How to Write a Conclusion to an Essay Effectively?

For many students, when they get to the part of the writing process when they are starting to write their conclusion, they tend to sigh in relief and just throw a few more sentences at their reader. They may just restate the same things that they said in the introduction. They may restate their thesis as well. This is a good start but it is not all you need to have an effective conclusion.

The conclusion is meant to wrap the paper up. It is where you let the reader know that you are done with the main points. However, if not written effectively it can wipe away all of the credibility you built up in the main body paragraphs.

So how exactly do you write an effective conclusion for your essay? Here are a few steps to help you slam your point home instead of losing the reader in the final stretch.

#1-RESTATE YOUR THESIS

Your conclusion should restate your thesis. This does not mean you should simply cut and paste the thesis into your conclusion paragraph. Rewrite it. It is important that you reiterate the reasons behind your paper. You wrote your paper to prove the thesis, so remind the reader what you wrote it for. This will help your reader remember the reasons behind all of that time and effort you put into writing the paper.

# 2- EXPLAIN IMPORTANCE OF YOUR POINT

So it’s great to prove your point but it can’t stop there. You gave your reader background information and three great reasons why your thesis is true. Now let them know why this is important. Take a little time and let your reader know why your thesis matters. The conclusion is the best time to do this. Think about a court case that you watched on television. The case starts out with each side presenting a story about what they believed happened in an incident. The next step is to show the evidence. The final argument is one of the most important parts of the case because it is the only time when you can tie everything together.

#3- LEAVE THEM WITH SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

So you reiterated your thesis and told the reader why it’s important. So far you have written a pretty good conclusion to your essay. Now all you have to do is give the reader something to think about. This could be a great opportunity to add that interesting fact that you discovered in your research or get them thinking about a similar topic. Either way you decide to go will work. It is just important to not make their eyes glaze over by just repeating your introduction. Leave them wanting more.

Follow these steps and you will surely wrap up your essays and leave your reader wanting more. There is nothing worse than writing a beautiful essay and then losing your reader in the conclusion.