Writing a Killer Conclusion, a la Shmoop.
How much would you enjoy Iron Man if you never found out whether or not Tony Stark got the baddie?
Imagine how unsatisfied you'd feel if every episode of your favorite sitcom ended at the
20-minute mark.
Or how frustrated you'd be if we never even finished this...
...sentence. Conclusions are key. Without them, a story
or essay flops and flounders.
Everything worth telling deserves a well-conceived ending.
Even our own lives will eventually have a conclusion.
We just have to cross our fingers and hope there's going to be a sequel.
Okay, so you're reading an essay that someone wrote, and blam... no conclusion.
Immediately, you probably ask yourself:
"So what? Why in the world did I just read all of this stuff? What's the point, or what's
the moral of the story? And why am I asking all of these questions out loud?"
We can't help you with the last one. Maybe you just like the sound of your own voice.
But as for the rest of it... it makes sense you'd be irritated.
You just invested a lot of time and energy into reading something, and no one is coming
along to suggest what you should think of it, and why.
What are you supposed to do... think on your own?
But honestly, when you provide a thought-provoking conclusion, it's not like you're encouraging
laziness on the part of the reader.
The conclusion is merely your last chance to get the reader to see your side of the argument...
...and hopefully to agree with you. So... how do you accomplish that... aside
from offering a monetary incentive?
You need to pull out all the stops... appeal to the reader's emotions... introduce a twist...
basically, whatever it takes.
As long as it's legal. Because an argument essay will frequently
be presenting a problem of some kind...
...a conclusion is a good place to offer a solution.
Sure, oil spills may be increasing in frequency...
...but it would certainly be less of a downer if you had an idea or two about how to prevent
such tragedies from occurring. However, you have to be careful not to introduce
a major point and then leave it undeveloped within your conclusion.
That's sort of like saying to your parents on the way out of the house, "Oh, by the way,
I wrecked the car last night. Toodles!"
Chances are, that little snippet is going to leave your audience... wanting to hear
more. Think about the below questions any time you're
nearing the end of an essay.
Pick at least one, and make that the subject of your conclusion...
"What is an interesting, original way to restate my main points?"
It's been a while since the beginning of your paper... remind your reader why they're here
in the first place.
Explain how the preceding points help to support that main idea...
...and hopefully your reader will now look at things in a slightly... or drastically...
different way. "What's important or interesting about the
points I've made?"
There must be some reason you chose to write about... whatever you chose to write about.
Let your interest and passion in the subject matter shine through...
Make your reader understand why they should care.
"What can readers take away from my essay that is useful, or that might shed light on
their own lives or the world around them?"
People will always pay more attention to something if it is made personal to them.
Someone may not give two hoots about the dwindling barn owl population...
...but if the reader is informed that barn owls are the only creatures that know the
meaning of life...
...his interest may suddenly be piqued.
Of course, you don't want to make stuff up just for the sake of intrigue.
As we all know, barn owls have far more questions than answers.
"If I'm describing a problem in my paper, what might be a possible solution?"
You must have some strong feelings on the subject... now's the time to lay it on your reader.
Just how are we going to solve the financial crisis?
What can we do to prevent further melting of the polar ice caps?
How will we be able to produce 100% edible sneakers?
Whatever your tactic, make sure that you are passionate, engaging, and knowledgeable.
And whatever you do, don't skip the conclusion.
It's as unsatisfying for a reader as...