All About Conclusions

So the essay is winding down. The introduction is clear, the thesis statement has been explained in detail point-by-point, and the word-count requirement is within reach. Time to stop writing, huh? Well, almost.

Now comes the conclusion, the most important part of the essay aside from the intro. "But I already explained it all," you say. "What's left to write?"

Well, you just finished explaining your last point in detail, which means it's probably been a while since you mentioned your other points. The conclusion is the place where you will summarize your complete argument, paraphrasing your most hard-hitting points and--this is the important part--putting them into perspective.

Perspective is what differentiates the conclusion from the introduction. In the introduction, you are focused on providing a backdrop for your argument. In the conclusion, you give the argument broad context--explaining what the argument contributes to the subject matter, why it is important, and/or how it fits into the world at large. (So you would not simply copy your introduction and paste it in the conclusion's spot like I've seen more than one student do.)

Time for an example. First, let me show you the introduction:

Mountain lions are creatures that naturally prefer to avoid confrontations with other non-prey animals. In recent decades, however, shrinking habitats have forced mountain lions into areas populated by humans. As a result, mountain lions are attacking humans at increasing rates every year in an attempt to protect their territory. Lawmakers can help solve this problem by setting aside more land for wildlife reservations, providing more funding to national parks to educate the public on wildlife safety, and enforcing hunting restrictions on reserved land.

Ok, now the conclusion:

As people continue to intrude into mountain lion habitats, attacks on humans will only increase (context/importance). Swift action is needed to protect the public from these beautiful, misunderstood creatures (persuasive call to action). Lawmakers can do much to reduce the threat of attack by setting aside additional land for wildlife, granting more funds to national parks, and enforcing hunting restrictions on reserved land (summary of thesis). By taking these actions, lawmakers will not only help protect the public from these wild attacks, but they will also promote understanding and respect for these endangered animals (additional importance/expansion of issue).

Notice how the conclusion differs widely from the introduction. The introduction provides background information that introduces the argument, while the conclusion features contextual information that highlights the necessity of the argument.

Once you master the art of writing conclusions, you'll be one big step closer to earning a stellar grade.