Introductions and conclusions are critical components of any effective piece of writing. While introductions set the stage and engage your readers, conclusions provide the final word, leaving a lasting impression. Mastering How To Start A Conclusion is essential to ensure your essay or paper ends strongly and resonates with your audience.
Just as a compelling introduction draws readers into the world of your analysis, a well-crafted conclusion serves as a bridge, guiding them back to their own world while highlighting the relevance and significance of your work. A strong conclusion emphasizes why your analysis and the information you presented should matter long after your reader puts down your paper.
Your conclusion is your ultimate opportunity to make a final statement on your subject. It allows you to synthesize your arguments, underscore the importance of your ideas, and encourage your reader to consider a new perspective. It’s also your chance to leave a positive final impression, ensuring your reader appreciates the journey you’ve taken them on through your writing.
A powerful conclusion transcends the immediate assignment. It pushes beyond the specific requirements of the prompt, inviting you to explore broader implications, establish new connections, and expand on the significance of your findings. Think of it as the moment to elevate your analysis and show its wider value.
Ultimately, your conclusion should leave your readers feeling enriched and satisfied that they invested their time in reading your paper. It should offer a valuable takeaway, prompting them to see things in a new light or appreciate your topic on a deeper, more personal level. Consider your conclusion as a final gift to your reader – a thoughtful offering that enhances their understanding and perhaps even their perspective on the world.
Strategies for Starting a Strong Conclusion
Knowing how to start a conclusion can be daunting. Many writers find themselves staring at a blank page, unsure of how to effectively wrap up their essay. Here are several strategies to help you craft a compelling start to your conclusion and ensure a powerful ending:
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Play the “So What?” Game to Spark Insight. If you’re struggling to find a meaningful starting point for your conclusion, engage in the “So What?” game. Ask yourself, or better yet, ask a friend to question every statement you consider for your conclusion by responding with “So what?” or “Why should anyone care?”. This exercise forces you to delve deeper into the significance of your points and articulate their broader relevance.
For example, consider this exchange regarding a paper on Frederick Douglass:
You: “Essentially, I’ve shown that education was crucial for Douglass.”
Friend: “So what?”
You: “Well, it was vital because it empowered him to feel like a free and equal citizen, challenging the dehumanizing nature of slavery.”
Friend: “Why should anyone care?”
You: “This is important because slaveholders deliberately withheld education to maintain control. Douglass’s self-education directly undermined this system of oppression and paved the way for his activism and influential voice against slavery.”This “So What?” strategy, whether used collaboratively or introspectively, can help you move beyond simple summaries and unlock the deeper significance of your arguments, providing a robust starting point for your conclusion.
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Return to Your Introduction’s Core Themes for a Sense of Closure. Creating a full circle effect is a powerful way to start your conclusion. Revisit the central themes, ideas, or even scenarios you presented in your introduction. If you began by painting a specific picture or posing a question, your conclusion can refer back to this, demonstrating how your essay has provided new insights or answers. This strategy offers a satisfying sense of completion for the reader.
For instance, if your introduction described a contemporary scenario highlighting the relevance of your essay topic, you could begin your conclusion by revisiting that scenario, now illuminated by your analysis. This shows the reader the tangible impact of your essay in fostering a new understanding of the initial situation. You can also achieve this by echoing keywords, parallel concepts, or imagery used in your introduction, creating a deliberate and effective link between the beginning and end of your paper.
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Synthesize Your Main Points – Don’t Just Summarize Them. A conclusion should, of course, touch upon the main points of your paper. However, simply reiterating what you’ve already said is not enough. Instead of a mere summary, aim to synthesize your key arguments. Show your reader how the various points you’ve made, along with the supporting evidence and examples, all connect and contribute to your overarching thesis.
Think of it as weaving together the different threads of your paper into a cohesive tapestry. Your conclusion should demonstrate the relationship between your points and how they collectively support your main argument. This synthesis showcases the depth of your understanding and reinforces the validity of your thesis in a nuanced way, going beyond a simple recap.
