Writing Your Conclusion [Instructions]

Today, you need to write your Conclusion.

There are a few steps to writing a Conclusion. Try these steps in order. Each step should be about 1 or 2 sentences.

1) Restate your thesis. Remember the last sentence from your Introduction? That was your thesis. You need to say that again at the beginning of your conclusion (change a few words for good measure)

2) Restate your main points. This is a good place to summarize what you have been talking about throughout the whole paper. Sum up each paragraph with one sentence.

3) Give your final thoughts on the matter (but don't use the word "I"). What sort of things do you think the reader should take away from the paper? What is most memorable?

Here is my example with the parts labeled:

     (1) Mary Shelley clearly wants the reader to notice that nature is beautiful throughout the novel. (2) The characters spend a lot of time remarking on the beauty of nature. They are also often soothed simply by observing nature. At the same time, Shelley makes it clear that nature should not be tampered with, because the results can be devestating.(3) Shelley was a Romantic, so her love of nature is quite obvious. Trends in literature have moved away from Romanticism in the two hundred years or so since Frankenstein was written, but those truths about nature, it's beauty, calming presence, and fury, are still just as true today.

Last modified: Sunday, October 30, 2011, 9:01 PM