How to Write a Conclusion for an Essay or Paper (With Examples)
A good conclusion does three things: it restates your main argument in fresh words, synthesises your key points into one larger insight, and closes with a clear final thought. It adds no new evidence and does not apologise. Aim for roughly 5 to 10 percent of the whole piece, and read it alone to check it still makes sense.
The short answer: restate, synthesise, close
A conclusion is the last chance to show your reader what the whole piece adds up to. The most dependable formula has three moves:
- Restate the central claim (your thesis) in different words, without copying the introduction.
- Synthesise the main points: say what they mean together, not just what each one said.
- Close with a final thought: the consequence, the limit of the claim, or the next question worth asking.
In most essays this takes one paragraph of four to six sentences. Longer papers may need two or three paragraphs, and a dissertation chapter can need a full section. A rough guide is that the conclusion should take up about 5 to 10 percent of the total length, but follow the word limit and instructions your course gives you.
What a conclusion is not
A conclusion is not a summary that repeats every paragraph in order, and it is not the place to start a new argument. If a sentence could be moved into the body without anyone noticing, it probably does not belong in the conclusion. If the sentence would be new to the reader, it does not belong there either.
The three moves in detail
Move 1: Restate the thesis, do not paste it
Return to your thesis, but show that the essay has earned it. Compare:
- Introduction thesis: "Cities should invest in cycle lanes because they cut traffic and improve public health."
- Weak restatement: "In conclusion, cities should invest in cycle lanes because they cut traffic and improve public health."
- Stronger restatement: "The evidence discussed above suggests that cycle lanes are not a luxury for keen cyclists but a practical way for a city to move people and keep them healthier."
The second version changes the angle and the vocabulary and makes a small step beyond the opening claim.
Move 2: Synthesise, do not list
Synthesis means connecting your points so that the reader sees a pattern. Ask yourself: "So what do my three body paragraphs show when they are put side by side?" A list says, "First I discussed cost, then safety, then health." Synthesis says, "Cost, safety and health all point the same way: the benefits arrive only if the lanes form a connected network."
Move 3: Close with purpose
End with something the reader can carry away. Good closing options include:
- A consequence: what follows if the argument is right.
- A limit: what the argument does not show, stated plainly.
- A next step or open question: what further work or action is needed.
- A return to your hook: a brief echo of the image or example you used in the introduction (use this only if you opened with one).
Avoid a grand claim you have not supported, such as "This will change the world forever."
A weak-to-strong rewrite
Here is a conclusion for a first-year essay on whether schools should start later in the morning.
Weak version:
In conclusion, I have talked about many things in this essay. School start times are a big issue. Some people think they should be later, and some people do not. I am not an expert, but I think maybe schools should think about it. Also, another important point is that teachers might need to change their hours, which I did not mention before. Thank you for reading.
What is wrong with it: it opens with a cliché, it describes the essay instead of making a claim, it apologises ("I am not an expert"), it hedges ("maybe"), it introduces a new point (teachers' hours) and it ends with thanks.
Strong version:
Taken together, the evidence on sleep, attendance and exam performance supports a modest conclusion: secondary schools that move the first lesson later give teenagers a better chance to learn while awake. The gains are not automatic, and they depend on realistic transport timetables and after-school arrangements. The question for school leaders is therefore not whether later starts help in principle, but how to adopt them without shifting the cost onto families.
Why it works: it restates the claim in new words, synthesises three strands into one idea, admits a limit without apologising, and ends on a practical question. It adds no new evidence.
Examples for three common formats
Argumentative essay
An argumentative conclusion should land the position firmly and acknowledge the strongest objection already discussed.
Public libraries remain worth funding, not because they store books, but because they give people a free place to learn, apply for jobs and meet. Critics are right that digital lending has reduced loans of printed books; yet the rooms, the computers and the staff still serve people that no app reaches. Councils deciding where to cut should count that daily use before they count shelves.
Research paper
A research paper conclusion states what the study found, what it means, its limitations and what should happen next. Keep claims in proportion to your data.
This study examined whether weekly retrieval quizzes affected end-of-term results in two first-year biology classes. Students who took the quizzes scored higher on the final test than the comparison group, which is consistent with earlier work on retrieval practice. However, the groups were small and came from one institution, so the result should be treated as preliminary. A larger study across several courses would show whether the effect holds in other settings.
Do not introduce a statistic here that was not reported in your results. Numbers belong in the results and discussion; the conclusion interprets them.
Lab report
A lab report conclusion is shorter and more technical. State whether the results supported the hypothesis, give the key result with its units, name the main source of error and suggest one improvement.
The results support the hypothesis that the period of the pendulum depends on its length and not on its mass. The measured period rose as the string was lengthened, and changing the bob mass produced no visible trend. The largest source of error was timing by hand, so the next trial should use a light gate or video analysis.
Check your course handbook: some departments want a separate "Discussion" and "Conclusion", others combine them.
