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Do’s and Don’ts for Writing a Strong Conclusion
(Ideas from A Workbook for Writers, a terrific book by Diana Hacker)

Do

• Echo your main idea.
• Leave the reader with a fresh image or insight. or information.
• Bring your ideas full circle if you can. please readers.
• Be respectful of different views.
• End on a positive note to best sell your ideas.

Don’t

• Don’t dully repeat word for word.
• Don’t introduce new ideas
• Don’t forget quotations and humor.
• Don’t apologize for your own opinions.
• Don’t forget to offer solutions or advice, if possible.

Here are some conclusions written by other 290 students. Do they interest you? Do they use the techniques above? What is done well and what could be done better?

1. Ever since that night I drink alcohol moderately, and before I start drinking I make sure there is a designated driver, and if there is no one, I volunteer myself, because I know the consequences of drinking and driving.
2. Its high time for me to stop living out of that fear, and limiting my possibilities because of a comment that I believed when I was just eight years old. It’s been quite a struggle for me to return to school, literally just walking onto campus used to make me anxious and uncomfortable. I took that step, and since many more tQ be here at school. And now I’m writing, probably the largest and most difficult step for me to take academically, along with math. But I’ll save math for next semester.
3. See my cousins suffer their mothers’ absense, made realize how important my mother is, and how much I need her. Just the thought of losing my mother make me want to cry. The thought of not being able to see her ever again, to touch her, to hug her, even to argue with her. I don’t know were would I be without my mom. I need her so much.
4. Then Ms. Hide quickly turned in to Ms. where can I hide. Her mouth opened big enough to park a seven forty-seven into she turned around, walked out the door, went to her care, and drove off, never to return.
   Even though Scott was risking his job by expressing himself to the lady. He had the courage to defend his friends and coworkers. That was one of the many traits that Scott possessed and one of the many reasons I looked up to Scott.

Contents:

1. The Eight Steps to Writing an Essay
2. How to Write Strong Introductions
3. Staying on-Topic (keeping focus)
4. Do's and Don'ts for Writing a Strong Conclusion

Essays / 290 Content / 290 Homepage

Writing Center / Watsonville Integrated Learning Center

English Department / Cabrillo College Homepage

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