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Lecture(1) Outline General Writing Concerns Planning/Starting to Write Effective Writing Revising/Editing/Proofreading Writing Essays

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Page 1: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Lecture(1)Outline

General Writing Concerns

Planning/Starting to Write

Effective Writing

Revising/Editing/Proofreading

Writing Essays

Page 2: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Finding Your Focus:The Writing Process

I. Planning/Starting to Write

Page 3: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Everyone has a writing process.What is yours?

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Why do you need a writing process?

• It can help writers to organize their thoughts.

• It can help writers to avoid frustration.

• It can help writers to use their time productively and efficiently.

Page 5: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Writing process

• Invention

• Collection

• Organization

• Drafting

• Revising

• Proofreading

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Invention: coming up with your topic

• Explore the problem—not the topic

• Make your goals operational

• Generate some ideas

Page 7: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Brainstorming: coming up with ideas that interest you

Listing:Political apathyAnimal abuseNFL instant replayAir pollutionTelemarketing scamsInternet censorshipNBA salary caps

Paper Topics

Brainstorming

Page 8: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Clustering: mapping out ideas

MEInternet censorship

telemar-ketingscams

NFL instantreplay

NBA

politicalapathy

three-partysystem

salarycaps

sportsmanship

animalabuse

First Amendment

Flag Burning Amend-

ment

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Collection

• Gathering ideas• Locating and

evaluating research• Conducting

interviews

Page 10: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Organizing: putting information in an outline

OUTLINE

I. IntroductionA. State thesis

II. BodyA. Build pointsB. Develop ideasC. Support main claim

III. ConclusionA. Reemphasize main idea

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Drafting

Page 12: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Revising: reviewing ideas

• Review higher order concerns:– Clear communication

of ideas – Organization of paper– Paragraph structure– Strong introduction

and conclusion

Page 13: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Proofreading

• Review later-order concerns:– Spelling– Punctuation– Sentence

structure– Documentation

style

Page 14: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Proofreading tips

• Slowly read your paper aloud

• Read your paper backwards

• Exchange papers with a friend

• NOTE: Spelling check will not catch everything, and grammar checks are often wrong!

Page 15: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Writing process: find your focus

• Invention• Collection• Organization• Drafting• Revising• Proofreading

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II. Effective Writing

• Adding Emphasis

• Coherence

• Conciseness: Methods of Eliminating Wordiness

Page 17: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

• Non-Sexist Language

• Strategies for Improving Sentence Clarity

(Cont’d)

Page 18: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

1. Adding Emphasisa.  Punctuation Marks for Achieving

Emphasis

Examples:

The employees were surprised by the decision,which was not to change company policy.

The employees were surprised by the decision--no change in company policy.

The employees were surprised by the decision: no change in company policy.

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b. Choice and Arrangement of Words

for Achieving Emphasis

     The simplest way to emphasize something is to tell readers directly that what follows is important by using such words and phrases as especially, particularly, crucially, most importantly, and above all.

• The inversion of the standard subject-verb-object pattern in the first sentence below into an object-subject-verb pattern in the second places emphasis on the out-of-sequence term.

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Examples:

– I'd make fifty dollars in just two hours on a busy night at the restaurant.

Fifty dollars I'd make in just two hours on a busy night at the restaurant.

– No one can deny that the computer has had a great effect upon the business world.

Undeniably, the effect of the computer upon the business world has been great.

Page 21: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

     C. Sentence Position and Variation for Achieving Emphasis

Example:

For a long time, but not any more, Japanese corporations used Southeast Asia merely as a cheap source of raw materials, as a place to dump outdated equipment and overstocked merchandise, and as a training ground for junior executives who needed minor league experience.

Page 22: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

For a long time Japanese corporations used Southeast Asia merely as a cheap source of raw materials, as a place to dump outdated equipment and overstocked merchandise, and as a training ground for junior executives who needed minor league experience. But those days have ended.

