Different Types of Closure Sentences for Your Conclusion

You can conclude the last sentence of your paper in several ways:

·         Ask a question: What should a society do when one person’s rights infringe on another person’s rights? (If you use this technique, only ask ONE question.  Do not ask question after question.  This is a writing style for conclusions.  Do not write more than one or it loses its kick.)

·         Offer a quotation at the very end to leave your readers thinking about something poignant: As William Schaeffer wrote, “Without freedom, there is no hope for the world” (par. 13).

·         Provide an ironic twist, a surprising observation, or a clever ending: Smoking is legal, and one could even see it as a personal right; however, don’t let one person’s freedoms encroach on another person’s rights.

·         Throw out a personal challenge: Consider quitting now and becoming part of the movement to stop secondhand smoke in public places.

·         Make a prediction or recommend actions for the readers to take: Next time a state’s ballot contains legislation banning secondhand smoke in public places, please vote yes.

Whichever type of conclusion you choose, you want to say something powerful and memorable so that the readers walk away thinking about what you wrote. Always remember to write in 3^rd person voice—UNLESS you are given specific allowances for 1^st person voice by the instructor.

Note. Make sure the word conclusion does not appear above your concluding paragraph.

Create a conclusion that tidies up the essay, without introducing new points or fully rehashing the points made in the essay.  Think of a conclusion as if it was the end of phone conversation (it is not the same.  This is just an illustration, a simile):

OK, well I’m glad that you are feeling better.  I look forward to seeing your next week at church.  Tell Sam hi, and be sure to keep pushing fluids until you are completely recovered. 

See how main conversation points were addressed, and the conversation was ended?  Try this tactic in your own conclusion.