Chapter 7: Writing Great Paragraphs
An effective concluding sentence draws together all the ideas you have raised in your paragraph. It reminds readers of the main point—the topic sentence—without restating it in exactly the same words. The topic sentence and the concluding sentence are very similar. They frame the body of the paragraph. Compare the topic sentence and concluding sentence from the previous example:
Topic sentence: There are numerous advantages to owning a hybrid car.
Concluding sentence: Given the low running costs and environmental benefits of owning a hybrid car, it is likely that many more people will follow Alex’s example in the near future.
Notice the use of the synonyms advantages and benefits. The concluding sentence reiterates the idea that owning a hybrid is advantageous without using the exact same words. It also summarizes two examples of the advantages covered in the supporting sentences: low running costs and environmental benefits.
You should avoid introducing any new ideas into your concluding sentence. A conclusion is intended to provide the reader with a sense of completion. Introducing a subject that is not covered in the paragraph will confuse the reader and weaken your writing.
A concluding sentence may do any of the following:
- Restate the main idea.
- Example: Childhood obesity is a growing problem in North America.
- Summarize the key points in the paragraph.
- Example: A lack of healthy choices, poor parenting, and an addiction to video games are among the many factors contributing to childhood obesity.
- Draw a conclusion based on the information in the paragraph.
- Example: These statistics indicate that unless we take action, childhood obesity rates will continue to rise.
- Make a prediction, suggestion, or recommendation about the information in the paragraph.
- Example: Based on this research, more than 60 percent of children in North American will be morbidly obese by the year 2030 unless we take evasive action.
- Offer an additional observation about the controlling idea.
- Example: Childhood obesity is entirely preventable.
Self-Practice Exercise 7.3
H5P: Self-Practice Exercise
- The concluding sentence is a good place to introduce a new idea, because readers find that engaging.
- True
- False
- Match the type of concluding sentence to the best example.
- These examples from recent research show how criminalizing drugs has not protected communities or served individual drug users.
- The war on drugs has not resulted in a reduction in suffering.
- Given all we know about outcome of failed drug policy, the next step is to consider decriminalization.
- The war on drugs has damaged society because it has resulted in a more dangerous drug supply and a criminalized population.
- The traumas and violence inflicted by the war on drugs could have been prevented.
- Make a prediction, suggestion, or recommendation about the information in the paragraph.
- Draw a conclusion based on the information in the paragraph.
- Offer an additional observation about the controlling idea.
- Restate the main idea.
- Summarize the key points in the paragraph.
Answer Key
- B
- top, bottom, meat/patty
- B
- D
- A
- E
