Structure of the Conclusion
- Sum up and review your main points.
- Re-examine your thesis in light of everything that you have proven
- Point toward the larger significance of your ideas. If your readers now believe everything in your thesis, what do they now know and why is it important? In other words, so what?
Good Ideas for Conclusions
- If your essay began with a question, include the answer in your conclusion
- Use a short, significant quotation or anecdote that summarizes the main intent of the essay
- If your essay pointed out a problem, suggest solutions
- Widen the perspective of what you have discussed; in light of your thesis, what does your reader now know about a given time period?
What to Avoid in the Conclusion
- The phrase, “In conclusion, I have shown that…”
- Recopying your topic sentences or introduction exactly
- Putting in minor details or afterthoughts
- Using inflated declarations or cliché
- Apologizing for what you failed to do in the essay
- Going off in an entirely new or unrelated direction