Writing a good essay takes a few different steps, and one that many students fall down on in the conclusion. How do you end an essay in a strong manner? Here's what you need to know.
The Importance of Your Essay Ending
When you write an essay, you're bringing together all the points you need to make a certain argument. It doesn't matter what kind of essay you're writing, you're looking to get a certain idea across. Your conclusion is a vital point of that that process.
At the end of your piece, you'll bring all those points together and reiterate the point you made when started an essay. That's something that most students know, so they end up simply summing up their essay and leaving it at that.
However, that's not the most effective way to conclude your essay. Rather than rehashing those points, you want to put forth your argument in a way that makes the reader feel something. You want them to see the importance of the argument you're trying to make.
That sounds a lot more difficult than just summing up you essay, so how do you do this? Let's take a look.
How To End An Essay
Put the work in on your introduction: Ironically, a good conclusion relies on a good introduction. That's where you put forward your thesis, and explain what you're looking to do in your essay. If you have a good introduction, that gives you solid groundwork to write your conclusion on.
As such, work on making your introduction as good as it can be. If you have a good thesis, once you get to the conclusion you can show the reader just why your argument makes sense.
Don't just rewrite the thesis: While your intro is important, you can't just simply rewrite it into your conclusion and call it a day. If you do this, it feels rather stagnant and doesn't leave the reader feeling fulfilled. Instead, you want to tie all your points together into a central argument that you've been making throughout the whole essay. In some cases it's better to ask for a help from essay writing service.
Pull everything together: On that point, you should be pulling together your points that you've made in your essay, in your conclusion. That doesn't mean just reiterating them, as again that makes the essay repetitive and dull. You can pull out a few key points, and show the link between them. The conclusion is the place where you'll show why all these points are important together.
Don't introduce new ideas: This is common advice you'll hear about conclusion writing, but it's worth reiterating here. If you have new ideas that you want to put into your conclusion, instead consider whether they should be somewhere in the body of the essay. You're looking to reflect on your essay in the conclusion, not come up with something new.
Introduce some speculation: It is of course important that you use solid facts and evidence in your essay, to back up the points you make. When you get to the conclusion though, you'll be able to make some speculation as to the meaning of your argument. It's important to keep that speculation realistic, but you should gesture to what your findings mean for your area of study at large.
Examples Of A Good Essay Ending
Now you know the main points to writing a good essay ending, you'll need to create your own. Of course, a good example of how that will look will assist you in doing so.
Let's take an essay where you've argued for more time for play in early years learning. How would you write that conclusion?
It's never been more important to make time for play in the classroom. With play being crucial to a child's development, this needs to be built into their education. Of course, this is going to be difficult when current schooling in the US is focused on testing and meeting certain parameters. However, it is time for the system to be reconsidered at the early years level. With this understanding of play and its role in child development, it's hopeful that this is the nudge needed for change to happen.
As you can see, the conclusion brings together several key points, such as the research into child development and how this doesn't happen in the school environment. It links them together and speculates that this research could lead to change in the education system in the future.
Now you have the basics you need to write the best end to your essay. Remember that it's not just about summing up your essay, but considering what the impact of your argument is.
Mary, our exceptional editor and online tutor, brings a wealth of knowledge to the table. With her extensive expertise in academic writing, she guides and mentors aspiring students, providing them with constructive feedback that propels their essays to the next level.