Concluding Sentences Wrapping up on a Strong Note

Purpose? What is the purpose of a conclusion sentence? “A conclusion sentence holds your paragraph together and provides a strong ending to support it”

Clear Conclusion Components A concluding sentence does more than wrap up what you have said in your paragraph:   1. it summarize ideas 2. it transitions to the next paragraph 3. it demonstrates the importance of your topic idea

Visualize it… Think of your paragraph like a hamburger:   The top bun is the topic sentence  The patty and the toppings are the supporting sentences The bottom bun is the concluding sentence   The buns hold everything together and resemble each other, just as the topic and concluding sentences should.

Do's Do stick to the main points. If your paragraph has been focused on the merits of having a dress code, be sure to stay focused on that particular topic. Do not begin talking about bullying or cost or a different topic. Your conclusion sentence should reflect or mirror the main idea in the paragraph’s topic sentence.  

More Do's Do allow for a smooth transition between the concluding sentence and the topic sentence of the next paragraph. For example: Concluding sentence for paragraph 2 “Given the alarming number of repercussions, sea level rise is a drastic consequence of climate change."   Topic sentence to begin paragraph 3 "Another disastrous consequence from climate change is the recent outbreak of extreme weather." 

Even More Do's Do focus and be specific about how your supporting sentences (your middle sentences) contribute to the concluding sentence.   Do arrange the body of the paragraph in a sequence that flows to lead up to the concluding sentence. Do make sure that a concluding sentence is necessary for your paragraph, as some short paragraphs may not require one.

Don'ts Don't simply rephrase your topic sentence; that would be redundant.  I know your elementary school teachers often taught you this, but this strategy is no longer as useful for middle school. Instead of simply rephrasing the topic sentence, focus on what you said, instead of how you said it.

Don'ts Don't begin with an unnecessary, overused phrase like "in conclusion", "in summary", "in closing", or "as shown in the essay."  (These may work in speeches, but they come across as wooden and trite in writing.) That means we no longer use them! We can do better and be more creative than this!  Sometimes all you need are a few well chosen words   to sum up the main idea you have developed.