AVOID Common Conclusion MISTAKES (FIX THEM NOW)!

Summary

In this 'Garden of English' episode, Tim Freitas guides viewers on crafting compelling conclusions for rhetorical analysis essays. He advises against merely rewording theses or summarizing; instead, he introduces a three-step process focusing on knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Freitas suggests identifying universal ideas from the text, understanding their real-world applications, and imparting wisdom through a metaphor-rich final sentence. He exemplifies this with Cesar Chavez's piece, aiming to elevate the essay's conclusion beyond a simple restatement to a profound reflection of the text's impact.

Takeaways

• 😀 A good conclusion for a rhetorical analysis essay should go beyond rewording the thesis or summarizing the paper.
• 📝 Effective conclusions involve articulating the learning process, which consists of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.
• 📚 The first step is identifying universal ideas or abstract concepts the speaker emphasizes in the text.
• 🧠 The second step involves demonstrating understanding by showing how these ideas apply universally, beyond the specific context of the essay.
• 🌍 The third step, wisdom, should provide a final universal insight, often incorporating a short quote from the text.
• 🔄 There are two ways to start your conclusion: either by connecting the universal ideas or by using a metaphor relevant to the rhetorical situation.
• ✍️ Writing with a relevant metaphor in the first sentence can add sophistication and depth to your conclusion.
• 👥 Moving from specific references to the author and audience to more universal terms like 'people' and 'leaders' enhances the timeless relevance of your conclusion.
• 📜 Including a short textual quote in the final sentence can reinforce the wisdom gained from the essay.
• 🎤 A strong conclusion acts like a mic drop, leaving a lasting impact on the reader and encapsulating the essay's core ideas effectively.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video?

The video focuses on how to write effective conclusions for rhetorical analysis essays.

What are the three steps mentioned for writing a conclusion?

The three steps for writing a conclusion are: knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.

Why does the speaker advise against simply rewording the thesis or summarizing the essay?

The speaker advises against rewording the thesis or summarizing the essay because professional writers don't use these techniques, and doing so doesn't add sophistication to the conclusion.

What does the 'knowledge' component in the conclusion refer to?

The 'knowledge' component refers to identifying the universal ideas or abstract concepts that the speaker wants the audience to know about.

How does the speaker suggest expressing 'knowledge' in a conclusion?

The speaker suggests articulating the relationship between the universal ideas explored in the essay, or using a metaphor that is relevant to the rhetorical situation.

What is the purpose of the 'understanding' phase in the conclusion?

The 'understanding' phase is meant to universalize the ideas from the piece, separating them from the specific speaker and audience to make the conclusion more timeless.

How can you shift from specific examples in the essay to universal ideas in the conclusion?

You can shift from specific examples to universal ideas by replacing specific names with broader terms like 'individuals,' 'leaders,' or 'people,' and focusing on general principles that apply across time.

What is the role of 'wisdom' in the final step of writing a conclusion?

The 'wisdom' step involves imparting a lesson or broader insight that the reader should gain after understanding the piece, often by including a relevant quote from the text.

Why does the speaker recommend using a piece of text from the reading in the final sentence?

The speaker recommends using a piece of text from the reading in the final sentence to anchor the conclusion in the original material while providing a universal message.

What is the purpose of creating a metaphorical first sentence for the conclusion?

A metaphorical first sentence can add style and depth to the conclusion by connecting the ideas in a more sophisticated way that reflects the rhetorical situation.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Writing a Rhetorical Analysis Conclusion

Tim Freitas welcomes viewers back to the 'Garden of English' with a focus on crafting conclusions for a rhetorical analysis essay. He suggests moving beyond the common advice of rewording thesis statements or summarizing papers, advocating for a more sophisticated approach that reflects the learning process. This process involves three components: knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Tim outlines a three-step method to conclude an essay effectively, starting with identifying universal ideas that the speaker wants the audience to know. He uses the Cesar Chavez piece from the 2015 AP English Language Exam as an example, encouraging viewers to check out related videos for a comprehensive understanding of rhetorical analysis. Tim also promotes his 'Ultimate Review Packet' for AP Language exams, which includes various resources to help students achieve high scores.

