How to Conclude an Essay– The Ultimate Guide to Wrap Up Your Essay

When it comes to writing my essay, leaving your readers with a feeling of satisfaction is the key. A conclusion that starts off strong and leaves a positive impression on the reader is highly desirable. Unfortunately, many students overlook the importance of writing an effective conclusion and end up concluding their essays abruptly, failing to leave a lasting impact on their readers. However, if you have a good understanding of essay writing, you’ll be better equipped to achieve your goal of providing the audience with a sense of contentment. For those who are looking to learn how to conclude an essay that will have a strong impact, keep reading. We will cover every aspect of writing an effective conclusion in this extensive guide. Our write paper service is always available to give you a hand in case you ever get stuck with your assignments.

How to Conclude an Essay – An Overview

The conclusion is the final paragraph of an essay that ties all the elements together to form a coherent whole. It’s not about trying to save a poorly written essay, but rather leaving audience with a certain feeling or emotion. The conclusion should end on a meaningful note that engages the reader’s emotions, providing them with a sense of closure and something to ponder. Writing an impactful and insightful essay conclusion can be a bit tricky, but knowing what to include and exclude will help you create a stellar conclusion that’s worthy of a top score.

One useful tip is to refer back to your essay introduction and revise the thesis statement you’ve written, rephrasing it instead of using the same words. For example, if your thesis statement reads, “This paper argues that all college students should be exempt from paying tuition fees, as it will increase literacy rates, reduce student loans, and provide equal opportunities for low-income students to pursue education,” your conclusion can reiterate it in a different way, such as “Making college tuition free for all would promote literacy, reduce student debt, and provide equal educational opportunities for all.”

Let us delve deeper into how to conclude an essay but before that, take a glance at the purpose of writing a conclusion below.

Purpose of a Conclusion

Sometimes, the conclusion is treated as a summary of all the bits and pieces that did not fit into the writing earlier, but that’s not the fact. The conclusion is as important as every other part of your essay and maybe a bit more significant as it is the last thing the readers will see. Hence, it must leave them with something to contemplate, giving them a sense of satisfaction. As the introduction arouses interest, the conclusion must satisfy it.

The conclusion is where you remind why your topic is significant. It’s the place to urge the readers to think about the significance of your theme from a wider perspective.

A strong conclusion serves the following:

• Restates the thesis by showing the significance of your argument.
• Highlights the main points of the essay.
• Provides context for your argument.
• Presents the final idea drawn from the topic.
• Sheds some new insights on the theme.
• Relays a message and gives closure.

Conclusion Template

Here is an outline that you can use when structuring your conclusion paragraph.

1. Topic sentence
2. Reiteration of the thesis statement (write the thesis differently, don’t repeat it)
3. Supporting sentences
4. Sum up the central points of the essay.
5. Highlight the significance of the topic by correlating the points.
6. Closing sentence (Clincher)
7. Present the final thoughts.
8. Connect back to the theme.
9. Provide a sense of closure.

Need an outline for compare and contrast essay? Well, you are just a click away.

How to Conclude an Essay – The Steps

The following steps will help you develop your conclusion paragraph effectually:

1. Review the introduction and body paragraphs

To begin writing the last paragraph, it’s important to go back and re-read the essay introduction and body paragraphs to gain a complete understanding of the entire paper. This will help you to summarize the main ideas and arguments in the conclusion. Revisit your thesis statement and restate it in a different way that delivers a more profound understanding.

2. Summarize the main points

The conclusion should not introduce any new information. Instead, it should briefly review the key points that you have used to support your argument. Avoid summarizing each paragraph and instead, try to connect the main points to the central theme of your paper. A well-crafted conclusion will bring together your entire essay and create a cohesive whole.

3. Discuss Broader Implications

To provide a comprehensive conclusion, briefly discuss the broader implications of your arguments. This could include adding to the knowledge or contributing to a new understanding of the topic, raising new questions for future study, leading to practical suggestions, or connecting to a broader debate. The conclusion should highlight the importance of your argument, whether in your academic subject or a broader context.

4. Write the Conclusion

Finally, by following the structure above, write a concise conclusion. Do not ramble; keep the conclusion paragraph brief and to the point. Emphasize your essay’s argument by recounting what you were discussing and restating the thesis statement. Extract all of the central points from individual arguments or supporting paragraphs in the essay. Wrap up these points in a way that highlights the significance of the ideas. Lastly, end with a compelling, clincher sentence that leaves the readers with a strong impression of your essay. Make sure to use transition words for essays to help guide the readers smoothly from the main points to the final thoughts.

By following this step-by-step guide, you can create an impactful and effective conclusion that will leave a lasting impression on your readers

How to Conclude an Essay – Types of Endings

Before discussing how to conclude an essay, it is essential to understand the different types of endings that can be used. The type of ending you choose will depend on the purpose of your essay and the tone you want to convey. Here are some common types of essay endings:

• Summarizing Ending: This type of ending is effective in reminding readers of the main ideas you presented throughout the essay. It can be useful in academic essays, where you want to reinforce the key points you made in the body paragraphs. To create a summarizing ending, you can restate your thesis statement and then summarize your main points. Make sure to avoid introducing new information in the conclusion.

