- A conclusion is the final idea left with the reader at the end of an essay.
- A conclusion should link back to the essay question and briefly restate your main points.
- It could also include a final thought or reflection to highlight the significance of the topic.
Learn how to reflect on your main points in a conclusion to an essay
PRESENTER 1: This writer thinks he has what it takes to bake a brilliant conclusion. Will he absolutely smash it or crack under the pressure? Welcome to Master Essay. Today it’s all about that sweet finish, the conclusion. Are you ready?
PRESENTER 2: I am.
PRESENTER 1: Your time starts now. Good luck. So, what will you be writing today?
PRESENTER 2: I’m working on a conclusion to the essay question, ‘To what extent do you agree that cooking should be taught in schools?’.
PRESENTER 1: How will you impress our judges?
PRESENTER 2: The conclusion should leave your readers thinking. So, I’ll summarise the main arguments and give them a taste of everything that’s come before.
PRESENTER 1: Sounds good. How will that look?
PRESENTER 2: Teaching cooking in schools will prepare young people to eat healthily, save money and provide them with a skill for life.
PRESENTER 1: Some people might disagree. Will you use your conclusion to try and persuade them?
PRESENTER 2: I should have done that by now, but I can give them a final reflection to consider and if they have already found the body of the essay persuasive, this helps drive home the importance of the issue.
PRESENTER 1: What kind of parting thought are you going to include?
PRESENTER 2: Maths and science are certainly important subjects, but we eat three times a day, so cooking is a subject we will use every day.
PRESENTER 1: That’s a compelling point. I haven’t done any maths today, but I did prepare a tasty and nutritious breakfast.
PRESENTER 2: Exactly.
PRESENTER 1: How are you going to end yours?
PRESENTER 2: I hope that gives you some food for thought.
PRESENTER 1: A direct address to the reader.
PRESENTER 2: Yes, true, but it’s also an example of ending with a relevant, well-known phrase.
PRESENTER 1: Okay, time is up, let’s see how you’ve done. It’s lovely. All the main points and key ideas are wrapped up nicely. And the final phrase did make me smile. Congratulations! You’re on to the next round.
PRESENTER 2: Thank you. It’s been an absolute pleasure.
PRESENTER 1: Well, that concludes our conclusions episode and remember, the approach used here can be applied to writing a conclusion to an essay on any topic. We’ll see you next time on Master Essay.
If you think of your essay as a type of argument, persuading the reader to a particular point of view, then the conclusion can be a powerful way of bringing together the most important aspects of your argument.
Link back to the question
Keep your conclusion focused by linking back to the question, title, statement or topic of the essay. This can be achieved by using key words from the essay question.
Summarise the main points
In the conclusion, you should not simply repeat what you have said in the rest of the essay, but aim to reinforce these key ideas by briefly summarising your main points. One way to do this is to look back at all the topic sentences from the paragraphs in your essay and bring them together.
Reflection
Your conclusion should leave the reader thinking about the significance of the whole topic. It is a good idea to include a final thought or reflection.
Sentence starters
You could use one of the following sentence starters to signal to the reader that you are concluding the essay:
- In conclusion …
- Finally …
- Overall …
- In summary …
What to avoid
- Avoid including any new points or ideas
- Avoid making your conclusion too long
- Avoid lots of repetition
Remember
The conclusion is an important way to wrap up your ideas. Without a conclusion, your writing may seem unfinished or your overall aim may not be clear. The conclusion is your final chance to leave an impression on the reader.
Quiz
Find out how much you know about writing an essay conclusion in this short quiz!
More on Discursive, persuasive and informative writing
Find out more by working through a topic
- count1 of 13
- count2 of 13
- count3 of 13
- count4 of 13
