best ways to end off an essay

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How to Conclude an Essay (with Examples)

Last Updated: July 22, 2024 Fact Checked

Writing a Strong Conclusion

What to avoid, brainstorming tricks.

This article was co-authored by Jake Adams and by wikiHow staff writer, Aly Rusciano . Jake Adams is an academic tutor and the owner of Simplifi EDU, a Santa Monica, California based online tutoring business offering learning resources and online tutors for academic subjects K-College, SAT & ACT prep, and college admissions applications. With over 14 years of professional tutoring experience, Jake is dedicated to providing his clients the very best online tutoring experience and access to a network of excellent undergraduate and graduate-level tutors from top colleges all over the nation. Jake holds a BS in International Business and Marketing from Pepperdine University. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 3,220,252 times.

So, you’ve written an outstanding essay and couldn’t be more proud. But now you have to write the final paragraph. The conclusion simply summarizes what you’ve already written, right? Well, not exactly. Your essay’s conclusion should be a bit more finessed than that. Luckily, you’ve come to the perfect place to learn how to write a conclusion. We’ve put together this guide to fill you in on everything you should and shouldn’t do when ending an essay. Follow our advice, and you’ll have a stellar conclusion worthy of an A+ in no time.

Tips for Ending an Essay

• Rephrase your thesis to include in your final paragraph to bring the essay full circle.
• End your essay with a call to action, warning, or image to make your argument meaningful.
• Keep your conclusion concise and to the point, so you don’t lose a reader’s attention.
• Do your best to avoid adding new information to your conclusion and only emphasize points you’ve already made in your essay.

• “All in all”
• “Ultimately”
• “Furthermore”
• “As a consequence”
• “As a result”

• Make sure to write your main points in a new and unique way to avoid repetition.

• Let’s say this is your original thesis statement: “Allowing students to visit the library during lunch improves campus life and supports academic achievement.”
• Restating your thesis for your conclusion could look like this: “Evidence shows students who have access to their school’s library during lunch check out more books and are more likely to complete their homework.”
• The restated thesis has the same sentiment as the original while also summarizing other points of the essay.

• “When you use plastic water bottles, you pollute the ocean. Switch to using a glass or metal water bottle instead. The planet and sea turtles will thank you.”
• “The average person spends roughly 7 hours on their phone a day, so there’s no wonder cybersickness is plaguing all generations.”
• “Imagine walking on the beach, except the soft sand is made up of cigarette butts. They burn your feet but keep washing in with the tide. If we don’t clean up the ocean, this will be our reality.”
• “ Lost is not only a show that changed the course of television, but it’s also a reflection of humanity as a whole.”
• “If action isn’t taken to end climate change today, the global temperature will dangerously rise from 4.5 to 8 °F (−15.3 to −13.3 °C) by 2100.”

• Focus on your essay's most prevalent or important parts. What key points do you want readers to take away or remember about your essay?

• For instance, instead of writing, “That’s why I think that Abraham Lincoln was the best American President,” write, “That’s why Abraham Lincoln was the best American President.”
• There’s no room for ifs, ands, or buts—your opinion matters and doesn’t need to be apologized for!

• For instance, words like “firstly,” “secondly,” and “thirdly” may be great transition statements for body paragraphs but are unnecessary in a conclusion.

• For instance, say you began your essay with the idea that humanity’s small sense of sense stems from space’s vast size. Try returning to this idea in the conclusion by emphasizing that as human knowledge grows, space becomes smaller.

• For example, you could extend an essay on the television show Orange is the New Black by bringing up the culture of imprisonment in America.

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• ↑ https://www.uts.edu.au/current-students/support/helps/self-help-resources/grammar/transition-signals
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/common_writing_assignments/argument_papers/conclusions.html
• ↑ http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/conclude.html
• ↑ https://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/ending-essay-conclusions
• ↑ https://www.pittsfordschools.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=542&dataid=4677&FileName=conclusions1.pdf
• ↑ https://www.cuyamaca.edu/student-support/tutoring-center/files/student-resources/how-to-write-a-good-conclusion.pdf
• ↑ https://library.sacredheart.edu/c.php?g=29803&p=185935

About This Article

To end an essay, start your conclusion with a phrase that makes it clear your essay is coming to a close, like "In summary," or "All things considered." Then, use a few sentences to briefly summarize the main points of your essay by rephrasing the topic sentences of your body paragraphs. Finally, end your conclusion with a call to action that encourages your readers to do something or learn more about your topic. In general, try to keep your conclusion between 5 and 7 sentences long. For more tips from our English co-author, like how to avoid common pitfalls when writing an essay conclusion, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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5 Examples of Concluding Words for Essays

4-minute read

• 19th September 2022

If you’re a student writing an essay or research paper, it’s important to make sure your points flow together well. You’ll want to use connecting words (known formally as transition signals) to do this. Transition signals like thus , also , and furthermore link different ideas, and when you get to the end of your work, you need to use these to mark your conclusion. Read on to learn more about transition signals and how to use them to conclude your essays.

Transition Signals

Transition signals link sentences together cohesively, enabling easy reading and comprehension. They are usually placed at the beginning of a sentence and separated from the remaining words with a comma. There are several types of transition signals, including those to:

●  show the order of a sequence of events (e.g., first, then, next)

●  introduce an example (e.g., specifically, for instance)

●  indicate a contrasting idea (e.g., but, however, although)

●  present an additional idea (e.g., also, in addition, plus)

●  indicate time (e.g., beforehand, meanwhile, later)

●  compare (e.g., likewise, similarly)

●  show cause and effect (e.g., thus, as a result)

●  mark the conclusion – which we’ll focus on in this guide.

When you reach the end of an essay, you should start the concluding paragraph with a transition signal that acts as a bridge to the summary of your key points. Check out some concluding transition signals below and learn how you can use them in your writing.

To Conclude…

This is a particularly versatile closing statement that can be used for almost any kind of essay, including both formal and informal academic writing. It signals to the reader that you will briefly restate the main idea. As an alternative, you can begin the summary with “to close” or “in conclusion.” In an argumentative piece, you can use this phrase to indicate a call to action or opinion:

To conclude, Abraham Lincoln was the best president because he abolished slavery.

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As Has Been Demonstrated…

To describe how the evidence presented in your essay supports your argument or main idea, begin the concluding paragraph with “as has been demonstrated.” This phrase is best used for research papers or articles with heavy empirical or statistical evidence.

As has been demonstrated by the study presented above, human activities are negatively altering the climate system.

The Above Points Illustrate…

As another transitional phrase for formal or academic work, “the above points illustrate” indicates that you are reiterating your argument and that the conclusion will include an assessment of the evidence you’ve presented.

The above points illustrate that children prefer chocolate over broccoli.

In a Nutshell…

A simple and informal metaphor to begin a conclusion, “in a nutshell” prepares the reader for a summary of your paper. It can work in narratives and speeches but should be avoided in formal situations.

In a nutshell, the Beatles had an impact on musicians for generations to come.

Overall, It Can Be Said…

To recap an idea at the end of a critical or descriptive essay, you can use this phrase at the beginning of the concluding paragraph. “Overall” means “taking everything into account,” and it sums up your essay in a formal way. You can use “overall” on its own as a transition signal, or you can use it as part of a phrase.

Overall, it can be said that art has had a positive impact on humanity.

Proofreading and Editing

Transition signals are crucial to crafting a well-written and cohesive essay. For your next writing assignment, make sure you include plenty of transition signals, and check out this post for more tips on how to improve your writing. And before you turn in your paper, don’t forget to have someone proofread your work. Our expert editors will make sure your essay includes all the transition signals necessary for your writing to flow seamlessly. Send in a free 500-word sample today!

