English Writing Skills- 11

Most writers have trouble writing a good conclusion . The length of a conclusion is generally proportional to the length of the whole text. While a single paragraph is usually all that's required to conclude a standard essay or composition , a lengthy research paper may call for several concluding paragraphs.

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.

"Strong conclusions generally have four things in common: - They summarize the discussion. 
- They are concise . 
- They carry conviction. 
- They are memorable."

Strategies for Concluding an Essay 
"Although there are no set formulas for closing, the following list presents several options:

Restate the thesis of your essay, and perhaps your main points.Mention the broader implications or significance of your topic.Give a final example that pulls all the parts of your discussion together.Offer a prediction.End with the most important point as the culmination of your essay's development.Suggest how the reader can apply the information you have just imparted.End with a bit of drama or a flourish. Tell an anecdote , offer an appropriate quotation , ask a question , make a final insightful remark."

Just as your introduction is the first impression your reader will have of your writing, your conclusion is the last. A good conclusion will show that you have successfully answered the question or completed the task set.

A good conclusion should:
be more than just a summary. It should be a thoughtful end to a piece of writing; for example, by applying what you have written to the outside world.emphasize or reinforce your main ideas, but with your ideas restated in a fresh way: don't use the same language again. You should refer back to your introduction, either with key words or parallel concepts and images.fit in with the rest of the assignment. Different types of writing require different types of conclusion. A short piece will probably not require extensive restatement of your main points, whereas a longer piece probably will.perhaps include a provocative question or two; evoke vivid images or use quotations if appropriate.if appropriate, suggest results or consequences or make a call for some sort of action.make predictions or suggest solutions, again if appropriate.A good conclusion should NOT:
include completely new ideas. If they're important, include them in your main text.be apologetic! Be confident with what you say: avoid phrases such as: "I may not be an expert .." or "At least this is my opinion"focus on minor points.qualify the impact of any previous points.

Knowing how to write an effective abstract is very important for anyone who is required to write a formal paper.

If you are a student you may have to write an abstract as part of a larger paper to summarize the paper in a single paragraph.The abstract is used by many people as a way to determine whether or not they want to read the entire work or listen to the entire speech at a conference.When researching material for a dissertation or thesis, the abstracts of research and academic papers are read to determine whether or not the information is worth reading in detail.

Understanding what an abstract is and the purpose it serves can be of great assistance in helping you write an abstract effectively.

What Is an Abstract? 
An abstract is basically a short summary that is used for research surverys or large papers, such as a thesis or dissertation. As the majority of theses and dissertations are quite lengthy, an abstract is used to provide a very complete, but concise, summary of the entire academic writing.

The abstract is vitally important because it is a short representation of the entire findings or thesis. The abstract is what a person will read in order to determine if the overall material will be of interest to them. In many ways it can be considered the selling point for your entire work, and it should be treating as such by presenting the topic of your research or dissertation in a way that will make others interested in reading it thoroughly.

In order to write an abstract that will capture the attention of readers while summarizing the entire paper there are a few tips that you should follow.

Helpful Tips for Writing an Abstract 
To present the information from your research or thesis in a manner that will others to be interested in your academic writing, you should:

Identify the Problem and Research Solution -The abstract should have an opening that identifies that particular subject matter and how the research that you have done will provide a solution. It is very important to make this clear in the initial sentence or two of the abstract as people want to know immediately what the dissertation is about.Stick to the Word Count - In general, an abstract is usually no more than 250 words. It is important to keep the word count in mind when writing an abstract. Knowing that you only have 250 words to summarize your entire dissertation can prevent you from being overly descriptive.Include Information on Methods and Results - Part of the abstract should briefly mention the methods and results that pertain to your topic. The method is basically the type of research you did, and the results are what was learned or created as a result of the methods.Mention the Implications of Your Research - At the close of the abstract it is important to briefly mention how results affect the initial problem that was mentioned in the opening of the abstract.Review and Update the Abstract - Upon completing your entire dissertation, it may be necessary for you to review and update the abstract. As you write your dissertation, your views may change and it may be necessary to change the abstract to reflect the shift in viewpoint presented in your dissertation.

Types Of Abstract 
Descriptive abstracts 
These provide a description of the report's main topic and purpose, together with an overview of the contents. They are usually very short - just a sentence or two - and may even appear on the title page (or at the beginning of a journal article). All this type of abstract does is give a very general idea of what the writing is about; it like a slightly extended title, or a topic sentence in an introduction. Consequently, it is not necessary to summarise any details or conclusions found in the text.

A descriptive abstract will look something like this: 
The research analyzes the different approaches to reducing traffic congestion in the UK and provides conclusions and recommendations for future implementation.

Informative abstracts 
As the name implies, informative abstracts should inform the reader: they should make clear what the research is about and give the key information from each section of the report; indicate how it was carried out; and summarise what the main findings and conclusions are. You should not, however, indicate the structure of the writing - this would be included in your introduction. 
The essential parts of an informative abstract are: 
* Background: A simple opening sentence or two placing the work in context. 
* Aims: One or two sentences giving the purpose of the work. 
* Method(s): One or two sentences explaining what was done. 
* Results: One or two sentences indicating the main findings. 
* Conclusions: One sentence giving the most important consequence of the work.

The advice given here is very general in nature: you must always check with your supervisor and with course documentation what the specific requirements are on your course.

A good dissertation will: 

• have a clear objective, based on a well worked out thesis or central question.
• be well planned and widely researched.
• show that the student has a good grasp of relevant concepts and is able to apply these in their own work.
• include analysis, critical evaluation and discussion, rather than simple description.
• contain consistent and correct referencing.
• be structured and expressed in an appropriate academic way.
• show your tutors that you have learnt something on the course and have been able to use this to produce a well argued extended piece of academic work.

A mediocre dissertation will: 

• have a very general or unclear title.
• be poorly planned, with a narrow field of research.
• rely heavily on source material, with little or no attempt to apply this to the student's aims.
• be mostly descriptive.
• contain little or no referencing, perhaps in an incorrect format.
• be poorly structured, with possible plagiarism of source material.
• not convince your tutors that you have learnt much.

Structure Of Dissertation
A basic framework would be:

Title page 
Title, your name, course name, date, name of supervisor 

Abstract 
One paragraph summarising the whole dissertation 

Acknowledgements 
Thanks to those who have assisted you 

Table of contents 
Chapters and/or sections & sub-sections with page numbers 

Table of figures 
If appropriate 

Introduction 
A presentation of your question/problem/thesis, with a brief outline of the structure of your work 

Main body/discussion 
The facts, evidence, analysis, evaluation and discussion. All very well structured: arts/social sciences tending towards paragraphs; sciences/engineering towards sections; business a mixture of the two. 

Conclusion/findings 
Where you bring it all together, stating very clearly your answer to your central question and if appropriate making recommendations, suggestions etc. 

Bibliography 
A complete list of your sources, correctly formatted. 

Appendices 
Any information not central to your main text or too large to be included: 
for example, complete questionnaires, copies of letters, maps etc.

Other sections you may be asked to include could be terms of reference, procedure, methodology, executive summary, literature review or recommendations.