• Call-to-Action Ending: If your essay aims to persuade your readers to take a specific action, a call-to-action ending is an effective way to do so. You can inspire your readers to act by offering them a solution to the problem you presented in the essay or by encouraging them to participate in a cause. It’s important to be clear and specific about the action you want your readers to take and to make it easy for them to follow through.

• Anecdotal Ending: An anecdotal ending is effective in personal essays or narrative essays, where you want to connect emotionally with your readers. You can use a personal story or an anecdote that illustrates the main point you made in the essay. This type of ending can help you leave a lasting impression on your readers and make your essay more memorable.

• Quotation Ending: Using a relevant quote from a famous person or a reputable source can lend credibility to your argument and make your essay more persuasive. When using a quotation ending, make sure the quote is relevant to your essay topic and supports your thesis statement. Also, be sure to cite your sources correctly.

• Speculative Ending: This type of ending is used to pose a question or offer a potential solution to a problem. It is often used in exploratory essays or essays that speculate about the future. You can encourage readers to think about the implications of your topic and how it might evolve in the future.

• Open-Ended Ending: An open-ended ending leaves the reader with a sense of ambiguity or unresolved questions. This type of ending can be useful in creative writing or essays that explore complex or controversial topics. You can encourage readers to think critically about your topic and draw their conclusions.

• Humorous Ending: A humorous ending can be effective in lightening the tone of your essay and leaving readers with a positive impression. This type of ending can work well in personal essays or essays that explore a humorous topic. You can use a witty punchline or a funny anecdote to wrap up your essay in a memorable way.

Approaches to Concluding Different Types of Essays

Regardless of the type of essay you’re writing, the conclusion should always leave an impact on the reader. However, the approach and style for writing a conclusion may vary depending on the type of essay.

• Narrative Essay: For a narrative essay, summarize the main points of your story, share your realizations, and create an impactful ending that leaves a lasting impression. You can summarize the key events and reflect on the lessons learned. Adding an epilogue or a takeaway is a good idea.

• Expository Essay: In an expository essay, the conclusion should summarize the key points of the essay and restate the thesis statement. You can include a final thought or call to action that encourages the reader to think more about the topic.

• Argumentative Essay: In this essay, the conclusion should restate the thesis statement and summarize the main arguments presented in the essay. Focus on logical sentences to provide stronger arguments and include a call to action that encourages the reader to take action or change their perspective on the topic. Address any counterarguments or opposing views in the conclusion.

• Compare and Contrast Essay: In a compare and contrast essay, the conclusion should reiterate the thesis statement and provide analytical comparisons between the two subjects. End with a final thought that could be a quote or rhetorical question. Express your opinions on the matter discussed.

• Descriptive Essay: For a descriptive essay, restate the main theme and highlight its importance. Use descriptive language to help the reader visualize the topic. End with a clincher statement that leaves the reader with an intriguing question or quote.

• Cause and Effect Essay: In a cause and effect essay, the conclusion should summarize the main causes and effects that were discussed in the essay. You can also include a final thought that offers a solution to the problem or encourages readers to take action to address the issue.

• Problem-Solution Essay: Conclude a problem-solution essay by summarizing the problem and solution you have presented in the essay. Be sure to emphasize the importance of the solution and its potential impact. Avoid adding any new information.

Remember, that different types of essays have different kinds of endings, so if you want to learn more about how to conclude an essay, consider checking out some college essay examples.

Points to Remember

• The conclusion of your essay should provide a coherent and meaningful ending, allowing readers to grasp the significance and main idea of your paper.
• In the conclusion, it is important to reiterate the thesis statement to demonstrate that you have fulfilled the objective of your essay.
• Rather than simply repeating the thesis, restate it in a new and insightful manner.
• Use supporting statements to summarize the key points covered in the body paragraphs.
• Summarize the main points from each body paragraph in the conclusion to tie everything together and emphasize their significance.
• The concluding sentence, or “clincher,” is critical and should express your final thoughts on the issue, explain why your ideas matter, and encourage readers to consider the topic from a new perspective.
• The last sentence of your essay should leave readers feeling satisfied with what they’ve read. It should offer a sense of closure for readers.

Mistakes to Avoid

Following are some mistakes that you must avoid when writing the conclusion:

• Introducing new evidence or arguments not previously discussed in the essay.
• Being too repetitive by simply summarizing the main points of the essay without offering any new insight or perspective.
• Using overly emotional or subjective language that undermines the credibility of the essay.
• Being too general or vague, lacking a clear focus on the central argument or thesis statement.
• Ending abruptly or without a clear conclusion, leaving readers with a sense of incompleteness.
• Overusing quotations or relying too heavily on external sources rather than presenting original ideas.
• Underestimating the importance of the conclusion and treating it as an afterthought rather than a crucial part of the essay.
• Overcomplicating the conclusion with complex language or excessive detail that obscures the main point of the essay.
• Failing to leave a lasting impression or offer a final thought or takeaway that resonates with readers.

This was everything you need to know about how to conclude an essay efficaciously. We hope this article would be helpful for you in crafting an impactful conclusion. In case you need further assistance with writing an essay, for instance, you need help with composing an apa format paper or a personal statement, feel free to get in touch with our professionals. With us, you no longer have to worry about your critical or complex assignments.