How to Conclude an Informative-Explanatory Essay

“That’s a wrap!”

Mrs. Tolonen adapted information from this source:http://www.how.com/End-an-Essay

Finish your essay with a BANG!

Your conclusion is important, should briefly sum up your main points, and end memorably.

Leave your reader THINKING!

Start with a small transition (optional).

This can be a cue to your reader that you're ending your essay, and that he/she needs to pay attention. Though a lot of essays begin their last paragraph with a transition, you don't need to if you feel like it's clear enough that you are ending your essay. The transition can be as simple as:

• "In conclusion,..."• "Finally,..."• "In the end,..."

(Refer to your blue transitional words handout from Tri 1.)

Briefly summarize the main points.

Try taking the first sentences of each body paragraph (your topic sentences from pg. 8) and rewriting their main points in two or three sentences. This will reinforce your essay's thesis / claim.

Avoid summarizing your points exactly as you wrote them.

Keep it short and sweet. Your conclusion should be anywhere from 5 to 7

sentences long. Any less, and you probably haven't summarized your points enough; any more, and you're probably rambling on a bit too much. “Brevity is the soul of wit.”

brev·i·ty

bre-və-tē\

: the use of few words to say something

: the quality or fact of lasting only for a short period of time

brevity is the soul of wit

proverbthe essence of a witty statement lies in its concise

wording and delivery.

Restate Rephrase your thesis / claim!You should reference your thesis / claim as you end your

essay. Remember, your thesis is the main point of your essay, what your entire essay is explaining. If someone who reads your conclusion still doesn't know what your thesis is, you haven't done a good-enough job of explaining it to him/her.

At the same time, avoid simply restating (repeating) your thesis. Find a way to rework your thesis in an interesting way, using different language. Restating your thesis using the same words strikes the reader as “boring” and perhaps “lazy”. Vary your word choice. Use synonyms.

End with a flourish. Your last sentence should be well-written (better

written than most), to the point, and memorable. Illustrate the point of your essay.

End with a little bit of irony, as appropriate. Be playful with your last sentence and pose an ironic byproduct of what you're explaining. This way, the end of your essay becomes especially memorable.

Don't quote. There is no need to clog up the ending of your

essay with quotes and analysis — that should have been what you were doing in your body paragraphs. If necessary, just summarize what the quotes told you as neatly as possible, and relate this back to the original question / thesis / claim.

Don't use fluffy language. Don't use fillers or fluffy words. You want your

conclusion to be readable and relatable, not rigid and boring. Avoid the use of "Firstly," "Secondly," "Thirdly," etc. to bookmark your points. Make it clear what you're saying and how many points you're making.

Just say NO to Pillow Pets!

Don't lead the reader astray with new material.

Now is not the time to introduce new topics or facts. That will just confuse your reader. Don’t jumble things up — relay simply where your essay has led and state what you have come to think after conducting the necessary analysis.

DO NOT INTRODUCE ANYTHING NEW!!! Just WRAP IT UP!

Other TRICKS to conclude your essay:• Reflect on the catastrophic event.• Include a possible solution. • Make a prediction for the future.• Avoid I, me, you…• There is NO need to write, “Thank you for

reading my essay”, “I hope you learned…”, or “The End”.

• Consider using alliteration, if appropriate.

EXAMPLEAll in all, the Tolonen Tornado of 2014 in

Renton, Washington was a devastating event. This catastrophic event not only made history, but it created cost-effective and much-needed solutions. Many precautions are now set as Renton rebuilds. Another tornado is bound to hit again. However, next time, residents will be better prepared…or, will they?