How to Write an Essay Conclusion: Proven Strategies and Common Mistakes to Avoid

If you want your essay to leave a lasting impression on your readers, you need to make your conclusion stand out.

A solid essay conclusion reinforces your essay’s main points and ensures your readers leave with a clear understanding of the argument. It will help you shine in essay competitions like the Immerse Essay Competition, where you can win a full scholarship to university and career preparation programmes.

However, a solid conclusion should not only round off your essay but also engage the reader’s emotions. This is why a conclusion paragraph is one of the hardest parts of essay writing. You need to recap your central points without repeating yourself while making it thought-provoking.

This post is for you if you’re wondering how to write a conclusion for an essay. It will discuss the elements of a great conclusion as well as what to avoid in your conclusion.

Key Elements of a Great Conclusion

Understanding the elements of a great essay conclusion helps you create one that leaves a lasting impression.

The key elements of a great essay conclusion are:

Restatement of Your Thesis

When concluding your essay, it is wise to remind the reader of its purpose. This is why an essay conclusion should begin by revisiting your thesis statement.

However, do not just copy and paste it from the introduction. Instead, rephrase it to reflect how you developed your argument throughout the essay.

For example, consider the thesis statement, “Social media has a negative impact on teenager’s mental health.” Revisit the thesis with a statement like “It is clear that the excessive use of social media contributes to mental health issues among teenagers.”

Review of Your Main Points

An effective conclusion paragraph should reinforce your arguments. A summary of your essay’s main points reminds the reader of the evidence you used to support your argument.

However, do not simply repeat what you already wrote. Instead, go through your body paragraphs, extract the main points, and piece them together. Remember that the best conclusions do not just summarise the main points but synthesise them.

This means connecting the points in a way that clearly shows their connections, especially how they add up to form a coherent whole.

Reflection of the Significance

A strong conclusion should convey why your argument matters. For this reason, after summarising your main points, reflect on the significance of your thesis by answering the “so what?” question.

After a reader sees all your supporting evidence and arguments, they may still wonder, “Why should I care about this?” or “What’s the bigger picture here?” Address this in your essay conclusion.

Does it provide a new understanding of the topic or raise new questions for future study? Whatever your essay is about, after reiterating your main points, make sure you provide the broader implications of your argument. Help the reader see how the essay relates to their lives or the wider world. This will elevate your essay from just a simple presentation of facts to a meaningful discussion.

Final Thought or Call-To-Action

You should always end your essay conclusion with a thought-provoking statement to encourage the reader to think critically about the topic.

Remember that a solid essay conclusion should engage the reader’s emotions. This is the part that does that. A thought-provoking statement or a prediction about the future as the final sentence of your essay conclusion leaves the reader with something to reflect on long after they have finished reading your essay.

For example, if your essay explores the dangers of AI, you may end the conclusion paragraph with something like, “As we move forward with AI, we must ask ourselves—are we creating tools that serve humanity or that will ultimately control us?” This invites your readers to consider the ethical implications of AI long after reading your essay.For more detailed writing guides, check out Immerse’s social channels. You can also explore our Succeed platform for writing workshops and expert practical tips.

What to Avoid in an Essay Conclusion

Certain elements shouldn’t be in your essay paragraph because their presence will weaken your overall argument. The elements that you should avoid in an essay conclusion include:

Introducing New Information

The conclusion of your essay is not the place to introduce new arguments or evidence. Doing this will likely confuse your reader and disrupt the flow of your essay. Instead, stick to reiterating and synthesising the main points you already made in the essay’s main body.

The conclusion may include minor information, like a quotation that nicely summarises your main argument or a sentence or two that provides broader implications. However, new ideas or analyses essential to supporting your thesis statement should not come to the conclusion paragraph. Instead, move these to one of the supporting paragraphs.

Repeating the Introduction

Your conclusion should feel like a purposefully considered closing statement, not a repeat of earlier points. Therefore, while restating your thesis in your conclusion paragraph, it is important to avoid repeating your introduction word for word.

Remember that the introduction presents your thesis, and the main body provides evidence and argumentation to support it. Thus, the conclusion should reflect how the argument developed and provide a final perspective based on the evidence and analysis.

Repeating your introduction verbatim prevents your conclusion from offering a fresh perspective or demonstrating a deeper analysis. It makes you miss the chance to show how your main ideas fit together and reinforce the significance of your argument. It will also give the impression of a lack of effort.

Making General Statements

An essay conclusion should be specific and clear. Avoid general statements and vague assertions that do not reinforce your arguments.

For example, instead of saying, “Social media affects everyone differently,” make a specific statement that ties back to your argument, like “The harmful effects of social media are particularly evident in teenagers, where it leads to mental health challenges such as anxiety and depression.”

Using Concluding Phrases

Avoid concluding phrases like “In conclusion,” “In Summary,” or “To sum up” because they are redundant, taking up word count that might be better used elsewhere, and can weaken your essay.

Returning to your thesis statement as you start the conclusion paragraph will tell the reader you are concluding the essay, so you don’t have to spell it out with concluding phrases. These phrases will come across as fillers that contribute nothing to the essay since the reader already knows you are concluding.

Overly Short or Long Conclusions

An essay conclusion should be concise and thorough. It should not be a single sentence, nor should it be overly long. Instead, it should be a length that effectively wraps up your essay without going overboard.

An overly short essay conclusion may not provide enough depth to make the essay leave an impression. For example, it may only restate the arguments without elaboration (like summarising key points, demonstrating the significance of your arguments, and leaving the reader with something to ponder).

Conversely, an overly long conclusion can risk repeating information already presented in the body paragraphs, making it largely redundant. This can also overwhelm readers, making the conclusion less impactful.

