How To Write a Good Conclusion Paragraph
Writing a good conclusion paragraph can be a challenge in and of itself. But in my opinion, it’s well worth the effort because your conclusion is one way to get your reader thinking about what you wrote. A strong conclusion helps summarise the main points presented in an article or essay (or even summarize it if it isn’t very long). Of course, that doesn’t mean that every single essay needs a perfect conclusion. But if you’re reading this post, I’m assuming you want to improve on what you already have!
There are a few different types of conclusions: the recap, the rhetorical question, and the action statement.
A Recap: Some people like to do a quick review of what they wrote about at the end. For example, “In conclusion, it’s important to choose your words carefully around children”. This is not as common as the other two because this type of conclusion usually doesn’t bring up that much new information (although you can use some).
Rhetorical Question: A good rhetorical question will make your reader think and possibly want more information on an answer. For example; “What lessons have we learned from history?” This kind of question may force them to search for answers on their own or look for another piece of writing where someone else has already found an answer.
Action Statement: For me, the best kind of conclusion is one that tells the reader to do something specific or not do something specific. For instance; “If you want to protect yourself from language predators, avoid slang.” This type of statement is most often used in persuasive writing where the writer wants his audience to take action on what they’ve learned. Of course, this requires your audience to be active participants who are doing more than just reading! If you’re writing for a passive audience (such as if you’re writing about history), then it might be better to end with a rhetorical question instead of telling them what they should do at the end.
No matter which type of conclusion you choose, it should be strong enough to stand alone. The best way to ensure this is to write the conclusion at the same time as you are writing your essay or article instead of saving it until last. If you have trouble coming up with a good conclusion, look for one of the other types that will work well (and vice versa).
Remember that endings are important; they may not be the first thing a reader sees, but they’re often what leaves an impression. A strong ending will make your reader want to read more and share your writing with others!
In closing, strong conclusions are a great way to end an article or essay. A good type of conclusion will depend on the writing you’re doing and your target reader, but they all have one thing in common: they should be clear and concise! Writing a conclusion can take some time, but it’s worth it to have a strong ending that won’t leave your readers confused.