Work through the list without notes. If you cannot do a statement, follow its link, then come back. Guide = study guide; Practice = practice questions.
Understanding
- I can explain what it means for a conclusion to bring an argument to a unified end. (Guide: “What does a conclusion have to do?”; Practice question 1)
- I can list the strategies a conclusion may use and say what each does for the reader. (Guide: “The so-what test”; Practice question 2)
- I can explain why summary alone makes a weak conclusion. (Guide: “Weak and strong conclusions side by side”; Practice question 3)
- I can explain why a conclusion should not open a new line of proof. (Guide: “Common misconceptions”; Practice question 5)
Skills
- I can apply the so-what test to a draft conclusion. (Guide: “The so-what test”; Practice question 6)
- I can write a conclusion that returns to the introduction in a new light. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice question 8)
- I can name the strategy in a published conclusion and describe its effect. (Guide: Worked example 2; Practice questions 4 and 7)
- I can rewrite a repetitive conclusion so that it adds significance. (Guide: “Weak and strong conclusions side by side”; Practice question 6)
Reasoning
- I can choose a conclusion strategy to suit a purpose (persuade, interpret, reflect) and justify it. (Guide: “Common conclusion shapes”; Practice questions 2 and 8)
- I can explain why a call to act must follow from the argument. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice question 2)
- I can judge whether a conclusion’s wide claim is earned or empty. (Guide: “Common misconceptions”; Practice question 6)
- I can write a one-sentence analysis of a conclusion’s function in the whole argument. (Guide: Worked example 2, Step 3; Practice question 7)