How To Write A Conclusion To An Essay

How to Write a Conclusion to a Great Essay

Many students can write great essay introductions, thesis statements, and body paragraphs. Unfortunately, when it comes to ending their essays with a great concluding paragraph, these same students frequently have a hard time. In most instances, it is as if their essay starts off strong, builds up steam, but then fizzles out at the end. This may be due to the fact that writing instructors do not spend enough time teaching students how to write a conclusion. If the concluding paragraph is an afterthought for teachers, it is going to be an afterthought for students. This is too bad, because the concluding paragraph is a great opportunity to strengthen and emphasize the points made in rest of the essay. With this in mind, let’s go over how to write a conclusion paragraph.

What is a Conclusion Paragraph?

This is the final paragraph or paragraphs in your essay. The purpose of this paragraph is for the writer to summarize and clarify their points. It should be used to get the reader to see all of the points made in the body of the essay synthesized into an all-encompassing block of supporting evidence, rather than separate, stand-alone pieces of evidence.

How to Write a Good Conclusion

As you finish writing the body of your essay, keep a list of your main points nearby. Then, think of ways that these points relate to each other. For example, if you write an essay on spending a fun day at Disney, your points might include ways to save money, stay cool, and avoid long lines. In your conclusion paragraph, you could point out that by following your tips, the reader will have a stress free and enjoyable day in the park.

How to Start a Conclusion

First, always avoid announcing to the reader that they are reading the concluding paragraph. This means eliminating the use of the following words and phrases:

• Finally
• In conclusion
• To sum things up
• In summary
• At the end of the day
• In closing

Your readers will know that they are reading the concluding paragraph simply by the fact that it is the last paragraph in your essay. You are better off beginning with a simple introductory phrase such as:

• We have covered a lot of good information on…
• There is a lot of evidence to demonstrate that…
• If one takes into consideration…
• Please take a moment to consider…
• The evidence largely supports…

This will give you a great lead in to synthesize your main points into one overall point for your reader to consider.

Ending the Concluding Paragraph

One of the best ways to end your conclusion is with a call to action. You can request that readers attempt your ideas, try your solutions, or do further research on their own. You can also emphasize the credibility of your evidence, or even share an anecdote that further proves your overall point. If the point of your essay is dark or discouraging, it is a good idea to close with encouragement that improvements can be made or that the situation has potential solutions.

Concluding Paragraph Assistance

One important thing to keep in mind is that your conclusion is the last thing your instructor is going to read before they begin considering your grade. If you are not fully confident in your final paragraph, there are writing services like essaypenguins.com who can help. They offer writing, editing, proofreading, and rewriting of essay conclusions. Another option is to use a writing service to help you with your entire essay. The important thing to remember is that seeking outside help is common, and not something that makes one a lesser student.