What should really be included in a conclusion?

Answer 1

A brilliant professor taught me this: answer the question, "So what?" With that in mind, I never ended a paper badly.

Answer 2

What "sleepy" said is kind of the middle school approach to a conclusion. A conclusion should be an extension of your paper. It does NOT need to say the same thing as your introduction. In fact, it shouldn't. Your conclusion can say anything related to your topic that will bring your paper nicely to a close. It really depends on what you're writing about.
If you're writing about something that's happening currently, you could talk about how it could effect the future. Anything along those lines really.

Answer 3

kelly and mspeil have a good approach to the conclusion just make sure you are NOT introducing any new information for the reader. You can also end with a thought or a question to make the person want to read more on the topic or think about it from a different perspective.

Answer 4

Don't simply reiterate what you've already written. It's difficult enough to get someone to read something once, much less twice. The conclusion should, in some way, justify to the reader, why the reader has read the entire piece. Explain the pertinence of what you have written to public opinion or the bearing it has on society. Or simply, explain what compelled you to write the piece in the first place. Every piece constitutes a different conclusion. Don't stick to one formula or your writing will quickly become dull.

Answer 5

I've been taught that the conclusion should include the same context as the introduction, only reworded. It should include the thesis as well, just not word for word of course.

Answer 6

Here is an example of an intro and conclusion I have used in the past. Notice that the conclusion ties back to the intro but does not restate what I have already written. It leaves the reader with a sense of closure concerning what they have just read. Good luck!

Almost from the time we are able to speak we are asked what our name is, how old we are, and what we want to be when we grow up. These are the three questions that we answer over and over as young children, and as we grow up we realize that these basic questions never go away. Instead, more complex questions are added to the list. This time, however, the questions are not asked by other people; they are questions that we ask ourselves. Who am I? Who do I want to be? How do other people see me? How do I see myself? These are questions that we can contemplate for the rest of our lives. Every time our role in life or our situation changes, the answers to these questions can change. As I ask myself the following questions, I must keep in mind that while the answers are true of me at the moment, they may not be true of me when I graduate from college, when I become a wife, when I become a mother, or when I retire. Who am I? Why am I who I am today? What motivates me? How will these things help me to fulfill my future role of occupational therapist?
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I have only begun to answer the questions that I have set out to answer. I realize that I will never be done answering these questions. In this way, they are similar to the philosophical question, “What is the meaning of life?” There really is no one answer for every individual. However, by continually asking myself who I am, I can determine what the meaning of my life is. As an occupational therapist, it will be my role to help other people determine the meaning of their lives, what is important to them in life, what is necessary for them to feel fulfilled in their roles, and to help them achieve these things. I will more effectively be able to do this now that I have begun to answer these same questions for myself.

Answer 7

The KEY is understanding the parts of a paper.

1) Thesis statement--your main idea and purpose--Starting point

2) Body--the information supporting and explaining your main idea in detail

3) Conclusion--a quick summary of your point(s)--Ending point

Answer 8

Simply, include the basic points and sum up how you interpret the results.

"...tell 'em what you already told 'em and then tell 'em why you're telling 'em what you told 'em."