Composing and Revising

Drafting a conclusion

C-57

A conclusion should remind readers of the paper’s main idea without repeating it. Often the concluding paragraph can be relatively short. By the end of the paper, readers should already understand your main point; your conclusion drives it home and, perhaps, gives readers something more to consider.

Whatever concluding strategy you choose, keep in mind that an effective conclusion is decisive and unapologetic.

Finally, because the conclusion is so closely tied to the rest of the paper in both content and tone, be prepared to rework it (or even replace it) when you revise.

Strategies for drafting a conclusion

In addition to echoing your main idea, a conclusion might do any of the following:

briefly summarize the paper’s key points
propose a course of action or describe the consequences of not acting
discuss the topic’s wider significance or implications
offer advice or recommendations
return to your hook by including a detail, an example, or a quotation from the introduction to bring readers full circle
pose a question for future study

Effective conclusion: research paper (government regulation of food choices)

Effective conclusion: argument paper (citizen journalism)

Effective conclusion: analysis paper (Equal Exchange ad)

Effective conclusions