WRITING CONCLUSIONS

As you learned in the last section, the beginning and end of a paragraph are very important. Sometimes a topic sentence will end a paragraph, but often it comes at the beginning, in order to alert the reader to the main idea. In this case, the paragraph will end with a concluding sentence. The concluding sentence brings closure to the paragraph by providing a summary of the topic and the supporting details. It may also suggest what action the reader should take. If another paragraph follows, the concluding sentence serves as a link between the two paragraphs.

As we compare a paragraph to a table, we see that the concluding sentence is like the floor which provides a stable base on which the table can stand. A paragraph that lacks a concluding sentence may leave the reader uncertain and without a sense of closure. Read the example below to understand the importance of concluding sentences.

Example: The federal government should stop spending large sums of money for defense. Now that the Cold War is over, there is no need to keep this country armed to the teeth. Currently, the United States spends more for defense than all other countries in the world combined! Congress continues to approve larger amounts of money fordefense while no country comes close to being dangerous to us.

This paragraph lacks an ending. The paragraph begins with an opinion about the amount of money spent for defense, followed by supporting sentences that back up this point. However, the lack of a conclusion leaves the reader wondering whether the paragraph is finished. The addition of a concluding sentence like the following would make a big difference:

Concluding Sentence: Tell your representatives to stop wasting tax payer money on a threat that no longer exists. This one sentence ties the paragraph together by summarizing the main idea and supporting details as well as urging the reader to take action. The reader may agree or disagree with the writer’s ideas, but the reader has no doubt that the writer has brought the paragraph to a close.

A concluding sentence may achieve one or more of the following: Emphasize an important point; Provide a summary of the topic and details; Suggest a response from the reader; Link one paragraph to another.

Practice Activity: Concluding Sentences 1.The global economy is moving toward the East. By 2020, China is projected to have an economy that is roughly 1 ½ times as large as the economy of the United States! In addition, Japan, India, and Indonesia will have production levels that rival the United States. Only four nations in Europe will even make the top twenty list of the world’s largest economies.