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Learn about the elements of a successful essay conclusion.

The conclusion is a very important part of your essay. Although it is sometimes treated as a roundup of all of the bits that didn’t fit into the paper earlier, it deserves better treatment than that! It's the last thing the reader will see, so it tends to stick in the reader's memory. It's also a great place to remind the reader exactly why your topic is important. A conclusion is more than just "the last paragraph"—it's a working part of the paper. This is the place to push your reader to think about the consequences of your topic for the wider world or for the reader's own life!

A good conclusion should do a few things:

Restate your thesis

Synthesize or summarize your major points

Make the context of your argument clear

Restating Your Thesis

You've already spent time and energy crafting a solid thesis statement for your introduction, and if you've done your job right, your whole paper focuses on that thesis statement. That's why it's so important to address the thesis in your conclusion! Many writers choose to begin the conclusion by restating the thesis, but you can put your thesis into the conclusion anywhere—the first sentence of the paragraph, the last sentence, or in between. Here are a few tips for rephrasing your thesis:

Remind the reader that you've proven this thesis over the course of your paper. For example, if you're arguing that your readers should get their pets from animal shelters rather than pet stores, you might say, "If you were considering that puppy in the pet-shop window, remember that your purchase will support 'puppy mills' instead of rescuing a needy dog, and consider selecting your new friend at your local animal shelter." This example gives the reader not only the thesis of the paper, but a reminder of the most powerful point in the argument!

Revise the thesis statement so that it reflects the relationship you've developed with the reader during the paper. For example, if you've written a paper that targets parents of young children, you can find a way to phrase your thesis to capitalize on that—maybe by beginning your thesis statement with, "As a parent of a young child…"

Don’t repeat your thesis word for word—make sure that your new statement is an independent, fresh sentence!

Summary or Synthesis

This section of the conclusion might come before the thesis statement or after it. Your conclusion should remind the reader of what your paper actually says! The best conclusion will include a synthesis, not just a summary—instead of a mere list of your major points, the best conclusion will draw those points together and relate them to one another so that your reader can apply the information given in the essay. Here are a couple of ways to do that:

Give a list of the major arguments for your thesis (usually, these are the topic sentences of the parts of your essay).

Explain how these parts are connected. For example, in the animal-shelter essay, you might point out that adopting a shelter dog helps more animals because your adoption fee supports the shelter, which makes your choice more socially responsible.

One of the most important functions of the conclusion is to provide context for your argument. Your reader may finish your essay without a problem and understand your argument without understanding why that argument is important. Your introduction might point out the reason your topic matters, but your conclusion should also tackle this questions. Here are some strategies for making your reader see why the topic is important:

Tell the reader what you want him or her to do. Is your essay a call to action? If so, remind the reader of what he/she should do. If not, remember that asking the reader to think a certain way is an action in itself. (In the above examples, the essay asks the reader to adopt a shelter dog—a specific action.)

Explain why this topic is timely or important. For example, the animal-shelter essay might end with a statistic about the number of pets in shelters waiting for adoption.

Remind the readers of why the topic matters to them personally. For example, it doesn’t matter much if you believe in the mission of animal shelters, if you're not planning to get a dog; however, once you're looking for a dog, it is much more important. The conclusion of this essay might say, "Since you’re in the market for a dog, you have a major decision to make: where to get one." This will remind the reader that the argument is personally important!

Conclusion paragraphs

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Conclusions

What this handout is about.

This handout will explain the functions of conclusions, offer strategies for writing effective ones, help you evaluate conclusions you’ve drafted, and suggest approaches to avoid.

About conclusions

Introductions and conclusions can be difficult to write, but they’re worth investing time in. They can have a significant influence on a reader’s experience of your paper.

Just as your introduction acts as a bridge that transports your readers from their own lives into the “place” of your analysis, your conclusion can provide a bridge to help your readers make the transition back to their daily lives. Such a conclusion will help them see why all your analysis and information should matter to them after they put the paper down.

Your conclusion is your chance to have the last word on the subject. The conclusion allows you to have the final say on the issues you have raised in your paper, to synthesize your thoughts, to demonstrate the importance of your ideas, and to propel your reader to a new view of the subject. It is also your opportunity to make a good final impression and to end on a positive note.

Your conclusion can go beyond the confines of the assignment. The conclusion pushes beyond the boundaries of the prompt and allows you to consider broader issues, make new connections, and elaborate on the significance of your findings.

Your conclusion should make your readers glad they read your paper. Your conclusion gives your reader something to take away that will help them see things differently or appreciate your topic in personally relevant ways. It can suggest broader implications that will not only interest your reader, but also enrich your reader’s life in some way. It is your gift to the reader.

Strategies for writing an effective conclusion

One or more of the following strategies may help you write an effective conclusion:

• Play the “So What” Game. If you’re stuck and feel like your conclusion isn’t saying anything new or interesting, ask a friend to read it with you. Whenever you make a statement from your conclusion, ask the friend to say, “So what?” or “Why should anybody care?” Then ponder that question and answer it. Here’s how it might go: You: Basically, I’m just saying that education was important to Douglass. Friend: So what? You: Well, it was important because it was a key to him feeling like a free and equal citizen. Friend: Why should anybody care? You: That’s important because plantation owners tried to keep slaves from being educated so that they could maintain control. When Douglass obtained an education, he undermined that control personally. You can also use this strategy on your own, asking yourself “So What?” as you develop your ideas or your draft.
• Return to the theme or themes in the introduction. This strategy brings the reader full circle. For example, if you begin by describing a scenario, you can end with the same scenario as proof that your essay is helpful in creating a new understanding. You may also refer to the introductory paragraph by using key words or parallel concepts and images that you also used in the introduction.
• Synthesize, don’t summarize. Include a brief summary of the paper’s main points, but don’t simply repeat things that were in your paper. Instead, show your reader how the points you made and the support and examples you used fit together. Pull it all together.
• Include a provocative insight or quotation from the research or reading you did for your paper.
• Propose a course of action, a solution to an issue, or questions for further study. This can redirect your reader’s thought process and help them to apply your info and ideas to their own life or to see the broader implications.
• Point to broader implications. For example, if your paper examines the Greensboro sit-ins or another event in the Civil Rights Movement, you could point out its impact on the Civil Rights Movement as a whole. A paper about the style of writer Virginia Woolf could point to her influence on other writers or on later feminists.

Strategies to avoid

• Beginning with an unnecessary, overused phrase such as “in conclusion,” “in summary,” or “in closing.” Although these phrases can work in speeches, they come across as wooden and trite in writing.
• Stating the thesis for the very first time in the conclusion.
• Introducing a new idea or subtopic in your conclusion.
• Ending with a rephrased thesis statement without any substantive changes.
• Making sentimental, emotional appeals that are out of character with the rest of an analytical paper.
• Including evidence (quotations, statistics, etc.) that should be in the body of the paper.

