Conclusion

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Writing an Effective Conclusion (from Palomar College)

Information Power/Writing Effective Conclusions*

Using A "Call To Action"

Some may be more obvious than others, but all persuasive essays attempt to create change. You are trying to convince your reader to change something they do, believe, or think. Use your conclusion to focus on the importance of that change.

*"change" can mean encouraging your reader, or society, to REALIZE something. This can also mean urging them to embrace a new idea.

After you reassert your thesis, try using one, or all, of the following techniques.

Call to Action

Persuade your reader to be a part of the solution instead of being a part of the problem.

Explain why change is important. Instead of focusing on the details of your argument, write about the negative impact of ignoring the problem. What are the dangers of NOT changing? What are the benefits of change?

Bring the "call for change" into your reader's life. Even if you're writing about Shakespeare, you can still connect his messages to today's reader. Remind the reader how/why we can do this. Explain why your argument MATTERS NOW.

Offer A Solution

A solution can provide a nice ending and prevent your argument from sounding hollow. Presenting a possible solution give the reader an opportunity to believe in your argument and your ideas.

Just make sure your solution is a good one, or it can undo everything that came before it.

Make a Prediction

If you were arguing that climate change is a real thing and anyone who thinks it's a conspiracy needs to wake up, painting a picture of a bleak future could provide a memorable and powerful closing to your essay.

EnglishWithLatini Tip

Many writing guides will tell you to use your conclusion to review your evidence. I feel this makes for a boring conclusion. This technique works for research papers, but if you're only writing a 5 paragraph essay, your evidence is still fresh in the reader's mind by the time you get to the conclusion, so use your conclusion to do something bigger.

First Sentence

Use the first sentence of your conclusion to reassert your major argument (thesis). Do not use your exact thesis...just restate the assertion part.The purpose of your persuasive essay is to convince your audience to embrace a new idea or point of view. Think of your conclusion as your closing statements.

One of the first things a reader remembers after having read a piece of writing is the last words the writer uses. For that reason, a writer should understand and take advantage of the power of an effective conclusion. Effective conclusions are particularly important in persuasive essays since they are the last chance the writer has to convince the reader. The following is a collection of suggestions for writing effective conclusions.

1. Use a summary statement rather than phrases like the following: "In summary...," "To conclude...," "To summarize...," or "In closing...." These are too obvious and vague to be effective. Use a transitional phrase which summarizes a point in your essay instead. A sample summary statement is as follows: "As we have seen, poverty is a known contributor to crime; therefore, it should not be discounted when considering ways to prevent crime."

2. Use a quotation, such as "As a man thinks, so is he," when your paper has just explained how negative thinking has created problems for someone.

3. Refer to the story or character used in the introduction, such as "So don't be like Sally, be informed."

4. Use a cleverly crafted generalization, such as "Poverty is not a great issue, if everyone is poor."

5. Express your hopes as you look to the future. "We can only hope that people in our society will become less self-centered, and become more involved in helping others." Or "We have some poverty programs, which are of great value, but in ten years the problem will still remain, unless we change our attitudes."

In addition to the aforementioned suggestions, persuasive essays should include one of the following:

6. Issue a call for action, such as "Now that we have seen how poverty contributes to crime, give the local representatives a call to learn how to help combat poverty."

7. Use a question and a call for action together. Example: "Why do we continue to ignore the poverty situation in America? One can help, so get involved."