How to Write A Conclusion

lghscuUID：2552043

一个好的结论应该具备以下特点：
1 简要论证paper内容重要性
  为什么paper值得观注，因为它提供了有新颖的思想，有价值性的应用前景，
  对某领域的科学研究具有一定的推动作用
  一句话概括出paper内容具有的重要性，更有利于说服reviewer以及reader
2 简要综合(synthesize, not summarize)paper逻辑论证
  Synthesize
transitive verb
1 : to combine or produce by synthesis
2 : to make a synthesis of
3 : to produce (as music) by an electronic synthesizer
intransitive verb : to make a synthesis
synthesis
a : the composition or combination of parts or elements so as to form a whole
summarize
transitive verb : to tell in or reduce to a summary
intransitive verb : to make a summary
<MW>
summary
: an abstract, abridgment, or compendium especially of a preceding discourse
abstract
1 : a summary of points (as of a writing) usually presented in skeletal form also : something that summarizes or
concentrates the essentials of a larger thing or several things
abridgement
1 : the action of abridging : the state of being abridged
2 : a shortened form of a work retaining the general sense and unity of the original
compendium
1 : a brief summary of a larger work or of a field of knowledge : ABSTRACT
2 a : a list of a number of items b : COLLECTION, COMPILATION
<;Princeton>
synthesis
: the combination of ideas into a complex whole
summary
: a brief statement that presents the main points in a concise form
abridgement
: condensation: a shortened version of a written work
compendium
: a concise but comprehensive summary of a larger work
-->
summary是其它各部分的缩写版--各部分要点的罗列
synthesis是其它各部分的综合版--各部分要点的逻辑关系
summary与synthesis的区别：
summary特点：全文由A, B, C, ...等元素组成，简洁地展现这部分内容即可
synthesis特点：XXX观点是如何通过A, B, C, ...等元素得以论证，即简洁展现A, B, C, ...等元素间的逻辑关系，以论证XXX观点
写作技巧：
首先将summary各要素列出，然后以逻辑论证的方式综合各summary要素
3 提出深化研究方向
  研究不是一个人的事情，研究不以论文发表为终结，最终目的是将paper核心思想进行推广
  在前面几句话论证paper重要性与逻辑性之后，
  一部分reader可能已经信服paper思想，
  一部分reader更有可能对paper思想感兴趣
  但他们如果只是简单重复你的思想，显然不利于他们研究工作的开展，不利于paper思想的深化与学科的发展
  提出合理的further study--改进，潜在应用...
  集众人之力量，推广paper思想
--------------------------------
通过上面三点的介绍，一个比较优秀的conclusion轮廓已经印在大脑里，但如何将轮廓付以实现？
--------------------------------
下面是一些具体的strategies

A Guide to Writing in History (based on A Guide to Writing in History and Classics by M. Damen)

Introduction and Conclusion.

These represent the most serious omission students regularly make. Every essay or paper designed to be persuasive needs a paragraph at the very outset introducing both the subject at hand and the thesis which is being advanced. It also needs a final paragraph summarizing what's been said and driving the author's argument home.

These are not arbitrary requirements. Introductions and conclusions are crucial in persuasive writing. They put the facts to be cited into a coherent structure and give them meaning. Even more important, they make the argument readily accessible to readers and remind them of that purpose from start to end.

Think of it this way. As the writer of an essay, you're essentially a lawyer arguing in behalf of a client (your thesis) before a judge (the reader) who will decide the case (agree or disagree with you). So,
1 begin as a lawyer would, by laying out the facts to the judge in the way you think it will help your client best. Like lawyers in court, you should make an "opening statement," in this case, an introduction.
2 Then review the facts of the case in detail just as lawyers question witnesses and submit evidence during a trial. This process of presentation and cross-examination is equivalent to the "body" of your essay.
3 Finally, end with a "closing statement"—that is, the conclusion of your essay—arguing as strongly as possible in favor of your client's case, namely, your theme.

Likewise, there are several things your paper is not. It's not a murder mystery, for instance, full of surprising plot twists or unexpected revelations. Those really don't go over well in this arena. Instead, lay everything out ahead of time so the reader can follow your argument easily. Nor is a history paper an action movie with exciting chases down dark corridors where the reader has no idea how things are going to end(note: great metaphor). In academic writing it's best to tell the reader from the outset what your conclusion will be. This, too, makes your argument easier to follow. Finally, it's not a love letter. Lush sentiment and starry-eyed praise don't work well here. They make it look like your emotions are in control, not your intellect, and that will do you little good in this enterprise where facts, not dreams, rule.

All in all, persuasive writing grips the reader though its clarity and the force with which the data bring home the thesis. The point is to give your readers no choice but to adopt your way of seeing things, to lay out your theme so strongly they have to agree with you. That means you must be clear, forthright and logical. That's the way good lawyers win their cases.