Four kinds of ineffective conclusions

• The “That’s My Story and I’m Sticking to It” Conclusion. This conclusion just restates the thesis and is usually painfully short. It does not push the ideas forward. People write this kind of conclusion when they can’t think of anything else to say. Example: In conclusion, Frederick Douglass was, as we have seen, a pioneer in American education, proving that education was a major force for social change with regard to slavery.
• The “Sherlock Holmes” Conclusion. Sometimes writers will state the thesis for the very first time in the conclusion. You might be tempted to use this strategy if you don’t want to give everything away too early in your paper. You may think it would be more dramatic to keep the reader in the dark until the end and then “wow” them with your main idea, as in a Sherlock Holmes mystery. The reader, however, does not expect a mystery, but an analytical discussion of your topic in an academic style, with the main argument (thesis) stated up front. Example: (After a paper that lists numerous incidents from the book but never says what these incidents reveal about Douglass and his views on education): So, as the evidence above demonstrates, Douglass saw education as a way to undermine the slaveholders’ power and also an important step toward freedom.
• The “America the Beautiful”/”I Am Woman”/”We Shall Overcome” Conclusion. This kind of conclusion usually draws on emotion to make its appeal, but while this emotion and even sentimentality may be very heartfelt, it is usually out of character with the rest of an analytical paper. A more sophisticated commentary, rather than emotional praise, would be a more fitting tribute to the topic. Example: Because of the efforts of fine Americans like Frederick Douglass, countless others have seen the shining beacon of light that is education. His example was a torch that lit the way for others. Frederick Douglass was truly an American hero.
• The “Grab Bag” Conclusion. This kind of conclusion includes extra information that the writer found or thought of but couldn’t integrate into the main paper. You may find it hard to leave out details that you discovered after hours of research and thought, but adding random facts and bits of evidence at the end of an otherwise-well-organized essay can just create confusion. Example: In addition to being an educational pioneer, Frederick Douglass provides an interesting case study for masculinity in the American South. He also offers historians an interesting glimpse into slave resistance when he confronts Covey, the overseer. His relationships with female relatives reveal the importance of family in the slave community.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Douglass, Frederick. 1995. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself. New York: Dover.

Hamilton College. n.d. “Conclusions.” Writing Center. Accessed June 14, 2019. https://www.hamilton.edu//academics/centers/writing/writing-resources/conclusions .

Holewa, Randa. 2004. “Strategies for Writing a Conclusion.” LEO: Literacy Education Online. Last updated February 19, 2004. https://leo.stcloudstate.edu/acadwrite/conclude.html.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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How to write an essay: Conclusion

• What's in this guide
• Introduction
• Essay structure
• Additional resources

The last section of an academic essay is the conclusion . The conclusion should reaffirm your answer to the question, and briefly summarise key arguments.  It does not include any new points or new information. A conclusion has three sections. First, repeat the thesis statement. It won’t use the exact same words as in your introduction, but it will repeat the point: your overall answer to the question. Then set out your general conclusions , and a short explanation of why they are important.

Finally, draw together the question , the evidence in the essay body, and the conclusion. This way the reader knows that you have understood and answered the question. This part needs to be clear and concise.

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How to End a College Essay, Leaving Your Readers Wanting More

Writing a compelling college essay is no small feat, and as you approach the finish line, the importance of a strong conclusion cannot be overstated. The concluding paragraphs of your essay leave a lasting impression on your reader, shaping their final thoughts and judgments. In this guide, we will explore proven strategies and effective techniques to teach you how to conclude a college essay, ensuring that it ends on a powerful note that resonates with your audience. 

How to End Your College Essay?

As you weave through the narrative, building the layers of your experiences and insights, it is crucial to approach the conclusion with the same level of thoughtfulness. The ending of your college essay is not merely a summation but a golden opportunity to leave a lasting impact on your reader, solidifying the themes and messages you've carefully presented throughout your writing.

In the final paragraphs, consider revisiting the essence of your introduction. Echoing a theme or idea mentioned at the beginning of your essay can create a sense of symmetry and coherence. This circular narrative structure can be a powerful way to show growth or transformation, allowing your audience to witness the full arc of your personal or academic journey.

However, it’s crucial to know how to end a college essay that transcends mere recapitulation. It offers an opportunity to expand beyond the confines of your individual story. Connect your experiences to broader themes, societal issues, or universal truths. This broader perspective not only elevates your ending but also emphasizes the relevance and significance of your personal narrative in a larger context.

Ultimately, your ending should linger in the reader's mind. Whether it's a profound reflection, a thought-provoking question, or a call to action, aim to leave your audience with something to ponder. If you don’t feel confident enough to write such an impactful ending or need a full text ready by the morning, use our college essay writing service . 

how to conclude a college essay

1. Lessons Learned

Concluding an essay with a "lessons learned" approach involves reflecting on the experiences or insights gained throughout the narrative. This technique allows you to not only summarize your journey but also emphasize personal growth or transformation. It will leave the reader with a sense of closure and a deeper understanding of the significance of your writing.

For example, if your essay revolves around overcoming a significant challenge, your conclusion could highlight the valuable lessons extracted from that experience. You might express how resilience and determination became guiding principles in your life. Consider a closing statement like, "In facing adversity, I discovered the strength within me, learning that challenges are not roadblocks but opportunities for growth."

Similarly, if your narrative explores academic pursuits, the college essay ending can emphasize the insights gained from your educational journey. You might conclude with a reflection on the broader importance of knowledge and intellectual curiosity, stating something like, "Through my academic endeavors, I've learned that true wisdom lies not only in what we know but in our perpetual pursuit of understanding, and it is this pursuit that fuels my passion for lifelong learning."

Strive for a balance between reflection and forward-looking statements. Express gratitude for the experiences that taught you valuable lessons, and consider projecting how these lessons will shape your future endeavors. Whether personal or academic, the lessons-learned approach provides your audience with a feeling of the enduring impact of your narrative.

2. Action-Packed Ending

Finishing an essay with an action-packed ending involves leaving the audience with a sense of movement, closure, or a call to action. Rather than simply summarizing key points, this approach to a college essay ending aims to energize the conclusion and leave a lasting impression. It's about propelling your narrative forward, creating a sense of momentum or anticipation.

For instance, if your essay is centered around a personal journey, you could conclude with a decisive statement about your next steps. An example might be, "Armed with the lessons from my past, I eagerly step into the unknown, ready to embrace new challenges and redefine my future." This action-packed ending infuses the ending with a sense of forward motion, inviting the reader to envision your continued journey.

In an academic essay, you might conclude with a call to action or a suggestion for further exploration. For example, "As we navigate the complexities of the topic, it's imperative that we continue this dialogue. Let's collectively strive for innovative solutions and collaborative efforts, ensuring a brighter future for generations to come."

The key is to convey a sense of dynamism and purpose. Consider the broader implications of your narrative and how it can inspire action or provoke thought. An action-packed ending ensures that your essay doesn't merely conclude but resonates, leaving your reader with a sense of movement and a compelling invitation to engage with the ideas presented.

3. The Full Circle

A full-circle college essay ending involves revisiting a theme, idea, or image mentioned in the introduction, creating a sense of completion and unity within the narrative. This approach allows you to tie together the various threads of your essay and leave the audience with a satisfying and resonant conclusion.

For instance, if your essay begins with a vivid image or metaphor, you can bring it back in the ending to underscore the journey you've undertaken. If, for example, your introduction spoke of a butterfly emerging from a cocoon as a metaphor for personal growth, your ending might revisit this image, stating something like, "Just as the butterfly emerges transformed from its cocoon, so too have I emerged from these experiences with a newfound strength and resilience."

Alternatively, if your introduction posed a thought-provoking question, your conclusion can provide an answer or reflect on the question's broader implications. For instance, if your opening question was, "What does it mean to truly understand oneself?" your ending could offer an insightful response, such as, "Through this journey, I've discovered that understanding oneself is an ongoing process, an intricate dance between self-reflection and embracing the evolving facets of one's identity."

The full-circle ending approach reinforces the unity of your essay and provides a satisfying sense of closure. By returning to a familiar element from the introduction, you create a narration symmetry that resonates with readers and leaves them with a lasting impression of your essay.

4. Addressing the College

Concluding an essay by addressing the college implies directly connecting your narrative to your aspirations, goals, or expectations for your college experience. This method ensures that your ending is not just a reflection on the past but also a projection into the future, demonstrating to the audience how your experiences will influence your college journey.