(Cont’d)

Page 23: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

2. Coherencea. Repetition of a Key Term or Phrase

Example:

The problem with contemporary art is that it is not easily understood by most people. Modern art is deliberately abstract, and that means that contemporary art leaves the viewer wondering what she is looking at.

Page 24: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

b. Synonyms

Example :

Myths narrate sacred history and explain sacred origins. These traditional narratives are, in short, a set of beliefs that are a very real force in the lives of the people who tell them.

Page 25: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

C. Using Transitional Words

Example:

I like autumn, and yet autumn is a sad time of the year, too. The leaves turn bright shades of red and the weather is mild, but I can't help thinking ahead to the winter and the ice storms that will surely blow through here. In addition, that will be the season of chapped faces, too many layers of clothes to put on, and days when I'll have to shovel heaps of snow from my car's windshield.

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3. Concisenessa. Methods of Eliminating Wordiness

• Eliminate unnecessary determiners and modifiers:

Example:

Any particular type of dessert is fine with me.

Any dessert is fine with me.

Page 27: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Balancing the budget by Friday is an impossibility without some kind of extra help.

Balancing the budget by Friday is impossible without extra help

(Cont’d)

Page 28: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Here's a list of some words and phrases that can often be pruned away to make sentences clearer:

kind ofsort oftype ofreallybasicallyfor all intents and purposes

definitelyactuallygenerallyindividualspecificparticular

Page 29: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Example

For all intents and purposes, American industrial productivity generally depends on certain factors that are really more psychological in kind than of any given technological aspect.

American industrial productivity depends more on psychological than on technological factors.

Page 30: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

b. Change phrases into single words

- The employee with ambition...

- The department showing the best performance...

The ambitious employee...

The best-performing department...

Examples

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- Jeff Converse, our chief of consulting, suggested at our last board meeting the installation of microfilm equipment in the department of data processing.

(Cont’d)

At our last board meeting, chief consultant Jeff Converse suggested that we install microfilm equipment in the data processing department.

Page 32: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

- As you carefully read what you have written to improve your wording and catch small errors of spelling, punctuation, and so on, the thing to do before you do anything else is to try to see where a series of words expressing action could replace the ideas found in nouns rather than verbs.

As you edit, first find nominalizations that you can replace with verb phrases.

(Cont’d)

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C. Change unnecessary that, who, and which clauses into phrases

Wordy

- The report, which was released recently...

- All applicants who are interested in the job must...

- The system that is most efficient and accurate...

More Concise

- The recently released report...

- All job applicants must...

- The most efficient and accurate system...

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D. Avoid overusing expletives at the beginning of sentences

Wordy

- It is the governor who signs or vetoes bills.

- There are four rules that should be observed: ...

- There was a big explosion, which shook the windows, and people ran into the street.

More Concise

- The governor signs or vetoes bills.

- Four rules should be observed:...

- A big explosion shook the windows, and people ran into the street.

Page 35: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

E. Avoid overusing noun forms of verbs

Wordy

The function of this department is the collection of accounts.

The current focus of the medical profession is disease prevention.

More Concise

This department collects accounts.

The medical profession currently focuses on disease prevention.

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F. Reword unnecessary infinitive phrases

Wordy

- The duty of a clerk is to check all incoming mail and to record it.

- A shortage of tellers at our branch office on Friday and Saturday during rush hours has caused customers to become dissatisfied with service.

More Concise

A clerk checks and records all incoming mail.

A teller shortage at our branch office on Friday and Saturday during rush hours has caused customer dissatisfaction.

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4. Strategies for Improving

Sentence Clarity

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Sentence Clarity

Why do we need to be concerned with sentence clarity?

To communicate effectively to the reader

To make writing persuasive To show credibility and authority as a

writer

Page 39: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Common clarity problems

Misplaced modifiers

Dangling modifiers

Passive voice

Page 40: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Misplaced Modifiers

• A word or phrase that causes confusion because it is located within a sentence so far away from the word(s) to which it refers

Page 41: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Misplaced Modifiers

• Consider the different meanings in the following

sentences:The dog under the tree bit

Carrie. vs.

