Home > The Conclusion

The thesis or argument of the essay is stated in both the beginning of the essay as well as its end.  However, the key difference is that now, in the conclusion, the reader has an idea of your argument after the evidences have been brought forth.  A common thread through all of the different writing guides and guidlines was that the conclusion should bring the essay to a close by drawing together the major points discussed, examined and analyzed in the preceding essay body.

As with the introduction, the conclusion is another key place for the evaluator to form an impression.  In the case of the conclusion, it is the last thing that the evaluator might read before either going back through the essay or before grading it.  Therefore, it is vital that the essay's conclusion be well done.

From the perspective of the author, the essay conclusion encourages completion of thought so as not to leave the reader hanging or unsure about the overall point or argument.  It allows the author to be comfortable with finishing their ideas in a comprehensive way, by touching the main points that have preceded and then summing up in a manner that rounds out the thesis.  This is a useful skill for authors (primarily students) to develop as some of them may not be given to finishing their thoughts while speaking.  Furthermore, since the way of speaking is often transferred to the way of writing, leaving incomplete ideas without adequate synthesis might be quite prevalent in such cases.

Also, similar to the introduction, writing the conclusion can act as a guage for the author to see if they achevied the task they set out to accomplish at the essay's inception. A proper conclusion is also beneficial for the evaluator as they are left with an idea of what has preceded and if the author did indeed argue what they set out to prove. It further reminds the evaluator of important points that were brought forth in the essay body and cannot be ignored, and this can emphasize the strength of the argument, as well as its impact and effectiveness. Not only that, but the conlcusion gives a neat ending to the essay rather than leaving the evaluator to piece things together on their own.