Let’s analyze some college essay ending examples. If your paper revolves around a significant extracurricular activity, you could conclude by explaining how this experience has shaped your goals for college. You might say, "As I eagerly anticipate the next chapter of my academic journey, I am determined to bring the same dedication and passion that fueled my involvement in my college community. I look forward to contributing my unique perspective and embracing new opportunities for growth."

Similarly, if your essay discusses a transformative academic experience, your ending can address how this will impact your approach to learning in college. You could state, "This journey has fortified my commitment to intellectual exploration. As I step into the college environment, I am excited to engage with diverse perspectives, delve into challenging coursework, and continue the pursuit of knowledge that has become an integral part of my identity."

This approach provides a forward-looking perspective, emphasizing the continuity between your past experiences and your aspirations for the future. By explicitly connecting your narrative to your college endeavors, you create a conclusion that not only reflects on your personal growth but also anticipates the contributions you hope to make in your college community.

5. A Glance into the Future

Concluding an essay by glancing into the future suggests projecting forward, offering insights into how your experiences will shape your future endeavors. This method encourages the reader to consider the lasting impact of your narrative and how it will continue to unfold in the time to come.

For instance, if your essay delves into personal growth or overcoming challenges, your ending might express aspirations for continued self-improvement. You could say, "As I look ahead, I am committed to building upon the resilience and determination that have defined this journey. I envision a future where challenges are not obstacles but stepping stones to further growth and achievement."

Alternatively, if your essay revolves around academic achievements or pursuits, your ending can provide a glimpse into your future academic ambitions. You might say, "The knowledge and skills acquired during this chapter of my academic journey lay the foundation for my future pursuits. I eagerly anticipate contributing to groundbreaking research and fostering a lifelong love for learning in the academic community."

Such college essay conclusions create a forward-looking perspective, ensuring that your essay's conclusion is not just a reflection on the past but a projection of your aspirations. By offering a preview of the impact your experiences will have on your future, you leave the reader with a sense of anticipation and a deeper understanding of the enduring significance of your narrative.

6. Avoiding Cliches and Generic Conclusions

Ending a scholarly paper without resorting to clichés and generic conclusions involves thinking beyond overused phrases and crafting an ending that feels fresh and genuine. Instead of relying on commonplace expressions, consider a personalized reflection or a thought-provoking statement that encapsulates the essence of your essay.

For instance, if your essay revolves around the theme of self-discovery, avoid the cliché of saying, "In conclusion, I discovered who I truly am." Instead, you might offer a more vivid and specific insight, such as, "Unraveling the layers of my identity revealed a tapestry of strengths and vulnerabilities, each thread contributing to a more nuanced understanding of myself."

Similarly, if your essay explores a transformative experience, steer clear of generic statements like, "This experience changed my life." Instead, you could convey a more distinctive sentiment, such as, "The challenges of academia not only reshaped my perspective but catalyzed a metamorphosis, leaving me poised for a future defined by resilience and newfound purpose."

By avoiding clichés and generic conclusions, you allow your unique voice to shine through. If your essay centers around a specific passion or interest, resist using trite phrases like "Follow your dreams." Instead, consider a more authentic expression like, "Fueling my passion for writing propels me toward a future where the genuine fire drives every pursuit within."

End a college essay without clichés, expressing your thoughts in a way that feels personal and true to your individual narrative. This approach ensures that your essay concludes with authenticity, leaving a lasting impression on the reader.

Avoid These Three College Essay Endings

Here are the most common pitfalls you should steer clear of when composing a college essay conclusion. Instead, create an ending that resonates with your authenticity and leaves a lasting impression on the audience. By avoiding summarization, clichéd quotes, and expressions of neediness, your conclusion can stand out as a thoughtful and genuine reflection of your personal narrative.

The summary snare

• A common pitfall in college essay endings is falling into the summary snare. Reiterating the main points of your essay without offering new insights can leave your conclusion feeling flat and redundant. 
• Instead of summarizing what your reader has just read, aim to provide a thoughtful reflection on the broader implications of your narrative or a glimpse into the lessons learned and their application in the future.

The famous quote trap

• While incorporating quotes into your essay can be impactful, relying on a famous quote as the central element of your conclusion can be a clichéd choice. Overused quotes often lack the personal touch needed to conclude a unique narrative effectively. 
• Instead of borrowing someone else's words, end your college essay with your authentic voice, leaving the reader with an original and memorable takeaway that encapsulates your individual journey.

The needy student triteness

• Concluding an essay by explicitly stating your desire to be accepted or expressing a need for the college's resources can come across as insincere or manipulative. Colleges seek authentic and self-aware individuals who can contribute meaningfully to their community. 
• Rather than portraying yourself as a "needy student," focus on showcasing your strengths, unique qualities, and the positive impact you can make on campus, ensuring your conclusion reflects confidence and self-assurance.

Best Tips on How to Conclude a College Essay

Here are some of the best tips for writing a college essay conclusion that is impactful and memorable:

• Reflect on your journey: Use the conclusion to reflect on the journey you've undertaken throughout your essay. Highlight the key moments, experiences, or insights that have shaped your narrative and contributed to your growth or development.
• Offer a thoughtful insight: Instead of simply summarizing your main points, aim to provide a thoughtful insight or reflection that adds depth to your essay. Consider the broader implications of your narrative and how it connects to larger themes or ideas.
• Avoid clichés: Steer clear of clichéd phrases or generic conclusions that lack originality. Instead, strive to end your essay with a fresh perspective or a unique perspective that captures the essence of your narrative.
• Leave room for interpretation: Consider ending your essay with an open-ended statement or question that encourages further thought or exploration. This allows the reader to engage with your ideas on a deeper level and leaves a lasting impression.
• Connect to your future: Use the conclusion to connect your narrative to your future aspirations or goals. Discuss how the experiences or lessons you've shared will influence your future endeavors, whether in college or beyond.
• Evoke emotion: Consider incorporating an emotional element into your conclusion. Whether it's a poignant reflection, a powerful image, or an evocative metaphor, appealing to the reader's emotions can create a memorable and resonant ending. Connecting on an emotional level ensures that your essay lingers in the audience's mind.
• Offer a glimpse into your personality: Use the conclusion as an opportunity to showcase your personality. Your essay is not just a compilation of achievements and experiences; it's a representation of who you are. Let your unique voice shine through in the ending, allowing the reader to connect with you on a personal level.
• Consider the tone: Adjusting the writing tone with the overall spirit of your essay. Whether your narrative is reflective, optimistic, or contemplative, the conclusion should maintain consistency. A seamless transition in tone enhances the cohesiveness of your essay and provides a satisfying reading experience for your audience.
• End with confidence: Conclude your essay with confidence and conviction, reaffirming the significance of your narrative and the impact it has had on you. Leave the reader with a sense of closure and a clear understanding of the message you've conveyed.

Final Consideration

Incorporating these tips into your writing can pave the way for your academic success. By following our guidelines, you'll not only enhance the quality of your work but also foster a deeper connection with your readers. Reflecting on your journey, offering thoughtful insights, and avoiding the previously mentioned stumbling blocks will set your paper apart. Remember, your unique voice, coupled with an emotional touch and a forward-looking perspective, can leave a lasting impression. Embrace these tips to end a college essay, and you'll undoubtedly set yourself on the path of a successful and impactful writer.

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How to write a captivating essay conclusion

(Last updated: 12 May 2021)

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You may be surprised when we say that an essay conclusion is, in some ways, comparable to a piece of text as emotive as say, Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech. Sounds ridiculous? Perhaps. But, extravagant comparisons aside, what we mean here is that the core purpose of an essay conclusion can be compared to the end of any great speech, monologue or presentation that leaves you feeling something . Ultimately, when you conclude an essay, you want to engage the reader's emotions, whether they be excitement, surprise, contemplation, or a mix of these and more. And you want to do this in much the same way that Martin Luther King would have done with his captivated audience on that memorable day in 1963.

