Writing A Conclusion How to leave your reader with a sense that you really know what you’re talking about!

What does it mean to draw a conclusion? The job of a conclusion is NOT to conclude, or “end” your essay. It is to “draw conclusions” based on the content of the essay.

A conclusion has contents (or innards), just like an introduction Four parts of an effective conclusion: REVIEW CONNECT EXTEND ECHO-hook

Review Review your thesis by rewording your key point and the conclusions that have been drawn. Highlight what you think is the most important, convincing evidence or point in your paper--what you want the reader to remember most. If you are writing about literature, this is a good place to include the author and title.

Connect Considering all of your evidence and examples, what common thread or theme do you notice about your evidence? What is the greater significance of that common thread or theme? What key conclusion or impression do you most want your reader to leave with?

Extend How does this connection go beyond your topic and extend to the real world? When writing about literature, consider discussing a connection to a universal theme--some larger truth about human experience which is revealed by the work. In essence, what is the big picture you’re looking at as you write your paper?

Echo This is the hook of the conclusion. The compelling thought or question you leave your reader to ponder because the content of your essay drew them to think deeply!

A sample REVIEW: While Equality desired to have an ego, he lived in a controlling, tyrannical society that squelched any individualism the citizens had. CONNECT: Equality desired to learn, yet he became a Street Sweeper, Equality desired to love and have friends, yet he was told he could prefer no man above others. And Equality wish to have an ego, to know who he was as a man, yet to do that he had to leave the society and live on his own. EXTEND: Ayn Rand’s intention in writing Anthem was to show free citizens, like those of us who live in America, to question practices that may take our ego from us and to always question the laws and norms of society around us. ECHO: For as we saw in Anthem, once this questioning stops, all freedoms can be taken from a citizen.