Tell us about the neighborhood that you grew up in and how it helped shape you into the kind

of person you are today.

Statement of Purpose: Be sure to provide some context for the controlling idea or main idea of the topic. Be sure your focus is clear and for the most part maintained. Organizational structure is present. Essay is complete; Adequate use of transitional strategies. Adequate progression of ideas. Adequate introduction and conclusion.

Organization: Response provides evidence from sources and is integrated through citations. Adequate use of some elaborative techniques.

Conventions: Some errors in usage and sentence formation, but no systematic pattern of errors is displayed. Adequate use of punctuation, capitalization and spelling.

Information Power/Writing Effective Conclusions*

One of the first things a reader remembers after having read a piece of writing is the last words the writer uses. For that reason, a writer should understand and take advantage of the power of an effective conclusion. Effective conclusions are particularly important in persuasive essays since they are the last chance the writer has to convince the reader. The following is a collection of suggestions for writing effective conclusions. 1. Use a summary statement rather than phrases like the following: "In summary...," "To conclude...," "To summarize...," or "In closing...." These are too obvious and vague to be effective. Use a transitional phrase which summarizes a point in your essay instead. A sample summary statement is as follows: "As we have seen, poverty is a known contributor to crime; therefore, it should not be discounted when considering ways to prevent crime." 2. Use a quotation, such as "As a man thinks, so is he," when your paper has just explained how negative thinking has created problems for someone. 3. Refer to the story or character used in the introduction, such as "So don't be like Sally, be informed." 4. Use a cleverly crafted generalization, such as "Poverty is not a great issue, if everyone is poor." 5. Express your hopes as you look to the future. "We can only hope that people in our society will become less self-centered, and become more involved in helping others." Or "We have some poverty programs, which are of great value, but in ten years the problem will still remain, unless we change our attitudes." In addition to the aforementioned suggestions, persuasive essays should include one of the following: 6. Issue a call for action, such as "Now that we have seen how poverty contributes to crime, give the local representatives a call to learn how to help combat poverty." 7. Use a question and a call for action together. Example: "Why do we continue to ignore the poverty situation in America? One can help, so get involved."

THE PURPOSE OF A CONCLUSION

The purpose of a conclusion is to tie together, or integrate the various issues, research, etc., covered in the body of the paper, and to make comments upon the meaning of all of it. This includes noting any implications resulting from your discussion of the topic, as well as recommendations, forecasting future trends, and the need for further research. The conclusion should:

be a logical ending to what has been previously been discussed. It must pull together all of the parts of your argument and refer the reader back to the focus you have outlined in your introduction and to the central topic. This gives your essay a sense of unity. never contain any new information. usually be only a paragraph in length, but in an extended essay (3000+ words) it may be better to have two or three paragraphs to pull together the different parts of the essay. add to the overall quality and impact of the essay. This is your final statement about this topic; thus it can make a great impact on the reader.

The conclusion should not:

just sum up end with a long quotation focus merely on a minor point in your argument introduce new material

THE CONTENT OF THE CONCLUSION

The conclusion may include:

a summary of the arguments presented in the body and how these relate to the essay question a restatement of the main point of view presented in the introduction in response to the topic the implications of this view or what might happen as a result.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE CONCLUSION

Like introductions, it is best to keep to a simple structure. Begin with a sentence that refers to the main subject that was discussed in the body in the essay. Make sure that this sentence also links to the preceding paragraph, or uses words such as In conclusion to signal that these are your final words on the subject. Then, you may give a brief summary of your argument and identify the main reasons/causes/factors that relate to the question you have been asked to address. If there are two or more parts to the question, be sure to include responses to each part in your conclusion. Finally, it is a good idea to add a sentence or two to reinforce the thesis statement which was used in your introduction. This shows the reader that you have done what you said you would do and gives a sense of unity the essay. Additional elements that may be added include recommendations for future action and speculations on future trends. Generally, although a short pithy quote can sometimes be used to spice up your conclusion, the conclusion should be in your own words. Try to avoid direct quotations, or references to other sources. Summary of structure

Link to previous paragraph: In conclusion Brief summary Identify main reasons/causes/factors Reinforce the thesis statement (see Introductions) Recommendations/speculation on future action