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Incorporate a Provocative Insight or Relevant Quotation. Drawing upon the research and reading you conducted for your paper can be a compelling way to start your conclusion. Including a striking quote or a particularly insightful observation from your sources can add depth and authority to your final remarks. This approach not only reinforces your arguments but also introduces a fresh perspective that resonates with your analysis.
Select a quotation or insight that encapsulates a key theme of your paper or offers a thought-provoking extension of your ideas. Be sure to briefly explain its relevance to your conclusion and how it enhances your overall argument. This technique can be particularly effective in leaving a lasting impression on your reader.
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Propose a Course of Action, Solution, or Questions for Future Exploration. A forward-looking approach can be a very engaging way to begin your conclusion. Consider using your conclusion to suggest a course of action, propose a solution to an issue you’ve discussed, or raise questions that warrant further study. This method redirects your reader’s thinking beyond the confines of your paper and encourages them to apply your insights to broader contexts.
For example, if your paper analyzed a specific problem, your conclusion could propose potential solutions or areas for improvement. Alternatively, you could pose unanswered questions that stem from your research, inviting further inquiry and discussion. This approach demonstrates the real-world applicability of your work and its potential to spark continued thought and action.
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Point to Broader Implications and Significance. To elevate your conclusion, consider starting by highlighting the broader implications of your findings. Why does your analysis matter in a wider context? What are the larger consequences or significance of your arguments? By addressing these questions, you can demonstrate the far-reaching relevance of your work.
For example, if your paper examined a specific historical event, you could begin your conclusion by discussing its lasting impact or its relevance to contemporary issues. Similarly, if you analyzed a literary work, you might point to its broader commentary on human nature or societal values. Connecting your specific topic to larger themes and issues underscores its importance and makes your conclusion more impactful.
Image alt text: A portrait of Frederick Douglass, an influential African-American abolitionist and writer, highlighting his significant contributions to education and social change.
Strategies to Avoid When Starting Your Conclusion
Just as there are effective strategies for starting a conclusion, there are also common pitfalls to avoid. Steering clear of these ineffective approaches will strengthen your writing and ensure a more impactful ending.
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Avoid Overused, Unnecessary Phrases. Beginning your conclusion with phrases like “in conclusion,” “in summary,” or “in closing” is generally discouraged in academic writing. While these phrases might be acceptable in spoken presentations, they often come across as cliché, wooden, and unnecessary in written work. Your conclusion should flow naturally from your paper, and these phrases tend to interrupt that flow and signal a lack of creativity. A strong conclusion should be evident in its content and style, not announced by a tired phrase.
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Don’t Introduce Your Thesis for the First Time. The conclusion is not the place to unveil your central argument. Presenting your thesis statement for the very first time in the conclusion can be confusing and disorienting for the reader. Your thesis should be clearly stated in your introduction and then developed and supported throughout the body of your paper. The conclusion should reinforce and expand upon your established thesis, not introduce it belatedly.
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Resist Introducing New Ideas or Subtopics. A conclusion should focus on wrapping up the ideas already presented in your paper. Introducing new ideas, subtopics, or lines of argument in your conclusion can be distracting and weaken your overall piece. It can leave the reader feeling that these new elements are underdeveloped and out of place. Stick to synthesizing and expanding on the arguments you’ve already established. If you find yourself wanting to introduce new ideas, consider whether they might be better suited for a separate paper or for incorporation into the body of your existing paper.
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Don’t Simply Rephrase Your Thesis Without Substantive Change. While restating your thesis in the conclusion is often appropriate, simply rephrasing it without adding any new insight or depth is ineffective. Your conclusion should go beyond mere repetition. Aim to restate your thesis in a way that reflects the journey your reader has taken through your paper. Rephrase it in light of the evidence and arguments you’ve presented, demonstrating a deeper understanding and perhaps a nuanced perspective. The goal is to reinforce your thesis in a meaningful way, not just to fill space.
