The conclusion is the final paragraph of an essay. It’s important because it’s the last chance you have to make an impression on your reader. A good conclusion should summarize your main points and leave the reader with a clear understanding of your central idea. Concluding an essay effectively requires a strategic synthesis of key ideas, leaving a lasting impact; for students seeking personalized assistance and finesse in wrapping up their essays, engaging with a dedicated student essay writer service ensures a well-written conclusion that resonates with both clarity and academic excellence.
Restate Your Thesis
The first thing you should do in your conclusion is restate your thesis. Your thesis is the main argument or point you are trying to prove in your essay. Don’t just copy and paste your thesis word-for-word though. Try to rephrase it in a fresh, interesting way that ties back to your introduction.
For example, if your thesis is:
“The internet has had a net positive impact on human society.”
You could restate it like:
“Despite concerns about privacy and digital divides, the proliferation of the internet has ultimately been a boon for civilization.”
Restating your thesis reminds the reader what your essay was about and what you sought to prove. It drives home the central argument one last time. Writing a powerful conclusion for an essay involves summarizing key points and leaving a lasting impression; for students seeking guidance and finesse in concluding their essays, considering the support of an essay writing service in Ireland ensures a polished and impactful final paragraph tailored to meet academic standards.
Summarize Key Points
After restating your thesis, briefly summarize the key points you made throughout the essay to support it. You don’t need to go into a lot of detail—just touch on the main pieces of evidence you used to build your case.
If you were writing an essay about the benefits of exercise, you could quickly recap:
- How exercise improves cardiovascular health
- How strength training builds muscle and bone density
- How exercise releases endorphins that boost mood
Aim for around 1-2 sentences on each major supporting point. This hammers home the most compelling evidence and acts as a reminder of how you systematically proved your thesis.
Close with Impact
End your essay with a concluding statement that leaves the reader with something to think about. This could be a call to action, a warning, or food for thought. The goal is to provide lasting impact so your essay sticks with the reader even after they finish reading.
For example, you could end an essay on technology addiction with:
“Unless we become more conscious of how frequently we engage with devices, we risk losing our sense of self in the digital void.”
Or you could conclude an essay on female empowerment with:
“The full economic and social participation of women is not only an ethical imperative – it has the power to transform societies for the betterment of all.”
Aim for a poignant, thought-provoking final sentence that gives the reader something to ponder after putting your essay down. This will make your writing more impactful.
Do’s and Don’ts
Here are some key do’s and don’ts to keep in mind when writing your conclusion:
DO:
- Restate your thesis in a fresh way
- Briefly summarize supporting points
- End with an impactful final sentence
DON’T:
- Simply restate the entire essay word-for-word
- Introduce brand new evidence or points
- End abruptly without finality
The conclusion should feel like the natural completion of your essay, not a disjointed afterthought. Keep it concise yet effective.
Length
There are no hard rules on length, but in general, your conclusion should be:
- 5-10% of the total essay length
- 1 paragraph minimum
- 3 paragraphs maximum
A 1-2 paragraph conclusion is sufficient for most essays under 10 pages. Longer essays may merit a slightly longer conclusion, but be careful not to ramble. It’s better to make your points concisely and eloquently than to rely on length.
Checklist
Here is a checklist you can use to make sure your conclusion hits all the right notes:
- Restates thesis in a fresh way
- Briefly summarizes main points
- Closes with an impactful final sentence
- Is the right length relative to the essay
- Flows naturally from the body of the essay
Following this checklist will ensure your conclusion is robust, compelling, and completes your essay on a high note.
Example Conclusion
Here is an example conclusion based on a fictional essay exploring the benefits of urban gardens:
Urban gardens not only provide sustenance, they foster community. As green spaces where people can grow and gather their own food, urban farms nourish neighborhoods in multiple ways. Through photosynthesis, they create oxygen. Through cultivation, they create connection. Although they require resources to start and maintain, the abundance they provide in health, food access, education, and community makes urban gardens a worthwhile investment. When the members of a community work together to feed themselves from the soil, they reap the additional rewards of cooperation, stewardship and sustainability. The garden becomes not just a plot of land, but a hub of health and humanity. What starts as a seed grows into a system of mutual uplift, with fruits and vegetables as its yields.
This conclusion restates the thesis regarding the benefits of urban gardens in a fresh way. It
summarizes how such gardens provide sustenance, oxygen, connection, cooperation and sustainability. And it closes with an impactful metaphor linking gardens to community. This drives home the multilayered value of urban agriculture in a poignant way that leaves the reader with something memorable.
Conclusion
The conclusion of an essay plays a vital role in delivering a complete, coherent piece of writing. While most of the heavy lifting occurs in the body paragraphs, a strong conclusion brings everything together in a satisfying way. Restating the thesis, summarizing key points, and ending with impact ensures readers walk away with a firm understanding of the essay’s purpose. Like the final brushstroke on a painting, your conclusion puts the finishing touches on your composition. Though brief, it brings closure and elevates the entire essay. So take the time to write it well. Just as no meal is complete without dessert, no essay is complete without a strong conclusion.