Conclusions are among the hardest parts of an essay to write well. You need to round off your essay effectively. You need to leave your reader with the best possible impression of your work. And, you need to somehow recap all your central points without simply repeating yourself. Sound like a tricky balancing act? We explain it all in more depth below – read on for our tips on how to conclude an essay effectively.

How do I conclude an essay?

What is a conclusion? It’s a question that seems, on the face of it, to have a perfectly simple answer. It’s the paragraph (or so) at the end of your essay where you bring your essay to a stop by recapping your central arguments, right? Easy.

If we asked you to list a few synonyms for an essay conclusion, we’re willing to bet you’d come up with a few words or phrases like “recap”, “summary”, “restatement of your thesis”, and so on. And it’s true you’re likely to find all of these somewhere in the conclusion of an essay.

"Words and phrases like 'recap', 'summary' and 'restatement of your thesis' don't accurately describe what an essay conclusion is. A conclusion is so much more, and a lot hinges on how well it is done."

But none of the phrases above fully grasp the function of an essay conclusion. In fact, taking any one of them to be entirely synonymous with an essay conclusion is likely to lead you down the path towards writing bad essay conclusions, or at least missed-opportunity conclusions – conclusions that don’t take full advantage of their place at the end of the essay to fulfil their rhetorical potential.

OK then, how do I avoid concluding an essay badly?

Before we get to answering the question of what an essay conclusion is, it’s useful to spend a moment thinking about some of the things an essay conclusion isn’t .

• It’s not a repeat of your introduction. Every university instructor has encountered an essay where a student has copied and pasted, almost word-for-word, their introduction at the bottom of their essay. It should be obvious that there’s no point in doing this. You're just eating up words by repeating the same information over again. And if a conclusion were simply a rehash of the introduction, there wouldn’t be any point in ending the essay with it. You could just end with your final body paragraph argument. Or, if you really wanted your reader to read the introduction again and remind themselves of your central arguments, you could simply say something like, “See introduction”! OK, so copying and pasting the introduction is an extreme example, and you’re probably thinking “there’s no way I’d do something like that.” But it’s fairly common for students to conclude an essay by simply rephrasing their introduction. Just paraphrasing yourself while retaining all the content of your introduction isn’t a whole lot different from the copy-paste job. You’re still just going through the motions and repeating the same information without really getting to grips with the dedicated function a conclusion is supposed to fulfil.
• It’s not just a summary of your body paragraphs. Another common trap students fall into is to view the essay conclusion simply as a recap. They conclude an essay by providing a concise summary of each of the arguments they’ve made. This kind of recap can form an important part of your conclusion, especially in longer essays where you’ve made a series of complex arguments. But, as with repeating your introduction, eating up valuable word count simply to rehash stuff you’ve already said is redundant and doesn’t fulfil any sort of rhetorical or persuasive function.
• It’s not a place to add new content or make new arguments. Yes, your essay conclusion shouldn’t be simply a recap, a summary, or a repeat of what you’ve already written in your essay. But it is a place where you reflect on the arguments you’ve made rather than starting to introduce anything new. And here’s where the whole business of how to conclude an essay starts to get a bit complicated. If a conclusion is neither simply a recap of old information nor a place for new information, what is it, exactly?

A conclusion is a sales pitch!

If you’ve been paying attention you may have seen that we’ve already mentioned “rhetoric” a couple of times so far in this post – and this is no accident. You can’t really talk about essay conclusions without talking about rhetoric. The conclusion to an essay is the most purely rhetorical part of the entire piece.

By “rhetorical”, we mean a conclusion’s (and indeed the entire essay’s) ability to convince or persuade the reader of certain outlooks or arguments. An essay conclusion needs to use rhetoric to emotionally connect with the reader in some way. And this is done through the use of certain language and the way the information is presented.

If alarm bells are starting to ring at the mention of rhetoric, quiet them. Rhetoric gets a bad name in public discourse. Phrases like “pure rhetoric” or “empty rhetoric” are often used to suggest that an utterance lacks substance or integrity, or is somehow dishonest or insincere. And those are the last things you want your reader to take away from reading your essay! But rhetoric is one of the oldest scholarly disciplines in the world. In Classical societies – and in fact right up to the beginning of the twentieth century – it was considered one of the most important disciplines throughout Western society. The fact that it’s acquired something of a bad name over the last hundred years or so doesn’t mean it’s not still the foundation of good writing.

More importantly, your rhetorical skills can make a huge difference to whether your reader actually buys your argument. Let’s say we have two writers. One is skilled in rhetoric; the other less so. Both could make an identical set of arguments with the same supporting evidence and elicit entirely different responses in their readers. It’s true that the excessive use of rhetorical flourishes can rub your reader up the wrong way. It could cause them to think your essay is more about style than substance. But the subtler cues – in the way you phrase, structure, and present your arguments – can unquestionably make the difference between winning over a sceptical audience and leaving them unmoved.

"How you phrase, structure, and present arguments in your essay conclusion can make the difference between winning over a sceptical audience and leaving them unmoved – which could easily make a difference to your overall grade."

So what does all this have to do with how you conclude an essay? This can all seem a bit abstract when we’re dealing with essay writing , so let’s try an analogy. Let’s imagine you’re delivering a sales pitch for a property company. That company is trying to sell waterfront properties in a desirable holiday location – the Caribbean, say. Your audience is a set of moderately well-off individuals who regularly take expensive holidays. But, they’re not sure they can afford to buy a second home in the Caribbean. Even if they can afford it, they’re unclear if it would be a good investment.

To convince the members of your audience that they want to buy one of your properties, you’re going to have to conduct quite a detailed pitch. It could easily take a couple of hours or more to list the features of the property, the merits of the location, and the financial arrangements that will allow buyers to fund their purchase. You’ll make many arguments throughout your pitch, not all of which will be equally exciting. Sure, you’ll tell your potential customers about the balcony that leads off the master bedroom, the distance to the beach, and the amenities of the town in which the properties are located.

But your customers will also want to know other details: can they let the property while they’re not using it, for example? What kind of returns will that bring, and will these be enough to offset the purchase price? How are properties taxed in the area? And how about the facilities the local authority will provide? What kind of sanitation and waste facilities does the property have? Is it connected to a sewer or does it use a septic tank?

If the buyer is going to sign on the dotted line when it’s all done, you’re going to have to provide convincing answers to all of these questions. But simply recapping your arguments in order isn’t going to end the presentation effectively. You don’t want the lingering thought in your audience’s mind to be taxes or sewage. And you certainly don’t want to hit them with any new detail in your closing few slides. In fact, you don’t really want them to leave the presentation with any of the details you’ve discussed uppermost in their mind. Dwelling on any of the details is likely to remind them that buying and owning property is time-consuming, expensive, and stressful.

The impression you want to leave them with is that of having their very own place in the sun. An island paradise that’s theirs to return to any time they want to. You don’t want them leaving the building still musing over any of the specific points of your sales pitch. They need to be moved by the overall effect – and the promise – of what you’ve offered them. Sun on their backs, sand between their toes, and a crystal-clear blue ocean stretching out ahead of them.

So how does this help me conclude an essay?

OK, we get it. You’re not selling anybody a beach getaway when you conclude an essay. But what the above analogy describes is rhetoric . In an essay, you are making a pitch. And the same principles as the property sales example above apply.

Your essay conclusion is your parting shot. It’s your opportunity to leave your reader with a favourable impression of the arguments you’ve just made. You want them, at minimum, to be convinced that you’ve achieved what you set out to achieve; that you’ve proved your points . Better yet, you want them to feel satisfied that you’ve taken them on an intellectual journey that was interesting and rewarding.

