Table of Contents
Importance of Closure
No matter what you are writing, it has distinct phases of progression before coming to end. But writers should keep in mind the importance of closure and how to move through the writing before it. A closure or conclusion serves a very important purpose in an essay as it ties all the loose ends and provides a fitting closing to the discussion.
Before setting out to write the whole essay, writers should understand the importance of conclusions and mold their writing around them. This will help them in keeping a steady pace and sign off naturally. Otherwise, the whole discussion could fall apart.
Introduction to Expository Essays
Before we move on to cover the tips and professional ways to conclude an expository essay, let us take a look at the expository essay itself.
Defining an expository essay is not a difficult feat. Simply put, this essay conveys factual information to the readers based on facts and hard figures. There is no room for the writer to showcase his signature prose style, both in an understated or overstated manner.
There is no single class of expository essays as they are divided into different types and forms to convey the point better. The most common types include cause and effect essays, compare and contrast essays, classification essays, as well as definition essays.
Another thing that sets an expository essay apart from narrative and descriptive essays is its reliance on objective content and unbiased tone and voice. However, it is similar to those when it comes to the structure and formatting of the essay.
Distinguishing Features of An Expository Essay
When we try to understand and learn a thing, it is necessary to understand the things that make it or break it. In the case of expository essays, writers need to learn the hallmarks or distinguishing features of expository essays that set them apart.
This section is dedicated to taking a look at the characteristics that are exclusive to expository essays only. Also, they are prerequisites because their absence will denature the write-up.
Objectivity At Its Core
If you did not know already, it is the best time to know that there is no room for subjectivity and sentimentalism in expository essays. One of its hallmarks is objectivity and actionable knowledge across the sections. That’s why writers cannot express their personal opinions or commentary because it will affect the very foundations of the essay. Arguments and developments must be backed by empirical evidence alone. Anything less and it will not be an expository essay.
Neutral Voice And Tone
Descriptive essays are adorned with flowery phrases and figurative language because they add to the value of the subject or topic. Similarly, a narrative essay carries the biases and subjectivity of the writer, including charged or suggestive language. This is not possible in an expository essay. One of the traits of these essays is that they carry a neutral voice and tone. Anything opinionated or suggestive can affect the whole structure and contents of the essay.
Organized Information
Across different types of expository essays and different topics, the flow of the text remains the same. It is important to provide pieces of empirical evidence but they should be presented in an organized fashion. This helps writers compose well-researched sections and helps readers to follow and understand the context. That’s the reason how-to articles and manuals for vocations are written in expository format. This avoids ambiguity and helps readers reach predictable conclusions.
Ideas To Compose Exceptional Conclusions
Now that we have covered the nature and traits of expository essay writing, let us get to the core of this blog – writing conclusions to those essays.
Many novice writers and students give a lot of time and effort to introductions but wing it through to the conclusion. This results in poor structure overall and leaves readers with a bad taste in their mouths.
In this section, we will share some interesting yet doable ideas with students that will help them in writing strong conclusions to their expository essays.
Circling The Introduction
A conclusion should summarize the discussion from the introduction and the main body and produce in a compact form. This is the part and parcel of writing a conclusion of an essay. If you are at odds as to what to do with the conclusion of your expository essay, you can try to circle the discussion around the introduction. Use phrases and ideas from the introduction, especially the context, and lie the loose ends there.
Reiteration of Major Ideas
Writing a conclusion is about reinforcing the arguments and their evidence for the readers before they sign off. Still, this does not mean that they cannot carry the value of their own. Writers should not simply compress the main ideas and simply restate them in the conclusion. They can add value by expressing them in a more palatable manner. It will not only make it memorable but catchy and understandable, especially if you utilize one-liners.
No Place For New Development
The introduction is where writers set a hook, provide context, and then transition to the main body with the thesis statement. In the main body, all the developments happen, such as arguments and ideas along with their supporting materials. In the conclusion, it is time to wrap up the discussion and not reignite it with new developments, especially when the new ideas are contradictory to those in the main body. This should be kept in mind.
How to Write The Best Conclusions For Expository Essays
Now, let us go through the practical steps of writing conclusions for expository essays. Novice writers and students must keep all the steps in mind and practice them when they sit down to write their expository essays.
