Name ________________________________________________ Block _________
How to Write a Conclusion for an Informative Speech
Types of Expository Papers
This type of conclusion will work with certain “expository” (informative speeches):
 Basic informative speech
 Persuasive speech
 Analysis speech
 Definition speech
 Comparison/Contrast speech
Purpose
The purpose of a conclusion in an expository speech:
 Reminds your audience of the focus of the speech.
 Does NOT put in any NEW information at this point.
 Draws conclusions – note: NOT “repeat” – about the points that you made.
 Leaves them with a final thought, a final impression.
How to do this
A brief formula for a conclusion:
1. Start with a transition that indicates to your listener that you’re wrapping up the speech
2. Re-state -- – note: NOT “repeat” – your thesis. Use different words than those used in
your introduction!
3. Draw a final conclusion about each main point your made in your speech. What was the
purpose in bringing up each category of information?
4. Tie back to your attention-getter in your final statement of the essay.
5. Use strong transitions that tie each sentence in the conclusion
a. Ties back to previous sentence
b. Ties back to the thesis statement and body paragraphs
Looking at each component in depth
1. Transition going into the conclusion
a. Use a transition indicating that you are finishing the speech and reminding your
readers of the points made in the paper.
b. Examples: in summary; in closing; ultimately; to sum up; all in all; etc.
2. Re-stating the thesis
a. If you used a three-part thesis in the introduction, try using a general thesis in
the conclusion, still varying your word choice.
i. Three-part thesis from introduction: Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and
BJ Armstrong greatly contributed to the success of the Chicago Bulls in
the 1990s.
ii. General thesis for conclusion: The Chicago Bulls would not have been
able to establish the dynasty that they did in the 1990s if not for the
talent of certain key players.
b. If you used a general thesis in the introduction, you will simply need to reword
your thesis in the conclusion.
i. General thesis from introduction: The Chicago Bulls would not have
been able to establish the dynasty that they did in the 1990s if not for
the talent of certain key players.
ii. Reworded thesis from conclusion: Due to its unique combination of
talent, years may pass before another team comes close to
accomplishing what the Chicago Bulls did in the 1990s.
3. Drawing conclusions about the main points you presented in the body of your paper.
a. Transitions
i. You need to use strong transition as you start each summary.
ii. Each statement within the summary of a point needs to tie back to the
previous sentence.
b. Do NOT repeat your main points.
i. Instead, determine the importance of the point to the topic. Look at one
or more of these approaches
1. Why does this main point matter?
2. How does this point impact your topic as a whole?
3. If this is true, how does it make a difference when thinking
about your topic?
4. How does each main point relate to the other main point(s)?
c. Do NOT write only a ONE-sentence summary for each of your main points (3
main points in the body of your essay does NOT equal 3 summary sentences in
your conclusion.)
i. Your conclusion must be proportionate in length to your body
paragraphs.
d. Example of summary statement for one point made in the paper: Simply stated,
the Bulls would not have been the team they were without the contributions
made by Michael Jordan. Time and again, Jordan was at the heart of the Bulls’
success, whether it was sinking a last-minute winning shot in a clutch situation
or consistently scoring the highest points in a game. He set the bar that other
players on his own team and across the league strived to attain.
4. Final statement of your speech:
a. Use a strong transition going into this.
b. Leave a lasting impression on your audience.
c. Tie together your speech in a nice, neat package by referring back to your
attention getter from the introduction.
d. Try to tie the speech to a bigger issue that could relate to the reader’s life –
refer to the audience by saying “you” - and go beyond this one-time paper.
e. Make your last statment sound final.
f. Example of final statement if the attention getter used included a definition (of
“success”):
i. Ultimately, perhaps the six-time World Champions Bulls teams of the
1990s will be viewed historically as the most impressive basketball
dynasty ever established, and a new entry will need to be entered into
dictionaries for the word “success” simply stating: “Refer back to the
Chicago Bulls -1990s.”
Prewriting
Your prewriting will look something like this with the first two numbers and the last number
being the same but the middle numbers differing, depending on the number of points (NOT
necessarily number of body paragraphs, unless it’s a simple five-paragraph paper) you are
making in the paper.
1. Transition
2. Re-stated thesis
3. *Summary of main point #1
4. *Summary of main point #2
5. *Summary of main point #3
6. *Final statement
* Indicates a need to insert a transition at this location.
Practice
You are to write a conclusion to your “Tissue Box Speech,” based on the following thesis
and main points:
Do your prewriting first – Use phrases ONLY (no more than 4-5 words at ony one number.
1. Transition: In conclusion,
2. Re-stated thesis:
3. *Summary of box side #1 (do these in same order covered in body of speech):
4. *Summary of box side #2:
5. *Summary of box side #3:
6. *Summary of box side #4:
7. *Final statement –