reader
draw his/her own conclusion. It is like a "fill in
the blank" type of conclusion. Remember to give the
reader enough information in the body of your paper that
he/she can draw a conclusion.
| Example: Some statistics show that drivers
under the age of 16 are more dangerous. On the
other hand, some statistics show that they are no
more dangerous than drivers 16 to 25. Therefore,
whether drivers under the age of 16 are more
dangerous than those over 16 is still debatable. |
|
Interested in hands-on
manipulatives for Conclusions that can be used instead of this
page or in conjunction with it? Visit Kim's
Kreations.
|
