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This article was written by Christopher Taylor, PhD and wikiHow writer Danielle Blinka, MA, MPA. Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. This article has been viewed 454,572 times.
Writing the introduction and the body of the article is a great achievement, but you still have to write your conclusion. Writing a conclusion can be difficult, but it’s easier if you plan ahead. First, shape your conclusion by reexamining your thesis, summarizing your arguments, and making a concluding statement. Then reread and revise your conclusion to make it effective.
conclusion template
Example conclusion for a history article
Begin your conclusion by revising your thesis to show how you proved it. Explain how you proved your thesis, as well as what the reader should learn from your article. By reminding the reader of the ideas you expressed in your thesis, you can more effectively show how your points and evidence support your thesis.[1]
- Let’s say your thesis statement is: “Allowing students to visit the library during lunch improves campus life and supports academic achievement by encouraging reading, allowing students to start homework early, and providing shelter for students.” who eat alone”.
- You could rephrase it like this: “Evidence shows that students who have access to the school library at lunchtime check out more books and are more likely to complete their homework; furthermore, students are not required to eat alone.”
Summarize your claim in 1-2 sentences. These sentences should bring together all your points and evidence for your reader. Don’t just state your reasons or the evidence you’ve provided. Instead, explain how your evidence works together to support your thesis.[2]
- You might write: “According to the data, students checked out more books when allowed to visit their library at lunch, used that time to research and request help with homework, and reported feeling less lonely at lunch. This shows that opening the library at lunchtime can improve student life and academic performance.”
- If you are writing an argumentative essay, address the opposing argument as well. You might write: “Although administrators worry about students walking the halls instead of going to the library, schools that allow students to go to the library at lunch report fewer behavior problems at lunch.” lunch than schools that don’t allow students to go to the library.” library. The data shows that students spent that time checking out more books and doing homework.”[3]
End your paper with a statement that makes your reader think. Think about how you want your reader to feel after they finish reading your work. This is the feeling you want to create in the reader when they read the last sentence of your article. Here are some techniques you can use to create this feeling:[4]
- Call your reader to action. For example, “By working with school administrators, Greenlawn ISD is able to increase academic achievement by allowing students to use the library during lunch.”
- end with a warning. You might write, “If students are not allowed to use the library during lunch, they are missing out on a valuable learning opportunity that they will never have again.”
- conjure up the image. He writes: “Next year, Greenlawn students could gather around a table in the library to read or expand their minds.”
- Match your theme with something universal to help your reader connect. You could write: “Everyone knows how stressful it is to have a schedule full of homework, so having extra time to work on it during lunch would be a huge relief for many students.”
- Show why the problem is significant. Write: “Giving students more time to spend in the library will make it easier for them to spend time there, which also helps the mission of the library.”
- Predict what would happen if their ideas were implemented. Let’s say, “Next year, Greenlawn students can increase their academic performance, but the results will only come if they can use the library at lunchtime.”
- End with a compelling quote. For example, “As the writer Roald Dahl once said: ‘If you want to achieve something in life, you must read a lot of books.'”
Talk to your instructor if you have any questions about the assignment. Perhaps you’re writing a conclusion to a unique type of article, such as a report after an experiment. If this is the case, your teacher or worksheet may provide different formatting instructions. Always follow the instructions given by your instructor so that you can receive full credit for your work.[5]
- You can also ask your instructor if you can see an example of a well-written conclusion to get an idea of what they expect you to write.
Avoid using introductory phrases like “in conclusion.” It’s tempting to start your conclusion this way, but it makes readers very uncomfortable when you use clichés like this. You don’t need to use any specific words to start your conclusion.
- If you want to use an introductory phrase, use a stronger phrase like “evidence-based” or “ultimately.” You can also start your first sentence with a word like “although”, “while” or “since”.[6]
- Also, avoid “in conclusion,” “in summary,” or “in conclusion.”
Model your conclusion based on your introduction. Your conclusion will differ from your introduction, but will have common features. For example, you’ll end your introduction with your thesis statement and begin your conclusion by restating that thesis. Also, your conclusion can be linked to the ideas and information you presented in the introduction, thus completing your document.[7]
- For example, you may have opened your introduction with an anecdote, quote, or image. Bring it back in your conclusion. Similarly, if you started with a rhetorical question, you might offer a possible answer in your conclusion.
Include all of your points in your summary, rather than focusing on one. You can make the common mistake of arguing only your most compelling point or the last point you made. However, it can undermine his argument as a whole. It is better to give an overview of how your points combine to support your ideas than to give the reader a full description of your strongest point.[8]
- For example, you wouldn’t want to end your essay on letting students use the library at lunch with the statement, “As the evidence shows, using the library at lunch is a great way to improve student achievement because it’s more likely they do”. his homeworks. Students reported using the library for research, asking homework questions, and completing assignments sooner.” This leaves out her points about students reading more and having a place to hang out for lunch if they don’t like eating in the canteen .
Be careful not to enter new information. Conclusions are tricky because you don’t want to just repeat yourself, but you don’t want to say anything new either. Read what you wrote to make sure you haven’t introduced a new point, added new evidence, or additional information. Everything in your conclusion should be discussed in the introduction or body of your article.[9]
- If you’ve entered something that you think is very important to your document, go back through the body paragraphs and find a place to add it. It is better to leave it out of the article than to include it in the conclusion.
Correct and review your conclusion before submitting your work. Set the paper aside for at least a few hours. Then reread what you wrote. Look for misspellings, misspellings, incorrect use of words, and other errors. Also, make sure that what you’ve written makes sense and accurately reflects your work.[10]
- If something doesn’t make sense or your conclusion seems incomplete, review your conclusion so that your ideas are clear.
- It is helpful to read the entire document as a whole to make sure that everything fits together.
- Never copy someone else’s words or ideas without giving credit, as this is plagiarism. If you are caught plagiarizing any part of your paper, even just the conclusion, you will likely face severe academic penalties. ⧼thumbs_response⧽ Helpful 4 Not Helpful 2
- Do not express any doubts you may have about your ideas or arguments. Whenever you share your ideas, assume the role of an expert.[12]
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