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Writing the Conclusion
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Just as pathos can provide an effective hook for introducing your essay, it is, more often
than not, a powerful approach to concluding it. Writers often want to get their readers to
feel something before they ask them to take some kind of action. Look at the conclusion
of Mckesson’s essay, which is filled with appeals to emotion:

When I was nine, I didn’t know how to challenge the bully. I thought I was alone. The task
of conquering my fear, of exposing him, loomed so large in my mind’s eye that I was
Changing the World
overcome by it. If I hadn’t gone to Ferguson and stood toe to toe with other protesters on
the streets calling for justice, naming our bully, and saying enough is enough, I’m not sure
I’d have the courage to confront him today.
In each generation there is a moment when young and old, inspired or disillusioned,
come together around a shared hope, imagine the world as it can be, and have the
opportunity to bring that world into existence. Our moment is now.

Notice, too, that Mckesson’s conclusion includes a call to action — “Our moment is
now.” In addition to pathos, a good conclusion to an argument usually addresses a “So
what?” statement that tells readers what you want them to think about, or do, and why
it matters. What reforms should take place? What studies should be conducted? What
viewpoint should be reevaluated? What programs should be funded? This is a final
opportunity for you to connect directly with your readers. Mckesson’s choice is to focus
on bringing everyone “together around a shared hope.”

activity Writing a Conclusion
Write a conclusion to your argumentative essay that includes a final appeal to emotion
and a call to action. This might even be another place to return to a personal experience
that you had described earlier in your essay.

Step 4. Finalizing the Essay

Now that you have a complete draft of your argumentative essay, you can move on
to the final phase in the writing process: revising and editing. These two acts are
sometimes thought of as being the same, but they’re not. Revision is when you look
back at large-scale structural elements of your essay, such as how well you are
supporting your claim, what kinds of evidence are you using, how effective your word
choices are, and to what extent you have led your reader easily through your essay.
Editing, on the other hand, focuses on fine tuning the language, grammar, punctuation,

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