Best of all, though, is if you leave them with a feeling of excitement . Excitement that your essay promises a new way of thinking about a topic, or a promising line of intellectual inquiry. The scholarly equivalent of feeling sand between their toes, in other words.

My five-paragraph essay has to be exciting ? How do you propose I manage that?

It’s true that not all essays are equally rewarding to read. But academia is all about the collaborative generation of knowledge. And even first-year undergraduate students can offer an original take on a subject that causes their instructors to think about a topic in a new way. Maybe they’ll even incorporate that new angle into their class teachings, or the next paper they write. Don’t underestimate how exciting that can be for instructors. And don’t underestimate how much your instructor – with a pile of fifty or a hundred essays to sift through – will appreciate a well-written, animated essay that reads satisfyingly from start to finish. And if there’s even a germ of an original idea in the essay, it’s your job to sell it. It’s your job to highlight what’s new and innovative about your argument, and to excite your reader. That’s what a good essay conclusion does.

Here's a note if you’re writing an essay using a formulaic structure like the five-paragraph, three-argument essay. With these formulaic essays it’s even more important that you don’t simply regurgitate your introduction in your conclusion. The key to concluding an essay of any length or complexity is persuading your reader that there’s been development between the start and end of the essay. They must end knowing more than they did at the start. The same applies for five-paragraph essays.

Let’s consider an example where you’re writing a five-paragraph essay about Shakespeare’s famous Sonnet 18, and you’ve been asked to examine some of the formal features of the sonnet. We’ll take a look at a sample introduction that concisely outlines the thesis of the essay, and then think about how we might conclude such an essay effectively. (Note: this example contains some fairly detailed literary-critical terminology, but you don’t need to understand this to be able to follow along.)

Introduction:

William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 (“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”) is one of his best-known sonnets and deals with themes of eternal love, ageing, and the nature of art. This essay explores how Shakespeare uses the formal structure of the sonnet, together with small but significant variations in the meter, and the conceit of the changing seasons, to explore these themes.

Body paragraphs:

[ Body paragraph 1: the structure of an English sonnet, the use of the “turn” at the start of the third quatrain, and the couplet at the end that presents a neat summary of the poem’s message about the timelessness of art in the face of human ageing.]

[ Body paragraph 2: the generally regular use of iambic pentameter in the sonnet, and the effects of strategic substitutions, in particular the replacement of the first iambic foot in line 3 with a spondaic foot, and its introduction of a note of restlessness and discord after the harmonious opening two lines.]

[ Body paragraph 3: the conceit of the changing seasons that runs through the entire poem, and the ways in which Shakespeare uses the sonnet structure to explore different aspects of this theme.]

Bad essay conclusion (rephrasing of the thesis statement, lacking any development):

Sonnet 18 explores the themes of love, ageing, and art through the extended metaphor of the changing seasons. Shakespeare uses the sonnet’s formal structure, variations in the iambic pentameter meter, and the conceit of summer changing into winter, to explore these eternal themes.

Better essay conclusion (recaps on central points and makes some attempt to draw them together):

In Sonnet 18, Shakespeare explores the themes of love, ageing, and art through the extended metaphor of the changing seasons. Shakespeare uses both the meter and structure of the sonnet to maximise the effectiveness of this metaphor. Metrical variations like the spondaic substitution at the start of the third line maximise the drama of this metaphor. By making use of the formal structure of the sonnet – especially the “turn” at the start of the third quatrain – Shakespeare is able to explore different facets of his central conceit of summer changing into winter.

Best essay conclusion (recaps central points but makes the key links between them explicit and gestures towards broader implications):

Shakespeare’s sonnets are among the most celebrated sequences of poems in the English language, and Sonnet 18 provides several important illustrations of why this is. The formal techniques Shakespeare uses to explore the poem’s central conceit of changing seasons are often very subtle, but demonstrate a mastery of the sonnet form that enhances his exploration of his central conceit of the changing seasons. We have seen, for example, how minor metrical variations have a powerful impact on the poem’s message, like the use of the spondaic foot “Rough winds” in place of an iambic foot at the start of the third line, which introduces a note of conflict into the seemingly harmonious simile with which he begins the sonnet. And the archetypal sonnet “turn” that Shakespeare deploys at the start of the third quatrain allows him to convey a profound message about the redemptive, eternal power of art, transforming a melancholy lament on the process of ageing into a triumphant celebration of the poem itself.

As you’ll see from these three examples, there are many different ways to conclude an essay and recap on its central points. Each of the above essay conclusions could apply to the same basic thesis statement and three body paragraphs, but they would have radically different effects on the overall way a reader interprets the value of these arguments.

Our first example simply restates the thesis without displaying any significant development. The points made in the three body paragraphs are simply presented in the conclusion as a list. This creates an overall effect of disjointedness (often a major problem for five-paragraph essays).

The second example demonstrates the bare minimum a reader should expect from a conclusion. It creates a sense of development through the essay by revisiting some of the detail of the body paragraphs and attempting to draw links between them.

However, the third example represents a much more convincing “sales pitch” for this kind of essay. It groups together the various body paragraph arguments into a single unifying theme. In this case, it’s the idea that Shakespeare’s greatness as a poet rests in his mastery of form and content, and his ability to weave the two subtly into a poem that first descents into a lament on the ravages of ageing and then abruptly turns into a celebration of art and poetry.

What makes this conclusion example really stand out from the other two is its sense of balance between recap and sales pitch. Although it doesn’t introduce any new content, it does gesture towards broader implications for the arguments presented in the essay. For example, it highlights Shakespeare’s greatness as a poet and a master of form. The effect on a mundane, humdrum five-paragraph essay is quite transformative. The essay conclusion takes the contents of a fairly bog-standard, elementary literary-critical argument and makes them seem exciting and relevant.

A conclusion can’t save a bad essay, of course. But if you conclude an essay with the right sales pitch you can make even fairly elementary arguments sparkle!

How (and how not) to conclude an essay – dos and don’ts

The examples above offer some good pointers to help you conclude an essay in the most persuasive possible way. Here’s a summary of what we’ve learned:

• Do sell it. If your introduction and body paragraphs are where you lay the solid groundwork for your essay, your conclusion is where you convince your reader that what they’ve read represented a fun, insightful, intellectual journey that was worth their time. Don’t be afraid of rhetoric when you’re looking to conclude an essay – make the biggest, boldest pitch you can for the value of what you’ve argued.
• Do pull it all together. When you conclude an essay, you’re not only trying to convince your reader of the merit of your individual points or body paragraphs. You’re also making the case that your essay represented a unified, coherent whole. If you include one new thing in your introduction, make it an explicit theme that unifies all of your points and convinces your reader that your essay is a single, flowing, logical unit.
• Do be speculative. The conclusion to an essay is the one place where you get to bend the rules just a little bit. Throughout the rest of your essay you need to be scrupulously careful not to make assertions you can’t back up. But it’s expected that your conclusion gestures broadly – and slightly speculatively – towards the implications of your argument. Don’t go nuts and claim your argument will change the world, of course. That’s wholly unsupportable and comes across as ludicrous and overblown – the “bad” kind of rhetoric. But you should be aiming to excite your reader. You can often do this by suggesting that there’s an urgent need to change approach to a problem or view it in a new way.
• Don’t just rehash your thesis. The absolute least effective way you can conclude an essay is to simply repeat what you’ve already said in your introduction. You’ll create a sense of stagnation which is the very opposite of the sense of progression and dynamism you’re trying to create. This is especially true if your essay is short.
• Don’t introduce whole new arguments. It’s true, your essay conclusion should revisit your arguments in a fresh way, whether that’s by underlying a unifying theme or gesturing towards the implications of what you’ve written. But you still need to conclude your essay by reflecting on arguments you’ve already made, not by introducing new ones.