The dog bit Carrie under the tree.

Page 42: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

How might you correct the following sentence?

Jennifer called her adorable kitten opening the can of tuna and filled the food bowl.

Better: Opening the can of tuna, Jennifer called her adorable kitten and filled the food bowl.

Page 43: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

How might you correct the following sentence?

Portia rushed to the store loaded with cash to buy the birthday gift.

Better: Portia, loaded with cash, rushed to the store to buy the birthday gift.

Page 44: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Misplaced Modifiers

• Some one-word modifiers often cause confusion:

almost just nearly simply

even hardly merely only

Page 45: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Explain the meaning of each sentence:

• Almost everyone in the class passed the calculus exam.

• Everyone in the class almost passed the calculus exam.

• Which sentence indicates that everyone in the class failed the exam?

Page 46: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Explain the meaning of each sentence:

• John nearly earned $100.

• John earned nearly $100.

• Which sentence indicates that John earned some money?

Page 47: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Dangling modifiers

• A word or phrase that modifies another word or phrase that has not been stated clearly within the sentence

often occur at the beginnings and ends of sentences

often indicated by an -ing verb or a to + verb phrase

Page 48: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Dangling modifiers

Having finished dinner, the

football game was turned on.

Having finished dinner, Joe

turned on the football game.

Page 49: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Dangling modifiers

can be repaired by placing the subject

of the modification phrase as the subject of the independent clause

placing the subject of the action within the dangling phrase

Page 50: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

How might you correct the following sentence?

Playing solitaire on the computer for three hours, Michael’s paper was not completed.

Better: Playing solitaire on the computer for three hours, Michael did not complete his paper.

Better: Because Michael played solitaire on the computer for three hours, he did not complete the paper.

Page 51: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

How might you correct the following sentence?

Locked away in the old chest, Richard was surprised by the antique hats.

Better: Locked away in the old chest, the antique hats surprised Richard.

Better: The antique hats locked away in the old chest surprised Richard.

Page 52: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

How might you correct the following sentence?

To work as a loan officer, an education in financial planning is required.

Better: To work as a loan officer, one is required to have an education in financial planning.

Page 53: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

How might you correct the following sentence?

Being a process that still needs to be refined, scientists are searching for a more effective plan for chemotherapy treatment.

Better: Scientists are searching for a more effective plan for chemotherapy treatment, a process that still needs to be refined.

Page 54: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Passive Voice

indicates what is receiving the action rather than explaining who is doing the action

two indicators "to be" verbs—is, are, was, were "by ________”

• Examples:• Mistakes were made.• The cats were brushed by Laura.

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How might you improve the following sentence?

The decision that was reached by the committee was to postpone the vote.

Better: The committee reached the decision to postpone the vote.

Best: The committee decided to postpone the vote.

Page 56: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

How might you correct the following sentence?

The disk drive of the computer was damaged by the electrical surge.

Better: The electrical surge damaged the disk drive of the computer.

Best: The electrical surge damaged the computer's disk drive.

Page 57: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Exercises

Every semester after final exams are over, I'm faced with the problem of what to do with books of lecture notes (new information). They (old) might be useful some day, but they just keep piling up on my bookcase (new). Someday, it (old) will collapse under the weight of information I might never need.

Better: Lately, most movies I've seen have been merely second-rate entertainment, but occasionally there are some with worthwhile themes. The rapid disappearance of the Indian culture (new) is the topic of a recent movie (old) I saw.

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Go from old to new information

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Industrial spying,because of the growing use of computers to store and process corporate information, is increasing rapidly.

Better: Because of the growing use of computers to store and process corporate information, industrial spying is increasing rapidly.Better: Industrial spying is increasing rapidly because of the growing use of computers to store and process corporate information.

