How to Write a Conclusion for an Essay and Make a Final Impression

Usually, students start wondering how to write a conclusion for an essay only at the last moment. Many dismiss it completely because they simply don’t understand what makes it important. In a way, that seems true: introduction is the section that people see first, so it’s clear why it should look great. Relevance of essay body is also undeniable since it helps you present your research and defend your point of view. But what makes conclusion special? You’ll be surprised to find out how much conclusion affects readers’ perception and what kind of power it wields.

Why Essay Conclusion Paragraph Is Important

If you ever needed help with your academic assignments, you might have checked the best writing services reviews out. Some could have been good, others bad, but it’s the last ones you read that probably helped you make your final decision and think, “That’s enough”. The same principle works with conclusion. While reading an essay, people could feel a variety of emotions. They lose interest, gain it again, find some aspects impressive or dull, and it is the last section that helps them make up their minds. If it sounds powerful and restates your major findings in a memorable way, readers’ final impression will likely be positive. It won’t matter that some parts of paper were weak because conclusion gives you a chance to win the attention and positivity back. End your paper on a high note — this will compensate for any flaws in a body or introduction.

Length of Academic Essay Conclusion

Before we start discussing how to write a conclusion paragraph, we need to address the length of your concluding statement. Some students make it too short or, on the contrary, include way too many details in it. Fortunately, no matter what college or university you study at, there is one universal rule: conclusion should vary between 6% and 10% from the word count. Since this is the last paragraph, you can count how many words your essay already has and calculate how much more you should write. For example, if a paper has 1500 words, then maximum length of conclusion would be 150 words. It definitely shouldn’t be shorter than 100 words because you need to restate content in a proper way, without making it rushed.

Structure of Your Closing Paragraph

How to end an essay? Conclusion has specific elements that every student should include. Let’s make their overview in logical sequence:

  1. Restating thesis. Thesis is placed at the end of introduction. It’s a claim that reveals your position on a topic you’re about to explore and presents your writing goals. Body and conclusion both depend on it. In a body, writers link every paragraph to this thesis; when writing a conclusion paragraph, they restate it in the first or second sentence. Don’t copy it word by word, just express its main idea again by using other phrases. It’s important because you have to remind your readers what your main aims were, indicating that you succeeded in achieving them.

  2. Summarizing major findings. Conclusions for essay should present a summary of major points you discussed in the body. Again, avoid copying your own text because it’ll count as plagiarism. Just analyze the main finding of each body paragraph and briefly describe them. Try not to be overly verbose: you already discussed their implications, now restate them in a sentence or two.

  3. Underlining relevance. Add several sentences detailing why your research was meaningful and why you were justified in choosing your topic. Mention what benefits your work brought and whether you managed to realize its full potential. This is another chance to impress your readers, so make the most of it.

  4. Providing recommendations. How to end a conclusion? By giving some suggestions for people who might be interested in doing similar research. There are several possible scenarios here. Say what limitations you faced as a researcher and what lessons you learned so that other scholars wouldn’t repeat your mistakes. Give a couple of ideas for them to succeed even more.

  5. Closing sentence. Endings are hard, but general essay format requires you to come up with one or two final sentences after you share recommendations.

How to Write a Concluding Sentence and Paragraph

Now we’ve finally approached a crucial part: how exactly to conclude an essay and give an ending that people would love? Knowing what to include into it is one thing, but seeing how to do it is just as important. Look at these tips and keep them in mind.

  • Don’t introduce new info. Conclusion is something that deals with information people have already read about. If there is some new information you want to discuss, add them to a body. Conclusion is known as recycling section, so avoid talking about anything you haven’t explored before.

  • Don’t reuse parts from an essay directly. How to start a conclusion paragraph? By restating your thesis. The keyword is “restating”, not inserting it in its original form. The same goes for other topics.

  • Watch out for structure of an essay. Five elements should be included in conclusion of every essay. Restated thesis, summary of main points, importance of topic, sharing recommendations, as well as adding a final closing sentence are all essential aspects. We explored them before in detail, so you can re-read that section again if you want.

  • Check conclusion examples. Seeing something with your own eyes always has a bigger effect than just studying theory. There are many professional essays online — find them and look at what their writers did. Try following their example. It might be difficult at first, but with time, this process could become second nature for you.

  • Avoid citations. This part is related to the first point: do not introduce new facts in conclusion. Citations shouldn’t be there as well — all quotes and paraphrases belong in the body.

  • Proofread everything. After you complete your essay, read it several times. Catch mistakes and correct them: some might be in the content or flow, but many are simple typos or grammar issues. Clean them all up or try proofreading services online if grammar isn’t your strongest side.

Essay Conclusion Example

We believe that seeing conclusion paragraph example is better than reading about how to build it. Our experts wrote it on the topic “Cats are the best friends for introverts.” See what different sentences mean below the text.

It is easier for introverts to build mutually happy relationships with cats because they fit each other’s temperament. As it became obvious, many scholars explored psychological effects cats have on their owners and compared groups of introverts and extroverts. The results were specific and re-tested for confirming hypotheses. People with quiet nature and preference for staying at home succeed in developing deeper bonds with their cats. They spend more time together and enjoy each other’s company as they are simply lying in bed or sitting in front of computer together. These findings are essential because they can help people find pets that fit their psychological buildup better. More research is needed in other countries, not simply the US, for heightening accuracy of these results. The more individuals understand what they want, the happier they and their pets will feel.

It is easier for introverts to build mutually happy relationships with cats because they fit each other’s temperament.” — restated thesis

As it became obvious, many scholars explored psychological effects cats have on their owners and compared groups of introverts and extroverts. The results were specific and re-tested for confirming hypotheses. People with quiet nature and preference for staying at home succeed in developing deeper bonds with their cats. They spend more time together and enjoy each other’s company as they are simply lying in bed or sitting in front of computer together.” — summary of findings

These findings are essential because they can help people find pets that fit their psychological buildup better.” — topic relevance

More research is needed in other countries, not simply the US, for heightening accuracy of these results.” — recommendations

The more individuals understand what they want, the happier they and their pets will feel.” — closing sentence

Make an Effort and Write Brilliant Conclusion

You know what writing conclusion involves now, so now is time to put this knowledge to use. Remember that this section is important, that's why you shouldn’t dismiss it. Spend some time on it, try making your conclusion strong, and we guarantee that your audience will love it. If something isn’t right, and you are still unsure, hire the best college application essay writing service or experts specializing in other types of papers. Asking for help is wise if it ends up letting you learn and grow to enjoy the essay writing process.

Posted by Chris M., September 09, 2021