Composition 101: Five Paragraph Essay, Conclusions

Scholar’s Latino Initiative2011-2012

Introduction: Conclusions

Conclusions should:• Transition the reader from your essay back into

their world;– Highlight why your essay is important to the reader’s

daily life. • Consider issues beyond the prompt of the essay;• Reaffirm that reading your essay was worth the

reader’s time.– Should give the reader something to take away.

How to Write a Conclusion

• Ask yourself or a reader “So what?” – Example: you write a paper on taxes and you argue

that they can be good. – Friend: So what?– You: Well, people and society benefit from them.– Friend: Why should I care?– You: There are implications for whether

government taxes your income and/or your purchases. It determines whether there will be good roads, a functioning court system, a military, and schools.

How to Write a Conclusion

• Return to your introduction.– Example• Intro: In the 1965, over 42% of the population smoked,

and the average tax on cigarettes was $0.05. In contrast, in 2000, only 23% of the population smoked and the average tax on cigarette was $1.50. • Conclusion: In the 1960’s, people could not imagine

that forty years later the smoking rate would plummet by 20%, but partially due to the increased taxes on cigarettes, it has.

How to Write a Conclusion

• Include a provocative quote, insight, statistic etc. from your research.

• Purpose a course of action: What does your essay mean for future policy? Research?

• Point to broader implications: What does your essay say about human behavior? Broader policy?

What to Avoid

• Starting your conclusion with, “In conclusion”, “In summary”, “In closing” etc.;

• Copy and pasting from you introduction;• Introducing a new new bit of evidence in

support of your argument;• Making a sentimental or emotional appeal;– If your writing a technical paper about taxes, bad

idea to include a sad tale about teachers being laid off or someone loosing their house.

Bad Conclusions

• “This is what I think. Period.” – Very short– Repeats your thesis– Example: In conclusion, taxes can be good,

because they finance the functioning of the government.

• Saves the thesis for last: you state your thesis for the first time in the conclusion.

Bad Conclusions

• Impassioned or personal.• Random conclusions.– Makes points that are not in the main part of the paper. – Is disjointed from the rest of essay. – Off topic.

Example: Social Security is a prime example of why taxes can be good. Social Security helps ensure that our grandmothers and grandfathers will not have to eat dog food in the twilight of their lives.

Recap of Class 2

• Things to do and to avoid: – Do: define terms– Do: use the language of prompt– Do: use concrete examples– Don’t: Get overly personal/emotional.

Recap of Class 2

• Introductions– How to write an introduction– Different kinds of introductions– Good introductions– Bad introductions

• Conclusions– How to write a conclusion– Good conclusions– Bad conclusions