How To Write A Great Conclusion to an Essay
82Don't be philosophical
As an English 101 instructor, I find many of my students struggle when it comes time to writing their conclusive paragraph. This is understandable. How can you wrap something up?
Most essays follow one of the following forms:
a) Problem-solution
b) Persuasive
c) Personal Essay
To end a problem solution essay is simple. Solve the problem. You can't? No problem. Many scientific papers end with "More research needs to be done.." or "Suggestions for further research are.." List some examples of more research and declare which one you think will be the most beneficial and THE END.
Ending a persuasive essay also involves listing. Listing in general is a useful way to end most papers. If you did a good job up front it will pay off in the end. Go back through your essay and list/summarize your points or topic sentences. End with the one you think is the strongest and THE END.(Of course, you don't actually write THE END, you think it to yourself joyously.)
Personal essays are tricky. One wants to avoid the Wonder Years Ending of "and that is how water-skiing changed my life." The best way to end a personal essay is not to look back so much as to look forward. You are probably in your twenties, there is much life ahead of you, end on that note. Something more along the lines of: "I plan on finding my future wife somewhere out in the surf."
BIGGEST MISTAKE
High school teachers must truly enjoy meaningful endings. However, don't be philosophical. College essays are not meant to solve the problems of the world. They are meant to display your communication and writing skills. This is why it is difficult to wax philosophical about steroid use, or stem cell research, or any topic forced upon you that you find you have no investment in. Most of my students feel as if they need to sum up the universe at the end of their essays when all they need to do is to sum up the essay.
Sometimes you may feel very passionate about your topic. This is a good thing. Traditionally, the only place in an essay where you can inject passion and opinion is at the conclusion. This is known as pathos. Many speeches and writings rely on pathos - an emotional appeal. Go back through your paper and underline all the places where you insert your opinion and your passion. Take those underlined segments out of the body of the paper and join them into a coherent paragraph and -voila- good ending.
Whether you are writing a problem/solution, persuasive or personal essay remember that your conclusion must answer or relate to your thesis.List main points from the body of the essay. Insert your opinions and feeling and most importantly: avoid big sweeping, philosophical endings.
 | Amazon Price: $45.00 |
 | Amazon Price: $3.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $2.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $3.99 |
vote upvote downshareprintflag
- Useful (2)
- Funny (1)
- Awesome (1)
- Beautiful
- Interesting (1)
CommentsLoading...
Thanks, Denmark guy. I shoud write another post about focusing on a topic when writing an essay. Thing is, the writing doesn't have to be focused, rather, the editing does. So meander away! You may stumble on something wondrous.
I need a great conclusion for an essay that I wrote about myself, written as if I were my former english teacher. HELP!
Hey thats a great essay topic!
Useful advice, especially about part that the best place where to put opinions and emotions is in the conclusion.
Sometimes, we are less persuasive in an argument essay, when we put our opinions within the body of the essay. (which I am definitely guilty of!)
That is good advice for my middle school essay.
Help on writing a conclusion paragraph about the comarison between the poems The Lamb and The Tyger by William Blake
this doesnt help me because i ned to know what to put in my homework
omg this site is terible
this is good advice for younger education levels, but college professor expect more of use at such a higher level. You have to take the advice that they give you, but go more in depth with it, not meaning elaborate in the conclusion paragragh, but to become an organized writer.
its ok info. im in 8th grade and yep!
I think this is a great article for students to better understand how to write a great conclusion. Conclusions are are an often over looked part of a great essay. This is the opportunity to bring it all together. Thanks again for helping students to better understand what makes a great conclusion. Keep up the great articles!
this is the conclusion I used for my style essay:
I have learned that ‘fashion’ is like a herd of sheep,just following one another,not caring where they are going,and the one at the front leading the herd is the ‘trend setter’.I would like to think that I am that one sheep that took off in its own direction,not following the herd and not following fashion.
hope this helps somebody :)
thanks!!!
thanks
thanks for the advise
I need help on writing a conclusion sentence for an essay
hay i love this website it totally helps me write a concluding sentence for an essay
gtgb6h
this is very lame and boring who would want to no these things stupied people would
Wait i only see one essay type
I love this nofhfbq
i nedd mor help
Thank you it was very helpfull
hahahahahahahahaha yeha boiii i pop do dis fo sho. word bordda
Denmarkguy 4 years ago
One of the things that always seemed to frustate my creative writing profesors was that I was much better at writing a "random meander" than a structured beginning-middle-end essay.
Good advice, though!