Using Apologetic Phrases

Your conclusion is your final chance to reinforce your argument, demonstrate its significance, and leave a lasting impression. However, apologetic phrases that sound uncertain do the opposite. They’ll make your argument appear less convincing and authoritative.

Apologetic phrases include “I’m not sure,” “It could be argued,” “Perhaps,” “I think,” and more. Avoid them like a plague in your conclusion, as they’ll bring in a sense of doubt, which is the exact opposite of what a strong conclusion should achieve. For example, instead of a last sentence like “I think the evidence points to a need for stronger climate policies,” go with a more confident statement like “The evidence clearly shows the urgent need for stronger climate policies.”

Overly Dramatic Statements

If you want your arguments taken seriously, you should sound confident without veering into exaggeration or sensationalism.

Overly dramatic statements can make your essay look like a sensationalised opinion piece rather than a well-reasoned, scholarly argument.

Consider a dramatic statement like “If we don’t act now, the entire planet will collapse on our heads.” It can make readers question the reliability of your arguments, potentially undermining your entire essay. Such statements can even alienate readers by making them feel like you’re trying to manipulate their emotions.

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Practical Tips for Writing a Strong Essay Conclusion

Having discussed the key elements of a conclusion and what to avoid, let’s move on to some practical tips to help you write a strong essay conclusion.

Take Your Time

Do not rush through your conclusion. It’s your last chance to leave an impression on your readers, so take your time to craft the conclusion carefully.

Take a step back and reflect on the key insights of your essay. Carefully consider how you will rephrase your thesis statement and reinforce the connection between the introduction and body paragraphs.

Taking your time to write your conclusion allows you to refine the wording, structure, and flow. This ensures the conclusion is clear, sounds professional, and effectively reinforces your argument.

Consider the Bigger Picture

Considering the bigger picture elevates your essay conclusion by showing how your essay fits into a larger context. This step allows you to tie your specific points to real-world concerns. It makes your readers reflect on the larger implications of your essay’s argument, contributing to a broader understanding of your topic.

Use Transition Words

Ensure your conclusion flows naturally from the body of your essay using transition words. They can help guide your reader’s expectations. For example, using “therefore” can show how points made in the essay body logically lead to the final conclusion.

Transition words also help you smoothly transition from one part of the conclusion to another. Whether you are revisiting your thesis, synthesising your key points, or offering a final thought, transition words connect the different components. Without them, the conclusion will feel disconnected.

Mirror Your Introduction

Your conclusion should mirror the tone of your introduction to create a sense of unity throughout the essay.

If your introduction is formal and analytical, use the same style in the conclusion – and indeed, throughout the main body – to maintain a consistent voice. If the introduction used a conversational tone, echo this in the conclusion.

Revisit Your Hook

If you used an intriguing question, quote, or anecdote to hook readers in the introduction, reference it in the conclusion to provide closure. For example, if you asked a provocative question in the introduction, your conclusion should discuss how your essay addressed that question.

Explore our Research Idea articles for more inspiration to write essays with captivating endings.

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Examples of Essay Conclusions

Here are a few examples of essay conclusions that will help you understand these strategies:

Example 1

The evidence shows that climate change is an urgent global issue that demands immediate action. Transitioning to renewable energy sources, adopting sustainable practices, and holding corporations accountable can help mitigate the devastating effects of environmental degradation. Simply recognising the problem is not enough. We must take decisive action now to safeguard the future of our planet.

See how this example incorporates the key elements of a great essay conclusion:

Restatement of the thesis:

The thesis restatement is, “The evidence clearly shows that climate change is an urgent global issue that demands immediate action.”

The original thesis likely argued that climate change is a pressing issue that requires immediate action. This restatement reinforces the essay’s main argument, reminding the reader of the central claim.

Review of main points

“Transitioning to renewable energy sources, adopting sustainable practices, and holding corporations accountable can help mitigate the devastating effects of environmental degradation.”

This part condenses the main solutions discussed in the essay body into a brief overview, showing how the body supports the thesis.

Reflection of the significance

The sentence showing the significance of the thesis is, “Simply recognising the problem is not enough. We must take decisive action now to safeguard the future of our planet.”

This statement shows the broader significance of the issue by emphasising the real-world consequence of inaction, which reinforces the essay’s relevance.

Final thought

“We must take decisive action now to safeguard the future of our planet.”

This statement urges the reader to take concrete steps towards solving the problem.

Example 2

“It is important that we invest in mental health care to ensure the well-being of future generations. The benefits of early intervention and increased support for mental health services far outweigh the costs. Prioritising mental health will help us create a healthier society for all. The time to act is now.”

Restatement of the thesis

The thesis restatement is, “It is important that we invest in mental health care to ensure the well-being of future generations.”

The original thesis argued that investing in mental health care is key to the well-being of future generations. This restatement reminds the reader of the main argument of the essay.

Review of the main points

“The benefits of early intervention and increased support for mental health services far outweigh the costs.”

The sentence summarises the key points (early intervention and increased support for mental health services) discussed in the essay and highlights their importance by emphasising that their benefits outweigh the costs.

Reflection on the significance

The statement reflecting the significance of the thesis is, “Prioritising mental health will help us create a healthier society for all.”

This part of the conclusion highlights the broader significance of the issue by emphasising that prioritising mental health will create a healthier society.

Final thought

The final thought is, “The time to act is now.”

This powerful statement encourages the reader to take immediate steps toward addressing mental health care.

Conclusion

A strong conclusion enhances your essay as it ensures your readers have a clear understanding of your argument.

To create a strong conclusion, include key elements like a thesis restatement, a review of the main points, the thesis significance, and a final thought). Avoid introducing new information, repeating your introduction, making general statements, using concluding phrases, and more.

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