Asking yourself the “so what?” question as you write your essay can also help you dig below the surface of your ideas.
Knowing your essay’s focus will also help you avoid introducing any new information or topics in your conclusion.
For example, if you began your essay with the idea of humanity’s sense of smallness in the face of space’s vast expanses, you could return to that idea in the conclusion. However, you might expand this theme to include the idea that as human knowledge grows, space is actually becoming smaller.
For example, you could extend an essay on “Orange is the New Black” to the American culture of imprisonment in general.
You should probably stay away from overused phrases such as “In conclusion,” “To summarize,” or “In closing. ” Because they are used so often, they come across as cliched and stiff. [6] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC’s on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source Consider less-popular yet concise words such as “conclusively. "
Avoid summarizing your points exactly as you wrote them. Your readers have already read your essay. They don’t have to be reminded of every single point you just made.
Find a way to rework your thesis in an interesting way, using different language. Restating your thesis using the same words strikes the reader as lazy and doesn’t offer new insight into your argument.
For example, instead of saying “That’s why I think that Abraham Lincoln was the best American President in the 19th century,” say “That’s why Abraham Lincoln was the best American President in the 19th century. " The reader already knows that if you write about Lincoln being the best President, you also believe it. Saying “I think” sounds like you’re hedging and makes you sound less authoritative. Another example: Don’t apologize for your views. They’re your ideas, so take ownership of them. Never say something like “I may not be an expert” or “At least this is my opinion,"[9] X Research source as this weakens your reliability.
End with a little bit of irony. Be playful with your last sentence and pose an ironic by-product of what you’re talking about. Then, the end of your essay becomes especially provocative. Make an appeal to emotions. Much of the time, essays are very rational, forgetting about emotions. That’s why appealing to people’s emotions can be a really powerful way to conclude an essay. Done in the right way, this will help the article have heart. Just make sure that your conclusion is in keeping with the tone of the rest of your essay. Include a call to action (use sparingly). If your essay is truly about getting people to change, then including a call to action is a useful tool to rouse your base. But use it sparingly: In the wrong context (an expository essay, or an argumentative essay) it can be overkill.
Instead, try to take your reader to the “next level” in your conclusion, or provide some further sophistication to your original ideas.
Also, don’t use “Firstly,” “Secondly,” “Thirdly,” etc. to make/finish your points. Make it clear what you’re saying and how many points you’re making.
