Writing Successful Conclusions

Writing Successful Conclusions

Steps to a Successful Conclusion Paragraph

• There are three steps to creating a successful conclusion paragraph for a research paper.

1. Address: Main Argument

• Restate your claim in a different and new way.
• A new insight should be found.

2. Restate: Main Points

• Remind your reader of the main points that you made to support your claim.
• Include the big ideas from each body paragraph.

3. Explain: Author's Purpose

• Explain what the author’s purpose of including this is.
• What is the takeaway for readers?

Example: Romeo and Juliet

• Claim Restatement: Throughout Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare explores the negative impact of when an individual is consumed by either love or hate, overall, indicating that being consumed by emotion will never result in a favorable outcome.

• Main Points from Body Paragraphs:

  • Romeo: Through Romeo, readers acknowledge that while love is a good thing, it should never be at the helm of any decision being made. This is best exemplified through the death of Romeo, which was caused directly due to his infatuation with a girl who he believed that he could not live without, but turned out to not even be dead.
  • Tybalt: Through Tybalt, readers are informed of the consequences of letting hate run one’s life, rather than seeing opportunities for understanding, as Tybalt is destroyed before he is able to see other perspectives.

• Author's Purpose/Takeaway: Overall, what Shakespeare is attempting to accomplish through the text is to present a cautionary tale to readers, emphasizing the importance of choosing to think with one’s head over one’s heart, as any kind of emotion being in charge of decision making will lead to defeat. By having both characters who do not think before making their decisions die as a consequence, it is clear that Shakespeare is showing these circumstances as lessons for readers to not replicate.