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Be careful about placement of

subordinate clauses

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One difference between television news reporting and the coverage provided by newspapers is the time factor between the actual happening of an event and the time it takes to be reported. The problem is that instantaneous coverage is physically impossible for newspapers.

Better:

Television news reporting differs from that of newspapers in that television, unlike newspapers, can provide instantaneous coverage of events as they happen.

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Choose action verbs over forms of be

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Organizing Your Essay

An Argument

Page 64: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

What is an argument?

• An argument involves the process of establishing a claim and then proving it with the use of logical reasoning, examples, and research

Page 65: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Why is organization important in building an argument?

• Guides an audience through your reasoning process

• Offers a clear explanation of each argued point

• Demonstrates the credibility of the writer

Page 66: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Organizing your argument

• Title• Introduction

– Thesis statement

• Body Paragraphs– Constructing Topic

Sentences– Building Main Points– Countering the

Opposition

• Conclusion

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Title--why do you need one?

• Introduces the topic of discussion to the audience

• Generates reader interest in the argument

Page 68: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Creating a Title

• Try to grab attention by– offering a provocative

image– picking up on words or

examples offered in the body or conclusion of the paper

– asking a question

• Avoid titles that are too general or lack character

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What is an introduction?

• Acquaints the reader with the topic and purpose of the paper

• Generates the audience’s interest in the topic

• Offers a plan for the ensuing argument

Page 70: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Methods for Constructing an Introduction

• personal anecdote• example-real or

hypothetical• question• quotation• shocking statistics• striking image

Page 71: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

What is a thesis statement?

• The MOST IMPORTANT SENTENCE in your paper

• Lets the reader know the main idea of the paper

• Answers the question: “What am I trying to prove?”

• Not a factual statement, but a claim that has to be proven throughout the paper

Page 72: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Role of the thesis statement

• The thesis statement should guide your reader through your argument

• The thesis statement is generally located in the introduction of the paper

• A thesis statement may also be located within the body of the paper or in the conclusion, depending upon the purpose or argument of the paper

Page 73: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Which thesis statement is the most effective for an argument about the need for V-chips in television sets?

• Parents, often too busy to watch television shows with their families, can monitor their children’s viewing habits with the aid of the V-chip.

• To help parents monitor their children’s viewing habits, the V-chip should be a required feature for television sets sold in the U.S.

• This paper will describe a V-chip and examine the uses of the V-chip in American-made television sets.

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Body Paragraphs and Topic Sentences

• Body paragraphs build upon the claims made in the introductory paragraph(s)

• Organize with the use of topic sentences that illustrate the main idea of each paragraph

• Offering a brief explanation of the history or recent developments in your topic within the early body paragraphs can help the audience to become familiarized with your topic and the complexity of the issue

Page 75: Lecture(1) Outline  General Writing Concerns  Planning/Starting to Write  Effective Writing  Revising/Editing/Proofreading  Writing Essays

Body Paragraphs

• Paragraphs may be ordered in several ways, depending upon the topic and purpose of your argument– General to specific

information– Most important point to

least important point– Weakest claim to strongest

claim

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Offering a Counterargument

• Addressing the claims of the opposition is an important component in building a convincing argument

• It demonstrates your credibility as a writer--you have researched multiple sides of the argument and have come to an informed decision

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Offering a Counterargument

• Counterarguments may be located at various locations within your body paragraphs

• You may choose to– build each of your main

points as a contrast to oppositional claims

– offer a counterargument after you have articulated your main claims

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Counter arguing effectively

• Consider your audience when you offer your counterargument

• Conceding to some of your opposition’s concerns can demonstrate respect for their opinions

• Remain tactful yet firm– Using rude or deprecating

language can cause your audience to reject your position without carefully considering your claims

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Conclusion -- The Big Finale

• Your conclusion should reemphasize the main points made in your paper

• You may choose to reiterate a call to action or speculate on the future of your topic, when appropriate

• Avoid raising new claims in your conclusion