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The conclusion paragraph is your final chance to leave a strong impression on the reader. Your aim is to make the reader feel they have fully understood your reasoning and arguments. A well-crafted conclusion should tie all the ideas together cohesively. You can achieve this by using specific examples, reiterating key points, and carefully revising. There are several steps you can follow to write an effective conclusion for any essay.
Steps
Draft the Conclusion Paragraph
Review the thesis statement. One of the most critical elements of an effective conclusion is a clearly presented thesis statement. Before drafting your conclusion, ensure your argument is solid and coherent. Take the time to revise and refine your thesis statement.
- Make sure your thesis is not vague. For example, avoid writing, "This is an essay about the death penalty."
- Instead, aim for clarity and specificity. You could write, "The death penalty costs millions of dollars annually, making it one of the largest expenditures in our penal system. This essay will analyze why the U.S. legal system requires significant reform."
- This is also the time to ensure your essay is organized in a meaningful way and that you have supported your thesis with evidence and analysis. You cannot write a successful conclusion until your essay is structured logically.
Restate the thesis. The conclusion should reaffirm the main points. A key part of the conclusion is reiterating your thesis. Be careful to clearly restate your thesis in the conclusion.
- Do not simply copy and paste the thesis. Rewrite it in a different way.
- For example, if your thesis is "The Cold War brought significant changes to U.S. foreign policy, leading many policymakers to grow accustomed to having a defined enemy. This resulted in a confusing foreign policy in the 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union," you should rephrase it in the conclusion.
- Try writing, "As demonstrated by examining the foreign policies of Presidents Bush and Clinton, post-Cold War foreign policy lacked consistent direction."
Use specific examples. The conclusion should remind the reader of what they have read. Reinforce why your argument is strong by using concrete examples. This will solidify the points you have worked to present.
- Consider including a useful anecdote in the conclusion. For instance, if you are writing about the plight of polar bears, share a story about a polar bear at the San Diego Zoo.
Summarize the main points. Your essay should be organized to clearly explain the key sections. For example, an essay on the U.S. Civil War should identify the causes and impacts on both the economy and politics. Ensure the conclusion reminds the reader of each section of the essay.
- Aim to synthesize. This means going beyond a simple summary to analyze further.
- The conclusion is the ideal place to not only summarize but also create connections. Show the reader how the different points interrelate.
- For example, you could highlight how the Civil War impacted both the economy and politics, and how these areas are interconnected.
Leave a lasting impression. The conclusion is your final opportunity to make a strong impact on the reader. Ensure you include all necessary elements in the conclusion. You will need to review it thoroughly after drafting.
- Make sure your thesis is clearly presented. The reader should not be left confused about your stance.
- Review the main points. Does the conclusion cover all the key points?
- Does the conclusion explain why the reader should care about your topic? Remember, this is your last chance to convince the reader of the importance of your research.
- Clarify the significance. You could write, "This research is important because it illustrates the link between 19th-century literature and modern gender equality."
Starting a Conclusion Paragraph
Establish the concluding idea. You need to let the reader know they have reached the end of the essay. The language and content of the conclusion should make this clear. You can establish the concluding idea in several ways.
- Try linking the final paragraph to the introduction. For example, if the opening paragraph mentions a dog named Sam, end the essay by referencing Sam again.
- Connecting the beginning and the end is a great way to wrap up your essay. It "closes" your topic effectively.
- You can also conclude the essay with a quote or a fact mentioned earlier in the essay. This provides a strong concluding idea for the reader.
Suggest a plan of action. The conclusion is not just a place to reiterate the points you’ve made. It’s also an opportunity to outline the "next steps" that should be taken. You can inform the reader about what needs to be done to address the issue. Discussing next steps helps the reader understand that you are wrapping up the essay.
- If you’re writing an essay about obesity in America, the conclusion is a great place to propose some solutions.
- For example, write, "Clearly, we need to focus more on physical activity among youth." Alternatively, you could write, "More research is needed to effectively address the negative side effects of obesity."