05:01

🌱 Crafting the Conclusion: From Knowledge to Wisdom

The second paragraph delves into the process of writing a conclusion for a rhetorical analysis essay. Tim explains the importance of moving from specific details about Cesar Chavez to more universal terms to demonstrate understanding. He illustrates how to shift the focus from Chavez's specific context to broader, timeless principles that apply to individuals and civil leaders. The final step in the learning process, wisdom, involves imparting a universal message that can be learned from the piece. Tim suggests ending the conclusion with a sentence that includes a quote or a short phrase from the reading, akin to a fortune cookie message, to leave a lasting impression. He contrasts this stylized conclusion with a traditional one, emphasizing the impact of a well-crafted conclusion that resonates with the reader.

Keywords

💡Rhetorical Analysis Essay

A rhetorical analysis essay is a type of academic writing where the author examines the persuasive techniques used by an author or speaker. In the video, Tim Freitas focuses on how to write conclusions for such essays, emphasizing the importance of not just summarizing but also reflecting on the learning process that the essay should impart to the reader.

💡Conclusion

In the context of the video, a conclusion is the final part of an essay where the author synthesizes the main points and leaves the reader with a lasting impression. Freitas suggests moving beyond restating the thesis and instead focuses on articulating the learning process, which includes knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.

💡Learning Process

The learning process mentioned in the video consists of three components: knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. This process is applied to the conclusion of an essay, where the author should aim to not only convey what has been learned but also to provide insights that can be universally applied.

💡Knowledge

Knowledge, as used in the video, refers to the facts or information that an author wants the audience to grasp. In the context of writing a conclusion, identifying the universal ideas or abstract nouns from the text is the first step towards creating a sophisticated conclusion.

💡Understanding

Understanding, in the video, is the ability to comprehend how the knowledge gained applies to the real world. It is the second phase of the learning process in the conclusion, where the author moves from discussing the specific context of the essay to making it more universal.

💡Wisdom

Wisdom, as discussed in the video, is the final phase of the learning process where the author imparts insights or advice based on the knowledge and understanding gained. It involves writing a sentence that is universal and imparts wisdom, often using a metaphor or a quote from the text.

💡Metaphor

A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes an object or action in a way that isn't literally true but helps explain an idea or make a comparison. In the video, Freitas suggests using a pertinent metaphor to express the relationship between ideas in the first sentence of the conclusion for a more sophisticated style.

💡Universal Ideas

Universal ideas are abstract concepts that can be applied broadly across different contexts. In the video, Freitas advises identifying these ideas from the text being analyzed to form the basis of the conclusion's first sentence, which helps in connecting the specific analysis to broader implications.

💡Cesar Chavez

Cesar Chavez is referenced in the video as the subject of the piece from the 2015 AP English Language Exam that is being analyzed. His role as a civil rights leader and the themes of non-violence, justice, and human rights are used as examples to demonstrate how to write a conclusion that moves from specific knowledge to universal wisdom.

💡AP English Language Exam

The AP English Language Exam is a standardized test that the video script references as the source of the piece by Cesar Chavez. The exam is part of the College Board's Advanced Placement program, and the video is aimed at helping students excel in their AP classes and on the exam.

💡Unit 4 and Unit 7 Reviews

Unit 4 and Unit 7 Reviews are mentioned as part of an 'ultra review packet' that Tim Freitas suggests can help students aiming for an A in their AP class and a high score on the exam. These reviews provide comprehensive exam preparation materials, including video reviews, notes, and practice questions.

Highlights

Introduction to the Garden of English series with Tim Freitas focusing on writing conclusions for rhetorical analysis essays.

Emphasis on avoiding common pitfalls such as merely rewording the thesis or summarizing the paper.

