A good conclusion paragraph can be the key to making an impact on the reader. Both the introductory and the conclusion body paragraphs are vital in almost every kind of text and document, so you must learn how to write the correct closing sentence that causes a good final impression.
There are many ways to write a good conclusion paragraph. As long as you make a brief summary of your thesis statement that’s fun and engaging to read, you’ll gain the heart of your readers without any problems.
If you want to learn more about how to write the best concluding paragraph possible, keep reading!
What Is a Conclusion Paragraph?
Concluding body paragraphs are text where you summarize the main points of your thesis statement, which was first introduced in the introductory paragraph. Overall, these points in your conclusion are supposed to discuss key points in your topic and offer some final impressions.
On the other hand, it’s always best to place your closing sentence on a positive note so that readers are more likely to read some of your other work.
What Is the Point of a Conclusion in Academic Writing and Non-academic Writing?
In essence, the point of an effective conclusion is to offer supporting points for your main idea. Regarding academic style, for instance, the conclusion can be a deal-breaker; if the conclusion doesn’t make sense, the rest of the document may lose importance. In every case, you must make sure that the conclusion leaves the reader with new ideas or a different perspective regarding old ideas.
On the other hand, non-academic documents have the same scenario since they also need an effective conclusion whether you’re writing an email or a script. It’s like watching a good movie with a bad ending; if the ending is bad, the rest of the movie may lose quality. Thankfully, supporting your main point with a good conclusion isn’t hard by any means. As long as you have the tools to write a conclusion, you will be good to go.
How Can You Come Up with an Effective Conclusion Paragraph?
There are some major points you can consider when writing your final paragraph. If you take these into consideration, you may be on your way to a well-written conclusion:
Topic Sentences for the Main Points
Most conclusions start with a topic sentence (also called “key sentence”), which is a sentence that summarizes both the main and the supporting points of your topic. These include the topic, the essay’s main points/ideas, and your point of view in some cases.
You don’t have to think too much about the first sentence; make sure that it’s clear and concise, and you’re good to go. Moreover, you must ensure that the topic sentence follows the same train of thought as the introductory paragraph. Sometimes, readers forget what they read at the beginning, so reminding them through the topic sentence is a great way to begin your analytical discussion at the end.
Guiding Yourself with the Introductory Paragraph and Thesis Statement
Following what we said above, you may keep your introduction in mind when you write those supporting arguments in the end. Remember, the conclusion is supposed to give readers a new understanding concerning what you wrote at the beginning. To do that, you must include the thesis statement, the supporting arguments, and emotional appeals to make a strong conclusion.
Avoid simply repeating what you wrote at the beginning since that will make the essay look boring.
Summarizing Everything in a Smart Way
The major force of your conclusion is that it’s supposed to bring your entire text to full circle since it implies broader implications in comparison to the beginning. Here, you must reinforce the paper’s main points through further study, key factors and evidence, and new ideas.
As mentioned before, if you don’t provide provocative insight and just repeat what you said at the beginning, the concluding sentence may pass off as boring or non-important. Remember to also include key words to support that final sentence.
Write to Cause an Emotional Reaction
One of the best ways to write a conclusion is to make readers glad they read what you wrote. Write simple but strong sentences that create a nice image in the readers’ minds. Moreover, appealing to your reader’s emotions is also an excellent way to support your main argument.
Writing a Strong Closing Sentence
As with the first sentence, your last word is also vital in making your conclusion more interesting to read. The point of this sentence is to provide closure regarding your central idea by using key factors of your text. If you’re planning to write a follow-up of that text, you could include some new points at the very end and then provide a Call to Action (CTA) at the end.
Remember, the key here is to leave your readers with a new idea to think about, so start working on those final sentences!
Is the Structure of the Conclusion the Same as the Introduction?
Overall, the introduction and conclusion provide parallel concepts. In the introduction, you start with a broad concept, then go on with the supporting points and finish with the thesis statements. However, the conclusion is the other way around; you start with the primary point and then go on with your supporting arguments. In the end, you’re supposed to provide key factors about your primary ideas.
Several writers confuse both terms, making one of the two boring when they write. If you keep the structure for both paragraphs in mind, you will not have any problems.
What Not to Do When Writing a Conclusion
There are a lot of terms considered an “overused phrase” in your final thoughts. We’ll give you an overview of some things other writers do that make the overall argument of the conclusion a bit cheap.
Overused Phrases: Things like “To sum up” or “In conclusion” are completely unnecessary and don’t add anything to the paper. If the reader is at the end of the document, they already know they’re reading the end; you don’t need to repeat it.
Repetition: While you must cause a strong impression using what you wrote in the main body of the text, you cannot repeat what you said before, especially if you’re writing a short essay. When you repeat something in a document, readers are likely to notice, and that’s not good for you. Look for a better way to reinforce your supporting points in a fresh way.
Don’t Include Too Much New Information: While you can certainly add CTAs to invite the reader to read further information about a new idea you introduced, you can’t introduce a lot of new ideas at the end since it could confuse readers. You must be cautious with the information you include at the end. If you have several ideas you want to introduce in that text, try adding them to your supporting body texts.
Bottom Line
Following the steps mentioned above can definitely help you write emotional, engaging, and fun concluding paragraphs that leave readers thinking about your text for some time. In essence, make your conclusions interesting, add key points that support what you said before, and add some personal insight to provide readers with your opinion.
As mentioned before, there are several ways to write a conclusion, and you may choose one that fits your content the best. If you write a nice conclusion paragraph, you’re more likely to keep readers eager to know what you’ll write next!
