Those who have some experience in academic writing know that a conclusion is a part of any paper where the central idea is restated and all the supporting evidence is briefly summarized. These are the two must-haves in every conclusion to an essay. However, after the reader finishes the essay and sees all the main arguments written in details, a simple summary may make them lose interest, “Oh my gosh, I need to write my essay conclusion yet. I’m already tired of writing. I’d better do anything else. Why not… ?”. Are these thoughts familiar to you? If yes, don’t give up writing a conclusion for your essay just because it’s the last part and it’s unlikely to be checked thoroughly. A well-written conclusion plays a great role in the final impression by answering the following questions:
- Is an essay logically complete?
- Does a conclusion refer to the main essay idea?
- Is a thesis statement proven conclusively?
Well, when the conclusion is right, the readers remain interested in reading on the given essay topic again and again. They are provoked to answer essay questions researching new sources of information and take part in discussions. So let’s leave your instructor impressed by your conclusion and write a thought-provoking conclusion. Look at the practical tips and samples presented in this article.
The Main Purpose of Writing a Conclusion First
Let us answer a question – why do you need a conclusion in the first place? Its purpose is to complete an essay and to make sure that the reader understands your point of view. Right? Still, it is not enough. An essay that “works” always has a thought-provoking conclusion. You should invoke further reflection in the reader on the topic of your essay. You don’t only lead him or her through your paper, but also guide them slightly beyond the paper’s main point, in the direction that you set. For that reason, you should write a conclusion first then modifying it according to the written content. It should be as the at the light at the end of the tunnel where ‘a tunnel’ is your flow of thoughts from which you should step out logically or with the help of which you can go on gripping the attention of the audience.
If we move a little away from the academic style and turn to literature, then all publishers and the writers themselves are sure that:
- A good beginning of the book guarantees that the book will be read, and a good ending means that the reader will want to read another book of the same author or on the same theme.
Why does it happen? Both parts cause some sorts of thoughts. In the essay introduction, it will be “What next, I wonder?”, in the conclusion – “I am really impressed with this essay topic”. So how to write a thought-provoking conclusion? Let us give you some tips below.
Successful Conclusion Writing: 5 Tips with Examples
- First of all, you should always link the conclusion to your introduction. By the end of the paper, readers may forget what the main question is and what introductory points are suggested. You need to remind them. Summarize the essay problem and recite the arguments that support the main point. In a proper conclusion, you should reflect on them briefly stating about how well they relate to your central idea. Here is the example on the way you can conclude a psychology research paper that deals with the image of a human in Z. Freud’s philosophy.
● Psychology Research Conclusion Example
In this research work, the problem of human integrity in its dynamic development is considered. It is shown how this problem is solved by the followers of Freud. According to Freud, a person in psychoanalysis is a subject whose conscious and unconscious are in constant conflict. This conflict is the cause of neurosis, psychosis, obsessive ideas, the origins of which are laid in childhood and can cause inappropriate behavior in adulthood. Mass aggression leads to wars, which in turn are natural and inevitable. The unconscious part controls the person in reality. It stores all the repressed negative emotions, all unconscious desires that seek to escape.
- Conclude with something that connects the evidence to the main point and opens up new possibilities for research or exploration. You can link a research topic to a broader context, which will take the reader beyond the realm of your paper. Showing them the extra context will emphasize the importance of the idea that you explore. Here is an example of how you can complete the term sociology work on the basic views of E. Fromm.
● Sociology Term Paper Conclusion Example
The theory of Fromm tries to show how extensive sociocultural influences interact with unique human needs in the process of personality formation. His fundamental thesis was that the character structure (personality types) is associated with certain social structures. Adhering to humanistic traditions, he also claimed that it is possible to create a society in which both individual and social needs would be met. It may be a result of radical social and economic changes. Unfortunately, most of the theoretical convictions of Fromm, especially his theory of character development, were formulated so globally that they are inaccessible to empirical study. In fact, very few such attempts have been made. The study of clinical cases and observations of other cultures is the only source of confirmation of its concept. Nevertheless, Fromm’s books have not lost their popularity both in the professional environment and among ordinary readers all over the world. Many people consider his ideas convincing and thought-provoking on a wide range of social problems to be consonant with modernity.
- Summarizing will not be enough, you should be able to make the reader think and ask relevant questions. You are free to use metaphors and quotations in order to strengthen your ending even more. Don’t be afraid to leave open questions at the end, provided that they are connected to your topic.
● World Literature Example
Gabriel Garcia Marquez has a real talent for writing endings that make you think. See how he ends his “One Hundred Years of Solitude. He again skipped a few pages, trying to run ahead and find out the date and circumstances of his death. But before he reached the last verse, he realized that he would not leave this room, because according to the parchment prophecy, the transparent city would be swept away from the face of the earth by a hurricane and erased from the memory of people at that very moment when Aureliano Babilonia finished deciphering parchments. And everything written in them will never happen again because those human families who are doomed to a hundred years of solitude are not destined to be born on earth twice.
- In conclusion, you can try to introduce a slightly different perspective on your topic. For example, make the shift from the theory and draw a connection with real life. Show how your idea can be used in practice, and what the steps for further researching can be. Here is the example of how you can conclude your psychology paper if you were studying personal well-being in normal and extreme conditions.
● Psychology Research Conclusion Example
The results can be the beginning of new theoretical and empirical research. In particular, it seems interesting to continue the study of the psychological well-being of an individual in extreme conditions of life activity, to consider its specificity depending on the duration of residence in extreme territories. In addition, the study of the age dynamics of the psychological well-being of the individual, as well as its gender specificity, can complement the concept of the phenomenon being studied. Also, the spectrum of research on the psychological well-being of an individual needs to be expanded by identifying features of psychological well-being models depending not on the natural but anthropogenic extremity, as well as on various combinations of the subjective and objective extremity of the environment, etc. The aim of research on the psychological well-being of the individual, his connection with various objective and subjective criteria should be the expansion of ideas about the possibilities and ways of achieving the psychological well-being of the individual in all conditions of life activity.
- You can try to use real-life language, which is simple and familiar to your reader. It will help you to make your summary as clear as possible. Use famous quotations to emphasize your point — they are something with which your reader is likely to relate. The main advice here would be for you not to be afraid to experiment. Often, the boldest experiments are most memorable and provoke readers the best. The following example shows how the quotation technique is used by Margaret Mitchell in her legendary book Gone With the Wind.
● World Literature Example
And being strong in the spirit of her people, not accepting defeat, even when it is obvious, Scarlett lifted her head. She will get Rhett back. She knows she will do it. There is no such man whom she could not win if she wanted. I will think about all this tomorrow. Tomorrow I will find a way to get Rett back. After all, tomorrow will be another day.
How to Make a Conclusion Memorable? – Get Creative!
Academic writing implies the existence of certain rules that must be followed to meet standards and to take its place among other scientific studies. However, there are situations when you are not obliged to follow the clearly defined rules that we have already discussed, and write a conclusion in a way that will seem most appropriate for you.
You can realize your author’s potential when your work implies a maximum of creativity. For example, students of the faculties of literature, philology, and journalism very often receive creative tasks, such as writing the first chapter of their book, a poem, or simply expressing their opinions in a free form. And here you can try to make your conclusion as intriguing, sad or funny as possible. Use any artistic tools, such as irony, insert a quote, go back to the beginning or use any other unexpected way to make your ending memorable.
You should understand the importance of a good conclusion and the special role it plays in an academic essay. It reminds the readers of your main point and makes them understand it. The purpose is not to lead your reader to the final destination, but show them off to a point where they can start their journey themselves. So, how about writing your own conclusion right now?