Current Issue

Conclusions are important—in journalism we call a good, snappy conclusion a ‘kicker’—but it’s tricky to get them just right. You want to sum up what you’ve said before, but you don’t want to repeat yourself. You also want to give the reader a new perspective on your topic. My advice? If you’re writing about the past, think about how your subject relates to the present. If you’re writing about something happening now, ask yourself what it might mean in the future. And one more thing: Never say ‘In conclusion…’ That’s the oldest kicker in the book!

Conclusions take several shapes. Some include an interesting quote, which might give someone’s point of view on the story topic. Other conclusions give more information or answer a question related to the story. It’s fun when conclusions end with clever language or a catchy phrase. I think it’s most important that a conclusion wraps up the story well and leaves the reader feeling satisfied.

The conclusion basically reinforces what the reader read and why they were reading it. For example, in a research paper, it summarizes the key information and facts so the reader can remember them. In a persuasive essay, it reminds the reader what the author is trying to get at so it's imprinted in the reader's mind. In a narrative paper, it restates the highlights of the story. In a compare and contrast paper, it shows the connection between the items being compared in case the reader couldn't pick them out.

I think the conclusion in a piece of writing is important because it restates your opinion or main idea. A conclusion helps readers by reminding them of what you are trying to say in your writing.