Highlighting The Thesis
If we trace the common threads between different sections of the essay, we can see that the topic and the thesis keep the structure from falling apart. Whether you need to write the introduction or the conclusion, keeping those common threads in mind can save a lot of time and hustle.
They add true value and character to the essay. So, highlighting the thesis in a new light can save the conclusion of your expository essay.
Outlining The Whole Section
Just like you outline the essay before setting out to write it, it is best to outline the conclusion part. This will help in composing a taut section with no room for errors and inconsistencies. You can start the conclusion with its hook, such as a transitional phrase. Then write the body which is the summary of all the main points and postulates developed in the main body of the essay. Then, conclude the conclusion with a catchy memorable line.
Making An Independent Section
Many experts believe that conclusions should be able to keep up on their own. It means they should be composed in such a way that they can serve as an independent section of the whole essay. We have seen that many students go through the conclusions of essays before reading the whole essay. So, it should be able to give a taste of the whole discussion succinctly and briefly. Even if that’s not possible, it should check all the boxes.
Signing Off At High Notes
Putting effort into the introduction is understandable and commendable, but shirking efforts during writing the conclusion is not acceptable. Like the ending of a movie or a novel, it should truly conclude the discussion, not merely end the text. There are many ways to achieve that effect.
We have discussed many in the above sections. Whatever way a student uses, it should let them sign off on high notes with one-liners and catchy statements for the desired effect.
Common Pitfalls In Writing Conclusions
This is a bright red flag for conclusions when they introduce a new argument. Writers have more than enough space in the main body to develop and prove arguments. There is no need to create and introduce new ones before signing off. This can contradict or confuse the reader which is against the purpose of writing an expository essay in the first place.
Of course, we are not suggesting that writers should use over-the-top language and phrasing in the conclusion. But we urge that they use assertive and objective language to get their points across. As we have discussed earlier, it is possible to make up for a poor introduction or the main body, but there is no remedy for a poor conclusion.
After discussing the arguments and covering the bases, it is natural for writers to feel opinionated. So, it is possible that the conclusion can have suggestive language or even outright commentary on the whole narrative. If that is the case with the first draft of your essay, you should proofread and edit it to remove the unwanted elements.
F.A.Q
Why is the conclusion an important section of an expository essay?
A conclusion adds value to the whole essay before signing off. Since readers will read this section in the end and probably remember most of it, it is best to compose it in a way where it offers exceptional value. Otherwise, it is a lost opportunity for the writers.
What is the ideal word count for the closing section?
In a conventional essay structure, one paragraph is assigned for the conclusion as it is for the introduction. Writers should not be concerned with the word count in the earlier drafts. But if they have to, it should be around 125 to 150 words.
Can I add to the arguments in my conclusion?
No, you may not. The conclusion to an expository essay is there to tie the loose ends and summarize the discussion from the main body. You may reinforce the ideas further but it is best to never introduce new ideas or forward new arguments in the conclusion.
Do I need to stay objective while writing the conclusion to my expository essay?
Yes, objectivity is the key to writing expository essays. Biases and subjectivity can create ambiguity. This is against the nature and premise of expository essays. That’s why objectivity is the main ingredient of expository essays.
What is the effect of unbiased voice and tone in expository writing?
Expository essays consist of actionable content that can help readers reach the desired conclusion. For instance, manuals and how-to articles are written in this format where readers can achieve a feat through the write-up. That’s the reason unbiased voice and tone are one of the hallmarks of expository writing.
How can I make the word count for the conclusion while summarizing major points?
There is no need to worry about the word count for the conclusion in the early drafts. You should focus on the quality first. Then, when everything is in its place, you can cover the word count.
Touching All Bases For Readers’ Sake
Expository essay writing is the sum of all its parts that can add more value when they are combined. The main sections, including the introduction, the main body, and the conclusion are nothing if they are taken in isolation.
The conclusion is one of the major sections of an expository essay. Novice writers and students often wing the process of concluding the essay. In this guide, we have covered many bases, including how to write a good conclusion, the things you should avoid in the closing section, and more.
So, students should connect with this resource whenever they need to write exceptional conclusions to their essays!
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