Conclusions
Saying Goodbye! It is always difficult to say goodbye and in this paragraph, to do so, please refrain from sharing with your audience all that you have said before. I know, most of us were taught to rephrase our thesis statement and topic sentences or summarize our essay in our conclusion. But unless you are giving a speech or writing scientifically, do not summarize your thesis statement and main points. This is the end of your journey with your audience, so you want to leave them with the best impressions of their travels with you.
So what do you write?
For college level academic writing, in your conclusion, you want to continue to engage with and hold your audience’s attention, while ending on a positive note. They have been on this journey with you and keeping your pace, so now is your chance to leave them with the gift, a souvenir if you will, of something to think about, reflect on, and/or put into action.
Here are some ways to further your discussion while staying on topic:
- Grab a bit or bob from your introduction to bring into and discuss in your conclusion; we call this coming full-circle, and expand this bit by explaining or helping your audience imagine it or the implications of it.
- Invite your audience to act or do something based on what you have been discussing— a “call to action.”
- Relate the topic of your essay to the real world—a current event, a community concern, a topic of interest.
- Share with your audience what we can learn about ourselves, each other, or the world from examining the topic you have addressed in your paper.
Reading and Writing Your World 