We will claim that a conclusion should not represent a fresh start but rather should pick up on the internal dynamics of the preceding text and bring the argument further. We will also stress that it is generally insufficient for a conclusion merely to restate what has already emerged clearly from the body paragraphs. Another point will be that the conclusion, in some ways like the introduction, is an opportunity for the concluding paragraph, and thus the text as a whole, should end with a powerful, resonant last sentence, one which will stimulate the reader to further thought.
As a rule of thumb, we would suggest that the conclusion should represent about one-eighth of the entire text: this length will ensure (a) that there is sufficient room for all the functions performed by conclusions and (b) that the conclusion does not develop into an entity in its own right - it is a continuation of the text, never an independent digression. Thus, in a 1,000-word text, the conclusion should appear as a single paragraph, and should display the same tripartite structure as has been recommended for introductory and body paragraphs.