重视intro 与 conclusion

A. How to Write an Introduction. The introduction of a persuasive essay or paper must be substantial. Having finished it, the reader ought to have a very clear idea of the author's purpose in writing. To wit, after reading the introduction, I tend to stop and ask myself where I think the rest of the paper is headed, what the individual paragraphs in its body will address and what the general nature of the conclusion will be. If I'm right, it's because the introduction has laid out in clear and detailed fashion the theme and the general facts which the author will use to support it.
Let me give you an example of what I mean. The following is an introduction of what turned out to be a well-written paper, but the introduction was severely lacking:

[size=-1]The role of women has changed over the centuries, and it has also differed from civilization to civilization. Some societies have treated women much like property, while others have allowed women to have great influence and power.

Not a bad introduction really, but rather scant. I have no idea, for instance, which societies will be discussed or what the theme of the paper will be. That is, while I can see what the general topic is, I still don't know the way the writer will draw the facts together, or even really what the paper is arguing in favor of.
As it turned out, the author of this paper discussed women in ancient Egypt, classical Greece, medieval France and early Islamic civilization and stressed their variable treatment in these societies. This writer also focused on the political, social and economic roles women have played in Western cultures and the various ways they have found to assert themselves and circumvent opposition based on gender.
Given that, I would rewrite the introduction this way:

[size=-1]The role of women <in Western society> has changed <dramatically> over the centuries, <from the repression of ancient Greece to the relative freedom of women living in Medieval France. The treatment of women> has also differed from civilization to civilization <even at the same period in history>. Some societies <such as Islamic ones> have treated women much like property, while others <like ancient Egypt> have allowed women to have great influence and power. <This paper will trace the development of women's rights and powers from ancient Egypt to late medieval France and explore their changing political, social and economic situation through time. All the various means women have used to assert themselves show the different ways they have fought against repression and established themselves in authority.>

Now it is clear which societies will be discussed (Egypt, Greece, France, Islam) and what the general theme of the paper will be (the variable paths to empowerment women have found over time). Now I know where this paper is going and what it's really about.

B. How to Write a Conclusion. In much the same way that the introduction lays out the thesis for the reader, the conclusion of the paper should reiterate the main points—it should never introduce new ideas or things not discussed in the body of the paper!—and bring the argument home. The force with which you express the theme here is especially important, because if you're ever going to convince the reader that your thesis has merit, it will be in the conclusion. In other words, just as lawyers win their cases in the closing argument, this is the point where you'll persuade others to adopt your thesis.
If the theme is clear and makes sense, the conclusion ought to be very easy to write. Simply begin by restating the theme, then review the facts you cited in the body of the paper in support of your ideas—and it's advisable to rehearse them in some detail—and end with a final reiteration of the theme. Try, however, not to repeat the exact language you used elsewhere in the paper, especially the introduction, or it will look like you haven't explored all aspects of the situation
All in all, remember these are the last words your reader will hear from you before passing judgment on your argument. Make them as focused and forceful as possible.

Strategies for Writing a Conclusion
Conclusions are often the most difficult part of an essay to write, and many writers feel that they have nothing left to say after having written the paper. A writer needs to keep in mind that the conclusion is often what a reader remembers best. Your conclusion should be the best part of your paper.



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A conclusion should
stress the importance of the thesis statement,
give the essay a sense of completeness, and
leave a final impression on the reader.

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Suggestions

Answer the question "So What?"
Show your readers why this paper was important. Show them that your paper was meaningful and useful.

Synthesize, don't summarize

Don't simply repeat things that were in your paper. They have read it. Show them how the points you made and the support and examples you used were not random, but fit together.

Redirect your readers

Give your reader something to think about, perhaps a way to use your paper in the "real" world. If your introduction went from general to specific, make your conclusion go from specific to general. Think globally.

Create a new meaning
You don't have to give new information to create a new meaning. By demonstrating how your ideas work together, you can create a new picture. Often the sum of the paper is worth more than its parts.