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Just as we say good-bye to people when ending a conversation, so must a writer conclude his/her written text. A writer should imagine that readers have read the text but have not fully grasped all the ideas. Furthermore, the writer must assume that readers do not necessarily know how to respond to the topic. Therefore, it is a writer’s job to remind readers about his/her main claim and key ideas as well as call readers to action. Failing to do so might mean that readers are left with questions about a text and/or do not respond properly to it.

Summarized Explanation

• Most multi-paragraph texts require a concluding paragraph. A basic concluding paragraph should include three main parts (restated thesis, summarized key ideas, clincher).

Detailed Explanation

The following examples are the same ones that appears in the writing guide for Writing a Strong Introduction . 

Color-coding key:

• Restated Thesis
• Summarized Key Ideas

Example #1           

          (Introduction)  Meeting someone for the first time without a proper introduction can be awkward. Likewise, a text without an introductory paragraph leaves a lot to be desired. The introduction is the first thing that readers see in a text. For that reason, it ought to engage and inform readers. To accomplish this, writers should begin texts with an introductory paragraph that includes an effective hook, background information, and thesis statement.

          (Body Paragraphs)

• Why writers should include a hook in an introductory paragraph.
• Why writers should include background information in an introductory paragraph.
• Why writers should include a thesis statement in an introductory paragraph.

          (Concluding Paragraph) In conclusion, a thorough three-part introductory paragraph will ensure a strong start to any text. The first element of an introduction, the hook, works to intrigue readers. Then they will be ready to read more of the background information on a topic. And to top things off, the thesis statement indicates the purpose and focus of a text so that readers know what to expect. Therefore, the importance of an introductory paragraph should not be underestimated, and all writers should seek to create truly engaging introductions.

          (Introduction) They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This adage is true, but not everything is relative. For example, in the world of writing, texts can take many forms, and writers have a lot of creative freedom. That said, there are some basic frameworks that should be employed for most writing forms—for example, the tried-and-true template for an introductory paragraph. Considering this, the previous introductory paragraph is quite effective because it includes a strong hook, background information, and thesis statement.

• Why the previous introductory paragraph includes a strong hook.
• Why the previous introductory paragraph includes strong background information.
• Why the previous introductory paragraph includes a strong thesis statement.

          (Concluding Paragraphs) To sum up, the sample text is a great example of a strong introductory paragraph. As noted previously, its hook is creative and compels readers to keep going. Afterward, they are met with relevant background information followed by a thesis statement that effectively forecasts the writer's position and key ideas. All in all, this introductory paragraph should be saved and referenced frequently for any writer who wants to create successful introductions.

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Conclusions wrap up what you have been discussing in your paper. After moving from general to specific information in the introduction and body paragraphs, your conclusion should begin pulling back into more general information that restates the main points of your argument. Conclusions may also call for action or overview future possible research. The following outline may help you conclude your paper:

In a general way,

• Restate your topic and why it is important,
• Restate your thesis/claim,
• Address opposing viewpoints and explain why readers should align with your position,
• Call for action or overview future research possibilities.

Remember that once you accomplish these tasks, unless otherwise directed by your instructor, you are finished. Done. Complete. Don't try to bring in new points or end with a whiz bang(!) conclusion or try to solve world hunger in the final sentence of your conclusion. Simplicity is best for a clear, convincing message.

The preacher's maxim is one of the most effective formulas to follow for argument papers:

Tell what you're going to tell them (introduction).

Tell them (body).

Tell them what you told them (conclusion).

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• How to write an argumentative essay | Examples & tips

How to Write an Argumentative Essay | Examples & Tips

Published on July 24, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

An argumentative essay expresses an extended argument for a particular thesis statement . The author takes a clearly defined stance on their subject and builds up an evidence-based case for it.

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Table of contents

When do you write an argumentative essay, approaches to argumentative essays, introducing your argument, the body: developing your argument, concluding your argument, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about argumentative essays.

You might be assigned an argumentative essay as a writing exercise in high school or in a composition class. The prompt will often ask you to argue for one of two positions, and may include terms like “argue” or “argument.” It will frequently take the form of a question.

The prompt may also be more open-ended in terms of the possible arguments you could make.

Argumentative writing at college level

At university, the vast majority of essays or papers you write will involve some form of argumentation. For example, both rhetorical analysis and literary analysis essays involve making arguments about texts.

In this context, you won’t necessarily be told to write an argumentative essay—but making an evidence-based argument is an essential goal of most academic writing, and this should be your default approach unless you’re told otherwise.

Examples of argumentative essay prompts

At a university level, all the prompts below imply an argumentative essay as the appropriate response.

Your research should lead you to develop a specific position on the topic. The essay then argues for that position and aims to convince the reader by presenting your evidence, evaluation and analysis.

• Don’t just list all the effects you can think of.
• Do develop a focused argument about the overall effect and why it matters, backed up by evidence from sources.
• Don’t just provide a selection of data on the measures’ effectiveness.
• Do build up your own argument about which kinds of measures have been most or least effective, and why.
• Don’t just analyze a random selection of doppelgänger characters.
• Do form an argument about specific texts, comparing and contrasting how they express their thematic concerns through doppelgänger characters.

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An argumentative essay should be objective in its approach; your arguments should rely on logic and evidence, not on exaggeration or appeals to emotion.

There are many possible approaches to argumentative essays, but there are two common models that can help you start outlining your arguments: The Toulmin model and the Rogerian model.

Toulmin arguments

The Toulmin model consists of four steps, which may be repeated as many times as necessary for the argument:

• Make a claim
• Provide the grounds (evidence) for the claim
• Explain the warrant (how the grounds support the claim)
• Discuss possible rebuttals to the claim, identifying the limits of the argument and showing that you have considered alternative perspectives

The Toulmin model is a common approach in academic essays. You don’t have to use these specific terms (grounds, warrants, rebuttals), but establishing a clear connection between your claims and the evidence supporting them is crucial in an argumentative essay.

Say you’re making an argument about the effectiveness of workplace anti-discrimination measures. You might:

• Claim that unconscious bias training does not have the desired results, and resources would be better spent on other approaches
• Cite data to support your claim
• Explain how the data indicates that the method is ineffective
• Anticipate objections to your claim based on other data, indicating whether these objections are valid, and if not, why not.

Rogerian arguments

The Rogerian model also consists of four steps you might repeat throughout your essay:

• Discuss what the opposing position gets right and why people might hold this position
• Highlight the problems with this position
• Present your own position , showing how it addresses these problems
• Suggest a possible compromise —what elements of your position would proponents of the opposing position benefit from adopting?

This model builds up a clear picture of both sides of an argument and seeks a compromise. It is particularly useful when people tend to disagree strongly on the issue discussed, allowing you to approach opposing arguments in good faith.

Say you want to argue that the internet has had a positive impact on education. You might:

• Acknowledge that students rely too much on websites like Wikipedia
• Argue that teachers view Wikipedia as more unreliable than it really is
• Suggest that Wikipedia’s system of citations can actually teach students about referencing
• Suggest critical engagement with Wikipedia as a possible assignment for teachers who are skeptical of its usefulness.

You don’t necessarily have to pick one of these models—you may even use elements of both in different parts of your essay—but it’s worth considering them if you struggle to structure your arguments.

Regardless of which approach you take, your essay should always be structured using an introduction , a body , and a conclusion .

Like other academic essays, an argumentative essay begins with an introduction . The introduction serves to capture the reader’s interest, provide background information, present your thesis statement , and (in longer essays) to summarize the structure of the body.

