The document discusses conclusions for essays. It states that most students believe conclusions simply restate the thesis or main ideas, but effective conclusions draw implications from the ideas presented in the body. A good conclusion stresses the importance of the thesis, gives a sense of completeness, and leaves a final impression. When writing a conclusion, authors can call to action, prompt reevaluation of beliefs, apply ideas to real situations, or return to a significant idea with new meaning. It's best to think about conclusions during later drafts once ideas have developed.

1. Lesson Five Conclusions

2. Rethinking the Definition What do most students believe? Most students believe that the conclusion is wither a word-for-word restatement of the thesis or a point-by-point restatement of main ideas presented in the essay.

3. Rethinking the Definition What is a conclusion? Think of a conclusion as a statement drawn from all the ideas and analysis done in the body of the essay. The perspective presented in the conclusion is something like this: "If you accept all the ideas in the main body, here are a few implications drawn from those ideas.“ What is at stake?

4. Writing Conclusions How do we create a conclusion? The creation of an effective conclusion is a work of "craft" of writing where the writer may do many things, depending upon what the essay's subject is, what the purpose is, and what the audience is like. In other words it is an organic process that grows out of your rhetorical elements.

5. Writing Conclusions Creating New Meaning You don't have to give new information to create a new meaning. By demonstrating how your ideas work together and their implications, you can create new meaning.

6. Implications Conclusion usually draw certain general kinds implications: 1. A call to action 2. A need for the audience to reevaluate opinion or beliefs

7. Implications (continued) 3. An application of the essay's main ideas to some real life situation 4. A return to some significant idea in the essay wherein the original idea takes on added meaning or added intensity as a concluding statement--because of all that precedes the concluding statement

8. Writing Conclusions Characteristics of a Good Conclusion A conclusion should: Stress the importance of the thesis statement, Give the essay a sense of completeness, and Leave a final impression on the reader.

9. Writing Conclusions Pithy Things to Remember Don't depend on your conclusion to sum up the body paragraphs. Your paragraphs should flow naturally into one another and connections should be made among them. Summary can be an important function of conclusions but keep this part brief; readers know what they've just read.

10. Writing Conclusions Pithy Things to Remember Don't simply regurgitate your introduction. Try to talk about your topic in a new way now that you've presented all that you have about it.

11. Writing Conclusions Pithy Things to Remember Point out the importance, the implications of what you've just said, or what is at stake.

12. Teaching Conclusions When is a good time to think about conclusions? After the second or third draft. At this point your ideas should be clear enough for you to see the natural conclusion.