Conclusion in Compositions

In composition, the term conclusion refers to the sentences or paragraphs that bring a speech, essay, report, or book to a satisfying and logical end. Also called the concluding paragraph or closing.

The length of a conclusion is generally proportional to the length of the whole text. While a single paragraph is usually all that's required to conclude a standard essay or composition, a long research paper may call for several concluding paragraphs.

Etymology

From the Latin, "to end"

Methods and Observations

• Kristin R. Woolever
  ​Strong conclusions generally have four things in common:
  • They summarize the discussion.
  • They are concise.
  • They carry conviction.
  • They are memorable."

Strategies for Concluding an Essay

• X.J. Kennedy
  Although there are no set formulas for closing, the following list presents several options:
  
  1. Restate the thesis of your essay, and perhaps your main points.
  2. Mention the broader implications or significance of your topic.
  3. Give a final example that pulls all the parts of your discussion together.
  4. Offer a prediction.
  5. End with the most important point as the culmination of your essay's development.
  6. Suggest how the reader can apply the information you have just imparted.
  7. End with a bit of drama or a flourish. Tell an anecdote, offer an appropriate quotation, ask a question, make a final insightful remark.

Three Guidelines

• Richard Palmer
  [S]ome separate guidelines [about conclusions] may be valuable.
  • Before closing your essay, always look back at your introduction and then make sure that you say something fresh and/or express yourself in a different way. . . .
  • Short conclusions are usually preferable to long ones. . . .
  • If possible, conclude your argument in a way that makes explicit insights that have been implicit along the way.

Circular Closing

• Thomas S. Kane
  This strategy works on the analogy of a circle, which ends where it began. The final paragraph repeats an important word or phrase prominent in the beginning, something the reader will remember. If the strategy is to work, the reader has to recognize the key term (but of course you cannot hang a sign on it--'Remember this'). You must stress it more subtly, perhaps by position or by using an unusual, memorable word.

Two Sorts of Endings

• Bill Stott
  Someone has said that there are only two sorts of endings, the fanfare (da-da!) and the dying fall (plub-plub-plew). It's true. You can try to avoid these alternatives by cutting your writing off abruptly--ending it without an ending so to speak. But this sort of ending is also a kind of dying fall. Dying fall endings are more subtle and various than fanfares because all fanfares sound alike. But don't be squeamish about using a fanfare when one seems warranted.
  This ending is a dying fall.

Composing a Conclusion Under Pressure

• Geraldine Woods
  Even though the conclusion is the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae, you may not have a lot of time to formulate one if you're writing under exam conditions. In fact, on the actual AP exam, you may not get to the conclusion at all. Don't worry; you can still do well if your essay stops abruptly. If you do have a moment, however, you can impress the exam grader with a short but powerful conclusion.

Last Things First

• Katherine Anne Porter
  If I didn't know the ending of a story, I wouldn't begin. I always write my last lines, my last paragraph, my last page first, and then I go back and work towards it. I know where I'm going. I know what my goal is. And how I get there is God's grace.