Hover over different parts of the example below to see how a typical introduction works.

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its critical benefits for students and educators—as a uniquely comprehensive and accessible information source; a means of exposure to and engagement with different perspectives; and a highly flexible learning environment.

The body of an argumentative essay is where you develop your arguments in detail. Here you’ll present evidence, analysis, and reasoning to convince the reader that your thesis statement is true.

In the standard five-paragraph format for short essays, the body takes up three of your five paragraphs. In longer essays, it will be more paragraphs, and might be divided into sections with headings.

Each paragraph covers its own topic, introduced with a topic sentence . Each of these topics must contribute to your overall argument; don’t include irrelevant information.

This example paragraph takes a Rogerian approach: It first acknowledges the merits of the opposing position and then highlights problems with that position.

Hover over different parts of the example to see how a body paragraph is constructed.

A common frustration for teachers is students’ use of Wikipedia as a source in their writing. Its prevalence among students is not exaggerated; a survey found that the vast majority of the students surveyed used Wikipedia (Head & Eisenberg, 2010). An article in The Guardian stresses a common objection to its use: “a reliance on Wikipedia can discourage students from engaging with genuine academic writing” (Coomer, 2013). Teachers are clearly not mistaken in viewing Wikipedia usage as ubiquitous among their students; but the claim that it discourages engagement with academic sources requires further investigation. This point is treated as self-evident by many teachers, but Wikipedia itself explicitly encourages students to look into other sources. Its articles often provide references to academic publications and include warning notes where citations are missing; the site’s own guidelines for research make clear that it should be used as a starting point, emphasizing that users should always “read the references and check whether they really do support what the article says” (“Wikipedia:Researching with Wikipedia,” 2020). Indeed, for many students, Wikipedia is their first encounter with the concepts of citation and referencing. The use of Wikipedia therefore has a positive side that merits deeper consideration than it often receives.

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An argumentative essay ends with a conclusion that summarizes and reflects on the arguments made in the body.

No new arguments or evidence appear here, but in longer essays you may discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your argument and suggest topics for future research. In all conclusions, you should stress the relevance and importance of your argument.

Hover over the following example to see the typical elements of a conclusion.

The internet has had a major positive impact on the world of education; occasional pitfalls aside, its value is evident in numerous applications. The future of teaching lies in the possibilities the internet opens up for communication, research, and interactivity. As the popularity of distance learning shows, students value the flexibility and accessibility offered by digital education, and educators should fully embrace these advantages. The internet’s dangers, real and imaginary, have been documented exhaustively by skeptics, but the internet is here to stay; it is time to focus seriously on its potential for good.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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An argumentative essay tends to be a longer essay involving independent research, and aims to make an original argument about a topic. Its thesis statement makes a contentious claim that must be supported in an objective, evidence-based way.

An expository essay also aims to be objective, but it doesn’t have to make an original argument. Rather, it aims to explain something (e.g., a process or idea) in a clear, concise way. Expository essays are often shorter assignments and rely less on research.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

The majority of the essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay . Unless otherwise specified, you can assume that the goal of any essay you’re asked to write is argumentative: To convince the reader of your position using evidence and reasoning.

In composition classes you might be given assignments that specifically test your ability to write an argumentative essay. Look out for prompts including instructions like “argue,” “assess,” or “discuss” to see if this is the goal.

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More From Forbes

Here's how to handle overstimulation at work.

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Overstimulation at work can happen to anyone.

You start your busy workday by waking up to your alarm, drinking a double macchiato and trying to reach inbox zero status. It’s a Monday morning, so it takes a while until you are finally “in the zone” working on a high-profile assignment due by the end of the day. A few minutes pass when you inevitably hear the “ding” of yet another text message on your phone. Then, as luck would have it, your co-worker (or family pet) bursts into your office demanding your undivided attention. At the same time, you hear thundering laughter coming from next door. Finally, you manage to regain your focus when suddenly your manager messages you on Slack to find out the status of your presentation. It’s a common scenario. Whether you work in-person, hybrid or remote, it can be challenging to manage overstimulation at work.

According to one survey , 82% of Americans have experienced overstimulation at least once. In addition, research shows that 80% of global knowledge workers describe feeling overworked and close to burnout. Also known as sensory overload, overstimulation refers to a situation where the brain receives more information than it can manage. At that point, it becomes difficult to work effectively. Whether it’s due to external stimuli or worrisome thoughts, overstimulation at work can impact anyone. People with certain health conditions are more predisposed to sensory overload, including those with autism, ADHD, PTSD, anxiety and depression. While the symptoms vary, some common ones include stress, irritability, anxiety, restlessness and an inability to focus. Feelings of being overwhelmed are unique to each individual. For example, one person might be more sensitive to sound, while another may feel discomfort when exposed to bright lights.

While overstimulation at work can negatively impact job performance, there are ways to handle it. These coping techniques will help you deal with distractions and triggers so you can regain control and take charge of your day.

Identify Overstimulation Triggers

Before you can combat overstimulation at work, you need to pay attention to stress signals. These can include physical symptoms like headaches and rapid breathing or emotional symptoms like anger and anxiety. Once more self-aware, look for patterns that cause these symptoms. If necessary, create an "overwhelm journal” where you document daily triggers. For instance, maybe your colleague is constantly interrupting you throughout the day, or your manager undermines you in meetings. At that point, you can create a strategy to deal with the stressors and minimize their impact.

Build And Preserve Healthy Boundaries

If you’re taking on too many projects, it’s time to set healthy boundaries . The first step is to consider your values and priorities. For example, if your number one priority is family, set a boundary only to check email during business hours or specified times. Establish a consistent work schedule and communicate it to your colleagues. Also, enlist the help of your manager to help you prioritize tasks and delegate projects. Finally, don’t forget to take the time off you deserve. Expedia’s 24th Annual Vacation Deprivation Report found that only half of Americans used all their vacation time. In addition, vacation deprivation (the feeling of not having enough vacation time) hit an 11-year high at 65%. By scheduling time for rest and relaxation, you'll return to the office refreshed and ready to do your best.

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A constant flood of meetings, emails and gossipy co-workers are more than just distractions. Combined, they contribute to overstimulation at work. Research shows that unnecessary meetings can cost organizations as much as $100 million per year. If meetings are consuming too much of your time, consider adding meeting-free blocks to your calendar. That way, you are sure to have uninterrupted time throughout the day to focus on deep work. If you are sensitive to noise, invest in a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. Finally, turn off all notifications, whether it's email, texts or Slack. Instead, proactively batch-check your messages at specific points throughout the day. This time management approach will boost productivity and minimize interruptions.

Practice Mindfulness And Relaxation Techniques

To manage sensory overload, it helps to leverage mindfulness activities that relax your body and mind. One approach is to practice the 4-7-8 breathing technique by breathing in for four seconds, holding your breath for seven seconds and exhaling for eight seconds. This rhythmic breathing exercise has been shown to reduce anxiety and even help individuals fall asleep faster. Another idea is to take scheduled breaks during the day. While it sounds counterintuitive, stepping away from your computer allows you to improve your mood, restore motivation and increase your ability to focus. If you can’t step away for some reason, practice guided imagery. Start by closing your eyes and thinking of a particular setting (like the beach or a forest). Then, use all your senses to immerse yourself in the details. The more you practice, the more likely you’ll be able to control your thoughts and emotions.

Overstimulation at work can happen to anyone at any time. The most important thing is to acknowledge the situation and take steps to establish coping mechanisms. If stress and overwhelm start to impact your mental or physical health, don't hesitate to ask for outside support from a coach or therapist. At the end of the day, there's no more significant investment than that in your well-being.

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