Thinking over a Conclusion

When thinking of how to end an essay, it is necessary to ask yourself questions with regards to your conclusion.

Examples of these questions include:

• Does my conclusion reference the title and thesis of the essay?
• How relevant is my conclusion to the title of the essay?
• Is my conclusion in line with the evidence as well as the argument I have presented in my article?
• Is there any new piece of information that I have introduced within my conclusion?

The above questions are simply guidelines that should help you write a conclusion that includes all the necessary issues while avoiding everything that is irrelevant. A conclusion should have a lasting impact on the audience, and hence it is important that the writer gets it right.

Start Combinations of Words for Conclusion

When writing the introduction, starting has always proved to be a challenge, and the same can also be said when writing a conclusion albeit to a lesser degree. It is important to choose appropriate start combinations of words when writing a conclusion and not just because they signal the end of the article but also because they help elevate the status of an essay. Below are some tips to help you choose start combination of words when writing a conclusion:

• Select words that signal the end of the article, for example: Finally, In conclusion, In summary, etc. The above words and phrases are indeed overused but, on the other hand, they help to ensure continuity in an article and to signal to the audience that the end is nigh.
• It is important to consider the option of using one-syllable words. Regardless of how good an article is, the use of simple language while ending the essay often creates or brings about an effect of understated drama.

Advices Concerning Conclusion Writing

Essay conclusion writing for a perfect essay should be smooth, mainly because no research is involved in this section. Writers are simply expected to use information from their article or essay to conclude. It is, therefore, in comparison to the other sections, the easiest of all. However, few students find it smooth while others struggle with simple things such as synthesizing their main points.

Below are some tips on how to write an essay conclusion:

• Provide a link between the conclusion and the first paragraph. This is often done by using or repeating or reusing a word or a phrase that was included in the first paragraph.
• Conclude your essay by setting your discussion to a larger or a different context. Increasing the essay\’s limits or coverage is important. If, for example, you were handling an essay on social inequality in the US in the early 20th century, you could expand it or link it to the current social inequality index in the US.
• Try and avoid providing vague summaries of your main points. Writers should focus on synthesizing their main points and explaining to their audience how their arguments fit in the topic of discussion. Summaries seem flat and might leave much to be desired while also leaving the audience dissatisfied.
• Include the implications of your study or research. Depending on the topic under study, you should answer the question what does your argument suggest, involve or imply? You should at least try and mention how your line of thinking fits into the world or should shape or affect the overall perception of a topic.
• Include a section that proposes or suggests a course of action. After reading the article, your audience should be able to apply the information acquired to their life or business or put your argument to test.

Reference to Thesis

The entire essay should be a reference to your thesis statement including the conclusion. As a matter of fact, an essay conclusion should include a section that restates or rephrases the thesis statement. However, it is essential to remember that restating the thesis is not the main goal. The writer should avoid rephrasing without having a predetermined purpose. You should make a substantive change to the thesis to help elevate and reinforce the main argument of the article. The audience should feel convinced that the argument presented fits perfectly with the topic under study.

Other Advices

• Since conclusions only provide a summary of the essay, it is wise to avoid including a lot of information and risk contradicting some of your arguments.
• Make your essay conclusion short and include only the essentials.
• Avoid giving apologies for some of the arguments or ideas included within the article.

Things to Avoid in Conclusion Writing

When writing a conclusion, students use different strategies, but it is vital to avoid the following methods or strategies:

• Avoid using ending clichés such as “In conclusion”, “In summary”, “In closing”, etc. The above are often referred to overused phrases and thus paint a negative picture of the writer. In speeches, these phrases might be appropriate, but in writing, it is important to systematically outline the points and prepare the readership for the conclusion.
• Rephrasing the thesis statement without making any fundamental changes. Students are always advised to end their essays by rephrasing their thesis statements. However, it would appear inexperienced, lacking in creativity, and shallow in the topic under study if they only paraphrase their main argument. For the end to be meaningful, the writer should rephrase the thesis, but make sure that the change if of value.
• Do not introduce a new idea or topic in the conclusion. These should be included in the main body of the essay. A conclusion is often short and includes information that has already been incorporated in the article or essay. It is, therefore inappropriate to add new information.
• Avoid including citations or quoting statistics or quotations in the conclusion. Like the above warning, these should also be in the body of the paper.
• While conclusions often make emotional appeals to audiences, it is essential to avoid making appeals that are not in sync with the rest of the paper. All information that is included in the conclusion should coincide with the rest of the paper. It is, therefore, reckless to include anything that signals differently.

Example of Conclusion

The truth is, African countries are yet to experience real democracy. Additionally, those who think that they are experiencing or have experienced democracy in the past are only living in denial. The rise of power-hungry leaders who are fueled by their quest for supreme power and material things has undermined the hope for a better future for Africans. Transfer of power is proving to be a big issue, and the citizens are undoubtedly the victims in this story. However, a significant majority is still hopeful of change and have tried their best to forge diplomatic fights against their governments. It is this undying and contagious love for country as well as a resolute spirit of not giving up that motivates this group and albeit fuzzy, the future will indeed be better.