Concluding your Answer

New Ideas The purpose of the conclusion is not simply to summarise the points already made The conclusion should cover new ground

Full Circle In the final paragraph/paragraphs take the reader back to the question or task, giving a sense of finality

Evaluate One way in which you can do this is by demonstrating your ability to evaluate

Evaluation For the task: “How do James, Stoker and Shelley create a sense of horror? Which text is the most powerful for a modern reader?” You would need to judge the power of the texts you had written about

Synthesise This would be effective because It requires you to pick out the best points you have made already and present them in a different way (synthesise). It allows you to talk about context and make cross references

Context Context is the world in which the text was created and first read For instance: “Dracula’s” audience were afraid of foreign influences changing English society This is one aspect of Dracula’s context

Cross Referencing Cross referencing is where you alternate between texts in making your points E.g.. “The original readers of Dracula lived in fear of premature burial, which is why the idea of living creatures inside coffins and graves was so disturbing. Equally, the readers of Mary Shelley’s novel dreaded the advances in science that Frankenstein takes to such an extreme.”

Plan for Conclusion A plan for your final paragraph could look like this: Exploration of the most menacing aspect for the original readers of each text An exploration of whether these fears/concerns are still relevant Arguing for your choice for the passage that is the most disturbing today

Big Ideas Quotations may be less important here than in earlier paragraphs; focus on the overall impact of the passages.

Judge Keep using the language of evaluation. Analyse, argue and explore your subject matter

Think Beyond the Text Refer to other books, films, music or ideas when making your points. Don’t be afraid to tackle the question in this part of your essay. E.g.. “Perhaps the question is not “Which passage is more menacing to the modern reader?” but more, “Are any of these passages menacing to the modern reader?””