Writing the Essay Conclusion

Many students want to write "in conclusion..." and this is never the right way to end any type of essay or term paper. Often conclusions are the most difficult parts of the essay for a student to write. Students often believe they have stated everything they know in the beginning and middle sections of the essay so the conclusion is not important. However, this is wrong. The conclusion is one of the most important sections of an essay ranking with the introduction.

Conclusions should summarize the thesis statement with the supporting points of the essay. It is important to leave a take away value or main point with the reader. A conclusion should clearly show the ending of the essay. The conclusion should tell the reader why the essay was important with reflection from the essay showing the main points and how they were supported.

Example:

It has been discusses how one in three children are becoming obese leading to serious health problems. One of the main reasons given for the obesity problem is the amount of time children watch television. Some of the other causes mentioned are the type of food children eat today, the lack of exercise, and fast food restaurants. The challenge is to make a difference in your children concerning the obesity problem.

This conclusion does restates the thesis problem of one in three children are becoming obese that is leading to serious health problems and takes it a step further. During the conclusion the main points are briefly mentioned and then the writer takes it a step further by challenging parents to make a difference in the lives of their own children. The take away statement is "The challenge is to make a difference in your children concerning the obesity problems." A challenge to the readers leaves them thinking about the problem even after they finish reading the essay.

Questions are a great way to leave the readers thinking about the essay. Look at this example:

The introduction and thesis statement of the essay: "Thousands of hours of television are watched by children each year. Many of these television shows portray violence and sexuality. More and more children are turning to violence and sex to solve their personal problems."

Example conclusion:

"Only recently have research began to show how violence and nudity in television shows are negatively children. Children are more violent with their peers and superiors in the school systems often stemming from the violence they have seen on television. How can you make a difference in your children? How many hours of television do you allow your children to watch?"

The conclusion briefly reminds the reader of the thesis statement and then takes it a step further by asking questions. How can the reader make a difference in their children? How many hours of television does the reader allow their children to watch? These questions leave the reader thinking about the essay long after the essay is read.

Use smooth transitions between the body of the essay and the conclusion, but do not use words such as "in conclusion," "in summary," or "to finalize this essay." Briefly state the thesis but go one step further by involving the readers in the problem by asking questions or challenging the readers. Do not introduce new material but stay with the topic.

A conclusion is important to the essay because it shows the reader why the essay was important. Take the time to think about each word in the conclusion and whether it adds to the essay showing the reader the importance of the essay. Conclusions ar more than ending an essay. They emphasize why the essay was written.