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Avoid Sentimental or Overly Emotional Appeals Inconsistent with Your Paper’s Tone. While emotion can be powerful in writing, conclusions that rely on sentimental or overly emotional appeals can be out of character with the analytical nature of an academic paper. If your paper has maintained a reasoned, objective tone throughout, an abrupt shift to emotional appeals in the conclusion can feel jarring and insincere. Maintain a consistent tone throughout your paper, and let the strength of your analysis, rather than emotional manipulation, create the desired impact. Save overtly emotional language for contexts where it is more appropriate.
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Don’t Include Evidence That Belongs in the Body. The conclusion is not a dumping ground for evidence, quotations, statistics, or other supporting material that should have been included in the body of your paper. Introducing new evidence in the conclusion can be confusing and suggest that your paper is poorly organized or that you ran out of space in the main body. Ensure that all evidence that supports your arguments is presented and analyzed in the appropriate sections of your paper, reserving the conclusion for synthesis, reflection, and final thoughts.
Recognizing Ineffective Conclusion Starters: Four Common Pitfalls
Beyond specific strategies to avoid, understanding common types of ineffective conclusions can further refine your writing. Being aware of these pitfalls can help you proactively avoid them and craft stronger, more impactful endings.
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The “That’s My Story and I’m Sticking to It” Conclusion. This type of ineffective conclusion starter is characterized by a simple restatement of the thesis, often in a painfully brief and underdeveloped manner. It fails to advance the ideas presented in the paper or offer any new insights. Writers often resort to this type of conclusion when they feel they have nothing more to say or are unsure how to effectively expand on their arguments. It essentially ends the paper with a shrug, rather than a strong final statement.
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.” This conclusion merely repeats the thesis without adding any depth or further analysis.
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The “Sherlock Holmes” Conclusion. This ineffective approach involves deliberately withholding the thesis statement until the conclusion, as if creating a dramatic reveal. The writer might believe this creates suspense or intrigue, like a Sherlock Holmes mystery where the solution is revealed at the end. However, academic writing is not mystery writing. Readers expect analytical discussion and a clear thesis statement presented early in the paper. Delaying the thesis until the conclusion is confusing and frustrating for the reader, who is left wondering about the central argument until the very end.
Example: (After a paper detailing various incidents from a book without explicitly stating their significance regarding Douglass’s 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.” Here, the thesis is presented for the first time in the conclusion, leaving the reader to retrospectively piece together the paper’s argument.
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The “America the Beautiful”/”I Am Woman”/”We Shall Overcome” Conclusion. This type of conclusion starter relies heavily on emotional appeals, often employing sentimentality and grand pronouncements. While heartfelt emotion can be powerful, it is often out of place in an analytical academic paper. Such conclusions may attempt to evoke strong feelings in the reader but lack the sophisticated commentary and reasoned analysis expected in academic writing. A more fitting tribute to a complex topic is thoughtful analysis, not emotional praise.
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.” This conclusion relies on emotional praise rather than analytical insight, detracting from the paper’s academic tone.
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The “Grab Bag” Conclusion. This type of ineffective conclusion starter is characterized by the inclusion of random, disconnected information that the writer found interesting or relevant but couldn’t integrate into the main body of the paper. It’s tempting to include these “extra” details, especially after extensive research, but adding them haphazardly at the end of an otherwise well-organized essay creates confusion and weakens the overall impact. The conclusion should synthesize and focus, not introduce unrelated tangents.
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.” This conclusion introduces several new and disparate points, diluting the focus and coherence of the paper.
By understanding how to start a conclusion effectively and recognizing the common pitfalls to avoid, you can craft powerful endings that enhance your essays, leave a lasting impression on your readers, and solidify the impact of your writing. Investing time in mastering your conclusions is just as crucial as crafting compelling introductions and well-supported arguments.
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.
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