conclusion

Definition:

The sentences or paragraphs that bring an essay, report, or book to a satisfying and logical end.

Etymology:

From the Latin, "to end"

Examples and Observations:

• "A conclusion is purposefully crafted to give a sense of unity and completeness to the whole essay. The best conclusions evolve naturally out of what has gone before and convince the reader that the essay is indeed at an end, not that the writer has run out of steam.
  
  "Conclusions vary in type and length depending on the nature and scope of the essay. A long research paper may require several paragraphs of summary to review and emphasize the main points. A short essay, however, may benefit from a few brief closing sentences.
  
  "In concluding an essay, beware of diminishing the impact of your writing by finishing on a weak note. Don't apologize for what you have or have not written, or cram in a final detail that would have been better placed elsewhere.
  
  "Although there are no set formulas for closing, the following list presents several options:
  1. Restate the thesis of your essay, and perhaps your main points.
  2. Mention the broader implications or significance of your topic.
  3. Give a final example that pulls all the parts of your discussion together.
  4. Offer a prediction.
  5. End with the most important point as the culmination of your essay's development.
  6. Suggest how the reader can apply the information you have just imparted.
  7. End with a bit of drama or a flourish. Tell an anecdote, offer an appropriate quotation, ask a question, make a final insightful remark. Keep in mind, however, that an ending shouldn't sound false and gimmicky. It truly has to conclude."
  (X.J. Kennedy, D. Kennedy, and J. Aaron, The Bedford Reader, Bedford Books, 1999)



• "The press, the machine, the railway, the telegraph are premises whose thousand-year conclusion no one has yet dared to draw."
  (Friedrich Nietzsche)

Pronunciation: kon-KLOO-zhun