Introduction of the three components of the learning process: knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.

Discussion on how to articulate the learning process in the conclusion of an essay.

Explanation of the first step in writing a conclusion: identifying universal ideas the speaker wants the audience to know.

Advice on listing out four or five universal ideas explored in the essay being analyzed.

Example of identifying universal ideas in the Cesar Chavez piece from the 2015 AP English Language Exam.

Two methods for writing the first sentence of a conclusion: articulating the relationship between ideas or using a pertinent metaphor.

Example of a first sentence using a metaphor related to Cesar Chavez's role in the farmworkers movement.

Transition to the understanding phase, moving the conclusion to be more universal and timeless.

Example of a conclusion section that shifts from specific to universal terms like 'people' and 'leaders'.

Introduction of the wisdom stage, the final step in writing a conclusion.

Advice on writing a final sentence that imparts wisdom and includes a quote or phrase from the reading.

Comparison of a traditional conclusion to a stylized one for a more impactful ending.

Encouragement to check out the complete review series for rhetorical analysis and preparation for the AP exam.

Promotion of the Ultimate Review Packet for AP Language Exam, providing comprehensive exam review materials.

Transcripts

i'm happy to welcome you back to the

garden of english i'm tim freitas and

today we're going to be focusing on how

you can make conclusions for your

rhetorical analysis essay we're going to

do this in about three steps if you

haven't watched all our other videos in

this series about how to read

rhetorically break down the prompt and

write sophisticated thesis statements

topic sentences and commentary you're

going to want to check them out all

these videos are linked right in the

description right down below also just

like with all the other review videos in

this series we're going to use the cesar

chavez piece from the 2015 ap english

language exam that too is linked in the

description okay folks when it comes to

conclusion i know that many people are

often told to reword their thesis

statements and summarize their papers

but i want to teach you to do something

incredibly more effective you see if you

ever look at professional authors or

really consider any of the essays you

read in class you're going to notice

rather quickly that almost no excellent

writer embraces either technique that i

just mentioned so i don't think that

you'll want to either especially if you

want to become a better writer to write

a sophisticated conclusion you're going

to want to think about how you can

articulate the learning process

throughout the ending of your paper the

learning process is made up of three

components knowledge understanding and

wisdom it just so happens that these

three components will make up the three

moves that you want to make as you

produce your final paragraphs of any

paper that you ever write you see as you

learn you're exposed to things that you

should be able to identify and know once

you can identify and know these things

you'll be able to understand how this

knowledge applies and functions in the

real world and as you consider your

understandings you'll be moved to impart

some wisdom that you have about those

understandings to others and so with

this in mind let's consider how to go

through this process for your

conclusions we'll start with identifying

the knowledge in the piece by the way

did you know that this video actually

works in conjunction with my unit 4 and

unit 7 reviews that are part of my ultra

review packet this pack is a complete

exam review series that you should check

out if you want an a in your ap class

and a five on your exam this packet

provides you with video reviews notes

guides answer guides practice multiple

choice questions with rationales and

practice exams that have self-guided

rubrics and essay models so you can

actually self-score what could be better

nothing so check out the ultimate review

packet for your ap lane exam right at

the top link in the description down

below this video you can also check it

out here okay back to business your

first step in writing a conclusion is

identifying the universal ideas that a

speaker wants his or her audience to

know about as he or she delivers the

piece get it knowledge no okay good

universal ideas are just abstract nouns

and if you'd like some examples to see

what they are you're going to notice

that some will show up on your screen

right about now

okay well what you want to do when

you're getting ready to write the first

part of your conclusion is to first list

out four or five universal ideas that

your essay or the essay that you're

reading that you're actually analyzing

explores so if we were to search for

these ideas in the chavez piece we're

going to look for things like

non-violence justice human rights

democratic change power and patience now

once we have these nuggets of knowledge

at our fingertips we're going to create

the first sentence of our conclusion you

can do this in one of two ways first

