Conquering A Conclusion
The final paragraph is paramount to any piece of writing, but is often the last thought on the writer’s mind. Or, it might be the first thought, but actually writing it is often left until last in order to write the sum of the parts already written. At that point, how do you summarise without being repetitive, or underwhelming, and how do you leave a strong lasting impression on the reader? This can be complex, so it’s important to truly understand what a conclusion is.
What Is A Conclusion Not?
Quite simply, the conclusion is the final paragraph of your essay, commonly understood to summarise, recap or finalise your piece. Simple though it sounds, it’s vague, and more importantly, a conclusion should provide an emotive or thoughtful takeaway for the reader. We can learn how to do this by first identifying what a conclusion isn’t.
Your Introduction… Again
While conclusions and introductions are often twinned, their function in an essay is quite different. Thus, simply paraphrasing, repeating, or rehashing your introduction, is really wasting valuable words and attention from your reader, who has already read your introduction and therefore will not gain anything by reading a paraphrased version. Your introduction hooks your reader into your topic, sparking their interest and curiosity to continue reading, while a conclusion convinces them that what they’ve read is worthwhile, so it’s important to make sure your conclusion addresses points raised in your introduction, but doesn’t repeat it.
A Summary Of Paragraphs
There’s no denying that one function of your conclusion is to summarise key points from your essay, and this is particularly important if your arguments are longer, or more complex, but it’s just one part of what your conclusion should do. Recapping your paragraphs is a common trap writers fall into, but it doesn’t necessarily add any value. However, a final commentary on your key arguments offers something more critical, persuasive and enlightening. Rather than summarising, demonstrating the purpose of your arguments and why you made them is more effective.
A Place For New Points
Equally, introducing any new content, which isn’t related to your existing arguments, can be ineffective and confuse your reader. You can provide your reader with deeper insights into what you have written, but any new points will not be explored in sufficient depth, and your reader may be left unsure. It can also muddy the waters of your existing arguments, instead of finalising with a concise and captivating conclusion.
How To Captivate With Your Conclusion
Use your conclusion to demonstrate the power of persuasion. After all, you’ve spent so many words or paragraphs trying to convince your reader of your ideas, your conclusion should do so in a powerful way. Rhetoric is central here, meaning ‘speech or writing intended to be effective or influence people … using language effectively’ (Cambridge Dictionary, 2024). Presenting your arguments and evidence is one of the basic functions of your writing, but using language to present your ideas in a persuasive way makes the difference between simply informing your reader, and provoking thoughts and feelings in them.
One effective way to do this is through your editing process. Rather than pressurise yourself to write a perfect finishing paragraph first time, you can try simply writing your ideas down as basically as possible first. Subsequently, review your ideas and consider whether your sentences summarise alone, or offer a critical commentary on the arguments you’ve made, too. Why is that argument/evidence important, convincing, or relevant? Tell your reader in the conclusion. Using language to successfully do so will help your writing to convince, captivate and inspire.
References
Cambridge Dictionary
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Jessica Lucas is a qualified English Language teaching professional and specialises in educational content creation.