一个好的结论应该具备以下特点：
1 简要论证paper内容重要性
  为什么paper值得观注，因为它提供了有新颖的思想，有价值性的应用前景，
  对某领域的科学研究具有一定的推动作用
  一句话概括出paper内容具有的重要性，更有利于说服reviewer以及reader
2 简要综合(synthesize, not summarize)paper逻辑论证
  Synthesize
transitive verb
1 : to combine or produce by synthesis
2 : to make a synthesis of
3 : to produce (as music) by an electronic synthesizer
intransitive verb : to make a synthesis
synthesis
a : the composition or combination of parts or elements so as to form a whole
summarize
transitive verb : to tell in or reduce to a summary
intransitive verb : to make a summary
<MW>
summary
: an abstract, abridgment, or compendium especially of a preceding discourse
abstract
1 : a summary of points (as of a writing) usually presented in skeletal form also : something that summarizes or
concentrates the essentials of a larger thing or several things
abridgement
1 : the action of abridging : the state of being abridged
2 : a shortened form of a work retaining the general sense and unity of the original
compendium
1 : a brief summary of a larger work or of a field of knowledge : ABSTRACT
2 a : a list of a number of items b : COLLECTION, COMPILATION
<;Princeton>
synthesis
: the combination of ideas into a complex whole
summary
: a brief statement that presents the main points in a concise form
abridgement
: condensation: a shortened version of a written work
compendium
: a concise but comprehensive summary of a larger work
-->
summary是其它各部分的缩写版--各部分要点的罗列
synthesis是其它各部分的综合版--各部分要点的逻辑关系
summary与synthesis的区别：
summary特点：全文由A, B, C, ...等元素组成，简洁地展现这部分内容即可
synthesis特点：XXX观点是如何通过A, B, C, ...等元素得以论证，即简洁展现A, B, C, ...等元素间的逻辑关系，以论证XXX观点
写作技巧：
首先将summary各要素列出，然后以逻辑论证的方式综合各summary要素
3 提出深化研究方向
  研究不是一个人的事情，研究不以论文发表为终结，最终目的是将paper核心思想进行推广
  在前面几句话论证paper重要性与逻辑性之后，
  一部分reader可能已经信服paper思想，
  一部分reader更有可能对paper思想感兴趣
  但他们如果只是简单重复你的思想，显然不利于他们研究工作的开展，不利于paper思想的深化与学科的发展
  提出合理的further study--改进，潜在应用...
  集众人之力量，推广paper思想
--------------------------------
通过上面三点的介绍，一个比较优秀的conclusion轮廓已经印在大脑里，但如何将轮廓付以实现？
--------------------------------
下面是一些具体的strategies

Strategies
Echoing the introduction: Echoing your introduction can be a good strategy if it is meant to bring the reader full-circle. If you begin by describing a scenario, you can end with the same scenario as proof that your essay was helpful in creating a new understanding.
Example

Introduction

From the parking lot, I could see the towers of the castle of the Magic Kingdom standing stately against the blue sky. To the right, the tall peak of The Matterhorn rose even higher. From the left, I could hear the jungle sounds of Adventureland. As I entered the gate, Main Street stretched before me with its quaint shops evoking an old-fashioned small town so charming it could never have existed. I was entranced. Disneyland may have been built for children, but it brings out the child in adults.

Conclusion

I thought I would spend a few hours at Disneyland, but here I was at 1:00 A.M., closing time, leaving the front gates with the now dark towers of the Magic Kingdom behind me. I could see tired children, toddling along and struggling to keep their eyes open as best they could. Others slept in their parents' arms as we waited for the parking lot tram that would take us to our cars. My forty-year-old feet ached, and I felt a bit sad to think that in a couple of days I would be leaving California, my vacation over, to go back to my desk. But then I smiled to think that for at least a day I felt ten years old again.



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Challenging the reader: By issuing a challenge to your readers, you are helping them to redirect the information in the paper, and they may apply it to their own lives.
Example

Though serving on a jury is not only a civic responsibility but also an interesting experience, many people still view jury duty as a chore that interrupts their jobs and the routine of their daily lives. However, juries are part of America's attempt to be a free and just society. Thus, jury duty challenges us to be interested and responsible citizens.



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Looking to the future: Looking to the future can emphasize the importance of your paper or redirect the readers' thought process. It may help them apply the new information to their lives or see things more globally.
Example

Without well-qualified teachers, schools are little more than buildings and equipment. If higher-paying careers continue to attract the best and the brightest students, there will not only be a shortage of teachers, but the teachers available may not have the best qualifications. Our youth will suffer. And when youth suffers, the future suffers.



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Posing questions: Posing questions, either to your readers or in general, may help your readers gain a new perspective on the topic, which they may not have held before reading your conclusion. It may also bring your main ideas together to create a new meaning.
Example

Campaign advertisements should help us understand the candidate's qualifications and positions on the issues. Instead, most tell us what a boob or knave the opposing candidate is, or they present general images of the candidate as a family person or God-fearing American. Do such advertisements contribute to creating an informed electorate or a people who choose political leaders the same way they choose soft drinks and soap?

How to Write a Conclusion

Most writers have trouble writing a good conclusion. One exercise that might help you write a good conclusion is to wait until after you've written a good first draft.
Try moving the introductory paragraph (see How to Write an Introduction), or the one with the thesis statement, to the end of the draft. Write a new introduction.
Then revise the whole essay so that each paragraph flows and so the whole paper has coherence (see How to Write a Paragraph).

