What are the two most important sentences in ANY piece of writing?
If you said that the first and last sentences are the most important, you are correct!
Your opening sentence “hooks” your reader.
Your Closing Sentence is Important, too! It is essentially the answer to your original question, i.e., your conclusion “in a nutshell” It should leave your reader with a lasting impression, so make it meaningful. It should be: about your investigation, not about you or how much fun you had. not too broad and not too narrow. You can only draw conclusions from the data you actually collected. a summary of your results, but not a repeat of all the data.
Here are some examples of GOOD concluding sentences (some are actually more than one sentence that need each other to make sense): Although further research is needed, the results of the taste test suggest that most kids can’t tell the difference between genetically modified apples and non-genetically modified apples. Even though the Brookside students surveyed did not exhibit extensive knowledge about composting, they were overwhelmingly in favor of starting a compost program in the school lunchroom. Since the majority of students surveyed did not understand the difference between fossil fuels and green energy, more education about these two types of resource is necessary before they can make informed choices.
More GOOD closing sentences: More than half of the students who took the taste test preferred the taste of tap water over bottled water, yet almost the same percentage of students reported that they typically drink bottled water. This result indicates that people most likely choose the type of water they drink for reasons other than taste. The survey results, while limited, suggest that if given the choice, most adults would prefer to use clean, renewable energy sources rather than fossil fuels. Notice how long they are! Notice the careful language, such as “suggest,” “while limited,” and “most likely.”
What is wrong with each of these closing sentences? I was surprised to see how many people recycle. This is about the researcher, not the results! Even though there was some error, this lab was a big success. This doesn’t say what the results are either – just a “Yay, me! I did a good job!” These results proved my hypothesis was correct. We never say we “prove” our hypothesis or that it is “correct.” You can say the data supports your hypothesis or prediction. Also, you need to restate the hypothesis. It can be concluded that green energy is better than fossil fuels. Not only is this worded awkwardly, it is too broad of a conclusion. You would not have data to support this claim. This experiment was really fun and I learned a lot. This is the all-time classic over-used concluding sentence! It is about the experimenter, not the results of the experiment. Overall, the data suggested my hypothesis was right. Your hypothesis is never “right.” Also, you need to restate the hypothesis. In conclusion, 15 people liked composting, 12 were unsure, and 4 people did not. This belongs in the Results section, not the Conclusion! You should refer to your data, but not list all of it all over again.
Here’s an example: Question: Are kids who know more about sharks less afraid of them than kids who don’t know that much about sharks? (Note – this is my same question this year, but I used a different method to find my answer…) Procedure: The sample size was 100 kids. 50 of the kids watched a documentary about sharks. The other 50 did not. Then all 100 kids answered a survey about sharks. Results: The responses of the kids who watched the movie were: 25 kids said they were afraid of sharks and 25 kids said they were not afraid. The responses of the kids who did not watch the movie were: 45 kids said they were afraid of sharks and 5 were not afraid of sharks.
Which one of these closing sentences is best? All kids are afraid of sharks. This study proves that sharks are not really dangerous. My hypothesis was supported by my results. In this study I learned that sharks are not really that dangerous and I should not be afraid of them. Of the kids who did not watch the documentary about sharks, 50 were afraid and 50 were not afraid, but for the kids who did not watch it, 45 were afraid and only 5 were not. Although only 100 kids were tested, my hypothesis that knowledge helps kids not be afraid of sharks was proven. This study suggests that kids who are more knowledgeable about sharks are less likely to fear them. Although further research is required, this study suggests that kids who are more knowledgeable about sharks are less likely to fear them.
All kids are afraid of sharks All kids are afraid of sharks. Too broad – it is making a conclusion that the data does not support. This study proves that sharks are not really dangerous. The data doesn’t “prove” anything; this wasn’t even the question being investigated. My hypothesis was supported by my results. No idea what this person is talking about! What hypothesis? What results? Too vague! In this study I learned that sharks are not really that dangerous and I should not be afraid of them. Should be about the actual results, not about the person doing the investigation. Of the kids who did not watch the documentary about sharks, 50 were afraid and 50 were not afraid, but for the kids who did not watch it, 45 were afraid and only 5 were not. Don’t repeat all your data – summarize what it means. Although only 100 kids were tested, my hypothesis that knowledge helps kids not be afraid of sharks was proven. We never “prove” our hypothesis. The data suggests that increasing knowledge helps decrease fear of sharks, but it doesn’t prove it. This study suggests that kids who are more knowledgeable about sharks are less likely to fear them. This is a good one! But I think we can make it just a tiny bit better. After all, we only surveyed 100 kids. Although further research is required, this study suggests that kids who are more knowledgeable about sharks are less likely to fear them. We have a winner! But maybe you can come up with a sentence that’s even better than this one!