You have presented your point of view and substantiated it in detail with arguments for and against it. Now it's time for the final part of your essay: the conclusion. This is a short yet important paragraph. In the conclusion, you come full circle. You summarise your arguments and state again how they support your point of view. Keep it short but powerful, of course. Want to write a strong conclusion for your essay? Look at these 5 points.
1. Give a short (!) summary of your argument
You should not repeat the arguments in the conclusion of your essay. At most, summarise them briefly, but focus instead on answering the question “So what?”. In other words, explain why these arguments lead to your point of view. Keep your explanation short, but powerfull.
Argumentative essays have a generally fixed structure. After the introduction, you are supposed to propose the arguments for and against your stance, refute potential counter-arguments, and then state your conclusion.
2. Do not name new arguments in the conclusion of your essay
You are not supposed to present new arguments in the conclusion of your essay. You have already mentioned all the arguments prior to the conclusion. Thus, check carefully that you are not mentioning any new information in the conclusion. This paragraph only functions as a summary.
3. Turn your essay into a complete story
In a strong essay, the text forms a rounded narrative from beginning to end. So in the conclusion, you revert back to your initial stance and possibly also to the anecdote or quote you cited in the introduction.
Reread your essay a few times (or have your essay proofread by one of our editors) to see if the story makes sense with the conclusion included.
4. Provide a strong closing sentence
The final sentence is indispensable in building the conclusion of your essay. Always end the conclusion of your essay with a powerful closing sentence. This will make the reader think, or help convince them of your argument. Your closing sentence could be, for example, a question to the reader, a prediction for the future, a strong one-liner, or a quote.
5. Keep in mind the correct writing style
Finally, check the writing style of your conclusion. In essays, it is common to use professional language that is not too formal. In doing so, be sure to follow the guidelines of academic writing. Incidentally, it is sometimes allowed to use 'I' in an essay, while this is not common in theses.
Not so sure about your writing style? Our editors are happy to come to your rescue. Have your essay checked , even 24 hours before your deadline if necessary, by an expert AthenaCheck editor. They will check your essay for language, structure and/or common thread. That way, you can be sure you are on the right track.