What is a Conclusion?
The conclusion is the last part of a research paper, an essay, or an article that sums up the whole discussion and presents it precisely.
The concluding paragraph of an essay or a research paper restates the thesis statement, sums up all the key points of the discussion, and states your final stance on the subject.
The conclusion of your writing should also present your findings and discoveries. It should also convince the reader why your stance on the subject is true and what other perspectives related to the topic exist. A conclusion should demonstrate the importance of your ideas.
Depending on the nature of your writing, you can conclude them in three different ways:
Summarization
This way of concluding information is majorly used in long, technical writings where a reader needs a reminder about the central theme of the writing.
Editorialization
The technique of editorialization is majorly used in writings that involve debate, a personal connection, or a persuasive appeal. These conclusions usually summarize the discussion of the writer on the subject.
These conclusions also discuss the writer’s personal research and discoveries on the subject.
Externalization
This way of concluding the information is mostly used in the writings where the topic of the discussion is a part of a complex subject.
These conclusions usually open the doors to the different but relevant perspectives of the subject. Such conclusions are considered a doorway to new thesis and discussions.
Purpose of Writing a Conclusion
A conclusion is an integral part of every writing whether it’s essay writing or research paper writing. The conclusion paragraph wraps up all the ideas you have discussed in your writing and reinforces the main idea that you want to convey.
The conclusion binds the thesis statement with your supporting points and a final appeal that will give a sense of closure to the reader.
The closing sentence of your thesis can be an emotional appeal, a call to action, or a positive note that will help the person reading your paper understand the essence of your writing.
Outline of a Conclusion
The conclusion outline is just a part of the whole essay outline. Following is a conclusion outline that you can follow to conclude every type of writing:
- Topic sentence - The topic sentence of the conclusion paragraph of your writing should be the insightful rephrase of your thesis statement.
- Supporting sentences - Supporting sentences in the conclusion paragraph summarizes the key points of writing. They also explain how your ideas and evidence fit together.
- Closing sentence - The closing sentence of the conclusion contains the final words. It connects the reader back to the introduction. This gives a sense of closure to the reader.
Hope the above outline will help you draft an effective conclusion and bring your reader to a great conclusion.
How to Write a Conclusion?
Following are steps to write a convincing conclusion of your essay, paper or article.
Start with a Topic Sentence
Always start your conclusion with a topic sentence. Follow the topic sentence by restating your thesis statement to remind your reader of the central idea of the whole discussion.
The introduction paragraph of your paper will provide hints to maintain the sequence of ideas.
Take Hints from Introductory Paragraph
The introductory paragraph of your paper will provide hints to maintain the sequence of ideas. The conclusion of your writing should reinforce the sequence of ideas presented in the introductory paragraph.
Summarize the Main Ideas
Along with the thesis statement, the conclusion should also summarize the key points of your writing. But this summary should not be simply repeating the ideas but a convincing paraphrasing of what you have discussed above.
The summary should be followed by your final appeal to the readers in the closing sentence of your conclusion.
The conclusion should also briefly discuss the broader implications of your arguments. But never ever introduce the ideas in your conclusion that you have not discussed in the body of your paper.
Close with an Emotional Appeal
A good conclusion will always contain an emotional appeal to leave a lasting impact on your stance.
An emotional appeal is a good way to reinforce your stance and central arguments in your reader’s mind.
Do’s and Don’ts of Writing a Conclusion
Following are some do’s and don’ts of writing a conclusion that you should keep in mind while concluding your writing:
Do’s of Writing a Conclusion
Following are some do’s of writing an effective conclusion:
Always end your conclusion on a positive note. This will leave the reader with hopes and he/she will feel good and convinced.
You can use the technique of “So what” to answer all the possible questions of your reader in your conclusion.
While concluding your writing, revisit the themes you have stated in the introduction. For example, if you have started your essay by describing a scenario, end it up with wrapping up the scenario. It brings a sense of closure.
Refer to your introduction in the conclusion by mentioning the keywords you have used in the introduction of your writing.
Summarize the ideas of your writing in a reinforcing way and avoid the mere repetition of your arguments.
Sum all the key points and supporting evidence together and make your reader understand that your arguments are valid and backed by substantial evidence.
A provocative insight will be a good idea to connect with the reader and make him/her think about the arguments you have presented.
A call to action, a solution for the problem, or a question can also prove good ways to close your conclusion.
The conclusion of your writing can also point to the broader implications of the subject under discussion.
Dont’s of Writing a Conclusion
To save your conclusion from being one of the ineffective conclusions try to avoid the following things:
Don’t start your conclusion with overused phrases like :
- “in conclusion”
- “in summary”
- “in closing”
- “as shown in the essay
Never ever introduce a new topic or idea in conclusion.
Don’t make irrelevant emotional and sentimental appeals.
Avoid mentioning the pieces of evidence in the conclusion that are supposed to be in the introduction or body paragraphs of your writing.
Always mention the thesis in the introduction and then restate or refer to it in the conclusion.
Examples of Conclusion
Following are the examples of good and poor conclusions. The examples will help you evaluate your conclusion and identify and eliminate the possible loopholes.
An effective conclusion can provide a great closure to your essay. An effective and well-structured conclusion can play a vital role in convincing your readers of your stance. It will help you convey your message in a brief and convincing way.
Hope the above blog has helped you understand how to write an effective conclusion, the necessary elements of the conclusion, and how to structure it to convey your message well.
But if some questions are still buzzing in your head, don’t hesitate to reach our essay writing service to get your queries resolved.
