Conclusions

Concluding paragraphs may remind readers of key ideas and encourage them to think about information presented or actions proposed.

--The Longman Concise Companion, p. 46

Conclusions and introductions are two of the most important elements of a paper.  Unfortunately, they are also often two of the most difficult parts to write.  As Robert Keith Miller explains in Motives for Writing, "While every paragraph should be helping to fulfill the writer's motive and be directly related to the topic in question, the introductory and concluding paragraphs are those for which readers have the clearest expectations" (p. 29). 

In Read, Reason, Write, Dorothy U. Seyler suggests that writers try one of the following when they are stuck on the conclusion:

1. Do not just repeat your claim exactly as it was stated in paragraph 1, but expand on the original wording and emphasize the claim's significance. . . .
2. End with a quotation that effectively summarizes and drives home the point of your paper.  Researchers are not always lucky enough to find the ideal quotation for the ending of a paper.  If you find a good one, use it.  Better yet, present the quotation and then add your comment in a sentence or two. . . .
3. If you have researched an issue or problem, emphasize your proposed solutions in the concluding paragraph.  (317)

Seyler also explains that the following five types of conclusions are usually "ineffective and annoying":

1. Do not introduce a new idea.  If the point belongs in your paper, you should have introduced it earlier.
2. Do not just stop or trail off, even if you feel as though you have run out of steam.  A simple, clear restatement of the thesis is better than no conclusion.
3. Do not tell your reader what you have accomplished: "In this paper I have explained the advantages of solar energy by examining the costs. . . " If you have written well, your reader knows what you have accomplished.
4. Do not offer apologies or expressions of hope.  "Although I wasn't able to find as much on this topic as I wanted, I have tried to explain the advantages of solar energy, and I hope that you will now understand why we need to use it more" is a disastrous ending.
5. Do not end with a vague or confusing one- or two-sentence summary of complex ideas.  The following sentences make little sense: "These authors have similar and different attitudes and ideas concerning American desires.  Faulkner writes with the concerns of a man toward man whereas most of the other writers are more concerned with man toward money.  (318)