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A good argumentative essay requires you to write the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion paragraphs. Most students give their best at writing some great introductions and body paragraphs but are left wondering what to include in the conclusion paragraph.Â
They often start to wonder what exactly should they say that hasn’t been said, or what should they add in this conclusion paragraph. Well, one thing is for sure, you are not alone in this as many people struggle when it comes to ending their essays.
Many people don’t know how to end their argumentative essay which is why experienced academic writing experts from PerfectEssay have created this guide. In this guide, you will learn how to effectively conclude your essay while making it look academically sound and interesting.
What is an Argumentative Essay?
An argumentative essay is a piece of academic writing that uses facts and logical information to persuade the reader about a specific way of thinking. We agree that many other types of essays such as persuasive essays also aim to persuade the reader but unlike those essays, argumentative essays rely on hard evidence and authentic studies to prove their argument is the best. An excellent argumentative essay should not only support its own claims but also argue about the opposing claim to completely invalidate them.
A good argumentative essay should have an introductory paragraph that ends with a clearly defined thesis statement. The introductory paragraph is then followed up with three or more body paragraphs with each paragraph having a separate Topic Sentence. The essay should end with an effective conclusion paragraph that sums up all the information listed in the above paragraphs.Â
Importance of a Conclusion Paragraph in an Argumentative Essay
Always remembers that no matter how strong your introduction paragraph is or how brilliant your arguments are, if your conclusion is weak then your essay is still incomplete.Â
Don’t try to rush your conclusion thinking that no one reads it. A conclusion provides a finishing touch to your essay and ties all your arguments together. At least give your conclusion as much attention as the above paragraphs to give your argumentative essay the closure it deserves.Â
How to Conclude an Argumentative Essay?
After stating your thesis at the end of your introductory paragraph and providing factual evidence to support your thesis statement, it’s now time to conclude your essay. Keep reading to know how to end your essay like a pro.
The Do’s and Donts of Writing an Impactful Conclusion Paragraph of an Argumentative Essay
Essay writing experts from PerfectEssay suggest the following do’s and don’ts when it comes to finishing your argumentative essay
Do’s
- Read your Entire Essay Again (multiple times if need be)
- Re-emphasize Your Strongest Points
- Appeal to the Readers Emotion (be persuasive)
- Make Your Reader Think About Implications
- End it with a Question
Don’ts
- Never Add New Information
- Never Repeat the Thesis Statement
- Don’t be Apologetic about Your Viewpoint
- Don’t Start with Phrases that are Overused
- Don’t End the Argumentative Essay with a Quote
Professional Tips on How to End Your Argumentative Essay (Do’s of an Argumentative Essay)
Proofread Your Entire Essay (Multiple times if needed)
Once you are done writing the introduction and body paragraphs of your argumentative essay, you should stop writing and start proofreading your entire essay. Read your essay multiple times to get an idea of how to end it effectively. Once you have read it completely start planning your conclusion. Reinstate how you have proved your thesis statement to be correct with the help of your arguments. However, make sure you do not repeat any statement while doing that.Â
Don’t Introduce New Ideas or Arguments
The conclusion of your essay is not the place to add new arguments or prove any existing points that you introduced in your body paragraphs. Most people make the mistake of rewriting their thesis statement or the topic sentences of their arguments. Avoid making these mistakes and don’t repeat anything that has been said in the above paragraphs. Professors expect to see a closing paragraph in a conclusion that brings all your arguments together. Introducing anything new here will create confusion that may also result in negative markings.
Re-emphasize Your Viewpoint
Think of the strongest argument that supports your thesis statement and remind the reader of that argument. Summarize your most relevant argument and tie all the loose ends to create something meaningful. Just readdress your point of view to convince the reader one last time before closing out your essay. Push your reader to think about your most logical fact-backed argument and explore all the implications of how your point of view is correct.
Appeal to Emotions
Convincing your reader by appealing to their emotions whether by attracting empathy, urging a specific action, or by rousing their anger against contrasting views is among the most effective ways to end your argumentative essay. Remember that your final impression does matter a lot and making emotional appeals in the conclusion paragraph will most certainly help you. A major mistake people make is that they start summarizing their thesis statement or the topic sentences in the conclusion paragraph.
