Concluding Sentences © 2001 by Ruth Luman References

Definition and Purpose Concluding Sentence Definition and Purpose A concluding sentence is the last sentence in a paragraph. A conclusion can remind the reader of the main points of a paragraph and/or leave the reader with something to think about in relation to the topic. Look at the next page to see how the writer used a concluding sentence.

Concluding Sentence Body Paragraph An important factor in learning a foreign language has to do with the concept of intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation. When we do something for the “fun of it” or because we enjoy it, that is called intrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, is when we do something for the purpose of receiving some kind of external reward such as money, time off from work, etc. Many education experts believe that intrinsic motivation is more powerful when it comes to helping students retain what they’ve learned. The question and challenge for teachers today is, “How can we help our students become intrinsically motivated in what we are teaching?” This concluding sentence tries to leave a final thought with the reader by asking a question.

The Concluding Sentence Is the last sentence in the paragraph Is your opportunity to leave your readers with a strong impression of the topic and its focus Indicates to the readers that no more discussion will occur on the main idea

Techniques I Sums up the main idea and major supporting details May offer an opinion Confirm the results of a process State an outcome of an event Challenge the reader to respond

Techniques II Summarizes the material in the paragraph Offers a solution to the problem stated in the paragraph Predicts a situation that will result or occur from the statements made in the paragraph

Techniques III Makes a recommendation concerning material presented in the paragraph States a conclusion to information given in the paragraph

Concluding Sentence Useful Expressions It is sometimes helpful to have a concluding expression in your last sentence to signal the end of your paragraph. Some common expressions used in concluding sentences are listed below. As we can see, Finally, In summary, Consequently, As a result, These examples show that…