"A book, too, can be a star, 'explosive material, capable of stirring up fresh life endlessly,' a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe." - from Madeleine L'Engle's Newberry Medal Acceptance Speech

Monday, October 1, 2012

811 Notes on Conclusions


Conclusions (811)
-          Strong, specific words/language
-          The conclusion should extend and deepen the thinking from the intro; in other words, don’t just restate thesis – show your new discoveries and understanding of thesis
-          Show the thesis in a more complex way; be more specific
-          State the theme very clearly and specifically in the conclusion
-          Put a lot of thought into it – don’t just rush and get the essay over with
-          Include your personal, sincere thoughts and feelings
-          If no strong personal connection, stretch out a part of the text you can connect with; connect to the world in general
-          Relate to different points in your life
-          Strong fluency and voice
-          OWN IT– own the topic you are writing about; make it your own, make it personal
-          Don’t begin with in conclusion, over-summarize, go off topic
-          Refer to specific, interesting details mentioned earlier in your essay
-          Bring the text to life
-          Other ways to end: write a metaphor or simile or symbol or other figurative language; image; explain the theme (archetype), strong personal feeling, show how the text has changed you;  what you thought in the beginning and what you think now; go back and answer previous questions; connect back to a previous quotation; connect back to an anecdote  

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