Essay conclusions
One small step at a time. Ask for a clue whenever you need one.
Ask about your own question- Step 1
- Step 2
- Step 3
- New question
Fix this conclusion: In conclusion, school start times are a big problem. Also, some schools have banned phones.
Common mix-up
In this example, a student wrote In conclusion, school start times are a big problem. Also, some schools have banned phones..
Ola had a strong essay and a conclusion that wandered into a second topic. She thought an extra idea made the essay look thorough. It made the ending look like a different essay was starting.
Guided example. Your answers aren’t saved or sent.
See why this works
Why can't I add one more idea at the end?
Your conclusion is the last thing a reader sees, and adding a brand-new point there undoes the structure you built. It is a small fix with a large effect.
A conclusion restates the claim in fresh words, sums up the reasons, and closes on the implication.
By the end of the essay your reader should already believe you. A conclusion is not the place to introduce anything new, because a new claim needs evidence you no longer have room to give. A reader who meets a fresh point in the last paragraph is left with a question instead of an ending.
Look at: “In conclusion, school start times are a big problem. Also, some schools have banned phones.” The first sentence restates the claim, which is right, though it could say why rather than call it a problem. The second sentence is a new topic entirely. It belongs in an earlier paragraph, or in a different essay.
What a conclusion does instead is three small jobs in order. Restate the claim in different words, so the ending does not read as a copy of the introduction. Remind the reader of the reasons, in as few words as possible, so the argument is visible in one place. Then close on the implication — what follows if you are right — because that is what a reader remembers.
The restatement should also be narrower than the introduction was. “School start times should move later because the evidence points one way” is a better ending than “start times are a big problem”, because it shows the essay did something to your position rather than returning to where it started.
Keep this idea
A conclusion restates the claim in narrower, fresher words, reminds the reader of the reasons, and closes on what follows if you are right. Never introduce a new point there — it needs evidence the ending cannot provide.
The practice checks apply only to the displayed examples. Follow your teacher’s guidance for your own assignments.
Get help with your own questionA practice lesson each week.
A short practice lesson for your inbox. Free, with a one-click unsubscribe.