Conclusion versus abstract
Students often mix these up. They have different jobs and different positions.
| Conclusion | Abstract | |
|---|---|---|
| Position | End of the paper | Start of the paper (or on its own) |
| Reader | Someone who has just read the paper | Someone deciding whether to read it |
| Content | Meaning, limits, next steps | Purpose, method, main result, significance |
| Tone | Interpretive | Compact and factual |
| Adds new results? | No | No |
An abstract summarises the whole paper for a reader who has not read it. A conclusion assumes the reader has, and tells them what it all means. If you need help condensing a paper into an abstract, the Abstract Generator can draft one from your text; it is machine-generated, so check every claim against your paper.
Phrases to avoid and what to use instead
"In conclusion" and "to sum up" are not wrong, but they are often a signal that the paragraph is about to repeat itself. Many markers are happy to see a conclusion that simply begins with the idea. Here are some alternatives.
| Instead of | Try |
|---|---|
| In conclusion, | Taken together, / Overall, / The evidence suggests |
| To sum up, | These findings show / What emerges is |
| In my opinion, | (State the claim directly) |
| I hope this essay has shown | (Delete and make the claim) |
| This essay has discussed | (Say what it found, not what it did) |
| As I said before | (Say it differently or cut it) |
| Thank you for reading | (Cut) |
For connecting words in the body of your essay, see our guide to transition words.
Common mistakes
- Adding new evidence. A new quotation or statistic in the conclusion makes the reader wonder why it was not in the body. Move it earlier or cut it.
- Apologising. "I may be wrong" or "this is just my view" weakens work you want to be taken seriously. State limits precisely instead.
- Over-claiming. "This proves" is rarely justified by a single essay. Use "suggests", "indicates" or "supports" when evidence is limited.
- Repeating the introduction word for word. Markers notice. Show that you have moved on.
- Ending on a question you cannot answer. A final question is fine if it points to useful further work; it is weak if it simply leaves the reader hanging.
- Starting a new topic. If a point deserves discussion, it needs its own body paragraph.
- Quoting someone else as the last word. Your essay should end in your voice.
How to check your own conclusion
Read the conclusion without the rest of the essay. Can a reader tell what the question was and what your answer is? Then read it against your introduction: is the answer the same, but better informed?
Tools can support the editing, though not the thinking:
- Run the paragraph through the Grammar Checker and Spell Checker before you submit. The Spell Checker can check against American or British English; choose the one your institution uses.
- If a conclusion sounds repetitive, the Sentence Rewriter can suggest alternative phrasings of single sentences. Treat them as options and keep your own meaning.
- If you are still deciding how the essay should flow, the Outline Generator can produce a structure to adapt. Each run handles up to 6,000 characters of text.
If you paraphrase sources in your conclusion, cite them in the style your course requires, and see how to avoid plagiarism.
Conventions in school and university
Practice differs by level and discipline.
- School essays (for example GCSE, A-level, SAT/ACT-style writing and AP courses): markers often reward a conclusion that answers the question directly and shows judgement. Check the mark scheme or rubric for your exam board.
- University essays: the conclusion is expected to evaluate, not merely summarise. In humanities subjects it often points to the wider significance of the argument.
- Science and engineering reports: the conclusion is short, specific and tied to the aims and results.
- Dissertations and theses: the final chapter usually returns to the research questions one by one, states contributions and limitations, and suggests future work. Follow your department's template.
When in doubt, ask your instructor or read the assessment criteria. They matter more than any general formula.
Checklist before you submit
- Does the conclusion restate my thesis in new words?
- Does it show what my main points mean together, not just list them?
- Does it end with a consequence, limit or next step?
- Is there any new evidence or a new topic? If so, move it or delete it.
- Have I removed "in conclusion", apologies and hedging such as "I think maybe"?
- Are my claims in proportion to my evidence?
- Is it about 5 to 10 percent of the length, within the word limit?
- Does it make sense when read alone?
- Have I proofread it for spelling, grammar and punctuation?
Try the tools
Frequently asked questions
How long should a conclusion be?
For a typical essay, one paragraph of four to six sentences is enough, roughly 5 to 10 percent of the total length. Long papers and dissertations need more. Always follow your instructor's word limit and any department template before relying on a general rule.
Can I use "in conclusion" in an essay?
You can, and it is not an error. But it often signals a paragraph that will only repeat earlier points. Many writers get a stronger effect by starting with the idea itself, for example "Taken together, the evidence suggests..." or by stating the answer directly.
Should a conclusion include new information?
No. New evidence or a new argument in the conclusion makes the essay feel unfinished. If a point matters, put it in a body paragraph with support. The conclusion should interpret what you have already shown and say what follows from it.
What is the difference between a conclusion and a summary?
A summary repeats the main points in order. A conclusion goes further: it restates your thesis, explains what the points mean together, notes limits, and ends with a consequence or next step. A summary alone often reads as a list, while a conclusion reads as a judgement.
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