Writing Conclusions

How to Write Memorable Conclusions

When people are given a list of things to memorize, researchers found that they best remember items at the beginning and end of the list. It is the same way when people read. If you have a strong conclusion, people are more likely to remember your main message. Here are some suggestions on how to write memorable conclusions.

1) Use a broad statement to summarize your main idea

If you are writing about the environment, for example, you could end with a broad statement such as, "It's up to us to protect the environment because, after all, we only have one world".

2) End with a quotation

If you are writing about dealing with stress, you could conclude this way: "Remember the old saying, 'all work and no play makes Teacher Joe a dull boy'". As this example shows, you can adapt the quotation to fit the situation.

3) Express your hopes for the future

"My hope is that in ten years, we will no longer have to see newspaper stories about young children who cannot afford to get an education", would be a good way to end a paper on providing financial aid to poor families.

4) Use a question

As with introductions, questions are a good way to burn an idea into your readers' brains. "If we can go to the moon, why can't we go to Mars, too?", will focus readers' attention on the reasons you wrote about in the body of your paper.

5) Call for action!

This is one of the most common ways to conclude. Don't be shy about asking for some kind of response. "If you agree with me, then go out and volunteer" or "Take some time to analyze your diet to see how many calories you could easily do without", are two examples. Asking people to volunteer to help others or do something to help themselves is a powerful way to get them to think deeply about your suggestions.

So, do you think you could apply any of the ideas above? Bookmark this page now, so the next time you have to write something, you can come back here and try one of these ideas!

Writing Techniques