How to Write a Concluding Paragraph

You are writing a 5-paragraph essay about: To Kill a Mockingbird. You started by choosing an interesting and limited topic.

You wrote a 3-point thesis including your limited topic, attitude, and three points you will develop in the paper. Next, you wrote your three topic sentences for each of the three points to begin each of your body paragraphs.

You then learned how to write a body paragraph. A paragraph is like an outline with major points and sub-points. The topic sentence and concluding sentence are the “bookends” to the paragraph. Topic Sentence (mirrors thesis point) Primary Support Sentence Secondary Support Sentence Concluding Sentence

Catch Material 5 Transition 3 Thesis 1 You learned how to write an Introductory Paragraph using the 5-3-1 Method. 3 Thesis 1

Concluding Paragraph: How to write a Concluding Paragraph: Using the 1-3-5 Method

5 Closing Comments Transition 3 1 Thesis Think of this as the reverse of the Introductory Paragraph. 1 Thesis (restated from intro) 3 Transition (overall summary of key points) 5 Closing Comments (make a connection back to the catch material used in the introduction)

Restate Thesis: (1 sentence) Write the thesis from the intro paragraph (make slight changes). Be sure to include author & title. Do not change the order of your three points!

Transition: (3 sentences) Use key words to summarize major points from essay. Do not add new info or quotations. Explain significance of topic. Offer a solution or key insights.

Closing Comments: (5 sentences) Make a connection back to catch material of the introduction. Anecdote: go back to your story and character and wrap it up. Rhetorical questions: go back and answer posed questions.

Avoid in Conclusion: Do not praise the author or book. Do not thank the reader for reading the paper. Do not end with a question (no sense of completion). Do not use “I think/feel/believe…”

How to Write a Concluding Paragraph