Finishing Strong: Mastering the Perfect Conclusion!

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

• Do you remember the three main parts of a paragraph—topic sentence, new ideas with explanations or examples, and the conclusion?

Well, now it’s time to focus on the conclusion!

The conclusion is the last sentence in your paragraph, and it’s where you remind your reader of the main idea. But don’t just repeat the topic sentence!

You need to restate the main idea using different words and really drive the point home.

• But how do you know if you’ve done it right?

Ask yourself two important questions.

• So?
• So what?

These simple questions will help you step up your conclusion and give your reader a sense of why your idea matters.

Example

Check out how a conclusion changes when the writer asks "So?" and "So what?".

Topic Sentence: My favorite book is Judy Blume's Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.

First Attempt at Conclusion: I love Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume.

• So?

Second Attempt: I love Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume because the characters are cool.

• So what?

Third attempt: I love Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume because I can relate to the characters, especially Peter Hatcher, whose younger brother Fudge drives him crazy.

The first conclusion is a bit too simple. It just repeats the topic sentence. The second is better, but it is still not very strong.

Now the third conclusion is interesting, specific, and connects the reader to the writer's feelings.

As you can see, asking "So?" and "So what?" helps make the conclusion stronger and more meaningful. It’s not just about repeating; it’s about showing why your idea matters to the reader.

Now that you know how to make a conclusion that packs a punch, move on to practicing what you’ve learned in the Got It? section!