You’ve written your essay from the introduction to the body paragraphs, and now it is the turn for you to conclude the essay. So often, although many students think of writing a conclusion as a walk in the park, it isn’t.
A good conclusion sums up the topic by illustrating/elaborating how you know the topic and how you have come up with conclusions from your main arguments. Furthermore, it should show how the topic is vital in the context of the essay. Finally, it should explain the angle of your analysis and what you have finally arrived at.
In this guide, we begin by defining a conclusion before delving into the four-step approach for writing effective conclusions for essays.
We practically pull all the strings together to ensure that you have a comprehensive guide you can use to write an excellent conclusion. So, if that is all you are looking for, sit in a calm place, take a notebook, and read through this guide to become a pro writer.
The conclusion is the last paragraph of an essay, research paper, or any other prose-written paper that summarizes the thesis statement, main arguments, and why they matter and presents the final words about a topic.
The conclusion is the final paragraph you write for an essay, which indicates the end of an essay. It is a way of ending an essay that denotes the end of your argument. A firm conclusion brings closure to your readers, helping them think through your arguments and make decisions.
Mainly, the type and length of an essay define the length of the conclusion. However, in most cases, the conclusion forms 10% of the total word count of your essay or paper.
To write a good conclusion paragraph, think about the main points you want your readers to understand. Usually, a conclusion is the opposite of an introduction paragraph, meaning the latter should guide you when writing the conclusion.
In a nutshell, a conclusion paragraph:
A solid conclusion shows to the reader that you understand what you are writing.
Despite understanding its definition and purpose, many people may not be conversant on how to write a good conclusion for their essays, which informs our guide.
To effectively begin your conclusion, you need to signal your readers about your intentions to end your essay in this last paragraph. To do so, return to your thesis statement. You will be completing the loop in your essay by making it thoughtful and memorable. However, instead of repeating the thesis as is in the introduction, rephrase the main ideas to allow the readers to see how you have developed it through the body paragraphs.
For example, if you are writing an academic essay on the impacts of social media and your thesis statement reads: social media is the primary avenue for cyberbullies, anxiety, depression, and body shaming among the youths.
Your rephrased thesis could read:
The use of social media has had many impacts among the youths through enabling cyberbullying, body shaming, and increasing anxiety and depression among the youth, which is linked to suicide and low self-esteem.
In most cases, this should be your topic sentence. A reasonable conclusion always starts with a topic sentence. This sentence is always the thesis statement but written using other words. This sentence reminds the reader of the research statement.
After the topic sentence, support your thesis with key points and the end impression. It would be best to use your introduction as a reference when writing your conclusion.
Suppose you ask any professor about what unique aspects all good conclusions have. In that case, they will tell you that a good conclusion consistently redefines the key points in the body of your essay.
Academic and research writing are lengthy; you need not rewrite all the details from your research. After all, you have a paragraph and 10% of the word count to conclude your essay.
You can skillfully pick major points that stood out in their research. You should, however, write within your essay and avoid introducing new words that do not appear in your essay.
Refer to the evidence you provided. You should also use hedging statements to balance your statements and avoid being biased in your presentation. For example, you can use words such as “It is apparent,” “it is plausible to conclude that…,” “the best evidence suggests that…,” “undoubtedly,” “the findings confirm…,” etc.
Present your final evaluation of the arguments in your own words.
Example: The findings from the data presented by other scholars suggest that social media is a tool that requires high intelligence when interacting, sharing, and consuming content lest one becomes an enabler for its negative impacts, as discussed above.
Bring a broader perspective of the topic by examining its implications on your argument. You should clarify how your arguments answer the essay question or address the topic to your intended audience or readers.
Your professor is very specific when marking your essay. Therefore, ensure that your essay directly addresses the question given in the prompt or the topic you selected.
Ask yourself:
Depending on what your essay is about, your conclusion should bring out the significance and relevance of the main arguments you have presented. Consider the broader perspective, which can be within your academic subject or the real-world settings.
Your last sentence should wrap up your entire essay with a collective remark of your work. Therefore, it should be short and precise. Besides, it should state why the topic is important.
There are two ways to go about it: closing with a sense of closure and closing without an intention of closing it off.
To bring a sense of closure, you can follow any of the following:
If you opt to wrap up their writing without closing the discussion, you can follow any of the following:
When your conclusion ends with a decisive and robust sentence, your readers are bound to have vivid memory and interest in your topic.
As you learn how to end an essay, here are some common mistakes you should avoid. Avoiding these simple mistakes is a chance big enough to improve your conclusion and write a conclusion that fits the bill.
Here are some ineffective conclusion strategies that students use and later wonder why they failed to score the top grades or got low marks for an essay they thought was well-written.
This type of conclusion brings forth emotions to make the essay more appealing. While readers may feel the intended emotions, they are usually out of topic with the other parts of your essay. More casual praise would fit your conclusion without drawing unwarranted emotions.
Example: Due to the achievements of Ben Carson, many young people from humble backgrounds can arise and compete with the world without fear. Ben Carson is an inspiration to the young and old alike.
It makes your conclusion short and not appealing. In addition, it makes the reader think that you did not research the subject matter.
An example of this conclusion is: To summarize, Ben Carson was a brilliant student who was discouraged by many factors but did not lose hope. We should all emulate Ben Carson.
This conclusion thrives on adding new evidence to support your essay.
You sometimes find extra information as you are about to finish your writing. You may opt to add it to your conclusion. Unfortunately, this new evidence will confuse your essay, even with an appealing introduction and body.
An example of such conclusion: Ben Carson was a renowned neurosurgeon with over 60 honorary degrees and a politician. He joined in the race for the presidential election in the United States of America. He sadly lost it at the party nomination to the eventual winner Donald Trump.
The writers may avoid writing the thesis statement in the body or introduction. You may think that the reader will be glued to read through your writing to find the purpose of your writing is a good idea.
Some may argue that stating your thesis statement in the introduction gives away your intentions too prematurely.
The reader expects well-detailed research on the thesis statement, not hiding your thesis as a mystery to amaze your readers like Sherlock Holmes.
Famine is a recurring problem that has affected many countries in the world for decades now. There are varied reasons for this problem worldwide, depending on the location. However, overpopulation and poor policies from the government of the day stand out as the common cause in all countries. So perhaps the governments of the day should look into their policies to ensure that their citizens do not die of hunger.
Here is a simple structure for the conclusion paragraph that you can follow to write a good conclusion.
We gathered questions concerning conclusions that most students ask us about. We have offered direct answers if you are looking for a quick answer.
It provides a sense of closure to inform the reader that they are at the tail end of your essay. However, the writer should not include new information in the conclusion.
An ideal essay conclusion paragraph is 10% of the total word count, just as the introduction. Conclusions are allowed to be shorter than the introduction in some cases.
The number of sentences varies depending on your type of essay. Some essays have three or four sentences, while others have two or three paragraphs. The ideal essay should have at least four: a topic sentence, two or three sentences on the key points and significances, and a concluding sentence.
A conclusion has four main parts: a topic sentence, restatement of the thesis statement summary of critical points and their significance, and a concluding sentence linking the introduction to the body.
A good essay should always have a positive final impression on the reader. Break down your conclusion into smaller bits to make it easier. Start from a topic sentence, and then paraphrase the thesis statement before delving into the main points and their significance. You should maintain the tone of the essay and avoid bringing new and unnecessary ideas to it. Writing a conclusion is now easier and simpler.
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