Avoid these Common Mistakes
By the time you reach the conclusion, you should have said it all. If you haven’t, revisit the essay and identify gaps because the concluding paragraph is not the place to introduce new arguments, facts, or information. Doing this weakens the paper and reflects your poor planning. So, don’t confuse the reader and only focus on presenting already mentioned arguments and data in a new way rather than adding more layers to the paper.
Imagine reading the thesis statement in the introduction and having to read it all over again in the conclusion paragraph. You don’t want your instructor thinking, “Didn’t I just read this statement?”. Repeating the thesis statement is a complete no-no. You should rewrite it in other words while tying together the main arguments raised but doing a copy-paste job without adding any value will do nothing to the conclusion.
Regardless of how unsure you are of your writing skills or the stance you are taking, don’t ever make the mistake of showing it in your essay. The last thing you want to do is let all that effort go to waste by being apologetic in the last paragraph. Avoid phrases like “I am not sure but…”, “This is just my opinion..” or “I might be wrong..” and the likes because it makes you seem apologetic and underconfident.
Integrating quotes in the introduction or body paragraphs is a great way to hook readers or emphasize a point but ending the essay with a quote is not really a good idea. Why do you ask? That’s because the conclusion needs to be about summing up and using your voice to strengthen your voice. This is not the place to insert an expert’s quote and wash your hands of it.
As the conclusion paragraph is the last step in the writing process, it often gets sidelined. This is especially true when you are writing your essay at the very last minute. If you don’t give enough time and thought to write a conclusion because you see it as an insignificant aspect of your essay, you are highly mistaken. The conclusion is as important as the introduction (if not more).
Some questions are not meant to be answered by the writers but by the readers. These questions are left out there to make the reader think about the whole argument and come to their own conclusion whether they agree or disagree with your point of view. If you did present some strong arguments in your body paragraphs then the reader will most probably have to agree with your view – thus increasing reader engagement.
How To Format the Conclusion Of An Argumentative Essay?
- 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”
Key TakeawaysÂ
- A good conclusion for an argumentative essay does not repeat the introduction, summarize body paragraphs, or introduce new ideas.
- A strong conclusion should, instead, emphasize your strongest points, raise a rhetorical question, or appeal to your reader’s emotions.
- Never conclude an argumentative essay with a thesis statement.
Conclusion — How To Finish An Argumentative Essay
Like it or not – your essay is likely to be remembered by the most recent thing the reader has read which happens to be the concluding paragraph. This means that you certainly cannot get lazy while writing this section and let all your efforts go waste.
If you’re still unsure about getting the conclusion of your argumentative essay right, why not get some help from the experts? Yes, we at Writers Per Hour are a professional essay writing service. Our team of experts specializes in delivering original, well-written essays including argumentative, narrative, persuasive and more.
From writing captivating introductions to interesting conclusions, we will take care of it all. So, the next time you are stuck with writing an essay, contact us, and let us help you ace it!
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F.A.Q
What is a good way to finish an essay?
A good way to finish an essay is to write a conclusion that appeals to the reader’s emotions, make the reader think, and ask a question to build the reader’s interest.
How to start a Conclusion of an Essay?
Always start your conclusion with some transition words like “as mentioned earlier”, “as discussed earlier” and similar phrases so you don’t have to repeat anything that is already listed in the above paragraphs.
What is the last part of an argumentative essay?
The last and one of the most important parts of an argumentative essay is the conclusion. Your essay can only be called exceptionally good if the conclusion is also nicely written.Â
Can I finish a 1000-word essay in 2 hours?
Yes, you can finish a 1000-word essay in 2 hours, but it will certainly lack quality text, research, and relevant references. Â
How to format the conclusion of an argumentative essay?
To format the conclusion of your essay you need to re-emphasize your viewpoints and discuss possible applications of your viewpoints. We recommend that you end your conclusion with a question so that it gives room to further study.
How to Write an impactful conclusion paragraph that leaves a positive Impression?
To write an impactful conclusion paragraph that leaves a positive impression, you need to:
- Re-emphasize your strongest points
- Start the conclusion with phrases like “as stated above”, and “as proven earlier” to avoid repeating the same thing.
- Appeal to readers’ emotions in order to convince them.
- End your conclusion with a question.
Courtesy of PerfectEssay
