Most argumentative essay conclusions do one of two things: they summarise what the essay has already said, or they trail off into vague observations about the future. Both are wasted opportunities. A strong argumentative essay conclusion does something the introduction could not do: it delivers the insight that the essay's argument has earned. Here is how to write one that examiners remember.
What a Conclusion Is Not
- Not a summary. Restating your body paragraph points in the conclusion tells the examiner nothing they did not already know. It wastes 60 to 80 words and signals that the writer ran out of things to say. If your conclusion begins with "In conclusion, I have argued that..." you are summarising, not concluding
- Not a new argument. The conclusion is not the place to introduce evidence or a new line of reasoning you forgot to include. A new argument raised in the final paragraph has no development and no support, which undermines rather than strengthens the essay
- Not a hedge. "In conclusion, both sides have valid points." This is a conclusion that refuses to conclude. It retreats from the position the essay spent four paragraphs developing. Examiners reward commitment to a well-reasoned position, not last-minute fence-sitting
What a Strong Conclusion Does Instead
A strong way to write a conclusion for an argumentative essay does three things in sequence, each taking no more than two or three sentences:
- Restates the thesis but with the weight of the argument behind it
By the time the reader reaches the conclusion, they have read your evidence and your rebuttal. Your thesis can now be restated with more authority than it had in the introduction. Do not copy the introduction's thesis word for word; restate it in light of what the essay has proven. The difference is subtle, but the examiner notices it
- Broadens the significance
Move from the specific argument to the larger implication. If your essay argued that social media harms adolescent mental health, the conclusion might gesture toward what this means for parents, schools, or policy. This is not a new argument; it is the natural consequence of the argument you have made. One or two sentences is enough. The goal is to make the reader feel that the question mattered beyond the essay
- Closes with a final, memorable sentence
The last sentence of an essay is the last thing the examiner reads before writing your grade. It should be your strongest sentence. Not the most elaborate but the most precise. A sentence that says something true, clearly, in words that feel chosen rather than assembled
Study how model conclusions earn their final sentence
Before writing your own conclusion, read the final paragraph of two or three model essays in iThink (14+). Cover everything except the last sentence of each conclusion and ask: what job is this last sentence doing? Is it broadening significance? Issuing a call to action? Restating the thesis with new authority? Then read the sentence. Does it deliver on what the preceding conclusion set up? This close reading of endings, ten minutes before any essay attempt trains the instinct for what a concluding sentence should accomplish. It is the most specific secondary english composition writing tips available for the conclusion specifically.
A Template You Can Adapt
Sentence 1, Restated thesis: [Your position, restated with the authority of the argument you have built, not copied from the introduction]
Sentences 2-3, Broader significance: [One to two sentences on why this question matters beyond the essay itself, the implication for people, society, or the future]
Final sentence, The closer: [Your most precisely chosen sentence: specific, clear, and earned by everything that came before it]
The whole conclusion should run between 70 and 100 words. Students who write longer conclusions almost always do so because they are summarising. If you find yourself approaching 120 words in the conclusion, stop and cut everything that is repeating information the reader already has.
Practise conclusions as a standalone task
Edutique includes timed writing prompts tied to the topics in iThink and iCritic. Use them for a focused conclusion practice routine: read the article, write only the conclusion as if you had already written the full essay, then compare against the suggested model response. Practising conclusions as a standalone task, separate from the full essay accelerates improvement because you give the component your full attention rather than arriving at it tired after four body paragraphs. This is how you learn to how to write a good essay at the component level, which compounds into a better essay at every level.
Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
- Starting with "In conclusion" or "To conclude"
These phrases add no meaning and signal an automatic, template-driven approach. Replace them by simply beginning with the restated thesis: "Technology does not erode human connection; it reflects the choices we already make." No preamble required
- Ending with a question
"Will we ever find the answer?" is not a conclusion; it is an abdication. The essay's job is to take a position, not to leave the reader with unresolved doubt. End with a statement, not a question
- Making the significance too global
"This affects the entire world" is too broad to be meaningful. The broader significance should be specific enough to feel like a genuine insight: "This matters most for schools, where the relationship between screen access and attention is already reshaping the classroom in ways policy has not caught up with." Specific beats sweeping every time
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