Creating a compelling thesis statement and a rough opening are the first steps in writing any college essay. Following that, you can gather evidence to back up your thesis, create an outline of your essay’s key arguments, and begin writing your body paragraphs. However, you must also create a strong concluding sentence for an essay.
Although they can even be enjoyable to write, conclusions nonetheless require work on your part to make them effective. In the end, for a great report, a strong conclusion is just as crucial as an impactful start.
Here, we explain the purpose of writing a concluding sentence for an essay using a simple three-step process.
The Purpose of a Concluding Sentence for an Essay
A conclusion paragraph does:
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Summarize the essay’s thesis and evidence to further convince the reader -
Elevate your essay by adding new insight or something extra to impress the reader -
Leave a personal impression that connects you more closely to the reader
A concluding sentence does not:
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Summarize something the paper does not discuss -
Introduce a new argument
How to Write a Conclusion in 3 Easy Steps
Step 1: Restate Your Thesis Claim and Evidence
The reader must be persuaded that your argument is sound in order for the conclusion to be effective. These two paragraphs should closely resemble one another, with the conclusion restating the thesis stated in the introductory paragraph: “Here’s what I’ll prove and how,” while the introduction states, “Here’s what I proved and how.
In order to restate your thesis effectively, you’ll need to do the following:
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Reread your introduction carefully to identify your paper’s main claim -
Pay attention to the evidence you used to support your thesis throughout the essay -
In your conclusion, reword the thesis and summarize the supporting evidence -
Use phrases in the past tense, like “as demonstrated” and “this paper established”
Here is a sample introduction and concluding sentence in an essay, with the conclusion restating the thesis and supporting data from the article:
Introduction
It is well known that archaic societies with distinct social classes frequently endured longer than societies without. A social structure that relies on exploitation rather than sharing will always fail, as evidenced by the cultural relics of Civilization X, which is one aberration from the seventh century. The demise of a civilization is actually caused by this lack of inclusion. Excavated military artifacts, clay pots and tapestries, as well as poetry from the time period, all show how exploitation and sharing conflict, with the former leading to failure and the latter to triumph.
Conclusion
Civilization X thrived in the 600s C.E. because it valued inclusion and sharing over exploitation. As evidenced, the civilization frequently considered the option of giving to others vs stealing from them. Cultural relics from the time, including weapons, household products, and spoken art, show that Civilization X thought that sharing insured everyone’s survival while hoarding only permitted a select few to live for a shorter period of time.
Step 2: Provide New and Interesting Insight
A conclusion should restate the thesis and highlight the significance of the essay’s argument by extending it. To put it another way, you should develop your thoughts beyond the scope of your thesis. One thought-provoking conclusion can have your professor considering your essay long after they’ve finished reading it, which is a sign that you produced a well-written essay.
Note that the concluding sentence should not attempt to make a new argument or examine the new notion in detail; it should merely point out that it exists and should receive some attention in the future.
Ideally, the fresh perspective you offer in your conclusion should be based on the earlier study you did. If you get a new thought as you’re writing the body paragraphs, write it down so you can remember to bring it up in the conclusion.
Here are some typical starting points for these new insights:
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A new idea that would have prompted you to redesign your thesis if you had the time -
A new angle that would further prove your thesis -
Evidence you found that refutes your claim but that you can justify anyway -
A different topic to which you can apply the same thesis and/or angles
Step 3: Form a Personal Connection With the Reader
The last stage in drafting a closing paragraph is to include a brief personal statement. With the use of this knowledge, you can create a closer connection with your audience and improve their recall of you. Consider this phase as a chance to make a personal connection between the academic study and the lives of you and your reader.
There are two exceptions to the general rule that first- and second-person pronouns like “I” and “you” should be avoided in formal essay writing, and those exceptions are the introduction and conclusion paragraphs.
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