Conclusion = Closure
The conclusion is often simply one concluding paragraph, although in longer works, such as books, it might be many paragraphs or even pages long. The conclusion provides a sense of closure - that the interest or question "opened" by the introduction has now been "closed" by the body of the paper. The concluding paragraph makes it clear how this is true, and uses some way of indicating the completeness of the writing.

Concluding, and What Comes Next
In many scientific fields, but certainly in other types of writing as well, the conclusion indicates relevant questions for further study or exploration. While this might seem to contradict the idea of closure, in fact, the closure on the article or essay usually occurs just before this suggestion, and this suggestion of further research areas serves to provide a large sense of completeness. In many topics of public concern, this "further research" suggestion takes a different form - a call for further awareness of an issue or problem.

The Concluding Paragraph Consolidates What Came Before
The conclusion often makes clear how or why this topic is significant. It is highly unusual to introduce new ideas, new arguments, or new evidence in the conclusion. Frequently, a conclusion will connect to the introduction - by answering questions raised there, or through writing devices such as returning to a story or anecdote used in the introduction. In all cases, the purpose is to release the reader from the act of reading and return the reader to the world with some sense of having gained something from reading.

lghscuUID：2552043

When writing an essay or for that matter, any piece of writing, be it fiction or non-fiction, an introduction and conclusion are extremely crucial components, often making the difference between a good or bad piece of writing. While you may begin writing your essay with great enthusiasm and energy, by the time you reach the end, you may have run out of steam and enthusiasm; ending up with a flat and boring conclusion, to what would otherwise be a good piece of writing. Writing a great and effective conclusion is important for the impact and effect your essay is meant to have on your reading audience - friends, peers, teachers, professors or members of that academic enrolment committee you're trying to impress! To learn how to write an effective conclusion to your essay, follow the instructions and tips listed below. Step 1:
Structuring the conclusion. Putting your conclusion within a proper framework is as important as putting the topic of your essay in a structured framework. An ideal conclusion is made up of the following elements:

• Briefly restate the main argument or premise of your essay
• Summarize, in not more than 2-3 sentences, the main points or issues covered in the body of the essay
• Provide a summation and your opinion/solution on the essay subject or topic

Step 2:
Length. An effective conclusion should not be too long. You shouldn't end up making your conclusion as long as the main body of the essay. Ideally, the conclusion should be limited to a single paragraph, but no more than two at most. Writing a long-winded conclusion will put-off the reader and render your entire essay ineffective and useless. Writing too short a conclusion is equally disastrous; it conveys to the reader that, you don't have a good grasp and understanding of the topic, or come across as a person who lacks courage when it comes to stating your opinions or convictions.
Step 3:
Tone and content. Depending on the subject of your essay, keep the tone of the conclusion in line with the rest of the essay. Feel free to use humor, if appropriate to the topic, or provide a short and pithy quotation. Remember, that the last sentence of your essay should be as eye-catching and thought-provoking as the first sentence in the introduction.

这个技巧很重要很实用

Repetition of Words.
"Military success is what made the Romans successful in most of their successes."
Success, I get it! Repeated words are more than monotonous. They underscore a writer's failure to see all the facets of an argument because, if you have really thought about your topic and looked at it from several different perspectives, various aspects of the theme will have occurred to you.
Different aspects of a thesis require different expressions, that is, a different word reflecting a different perspective on your paper's theme as it relates to different circumstances. Different, got that? No? Then I'll show you by varying the words in what I just said, and see if the point isn't clearer. "Different aspects of a thesis require their own expressions, that is, a certain word chosen to reflect each individual perspective on the theme as it relates to particular circumstances." Well, even if the second sentence isn't clearer to you, at least it sounds more intelligent.
Especially deadly and monotonous is the repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of successive sentences: "The Romans conquered Gaul. The Romans spread their culture all over Europe. The Romans ate boatloads of bread." Avoid this sort of repetition, in particular. It lends a tone of speaking down to your reader, as if you were addressing a child, an attitude which won't go over well in academic discourse.
Remember, too, that not repeating words is one way to show how well you've done your homework, because by employing a diverse and subtle variety of expressions you show how hard you've wrestled with the issues before you. That is, the depth and range of your word choice hints at the thoroughness of your preparation. When your writing is richly textured, it's easier to believe your thinking is as well.

rodgoodUID：2619326

这两天纠结于Issue131， 好不容易写完发现conclusion不会写咯。
还好lz发的帖有先见之明哈~~顶了

StefanaUID：2143510

才看到，不知道那几天干嘛7了。
支持KG，加油。