Josh's Responses in WyzAnt Answers

While a number of others here have already answered this question sufficiently I think it is important to point out that the conclusion should not be limited simply as a pure restatement something you have already written once. Yes you will want to restate some of your thesis but you will also want to use the conclusion to show how your supporting evidence illuminates and proves what you are trying to say.

Think of your conclusion as light hitting a prism. In a prism a beam of white light is fragmented to and produces a rainbow of color on the other side. Your conclusion is this process in reverse. Your supporting evidence is the rainbow you have just painted with sources, quotations, and proven (or interpreted) facts. Your conclusion needs to take all this and transform it back into the single beam of light that represents your ultimate point, condensed and simplified. You want to use the conclusion in this manner show how the body of your paper proves and supports your thesis before it falls outside of your grasp. 

Many high school students and college undergrads have issues with this when they first begin to write academically. If you want to be successful as a writer it is extremely important to not come across as formulaic while still holding fast to the formatting outlined by your instructor. Oftentimes students will not have a choice in this matter, and if that is the case then stick hard and fast to what you have been told already. However, there is a growing movement among writing instructors at this time (especially in universities) to see us break away from teaching direct rules and formulas and embrace a more organic approach. If you think you have the opportunity to do this then be bold.

Some other tips:

1. Never begin your conclusion with "In conclusion" or some other tiered opening. Always try to find some other way to tip the reader that this is the last major point.
   
   
2. Unless your instructor has specifically told you not to, feel welcome to use "I". Just don't highlight your personal experience as the main draw for your paper.
   
   
3. You can use the conclusion to pose a question but only if that question is truly clever and thought provoking in relation to your topic. This can be difficult to pull off sometimes so I would advise new writers against it. The question should not function as the point of your paper but rather as an aside.
   
   
4. The conclusion is also a good place to experiment with metaphor if you want to be really slick.
   
   

Finally, remember that all writing is persuasive. Whether its trying to make a direct impact or simply being submitted for a grade, any piece of writing needs to persuade someone somewhere in order to be successful. How you accomplish your persuasion is most often captured in the conclusion.