Conclusion Paragraphs
Or..tying it all up in a pretty, pretty
bow
How do I write an effective
conclusion?
Refer back to the introduction
– Make a reference or hint at the hook you used –
do NOT repeat it
* Refer to it in an unusual, creative way
* Link it to your concluding statement
How do I write an effective
conclusion?
• Remind your reader why they should accept
your thesis
• Use strong, confident language
• Broadly summarize (not specifically) your
topic ideas from the body paragraphs
How do I write an effective
conclusion?
Re-word your thesis
• Say it in a new, interesting way
• Do NOT simply re-state it
Previous Introductory Paragraph
• Ex. Like looking at our refection on a quiet, still
stream, the reader is able to see the wisdom and
reality of the human condition thanks to
Shakespeare’s expertise. As we read we are escorted
down an unfamiliar path, yet our guide will lead us
into a place of profound understanding and wisdom,
which we will receive from the most unexpected of
travelers. It is through this journey of the unexpected
that Shakespeare masterfully uses the most unlikely
of characters to impart the most profound truths.
Sample Conclusion
• As Shakespeare journeys through his epic
tales, he carries the reader on a winding path
full of unexpected scenery. It is through the
encounters with those who seem most
unlikely to be of value that the reader learns
the lessons of life. Indeed it is within this
paradox of what one expects and what is true
of a character that one finds the clarity that
we need and Shakespeare’s morals are
discovered like the rare treasures they are.
Compare and Re-phrase
• Like looking at our refection on a quiet, still stream, the reader is able to
see the wisdom and reality of the human condition thanks to
Shakespeare’s expertise. As we read we are escorted down an unfamiliar
path, yet our guide will lead us into a place of profound understanding and
wisdom, which we will receive from the most unexpected of travelers. It is
through this journey of the unexpected that Shakespeare masterfully uses
the most unlikely of characters to impart the most profound truths.
• As Shakespeare journeys through his epic tales, he carries the
reader on a winding path full of unexpected scenery. It is through
the encounters with those who seem most unlikely to be of value
that the reader learns the lessons of life. Indeed it is within this
paradox of what one expects and what is true of a character that
one finds the clarity that we need and Shakespeare’s morals are
discovered like the rare treasures they are.
Remember this introduction?
• Since the beginning of the written word, great
writers have gifted readers with characters who
captivate or teach lessons that shape who we are
as humans. Writers such as Hemingway, Chaucer,
and Tolstoy have crafted characters who become
tools to teach us and enlighten us, yet no writer
posesses the ability to use characters to point the
reader to truth more than William Shakespeare.
It is through a journey of the unexpected that
Shakespeare masterfully uses the most unlikely of
characters to impart the most profound truths.
Pretty, pretty bow!