- You can also use the conclusion to point to broader topics. For instance, an essay about the 1961 Freedom Rides could highlight wider implications for the civil rights movement.
Use simple language. Regardless of how you choose to start your conclusion, focus on your word choice. Present your ideas clearly and concisely. You want your argument to be coherent and to the point. There’s no need to use overly complex words or flowery language in the conclusion.
- Avoid long, winding sentences to start your conclusion. You need to capture and maintain the reader’s attention.
- Instead of writing, "Therefore, as we have effectively demonstrated through complex evidence..." simply write, "It’s clear that change is needed."
- Try writing the first sentence of your conclusion using only one-syllable words. This can enhance the academic tone of your writing.
Provide context. Context is the information that helps the reader fully understand your argument. You’ve made your point clear, but you need to go further. Context will show the reader why your topic is unique and why your argument matters.
- Clearly stating the significance of your thesis is a great way to start your conclusion. The reader will understand exactly what you’re trying to convey.
- Write, "This research is important because it could help save animal lives." This is a direct and clear statement.
- Context can help you explain why the topic is important. For example, your conclusion might begin, "As discussed in this essay, there is an unaccounted number of young people detained in the U.S."
Be creative. Readers will often recognize the conclusion of an essay. Generally, they’ll know because there are no more pages to read. Don’t feel like you have to make it overly obvious.
- Avoid using "In conclusion." There are more interesting ways to start your conclusion.
- Try writing, "As the research has shown." You can also introduce the concluding idea by writing, "Ultimately..."
- You can also signal that they’ve reached the end by writing, "To sum up..." or "We can see that..."
- You could also write, "It’s clear that..." Experiment with a few different options to find the most effective way to conclude your essay.
Finalizing the Essay
Pay attention to transition sentences. Transition sentences link different sections of your essay. Ensure you write clear transitions between the introduction, each body paragraph, and the conclusion. As you revise, make sure these transitions are coherent.
- Use specific words to signal the next part of your essay. You want the reader to recognize the conclusion.
- Instead of writing, "In conclusion...," try alternatives like, "Ultimately,..." or "As this essay demonstrates...".
- Ensure smooth transitions between key points. Use phrases like, "In comparison," "Next," or "Another approach" to indicate a shift in topic.
Edit meticulously. You’ve put effort into both the conclusion and the entire essay. Don’t let your hard work go to waste due to careless editing. Take the time to carefully revise your essay before submission.
- Look for spelling and grammar errors. Use spell-check tools for assistance.
- Edit for content. Read each sentence to ensure it makes sense and supports your argument.
- Don’t be afraid to cut. If you find a paragraph that doesn’t add to your thesis, remove it.
- Read aloud. This is a great way to catch errors you might miss when reading silently.
Seek feedback. It can be challenging to remain objective about your own writing. Ask someone else to read your essay. A friend, classmate, or family member might be willing to help.
- Be open to constructive criticism. Don’t take it personally if they point out areas for improvement.
- Explain the essay’s purpose. You could say, "This essay evaluates the public school system in Indiana. Is my argument clear?"
- Ask the reader to pay special attention to the conclusion. They might spot gaps you overlooked.
Review the requirements. After editing, it’s time for a final review. Take the time to ensure you’ve met all the guidelines. For example, if the instructions specify 5-7 pages, make sure you’ve adhered to that.
- Format the essay as required. If Times New Roman, 12-point font is requested, ensure you’ve used the correct font.
- Submit the essay as instructed. If your teacher asks for both a digital and printed copy, follow their directions.
Tips
- Stay flexible. Your thesis might evolve as you write. Don’t hesitate to revise your conclusion accordingly.
- Give yourself plenty of time to write. Avoid rushing to finish the conclusion on the essay’s deadline.
- Edit thoroughly.
- The conclusion should reference the introduction, but avoid repeating it verbatim. Restate your thesis in a fresh way.
- If you used a quote from an author in the introduction, consider including another quote from the same author in the conclusion.
