CONCLUSIONS The conclusion is a separate section of the essay, a kind of counterpart to the introduction. It has the same purpose as the introduction—to assist the reader in understanding your information and thinking. It is, however, a look back instead of a look ahead. That is, you ask the reader to “step back” from the body part of the essay and reflect on its significance—as it the reader says, “Well, I’ve read the essay carefully, and you’ve done a great job in setting out the material, but now I’m wondering, ‘So what? What does it all mean?’” In your conclusion, do not: • Finish with a sentimental flourish that shows we're trying to do too much. It's probably enough that our essay on recycling will slow the growth of the landfill in Hartford's North Meadows. We don't need to claim that recycling our soda bottles is going to save the world for our children. (That may be true, but it's better to claim too little than too much; otherwise, our readers are going to be left with that feeling of "Who's he/she kidding?") The conclusion should contain a definite, positive statement or call to action, but that statement needs to be based on what we have provided in the essay. • Bring up new ideas. If a brilliant idea tries to sneak into our final paragraph, we must pluck it out and let it have its own paragraph earlier in the essay. If it doesn't fit the structure or arguments of the essay, we will leave it out and let it have its own essay later on. The last thing we want in our conclusion is an excuse for our readers' minds wandering off into some new field. So, you use one or some of these methods: Reiterate: recall and restate: What is important for the reader to remember? It might be a simple restatement of the thesis alone; it may be more useful to stress one or more of the major support ideas in the essay. Try to rephrase, at least to show you have rethought these main ideas. Rephrasing also gives you the opportunity to rethink the key concepts and sharpen their wording. If useful, you may want to find a quotation from one of your sources to do these reiterations for you: “As Joe Expert says . . .” [a good device for research papers] Assess: What is the significant about the essay material? What are the implications? What conclusions can be drawn from the data or discussion? What new ideas does it suggest or point to? What does it mean? More generally: What should the reader think now? What action should he of she take? Rhetorically, don’t insist on the absoluteness of your inferences. Phrase them with such qualifications as “It would seem that . . .” or “The data seems to suggest that . . .” or “It can be argued that . . .” These phrases are not wishy-washy; you are being realistic (and modest). Forecast: Look ahead. What does the material suggest might be the future consequences of the ideas discussed? If the trend continues, what might reasonably be expected to occur? Long-term? Short-term? Positive? Negative? Small scale? Large scale? Personal? Economic? Social? Etc. High Ground: Here, we follow the advice of one of the world’s greatest speechmakers, Cicero. He suggested that we end an essay by relating its concerns to “higher” concerns: how does me analysis of my lying habits relate to society’s concept of lying? Are there any ethical or moral principles that the essay subject relates to? Implications for Future Research: This is a common type of conclusion for research papers. Knowing what you now know about your topic, where would you go next? What might be “fertile ground” for the next researcher to explore? What unanswered questions do you still have about your topic? Assignment Using the methods explained earlier, write a concluding paragraph for this essay, and compose three transition sentences appropriate for the blank spaces. The Benefits of Television We hear a lot about the negative effects of television on the viewer, from stimulating violence to turning us into couch potatoes. Obviously, television can be harmful if it is watched constantly to the exclusion of other activities. It would be just as harmful to eat or listen to music constantly. Television can be a positive influence on our culture. When television is watched in moderation, it is extremely valuable, as it provides relaxation, entertainment, and education. Watching television can be soothing and restful after a day of pressure, challenges and concentration. After working hard all day, people look forward to a new episode of a favorite show or yet another showing of Casablanca. This period of relaxation leaves viewers refreshed and ready to take on the wild world again. Watching TV also seems to reduce stress in some people. This benefit of television is now widely recognized. Some doctors, for example, advise their patients with high blood pressure to relax in the evening with a few hours of Antiques Road Show. [1] . Television also broadcasts sporting events, which are cultural events that unite large groups of people and establish a strong sense of community. Cable and Pay-perview offer an even greater number of spectacles such as European soccer and the latest movies, which help emigrants stay connected to their home countries. And video game cartridges are available in great quantities for sport, game and mayhem fanatics. [2] . Television can be educational for people of all ages. Preschoolers learn colors, numbers and letters from public television programs like Sesame Street that use animation and puppets to make learning fun. Science shows for older children go on location to analyze everything from volcanoes to space probe launchings. Adults, too, can get an education, college credits included, from various learning channels and distance learning sponsored by local colleges. Also, television widens our knowledge by covering press conferences and other important events. [3] .
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