simply articulate the relationship

between any and all of the ideas that we

just identified before when you write

this sentence just think about answering

this question what does the speaker want

his or her audience to know about these

ideas once they've experienced the whole

piece so what a first sentence could

look like in relation to the shabbos

piece would be something like this and

don't forget i'm just connecting the

ideas in the midst of civil unrest

chavez emphasizes the incredibly

important role that patience plays in

ushering in powerful lasting democratic

change hey that's pretty good i didn't

just reword my thesis instead i began

expounding upon it focusing on the

knowledge that chavez was imparting to

those who were listening remember though

i said that there are two ways to write

this first sentence and i'm going to

show you a second option that is way

more sophisticated if you can do it

right so pay attention and try it out

and if you realize this is too hard for

you then just stick with the first way

and that's not a problem because they're

both good but the other way to write a

strong first sentence is to express the

relationship between the ideas that

we're trying to create but we want to do

it with a pertinent metaphor this will

lead to your first sentence having a bit

more style but you can't just make up

any random comparison it has to be one

that directly relates to the rhetorical

situation or the reading in some way so

let me give you an example of this in

relation to this prompt since cesar

chavez was a civil rights leader for the

farmworkers movement i'm going to use

that to create my first sentence check

it out throughout his piece chavez

plants the seeds of patients throughout

the fields of potential unrest in hopes

of growing a movement based on the power

of human rights look at how well that

comparison fits into the role that

chavez has that's a really cool sentence

it not only expresses what the piece is

about but it also applies to it a

greater knowledge of chavez and his

struggle it really highlights

inferential reading skills because you

could actually pick up from reading

through the piece that he was the leader

of the farmworkers movement okay let's

shift to step two we need to go to the

understanding phase and this phase can

be completed in about one to three

sentences in step two what we're gonna

do is move the conclusion to be more

universal we're going to separate a

little bit from chavez and his intended

audience and make it a bit more timeless

when we take chavez and his audience out

of the picture we're going to replace

them with more universal terms like

people and individuals and leaders this

is because we're trying to demonstrate

that we understand what we know from

chavez and his words back in the 1970s

actually applies universally whether in

the past present or future so if i were

to write this section of my conclusion

i'm going to say something along the

lines of this by embracing his role as a

public figure with a positive message

chavez provides a model to those who

seek to challenge and upend the

oppressive status quo individuals and

civil leaders must always hold the right

to life and involvement of the masses as

their premier principles behind any

moral cause notice how i moved from

chavez to individuals and civil rights

leaders you can see that i'm shifting

towards the universal and now i could be

talking about anyone in any time period

that's how you complete this stuff but

now we have to move to the final stage

of the learning process and that is the

wisdom stage and that's going to be the

third step for how we write our

conclusion in this particular section

you're going to want to write a final

sentence that is still universal in

nature but it's meant to impart some

wisdom that someone should gain after

being able to experience the knowledge

and understanding of the piece as a

whole the absolute best way to do this

is by including at least one three to

five word piece of text from the reading

in this final sentence and picture this

kind of like writing a sentence that

reads like a fortune cookie but not a

lame one so i'm gonna model this here

and i'm gonna finish my conclusion with

a sentence like this though when those

seeking change forget these goals they

not only risk damaging their reputations

but also lose their sense of justice as

they seek a shortcut to change and

that's not worth it no matter how just

their cause may be so now that we've

gone through these three steps here's

what the traditional conclusion would

look like if you didn't use the stylize

for a sentence it's going to show right

up on your screen

[Music]

and here's what the stylized conclusion

would look like

[Music]

a good conclusion is a lot like a mic

drop you set it and let it sink in all

right folks thanks for hanging in there

throughout this video and throughout

this entire review series for rhetorical

analysis now that you've experienced how

to make it all the way through this type

of essay you're going to want to check

out what's over here and that's so that

you can review for your apa exam and

move on to conquering the argument essay