The concluding paragraph (or, rarely, paragraphs) summarizes the argument, showing how it supports the thesis. Its purpose is to leave readers with a strong sense of the argument, thereby encouraging them to adopt the thesis as their own.

The concept-funnel approach often used for introductions can be reversed here, moving the focus from narrow to broad. Along the way, you can include recommendations for future behavior, if behavior change is applicable to your essay. Here you have a common format for concluding paragraphs:

• Thesis statement revisited
• Claims repeated, woven with transitions 
• Recommendations, projections, or challenges
• Introductory opening revisited

One way to think of the conclusion is as "The Tale of the Conquering Hero." The hero recounts his adventure by first telling you his accomplishment, then recounting the steps that led to it, and finally putting it into a broader context.

Thesis Statement

It can be effective to begin the conclusion with the thesis statement, after a transition stem, such as, "It's now quite clear that ... ," or "As we have seen, the preponderance of evidence shows us that ..." You needn't necessarily repeat the thesis statement word for word, but its essence should be the same as it was written in the introduction.

Restating the thesis signals to the reader that you're no longer going to introduce new evidence and are wrapping up your argument. The reader makes an emotional shift with this sign, and so making your purpose known immediately helps keep the reader interested.

Revisiting the Argument

Next, you'll restate your claims, but you'll want to do this in a way that flows. Your reader will check out quickly if you're simply marching him or her through the paragraphs. This time, you're considering each claim as a drop in the bucket of your argument. You're no longer trying to prove the claim. Your reader has already seen the evidence supporting the topic sentence. Think of the conclusion as the philosophy phase of the paper, where you take a broader look at the issue and consider the points of the argument together.  

As you're weaving your claims together, you can get creative. Snatches of evidence, such as a quote or a statistic, can be included for emphasis if used sparingly. You may decide to change the order, if you want the claims to flow a little differently here than they did in the body of the paper. Your point here is to show the reader how these claims inform one another to support the thesis, and to emphasize the significance of each claim to the argument. 

"We found that [claim 1], which on its own would have demanded a significant shift in policy, but when we also consider [claim 2], it is no longer a question of need, but of urgency in the highest degree."

Sometimes, the process of writing the conclusion will reveal a hole in the argument, and you can use this draft as a prompt to go back to the research phase to fill the gap in knowledge. Keep in mind, though, that any new claims or evidence must be integrated into the body paragraphs of the paper. There should be no new evidence or claims presented in the conclusion.  

Optional: Recommendations and Challenges

In this stage of the conclusion, you've wrapped up your argument and are now asking people to think more broadly. You can offer recommendations for readers to change their behavior based on what they've learned from the essay. You can paint a picture of the future—either one where the current state continues or one where the changes you consider in the paper are implemented. Or you can make a societal challenge of some kind.

"So, if grief is natural, and we have seen that it is, we must discontinue our practice of avoiding the discomfort of death and the sadness of the bereaved. We must begin to embrace the lows of life as well as the highs."

"We have seen that polyamory is a viable social alternative to marriage and can result in relationships even more committed and reliable, but what does that mean for you? Will you continue to cling to tradition and spurn those who live in non-traditional ways? Will you be one of the forces slamming the door shut on social acceptance of 'different others'? Or will you open your mind and your heart and recognize that there are other ways of being that work as well as your own?"

"Armed now with the knowledge of how dire the situation is, we must act. The three most important areas for us to implement personal changes are ..."

This portion of the conclusion won't apply to all topics, and it's certainly not a requirement. You may choose to leave the reader to consider the implications of the argument, rather than creating a kind of call to action. You may want to try both versions and see which one you prefer.

Optional: Introductory Opening Revisited

While this option may feel unnecessary, after all that has gone into your conclusion, at least consider revisiting the opening to your introduction. It can be very satisfying to a reader to have the closure that even just a few such sentences can provide.

Say, for example, that your introduction began with a description of a pre-teen girl in a drug-riddled city being forced to walk the streets to earn money for her parents' drug habit. If it's a powerful image, it will linger in the reader's mind. Bringing the reader back to that image in the conclusion can close the emotional loop for the reader, showing him or her how individual action, or a change in policy, can change the situation for this girl. The power of that emotion can significantly add to the power of your argument, so you wouldn't want to waste the opportunity.

You may have begun your paper with a quotation, rather than an image, or with a question. Revisiting those words now offers a spark of recognition in the reader and subconsciously makes the argument seem solid and well thought-out.

While you needn't get overly emotional with your ending, you do want to make the conclusion powerful. Therefore, avoid weakening your argument in any way here, by, for example, making concessions, belittling yourself as inexpert, or admitting to not doing enough research. Make your case and stick by it, ending strong and with integrity.