Simplified guidelines on how to write a good conclusion for your essay
Do you remember the final pieces of wisdom your dad gave you before joining college, or the remarks of the dean of faculty last semester? The common denominator is that all these words ended a passage in your life. They still resonate and make sense long after you heard them. This is exactly how an essay conclusion works, rubberstamping the readers’ mind. Therefore, having the knowledge of how to write a good conclusion will do you justice in your studies.
What this handout is all about
- Conclusion writing strategies
- Selected examples of essay conclusions
- Mistakes to avoid in conclusion
- Effective essay ending techniques
Take your time and examine every section keenly. Ok? Let us get started…
Proven strategies of how to write a good conclusion for your paper
The meaning of essay conclusion
It is always the last paragraph of an essay or any written material. Many writers find it challenging to write appealing conclusions because they feel empty after pumping all the ideas into the body of the essay.
Even with this feeling of emptiness, it is important to note that a reader remembers the conclusion more than the introduction or the body of the paper. Thus, you must strive to knit a good paragraph to leave a lasting impression.
A good conclusion should:
- Assert the purpose of your thesis statement
- Give your paper a tone of closure
- Leave a final mark in the reader’s mind
- Make the reader appreciate reading your work
Suggestions on how to come up with an appealing essay conclusion
So much is at stake when putting together your last paragraph that you cannot take risks. The following guidelines on how to write a good conclusion should help you close your discussion without closing it off.
Give a clear answer to ‘so what’ question. Why was your paper important? Remind the reader that they did not waste their time going through your work by restating the significance of your work. Show them that you did your work to make the essay meaningful and worth their time.
Do a thorough synthesis. A conclusion is far from merely a summary of your paper. Do not just repeat your ideas thinking that you are doing an effective conclusion. In any case, the audience has already read the paper; they want you to crown it.
Call for action. This is the time to redirect your readers. Challenge their mind and ask them say to apply the arguments in the paper in their real lives. In case you had a general-specific intro, your conclusion should take specific-general approach. Think big as you close your discussion.
Come up with new meaning. Use your ideas to create a new picture for your readers. Do not introduce new ideas. When you give your best shot, a wrap up of your paper should be better than the rest of the essay.
With the above tips on how to write a good conclusion, let us look at practical example to help you gain a better understanding of this guide:
Example #1 Good Essay Conclusion
The writer of this essay, Cigarette Smoking makes the following remarks in the intro:
Introduction:
Cigarette smoking and branding remain a debatable issue in the world. Many people question the government’s moral and legal ground that allows puffing when cigar packets have antismoking warnings. The packets bear the message: ‘Smoking is Injurious to health.’ [Thesis]: The government is unable to ban smoking even with a range of negative effects because of equally undisputable economic benefits of the tobacco industry.
From the intro, the writer is clear with the argument. The body of such an intro would focus on negative effects of smoking. However, from the thesis, it would also address the benefits of the tobacco industry, which hinder the government from banning puffing. Click here to get the details of the essay.
Let us see how the conclusion goes…
Conclusion
A cigar-smoking debate is two-sided. Besides the widely known health effects of smoking, the tobacco industry is literally a pillar of the economy. The government earns revenue, which it uses to promote development. Millions of people also depend on the industry for employment and livelihood. This makes a ban on smoking almost impossible.
From this example, notice how the intro, body and conclusion harmonize. The writer closes the argument by saying that banning smoking is almost impossible. While there are numerous examples to consider, this should help you work out how to write a good conclusion for your essays.
With the above discussion of tips to help you do great essay conclusions, let us look at the different types of effective conclusions. This section is equally important because you will understand a range of approaches to take to conclude your paper.
Memorable conclusions to apply as you crown your essay
Here is a list of effective conclusions:
The simple summary conclusion – It is a common conclusion. Conduct a thorough synthesis of your main points. Avoid boring restatement of your ideas. Tell the reader how the ideas fit together and why they matter. Do not insult the reader’s intelligence by using ‘in conclusion’ phrase. From the structure of your essay, even an amateur reader should tell that you are making your conclusion.
The frame conclusion – Also called the circle technique. In this, you go back to you intro, revisit the metaphors, anecdotes, quotes, examples and the image in your essay. By echoing your intro, you enhance a sense of unity and completion.
Panning to the horizon conclusion – Take your readers from a specific point of the essay to worldview. This redirection of the mind allows the reader to find something solid to chew. Bring out the significance of your topic using an analogy, linking your issue to a global issue, challenging the reader with a critical question or encouraging them to look ahead.
The proposal conclusion – Another technique to help you master the art of how to write a good conclusion is calling for an action. It is common in persuasive writing. Here, you make a proposal or ask the readers to do something. Many religious leaders and politicians employ this technique.
The concluding story method – Here, conclude your essay with a brief anecdote or a sketch of a scene that captures the significance of your topic. This is an emotional approach of connecting with your audience.
Delayed thesis approach – Allows you to take an explanatory approach, especially when handling several proposals and conclusions. State your thesis in a discovery way so that the reader discovers it with you.
Example #2: Good Essay Conclusion
The writer of the essay, should Handguns be banned? focuses on a raging debate about gun control. The argumentative essay captures the views of the two sides. This is what the writer puts down as the conclusion to whole discussion:
“Many American civilians who own guns insist that the firearms offer self-defense and protection of property against criminals. While this is the case, the government spends billions of dollars on hiring and equipping the police to protect every citizen. Civilians should therefore depend on security personnel for their daily safety. A ban on handguns would be a logical move in order to enhance equality, take crime and promote balanced criminal investigations.”
This is a proposal conclusion. The writer offers the way forward on the issue of handguns by suggesting a ban on civilian ownership of firearms. To link the intro and the rest of the paper, why not click here to read the entire essay!
With the examples, tips, methods of how to write a good conclusion, you also need to master a few things to keep off from your conclusion. Here we go…
Final tips on how to write a good conclusion for all your essays
As you write your conclusions, avoid the following:
- Do not start with hackneyed phrases
- Unless you are doing a speech, avoid
- “in conclusion”
- “in summary”
- “in closing”
- “as shown in the essay”
- Do not state your thesis for the first time in the conclusion
- Avoid emotional appeals
- Avoid introducing new ideas
- Leave out statistics and evidence, they belong to the body
Example #3 More examples of Great Conclusions
The following essays have great conclusions to help you apply what we have studied in this manual:
With this handout on how to write a good conclusion, you are fit to take your writing to a completely new level… Do it…just now.
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ONLINE REFERENCES:
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/conclusions/
http://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/ending-essay-conclusions
http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/acadwrite/conclude.html
http://www.webster.edu/academic-resource-center/writingcenter/writing-tips/conclusions.html
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/al/learning_english/leap/writing/conclusions/